Mitchell MM100 electric guitar review

Although the Mitchell MM100 has a slight deficiency in the tone department, you will get an aesthetic electric guitar that is good value for your money.

Measuring only 22.5 in scale length, the MM100 is a small hand-friendly instrument with a cool superstrat body and great edges and curves. The smaller size makes it a fine kid’s guitar.

The two humbuckers on it produce a thick distorted tone that is great for beginner rock stars.

Features and opinion of the MM100 3/4 size electric guitar

When it comes to affordability, some notable brands (including the Epiphone and Squier) have a strong presence in the guitar market. Mitchell wants to be among them.

Mitchell is the house brand of Guitar Center. It specializes in beginner models that are cheaply priced.

This should, however, not mean that their products are disposable pieces of junk. On the contrary, you’ll realize that the MM100 is a good small electric guitar for kids if you can look past the name.

It greatly suits small budgets without necessarily sacrificing the style.

Small body and neck

As far as cheap kid’s guitars go, the MM100 is among those with an appealing look. It features a greatly contoured superstrat style body with clearly defined horns, as well as deep cutaways.

Just like other children guitars, it has a scale which is quite convenient for small hands.

The body is made using basswood; a common material in the guitar market. In fact, you’ll find the same wood being used on premium guitars priced at $1000+.

You can get your MM100 in a variety of finishes such as glossy Black, glossy Blood Red, or even the intricate matte-finished Walnut Stain.

Whichever your preference, they all feature a bolt-on single-piece maple neck that has a shallow “C” shape with an Indian rosewood fretboard. This has 24 medium jumbo frets.

Hardware

Two wax-potted ceramic humbuckers located at the bridge position and neck voice the MM100 and these can be selected using a three-way switch.

As expected, tone controls on this guitar are limited although you are still provided with a rotary control knob that can be used for both tone and master volume.

The guitar also uses basic hardware that is enough to get the job done.

It has a stylish headstock comprising a set of black-colored tuning machines of a high ratio in a 3+3 configuration. This does a good job of stabilizing the tuning, especially when used alongside the string-through body and fixed tune-o-matic bridge.

Sound

While there’s nothing extraordinary about the pickups, they actually give out a decent all-round sound.

There’s some lack of vibrancy and there isn’t much versatility even with varying positions. However, it is very suitable for a newbie.

Played cleanly, this instrument is clear. And although you may notice some significantly distorted tones for metal or rock, the actual sound is influenced by the quality of the amp it’s been plugged into.

Video review of the Mitchell MM100 electric guitar

About Mitchell Guitars

Not many people know, but Mitchell Guitars is actually the house brand of Guitar Center, the biggest instrument sales chain in the USA. Wayne Mitchell was the founder of Guitar Center, his surname became the brand name as well.

Mitchell makes budget acoustic and electric guitars, focusing on the beginner segment of the market. Their guitars are made in China, which means that they are mass produced. This means quality is sacrificed in exchange for a lower price.

Other Mitchell MM100 reviews and recommendations

The appealing pricing of the MM100 means that several websites have reviewed the instrument as well. Here are the best ones we’ve found.

Guitarspace.org

Guitarspace thinks the guitar is a great choice for young beginners, and even adults with smaller hands. The website found the intonation to be better than on most other budget guitars, but noted that the pickups aren’t that great. Read more…

Guitarworld.com

Guitarworld covered the launch of this line of Mitchell guitars. The emphasize the quality aspect of the guitar, as all of them get an inspection when they arrive in the USA. Read more…

What customers say about the MM100

GuitarCenter and MusiciansFriend are the only authorized dealers of Mitchell guitars, so you need to go to their website to read customer reviews. Here are a few helpful ones.

A GuitarCenter customer wrote that the guitar is fun to play, even for an adult. He uses it as a travel guitar, and considers it a steal for the $99 he paid for the instrument.

A dad wrote that he got the guitar for his 7 year old son. He wanted to get one that was not a cheap toy, rather a real instrument. He wrote that the neck is comfortable with no rough edges, intonation was good, and it kept tuning well. He could not find any flaws in the finish.

Another customer wrote that he purchased the MM100 for his 9 year old son. The guitar is of perfect size for his age. However, his guitar had tuning issues, as it would not stay in tune.

Another reviewer commented on the surprising level of fit and finish of the MM100. It is a decent guitar overall, but the pickups are weak. Still, he notes that it can’t be beat for the money.

You can read more reviews here.

Final verdict

The MM100 is definitely not a perfect guitar; the pickups are neither powerful nor toneful and the build quality by the Chinese will do little to impress you.

However, if you consider the good local set up and the cost of a string change, the MM100 does offer great value for money.

The truth is kids who are just starting out could learn on far worse instruments. At $80-$100, it’s a good deal.

Check both GuitarCenter and MusiciansFriend for the price. Even though they are the same company, pricing varies.