Description
Review of the Monoprice Cali Classic Electric Guitar, Indio Series, Blue
The Monoprice Cali Classic is a double cutaway solid body electric with three single coil pickups, sold in blue with a gig bag as part of the Indio series. Monoprice positions it as a first guitar or a backup instrument, and it is one of the few in this bracket that publishes the specifications a player would actually check.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Industry standard measurements are published: 22 frets, a 25.5 inch scale and a 9.5 inch fingerboard radius. Those three numbers are what determine how the neck feels, and most guitars at this level publish none of them.
- A 9.5 inch radius is a flatter, more modern curve than the vintage 7.25 inch standard. Flatter boards make string bending easier without notes choking out.
- A large open control cavity, which the manufacturer highlights as an invitation to change the pickups or the potentiometers later. That makes this a sensible platform for a first modification project.
- A satin neck finish rather than gloss. Satin does not grip a sweaty hand the way gloss lacquer does, so position shifts stay smooth.
- Three single coil pickups, the classic arrangement for clean, bright, chiming tones and the layout most beginner method material assumes.
Cons
- The item weight is listed as 10 ounces. A solid body electric guitar weighs roughly seven to nine pounds. That figure is impossible and gives no useful information.
- The product dimensions are given as 9.1 by 16.5 by 4.4 inches. A guitar with a 25.5 inch scale is around 39 inches long, so those numbers describe neither the instrument nor its shipping carton convincingly.
- The listing contradicts itself on handedness. The title says right handed while a feature bullet says hand orientation ambidextrous. A guitar with a shaped body and an offset scratchplate cannot be both.
- The pickup configuration field says “S”, a single pickup, while the title and description both say SSS. Three is the plausible answer but the spec table disagrees with itself.
- No nut width is published, so how wide the neck feels at the first fret cannot be established.
Detailed Product Description
The body is basswood in a double cutaway outline, which is the shape that puts both shoulders of the body away from the neck joint so the upper frets are reachable from either side. Basswood is light, soft and tonally neutral, which is why it dominates affordable electric guitar production. Its weakness is that it dents easily, so the finish collects marks over time.
The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard carrying 22 frets over a 25.5 inch scale. The 22nd fret is one more than the vintage design that this outline descends from, which extends the range by a semitone at the top. The 9.5 inch radius is a meaningful specification: a fingerboard is a section of a cylinder, and the radius is that cylinder’s size. A smaller radius is more curved and comfortable for chording, a larger one is flatter and better for bending. At 9.5 inches this sits in the middle, which is the usual modern compromise.
The bridge is a tremolo, so pitch can be lowered with an arm and springs in a rear cavity return it. Strings should be changed one at a time on this design, because releasing all six at once lets the bridge move and disturbs the intonation. Light gauge nickel strings are the factory fitting, which is the softer end of the range and sensible for a learner. The way gauge affects feel is set out in the guide to guitar string gauge.
The single coil pickups are described as quiet and full sounding. Single coils are inherently susceptible to mains hum, so “quiet” here should be read as a design goal rather than a measured claim. Their character is bright and clear, with less output than a humbucker, which is why this layout suits clean playing, funk, country and older rock more than high gain styles.
What Comes with the Product
- The Cali Classic electric guitar in blue
- A gig bag
- One month of access to an online lesson platform
Not included: an amplifier, a cable, a strap, a tuner, picks or spare strings. This is a guitar rather than a starter package, so an amp and a lead need buying alongside it. What a full bundle normally contains is set out in the guide to what is in a guitar starter bundle.
Who It Suits
This suits a beginner who already has access to an amplifier, and it suits an intermediate player who wants a cheap second instrument to keep in a different tuning or to take somewhere a better guitar should not go. The published radius, scale and fret count mean it can be judged before buying, which is unusual here. The open control cavity also makes it a good candidate for learning to solder and swapping pickups without risking an expensive instrument.
It suits less well a complete beginner buying their only purchase, because there is no amplifier or cable in the box. It also suits less well a player after high gain metal tones, where a humbucker equipped guitar is the better starting point. Comparable instruments include the Monoprice Indio Retro Classic, the Squier Debut Series Stratocaster and the Squier Sonic Stratocaster. The wider range sits in electric guitars, and the differences between the budget and premium ends of one family are covered in the guide to Fender and Squier compared.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings after every session. Nickel wound strings corrode from sweat, and dull strings are routinely mistaken for a dull guitar.
Change strings one at a time. The tremolo floats against spring tension and removing all six at once shifts the bridge and upsets the intonation.
Tips and Recommendations
Fit a fresh set of strings before judging the instrument. Factory sets sit in warehouses and a new set changes the impression completely.
If the action feels high or notes buzz, a setup at a local shop costs a fraction of the guitar and does more for playability than any parts swap. The guide to guitar action and setup explains what to ask for.
Product FAQ
Is it right handed or left handed?
The listing says both. The title states right handed while a feature bullet claims ambidextrous orientation. Handedness should be confirmed with the seller.
How many pickups does it have?
Three single coils, according to the title and description. The spec table’s single coil configuration field says “S” without a count, which conflicts.
How heavy is it?
Not usefully stated. The listed 10 ounces is impossible for a solid body electric guitar.
