The Guitar Center’s marvelous entry into the budget guitar market
Mitchell is the name of the Guitar Center’s own brand of budget guitars. But that budget description only refers to the low cost of the guitars, not their quality, because the quality is quite high. I’ve heard these Mitchells referred to as “Gibson Killers,” and after playing around with this one for a few days, I have to agree.
I can’t possibly imagine how difficult it must be for Gibson to sell, let’s say a Les Paul Standard, at seven times the price of this, very well appointed, Mitchell MS450. If you’re a kid just starting out with one of these, you are ready to do it all and you just saved your parents from having to take out a second mortgage on the house to back your dreams.
These sell new for about $350, and open box discounts and GC’s occasional store promotions can take as much as $100 off that price. The used market offers even bigger price discounts.
So, what do you get for your money? You get a lot! You get a single cutaway, “weight relieved,” Les Paul copy guitar with a solid mahogany neck and body, a rosewood fingerboard, and a flamed maple top, although I believe that is a veneered flamed maple top.
You get a pair of coil tapped (for the single coil sound) Alnico 5 Humbuckers, jumbo frets, 18:1 locking tuners, and a GraphTech TUSQ XL nut. The fit and finish is flawless, and the body contours make it very easy to sit with for extended periods of practice.
Of course, at this price, the guitar couldn’t be made in the USA. I understand that some are made in China, and some, like this one, are made in Viet Nam! I had no idea they made guitars at all, and yet somehow, according to my own experience, the Vietnamese have entered the guitar manufacturing industry at the very top level of achievement.
But I suppose this should come as no surprise. I have one of those Vietnamese IYV Rickenbacker copies and, like this Mitchell, it is exceptionally well made and has become one of my favorite guitars.
So without reservation, I would say that if your ever in the market for a Les Paul style guitar, I strongly recommend that you try a Mitchell first, I think you’ll be very pleasantly surprised.
Super Specs
Body = single cut mahogany with comfort contours
Neck = Mahogany set neck with a “1960s slim-tapered, shallow C profile”
Fretboard = rosewood
Scale Length = 24.75 inches
Fretboard radius = 12 inches
Frets = 22 jumbo frets
Nut width = 42mm
E to e string spacing = 34.5mm
Weight = 7 pounds 1 ounce
Pickups = Alnico 5 Humbuckers
Pickup resistance: Neck = 8.92K Middle = 5.31k Bridge = 13.16k
Tuners = 18:1 locking
Bridge = Gibson style tune-o-matic
The traditional stop tailpiece was superseded by a Telecaster style string-through-the-body terminus.
Three position pickup selector switch with one master volume and two tone pots with push-pull coil splits for both pickups on the volume and neck tone pot.
The body measures 1 1/2 inches thick, which helps with weight reduction as compared to the original Gibson version which measures 1 7/8 inchs, or 3/8 inch thicker.
The jumbo frets are not the too tall “railroad tie” style, but are well crowned so the fingers glide over them smoothly.
And here’s something else I’d like to point out. The Mitchell MS470 with it’s comfort contours and weighing in at 7.1 pounds, is perfectly balanced on the lap, and is therefore designated by me to be “practice playable.” That means I can sit down with this thing and enjoy myself for several hours at a time.
My own 1982 Gibson Les Paul Custom which weighs 10.6 pounds, bout dives like a boat anchor, and fits the body like a cast iron steamer trunk is most definatly not practice playable.
Bonus Tracks
Here is an ethusiastic young YouTuber who will explain why, he too, is a fan of the Mitchell MS450 guitar.
If you would like to spend some time with one of these Mitchell guitars, you now know where to find them – The Guitar Center