Unwrapping

Getting ready to unwrap the iAXE393 USB-Guitar.

Unveiling

The USB-Guitar is packed securely.

Tuning

For starters, I attempted to tune the iAXE393 USB-Guitar.

Tuning pegs

Tuning the guitar was easy.

Fine tuning

Keeping the guitar tuned, on the other hand, was a challenge!

Getting the feel

The iAXE393 is a sturdy little instrument. It has a 22-fret maple neck and plays nicely.

Plucking

The iAXE393 comes with three picks, but I wanted to get a feel for it with my own bare hands.

Single-coil pickups

You can see the three single-coil pickups (two for tone and one for volume), plus the five-way switching lever.

Connector for an amplifier

This is where you can plug your guitar into a traditional amplifier or a tuning device.

USB port

Here’s the USB port and the connector for stereo headphones.

Extras

A bag of goodies came with the iAXE393 USB-Guitar.

Strap

The guitar strap was easily adjustable.

Picks

Three picks were included in the package.

USB cord

Here’s the cord that connects the guitar to the laptop or PC.

Vibrato bridge

The vibrato bridge easily screws into the front of the guitar for mind and ear bending sound effects.

Chord Starter Guide

There’s a Chord Starter Guide for beginners.

Manuals in different languages

You don’t speak English? Don’t worry. The iAXE393 comes with instructions in several other languages, including French and Japanese.

Connected to the PC

I can honestly say that this is the first time that I’ve ever plugged a guitar into a computer.

Vibrato bridge connection

The vibrato bridge was very simple to attach to the guitar.

Reading the manual

At first, reading through the documentation was exciting and fun.

Study time

I never was able to figure out the recording and editing software… and that’s not so fun.

Installing the software

The CD-ROM included iAXE393 USB-Guitar drivers, Native Instruments’ Guitar Combos (demos), plus the Kristal recording and Audacity editing software.

Native Instruments' Guitar Combos

You have three Guitar Combos demos to play around with for 30 days. After that, you have to pick one to download in its entirety from Native Instruments.

Still tuning

Did I mention that I had a hard time keeping the iAXE393 USB-Guitar in tune?

Music appreciation

A couple of my co-workers had to check out the iAXE393 USB-Guitar as well.

Fun but challenging

Pros of the iAXE393 USB-Guitar: The sound effects are awesome and it’s a very nice instrument for a relatively low cost.

Cons of the iAXE393 USB-Guitar: It wouldn’t stay in tune and the software was not very intuitive or user-friendly.