"A budget-friendly guitar with looks and specs that could punch above its £249 price – so I gigged it": Mooer MSC20 Pro review

What is it?

Launched in 2010, Mooer made its name as one of the originators of the mini pedal format, popularising the concept with a double whammy of miniaturism and affordability. This ethos of innovation has held since then, demonstrated by the expansion of Mooer into most corners of the guitar market whilst maintaining a budget-friendly price point.

In typically exciting and joyfully disruptive style, Mooer entered the guitar building game with the boundary-exploring GTRS series of “Intelligent” electric guitars, featuring an entire digital rig built into the guitar itself. However, clearly not averse to honoring tradition, what we have here is a more conventional S-style machine, competing in the saturated end of the affordable guitar market. With at least one surprising twist.

Sitting above the £169 MSC10 Pro at £249, the MSC20 Pro offers similar specs with a few more choices of colours, a coil split, and that added twist – what Mooer describes as a "selected ash top". It wasn’t that long ago when a guitar at this price could not have offered the features we see here, however, and I say this rather enviously based on my own first guitar experience, the improvement of budget-friendly, beginner-focused instruments means a player could conceivably gig with the MSC20 Pro. So I did.

Specs

Launch price: £249/€295

Made: China

Type: Six-string electric

Body: Poplar with selected ash top

Neck: Roasted maple, standard C

Fingerboard/Radius: Jatoba, 12"

Scale length: 25.5” (648mm)

Nut: Bone, 43mm

Frets: 22, size, nickel silver

Hardware: MTN-1 chrome tuners, MVT-1 6-hole vintage-style tremolo

Electrics: Neck MSC1N, middle MSC-1M, bridge: MHB-1B, 1x Vol, 1x tone, 5-way switch

Test model weight: 7.88llbs/3.57kg

Left-handed options: None

Finishes: Ocean Blue [as reviewed], Black Burst, Amber Brown, Prune Purple

Contact: Mooer

Build quality

Build quality rating: ★★★★☆

A quick look at the spec list reveals the impressive components for a guitar built with budget in mind. The Poplar body is light for an HSS model at only 7.88 lbs, and the ash top is rather striking, giving it the appearance of a more expensive guitar.

Previously reserved for pricier models, roasted maple necks are beginning to appear on several budget-friendly instruments, Harley Benton with the ST Modern series being a good example. The inclusion of one on the MSC20 Pro is a welcome appointment and a bone nut is a great addition at this price too with both these specs theoretically helping to enhance tuning stability and sustain. What did cause a little debate in the review team was the pure white colour of the scratchplate. After a straw poll, an off-white or parchment tends to be the preference here for S-types, but I don’t mind it.

Starting at the headstock, Mooer's in-house MTN-1 chrome tuners perform admirably. They lack the smooth travel found in more expensive examples and with some vigorous playing the tuning would slip a little, but stability was generally good throughout testing and under the heat of the stage lights. This stability is carried through to the Mooer MTV-1 tremolo system which takes considerable abuse before causing any issues. Intonation is often a place where cheaper guitars can fall short, however, I can happily report this as a non-issue with this test guitar.

The frets needed a little attention. Whilst there are no real issues at the fret ends, the finishing is slightly lacking in that there were several spots with that telltale grainy feel upon bending and moving the strings around. After a few hours of playing the frets in, this did ease significantly and can be sorted better with a fret polish, however, this is not something beginners should be worrying about.

A treat worth mentioning is the inclusion of a Mooer-branded lightly padded gig bag. A rare, and very much appreciated inclusion with a budget electric guitar.

With a spec sheet like this, a solid build, and stable tuning, the Mooer MSC20 Pro has the bones of a decent gigging instrument. So, when my time with this test model happened to coincide with a weekend function gig, it seemed the perfect opportunity to put it through its paces. As part of a five-piece band, I usually take two electric guitars and it was actually the Mooer that got the most admiring glances and comments from members of the audience. For context, the other guitar was my '51 Custom Shop Telecaster. Needless to say, I feel rather conflicted about this outcome!

Generally, the build stands comfortably with the competition. I did snap a string during live use (they were checked for corrosion first), but there are no signs of sharp edges or other issues that could be identified as the cause. All was well in the lengthy testing that followed.

Playability

Playability rating: ★★★★☆

I spent over a decade as a guitar tutor and saw students bring in entry-level guitars that run the gambit from incredible value for money to severely bowed necks and actions high enough to shoot arrows from. Gladly, the MSC20 Pro is much closer to the former. Out of the box, it is set up well with a medium-low action that allows plenty of scope for flashy legato runs if you have those in your locker. There is no buzzing or notes choking out with big bends at the higher end of the fretboard and the standard C-shape neck is a comfortable middle ground between wizard thin and baseball bat, with a satin finish that makes getting around the guitar a breeze.

In a slight step away from the S-style feel of the rest of the instrument, we have a 12" fretboard radius. Quite common on Gibson-style guitars, it's certainly not a negative thing with the MSC20 Pro and contributes to the ease of blasting through those legato runs without taking too much away from the feel of cowboy chords down the other end of the 'board. Mostly a matter of preference, it's certainly worth highlighting as an interesting decision given that I would usually expect a 9.5" radius on a guitar that appears aimed at a traditional S-style shape.

