Monoprice has unveiled the Indio 66SB DLX Plus, an affordable single-cut that aims to rival the cheap gear market’s biggest brands – namely, Harley Benton – for the best electric guitar under $500.
Available in Black and Gold colorways, the electric guitar wears its unapologetic appreciation for the Gibson Les Paul on its sleeve, boasting a number of functional and aesthetic appointments that nod to the iconic model.
For example, the body shape, which features a sharper cutaway, is complemented by ivory body binding and Top Hat-style amber knobs, as well as a tune-o-matic bridge and Stopbar tailpiece.
Likewise, the upper bout boasts a three-way pickup selector – fitted with a finish-appropriate switch tip and Rhythm/Treble-embossed washer – while the fretboard arrives adorned with trapezoid inlays.
Of course, a price tag of $249 means it’s going to be far from the real deal, though that doesn’t mean it’s wholly void of noteworthy specs. It’s got a mahogany body, for instance, which is paired with a maple top, as well as an ivory-bound rosewood fingerboard.
Elsewhere, the Indio 66SB DLX Plus utilizes a set-in, C-shape Nato neck, which is topped with a bone nut and 22 frets.
As for electronics, the affordable axe comes equipped with a pair of soap bar-style pickups that promise ”midrange growl and twangy highs”. They’re wired to a pair of volume and tone knobs, as well as the three-way selector switch.
There aren’t any standard LP-style Harley Benton single-cuts fitted with soap bar pickups, meaning we reckon its closest competitor is probably the humbucker-loaded SC-Custom II, which rings in at $235.
Both the Gold and Black Indio 66SB DLX Plus, meanwhile, are available now for $249. So, pretty darn close.
To find out more, visit Monoprice (opens in new tab).
