Are Grote guitars actually any good?
Worth it, if you want semi-hollow tone without the flagship price
Why cheap electric guitars make you nervous before you even plug in
You plug in a budget electric for the first time and brace for the letdown: strings that buzz past the twelfth fret, a neck that fights your thumb, a tone that sounds thin through anything louder than a bedroom amp. That's the real question behind are grote guitars any good, because on paper this one reads like it should cost twice what it does. The metallic truss rod cover and semi-hollow body look right in the listing photos. Whether that holds up once you're actually fretting a barre chord is the part no spec sheet answers.
How the Grote MG-404's semi-hollow body actually works
Here's where your money actually goes on a guitar like this. A solid-body electric is just a slab of wood with pickups bolted on; a semi-hollow body like the MG-404's basswood shell has chambers carved out under the top, so the wood itself resonates instead of just sitting there transferring string vibration straight to the pickups. That changes two things: the guitar weighs less on your shoulder after an hour, and the tone picks up an airy, woody overtone a solid body doesn't have, especially on clean or lightly overdriven settings. The trade-off, and the marketing skips this part, is that hollow chambers are more prone to feedback if you crank the gain near a loud amp, so this is built for a player chasing warmth, not sustain at volume. The 24.75 inch scale length is the other quiet decision here. It's shorter than the 25.5 inch scale on a Stratocaster style guitar, which means less string tension at the same tuning, easier bends, and a slightly rounder tone. Pair that with a maple neck and stainless steel frets, and you get a fretboard that resists the divots a softer nickel fret develops after years of string wear, which matters more than it sounds once you're past year two of ownership. Stainless frets also feel slicker under a bending finger, so slides and vibrato take less effort. None of this is exotic engineering. It's a set of ordinary, well understood guitar building choices, stacked in a way that usually shows up on instruments twice this price.
That's the honest trade here: you're not paying for a brand name or a boutique pickup, you're paying for a chambered body and stainless frets that a lot of guitars in this bracket skip to hit a lower number. Spec sheets don't lie, but they do mumble, and on this one the mumbling is doing you a favor.
Who the Grote MG-404 is for, and who should skip it
Worth it if
- You want a semi-hollow tone without paying flagship prices
- You play mostly clean to lightly overdriven styles
- You're comfortable doing a basic setup and intonation check yourself
- You want stainless frets that resist wear over years of playing
Skip it if
- You play high-gain styles where feedback from a hollow chamber is a problem
- You want a guitar that needs zero setup or fret work out of the box
- You need a name-brand resale value
If you play high gain styles or want zero setup out of the box, this isn't your guitar.
The Grote guitar verdict: are grote guitars any good
If you want a semi-hollow tone and a guitar that doesn't feel like a starter instrument the day it arrives, this is a reasonable yes at its price. If you're chasing high gain metal tones, or you won't touch up a setup and intonation yourself, put your money toward a solid body instead.
The problem this solves is simple: you stop wondering whether the cheap guitar is holding you back and start actually playing it. Day one looks like tuning it up, running a basic setup and intonation check, and noticing the neck feels ready to go instead of fighting you. That's the quiet win at this price: less friction between you and actually practicing, not a longer feature list to read.
Amazon shoppers rate it 4.6 out of 5 across 794 ratings. That is their number, not ours.
Before you go
Where are Grote guitars made?
Grote guitars, including this model, are manufactured overseas in China, the same region that produces most guitars in this price range, often in factories that also build parts for bigger name brands.
What is the history of Grote guitars?
Grote is a relatively young, direct to consumer guitar brand that built its name on Amazon by putting higher spec features, like semi-hollow bodies and stainless steel frets, on instruments priced well below traditional retail markups.
Are Cort guitars high quality?
Cort is generally regarded as a solid, well built manufacturer, and it also builds guitars and components for several major brands, which is part of why it has a strong reputation for the price.
What are the top 3 best guitar brands?
There's no single agreed upon top three, it depends on genre and budget, but Fender, Gibson and PRS are the names most players cite first for build quality and resale value.
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By the numbers
earn an unconditional yes at full priceOut of 135 electronics products we have reviewed. This one is a yes with a condition attached.
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Full spec sheet
| Brand Name | Grote |
|---|---|
| Hand Orientation | Right |
| Unit Count | 1 Count |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Included Components | Guitar Cable, 2 Picks |
| Instrument | guitar |
| Model Name | MG-404 |
| Model Number | MG-404 |
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