Laguna LE50 Short-Scale Electric Guitar  

I bought this for my son on his 10th birthday. He loves it!! The bridge set up was a little rough but action/intonation adjustments were easy. The flat black finish is amazing especially when I put on a matching set of black DR strings. The neck inlays and overall playability are more than I expected. I can't believe how much guitar you get for the money. This guitar sounds great when plugged into a Peavey Vypyr 15 amp. We might sink a set of active EMGs before long.

Two pups, 3-way switch, vol and tone.  Standard.

Same on both this and the Mikro.

If scale length is a feature, the LE50 is about 1/4" longer in scale than the Mikro.  Insignificant difference.

Both came with string perhaps a bit too thin for the scale length - when you shorten the scale you typically have to use thicker strings.  If you want to you slinky strings, you pretty much have to stick with guitars over 24" in scale.  Strings that are too thin make chords a bit out of tune you use juuuuuust the right finger pressue on each string.

This is a physics thang, and hard to describe.  If you're having trouble getting short scales to intone, a thicker gauge string might really help.  Either that or tune the guitar up a step or two.

In case folks do not know, nearly all aspects of gtr making is done by hand.  They might use jigs to shape the neck and body and do cavity routing, but assembly is by hand.  You just can't make machines that'll do this sort of work.

THEREFORE, if I'm to rate quality, I'd best do it by examining mutliple gtrs of the same model as they all might be assembled by different people.  In this regard, low quality is likely a result of low quality CONTROL.  That said, there wasn't much wrong with my LE50 when it came.  Here's what was:

1) One of the frets was a bit high and needs to be filed a bit.

2) The frets ends could've been filed smoother - they don't cut, but you can feel them catching a bit.

3) Minor bits of glue in certain places - around the string ferrules and neck botls.  All scraped off easily with my finger nail w/o hurting the finish.

4) minor dent in the fretboard - not a problem for playing at all, just a l'il blemish

5) string ferrules were not all hammered in completely - doesn't affect anything and only noticable by close inspection

6) neck was a tad rough, but admittedly it was left more natural than the Mikros which have more 'stick' to them due to more laquer (or whatever they use to top coat).  Even rough, the LE50 palyed faster due to less 'stickiness' of top coat.  NOTE: to get this speed from the Mikro, just rub the neck with something slightly abrasive - i.e. remove the sticky via abrasion

In comparison to the Mikro:  I have three Mikros and none had any of these issues (well, except for stickier necks)

Still a great value, especially at the price point.  Just like the Mikro.

It's a working guitar, and nice and portable like you'd want from a short scale.

I do NOT often buy expensive guitars.  I see no need to pay extra for looks when it's sound I'm after.

Still, I got this guy because I thought it looked a bit more like "me" for gigging than the Mikros, so looks do count I suppose, even to frugal dudes like moi.

I'm giving an average rating because I'm really just using this slot to detail the differences between the Mikro and the LE50.

NECK:

Same materials

Mikro has better fretwork (see above)

Both had good fret and neck dot work - look different though - aesthetics

Mikro uses one piece of wood, LE50 uses two (see below)

Both seem to have the same curvature and shape - both are very fast, thin 'speed metal' necks

HEADSTOCK:

Mikro has a scalloped head, like a strat

LE50 has an angled head (which is why they used two pieces of wood for the neck), like a Les Paul

Mikro has 6 on one side tuning machines with string trees,

LE50 has a 3 on each side configuration so a bit shorter headstock

Mikro's nut is a thin one in a groove

LE50 has a more typical 'glue a nut' to the top of the fretboard.

Both were already setup pretty well in regard to the grooves in the nut - both had pretty nice low action over the 1st fret

PICKUPS:

I like the Mikro pups better.  Just a bit warmer and more well rounded.  This is a subjective stance.

HARDWARE:

Mikro has a cool 'one piece' string ferrule all six ball ends go through, and looks much nicer than the six individuals on the LE50

Mikro uses plastic knobs, the LE50's are metal

Mikros vol and tone pots roll more smoothly than the LE50

Both did a good job lining up the bridge and putting in the string-thru-body channels to the ferrules.  I doubt either will cause string breakage due to sting rubbing on edges of the bridge.