Another welcome addition is the decision to put the coil split on a switch rather than a push/pull pot. Whilst it does not look like the most attractive solution, it allows for quick and easy access to that single coil bridge sound, without having to remind yourself which pot has the push function or trying to pull on a slippery piece of plastic with sweaty stage hands.

The aforementioned fret-polishing issue slightly intrudes on the experience of executing Gilmour-esque bends, and the Jatoba fretboard arrived dry, feeling a little unpleasant under the fingers but these issues are correctable with fretboard conditioning. However, solutions to problems like those will not necessarily be immediately obvious to the guitar's target market. A slightly bigger issue is the trem. It is very stiff. To the point where consistent use would surely count towards your workout for the day.

Sounds

Sounds rating: ★★★½

I am testing the MSC20 Pro using my Hot Rod Deluxe as a pedal platform at home, and considering the price point here, the pickups do a good job.

The humbucker in the bridge provides some mid-range girth, and although I would like a little more to beef it up a bit, it is a decent sound suited to the rockier end of the spectrum. Commonly with budget guitars, a bridge pickup can land in ice pick territory, but no such issue here as it sounds nice and clear without the often associated pain.

Does it chug? Sort of, it doesn't quite have the output to reach the realms of the most satisfying high gain, and there is a bit too much of a spanky feel at the top end for this type of playing. However, it is not a metal guitar necessarily intended for this (see Mooer's MMT100 Series for that) so the fact that it gets close is only to its credit.

Both the single coils in the middle and neck positions are well-balanced. The neck adds warmth without getting overly wooly and the middle is well suited to funk and Chic-style riffs. Easily my favorite position was position 4 with an out-of-phase, Stratty tone that would suit anyone looking to explore some John Mayer-esque ballads.

The coil split results in quite a significant drop in output - as you would expect with a true coil split rather than a tap - but my main gripe is that it does not give out that single-coil attack. It sounds more like a super thin version of the humbucker than a useful single-coil.

Below are some examples of the pickups in the form of a short funk/rock piece I tracked. Starting with a demonstration of that lovely position 4 sound, followed by a healthy dose of double-tracked overdrive with the bridge hard left and the neck hard right. Then the solo is all-out bridge humbucker high gain goodness. I've also thrown in some recordings of only the MSC20 Pro, demonstrating all the guitar's pickups in isolation.

The signal chain consisted of a cleanish Matchless tone model from my Tonex pedal, utilising both a Blues Driver and RYRA The Klone pedals for overdrive. For the solo, it was a change to a JCM800 style tone model, pushed with an Ibanez Tube Screamer - the 40th-anniversary one which is worth buying on the strength of the red sparkles alone (it does also sound great).

The isolated tracks were the same Matchless model, Blues Driver for the OD, Blues Driver and RYRA for the lead, and the JCM800/Tube Screamer alliance for the heavy tone.

Perhaps the most exposing test of a guitar's sound is how it sits within a band mix. In gigging it, I ran through a Tonex loaded with a Matchless Tone Profile from Studio Rats, using a RYRA klone and a T-Rex Mudhoney for drive, a Way Huge Blue Hippo chorus, and some delay and reverb from the Tonex unit itself.

Running straight to the desk, the Mooer MSC20 Pro was tasked to play the good old cheesy sing-a-longs everyone knows the words to, whether they admit it or not. In a band with keys, guitar, and frequent four-part harmonies, sonic space in the mid-range comes at a premium meaning finding a place for your instrument to cut through is a challenge.

I stood out front mixing the band with the guitar on a Shure GLXD wireless kit and as we sound-checked with Robbie Williams - Let Me Entertain You, I was pleased to hear the Mooer sitting nicely in the mix. The previously mentioned clarity helped it cut, and the application of a high pass filter from the desk dealt with any low end getting in the way of the rest of the band. The high pass filter is not indicative of any issue with the Mooer MSC20 Pro, but more a product of managing a busy band mix.

Playing through the likes of Disco Inferno, Tainted Love, Hard to Handle, and a bunch of other classics, the Mooer MSC20 Pro demonstrated itself capable of dealing with a mix of clean, lightly overdriven, and some more heavily driven lead tones. Right up until that unfortunate string snap during Crazy Little Thing Called Love around 40 minutes in. Not to worry, the keyboardist was happy to take an extra solo whilst I changed guitars.

Monitoring with IEM's (in ear monitors) gave the guitar absolutely nowhere to hide, meaning the little niggles discussed in previous paragraphs were apparent, and I would be remiss not to mention how I did miss the pricier guitars I was used to. However, the important things to a budding gigging musician - playability, stability, and tones good enough to have fun with - are covered here. I was left with no doubt that the MSC20 pro would make a versatile entry-level gigging machine for anyone looking to start getting themselves out there.

Verdict

In Mooer’s own words, this guitar is of the “If it ain't broke don’t fix it” school of thought. A traditional, S-style instrument that sounds good, plays well, and looks great, all for £249. It’s difficult to ask for more than that. But the great thing is, you can now. It’s a particularly fierce part of the market and every guitar competing within it excels at some aspects whilst their competitors have them beat on others. What we have here is no different, the good news is that it absolutely holds its own.

MusicRadar verdict: Boasting versatility and good looks, the MSC20 Pro is another fantastic option for those standing at the foot of the guitar mountain.

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Hands-on videos

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MOOER MSC20 Pro Official Video - YouTube

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