Mooer - MSC10 Pro Daphne Blue + Housse

The Mooer MSC10 Pro Daphne Blue immediately catches the eye with its slightly retro pastel blue, typical of classic strat guitars. It's a finish that exudes the simplicity of stage guitars, the kind you pick up without thinking to play blues, rock or more pop tunes. Supplied with a gig bag, it's easy to carry around and keep close to hand for everyday use.

When you pick it up, it's a pretty straightforward guitar. The poplar body keeps the weight down, which really helps for long rehearsals or sessions at home. The torrefied maple neck, with its C profile and satin finish, gives a fairly fluid feel, with no feeling of grip. The 25.5" pitch remains within the standard range, so the feel is familiar, especially if you've played strat before.

The ebony tech fingerboard with 22 frets and a 12" radius keeps the approach simple: easy-to-play chords, and enough comfort to go for more melodic phrases without feeling stuck.

Sound-wise, the HSS configuration (MSC-1N, MSC-1M, MHB-1B) gets the job done without complicating matters. The single positions give clear, well-defined tones for clean rhythms or arpeggios, and the humbucker in the bridge adds more body as soon as you turn up the gain a little.