Both did a nice job of setting the saddle heights to match the contour of the neck curvature

Both had typical tuning machines that worked fine.  If you're having trouble with your machines 'slipping', it may be due to the thin strings on the short scale.  Increasing string gauge will cause more tension when you tune it up, and thus should help tuning machines stay put.

BODY:

Here's the main diff between the Mikro and LE50, although if you lay one on top of the other they are nearly identical in outline.  They are pretty much the same body shape in silloette.

Mikro has the cavity under a pickguard with no back-access, like a strat

LE50 has no pickgaurd and access to the cavity is via the back, like a Les Paul

Thus the LE50 is a bit easier to work on for electronics needs.

Both have scalloped waists and feel good riding the hip

The Mikro has a scalloped forearm rest, like a strat.  The LE50 does not.  I prefer the Mikro in this regard because it IS nicer to play with your forearm on a flat surface than on an edge

The LE50 has scalloped the rear of the body where the neck bolts are, which does allow a bit more hand access to very high frets.  Mikro doesn't (and may be a tad more stable for it - I don't believe the scalloping here really helps much)

Mikro has a flat top, LE50 has more of an 'arched top' shape to it.  Aesthetic difference really.

Mikros have sharper horns.  Again aesthetic - Mikros look a tad more 'evil' due to the sharper points, I think.

Both had good paint jobs and top coat jobs - even, good color tone

The pickups sound good and the playability is sweet.

The finish is nice, the sound is good, and it stays in tune.

Great guitar for the price. I bought it used and it came in the the box with no flaws at all and it still had plastic over the pickups. I think someone bought it and it was to big for their child so they sent it back.

I bought a pee wee les paul and a mini strat in the past for my other kids and this one blows them both away. The others I bought would not stay in tune and in my opinion were junk compaired to this one.

This guitar stays in tune and sounds really good. I bought this for my 5 yr old and he rocks out on it. It is a little big for him but it is something for him to grow into.

It is made well, the pickups sound great. I have bought a pee wee les paul and a miniture strat in the past and they both would not stay in tune. That is why I wanted to try something different this time.This guitar does stay in tune.

I bought this one used for $86 and it came in the box with the plastic over the pickups and not any scratches or defects at all. I think someone ordered it and it was to big for their child, so they sent it back.

I would buy one of these again and would recommend it to everyone.

I had to laugh reading all the heg reviews here...WTF do you expect for a guitar that is this cheap???

So...the satin black finish id totally fine though prone tio skuffing. The guitar is well made for it's price. As far as tuning etc. At first the strings wouldn't dtay tuned, but her, any GOOD guitar player knows that you have to work them it before they settle down.

Anyhoo, out of the box the intonation was almost dead on. No buzzing, and I neeeded to only raise the hi-E,B, and D strings a bit for my preferences.

As far as sound goes, like any decent guitar, what you plug it into makes the difference. Pleanty of online videos like Guitar Center's Paul DEMO shows the potential of this little guy. I play this mosly through a Micro Cube and I can go from Hendrix, Stevie Ray, and Billy G. just by dialing in the amp. (I plan to try through the new VOX Mini3 soon)

All in all, it is a great first guitar, or a tooling around, travel guitar...IT IS NOT meant to be a stage guitar.....come on....what cheap guitar that can meet demand

Two last things....if you STILL have trouble keeping in tune, try heavier strings...the stock ones are a bit slinky. I bet all you groaners never did THAT!!!

and...I had a chance to compare to the famed Ibanez MIKRO and the LE50 blew it out of the water in sound and playability. Thr MIKRO was finished somewhat better, but hey, you can't play LOOKS now can you?

Very good for the price point. Maybe I jsut got a good one?

10 STARS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am only giving an 8 because it is NOT a 1962 Strat, or a 59 Les Paul.....but it costs $20,000 less!!!