What The Heck Is This Guitar From Might Be Famous?

This affordable Strat-Tele hybrid certainly sticks out of a crowd, but is it any good?

Visit the Might Be Famous website for more details, specs, and purchasing.

Very rarely are there guitar brands (or shapes) that I’ve never heard of before. In this case, both the brand and design were very new to me, but nonetheless intriguing. Meet the Might Be Famous guitar, it’s a guitar I would probably have given a name to, but currently it is described on their website as a “white electric guitar”.

What it actually is is a Fender-style guitar that has the top horn of a Stratocaster as the lower horn, and the top side of a Telecaster. Otherwise, you have a Strat-like bridge, input jack, control layout, and HSS configuration of Alnico pickups.

Pawlownia wood makes up the body, with a Maple neck and fretboard holding 22 frets attached. The nut is a bone nut, with a 25.5″ scale length as well. I kind of actually dig the quirky headstock too, which is almost reminiscent of something you’d see on a Japanese import from the ’60s (think Harmony, Tiesco, etc…).

So Is It Any Good?

Overall, this is a fine guitar for $200. It is playable, there’s no major issues that prevent you from actually enjoying the guitar thankfully. So the good news is, you’re definitely getting a functional, usable instrument, unlike many ultra-affordable guitars I’ve reviewed.

The neck and middle pickup were surprisingly smooth and articulate. It felt very natural and Strat-like, not too dissimilar from a Classic Vibe Squier Strat of significantly higher price. The bridge humbucker and the 2nd position (bridge + middle pickup) were a different story. Whatever humbucker they selected for the bridge here is far too muddy, and feels kind of out of place compared to how nice the neck/middle sounds were. Likewise, that in-between position is so thin and tinny, not at all like the normal chime you’d hear. So sonically, it was a mixed bag. I will say, a new set of pickups would do wonders for this guitar.

In terms of build quality and set up, I wasn’t really disappointed by this unnamed Might Be Famous instrument. The neck is thin, and actually is kind of comfy. I’d recommend a set up for sure to iron out a few high frets or sharp fret ends, but the action wasn’t bad, and fret buzz was limited. Overall, that’s very encouraging for beginners or gigging musicians who are looking for an affordable alternative to HSS Strats.

At this price, you have to understand you will not get a flawless guitar. Instead, you just have to judge if any of the flaws here prevent you from actually using or enjoying the instrument. Fortunately in this case, they do not. But if you’re interested in making this guitar truly reach its full potential, a pickup/wiring change is necessary, as is a bit of a touch up to the playability. Upgrading the tuners or bridge would go a long way to improve tuning stability as well, which was on the border of fine/not fine.

The Final Word

This offering from Might Be Famous is a very interesting guitar any way you slice it. It’s not perfect, with some low quality sounds from the H side of the HSS configuration, suspect tuning stability, and a few high frets. But overall, it is playable, functional, and enjoyable in other ways. I’d say it is best suited for someone who wants to take on a unique mod project, or a cash strapped beginner or who needs a functional guitar that won’t break the bank.

It’s something that is far more appealing than another Glarry Strat copy, and I’d like to see what would happen if they sunk a little bit more time into this model. No need to go out of your way to avoid it, but definitely know what you’re getting when you order this Might Be Famous guitar.