Electric Guitar Review » Hands-On Reviews

REVIEW: Martin’s Gorgeous 000-18 Golden Era 1937 Sunburst

Cary — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 19:40:33 +0000

I’m going to break away from the electric side of things today and talk about a guitar that’s grown near and dear to my heart –– Martin’s 000-18 Golden Era 1937 Sunburst.

This is my current acoustic guitar of choice (I purchased one at the beginning of 2009,) and to be honest, I don’t see myself switching to anything else in the foreseeable future. The guitar is just too good to let go of.

Built as a reproduction of the classic pre-war 000-18 from Martin’s “Golden Era” (generally accepted as being the 1930s and early 1940s,) with a few minor modern-day enhancements thrown in, the 000-18 GE is not only beautiful to behold, but absolutely enchanting to play and here. It’s a vintage Martin for the rest of us, and handles as you’d expect from an instrument of its caliber and lineage.

With a street price somewhere in the mid-$3,000 range, the 000-18GE isn’t exactly an impulse buy –– for me it was the guitar I played time and time again at my local Martin dealer, and gradually fell madly in love with –– but its price, while not cheap, is right in line with the quality of the instrument, and a steal compared to true vintage Martins from this era.

Take the 000-18 Golden Era out of its hardshell case, and you’re presented with a stunning specimen of guitar artistry –– fit and finish is impeccable here, with a gorgeous glossy sunburst top fading to a deep, rich black. The tortoise-pattern Delmar pickguard is nicely beveled, and a solid black ebony bridge (1930s-style belly with a long saddle,) is flawlessly carved, and punctuated by six black ebony pins. There isn’t a speck of glue over-spill to be found.

The 000-18 Golden Era ‘37 is of course a 14-frets-clear model, with 20 frets in total, spread across a lovely solid black ebony fretboard. All frets are dressed to a “T,” and inlays are pleasant enough, though not pronounced. There are no side inlays, and I don’t find that I miss them. A vintage-style Martin headstock and logo, plus aged Gotoh open-gear button tuners (I love the feel of these,) finishes off the look of this beautiful guitar.

Of course, the real test of any guitar is its tone and playability, and the 000-18GE Sunburst excels on both of these fronts… whether fingerpicking or strumming, deep but not overly-booming bass is perfectly balanced with a shimmering high-end. There’s nothing piercing about the treble here; just sparkling clean tones, easy on the ear. The overall sound is both woody and clear, with round, bell-like mid tones. Martin’s Golden Era 000-18 is quite simply one of the nicest sounding acoustic guitars I’ve ever had the pleasure to play, let alone own.

Maybe it’s the solid 1/4″ Adirondack Spruce top (play one of these next to a standard Sitka Spruce top model and you will notice the difference.) Maybe it’s just that Martin is a very old company that has learned its lessons the hard way, and continues to refine its understanding of what makes a guitar truly exceptional.

Whatever it is, Martin hit the ball out of the park with this one… it’s no wonder that original 000-18s from the 1930s fetch a small fortune these days. It’s a timeless design that has scarcely been surpassed.

As for playability, the 000-18 Golden Era is a hard act to follow. In fact, the other acoustic guitars in my arsenal have suffered a sad fate since this gorgeous reproduction entered my home –– they are languishing in their cases. With 1-3/4” at the nut, the 000-18 is plenty wide for us fingerpickers, and the instrument’s modified v neck (with a fast satin finish,) is comfortable enough to play for hours on end without undue difficulty.

Chording is comfy and fast compared to the other acoustic guitars I own, and the smaller 000-size body sits well in my lap and puts out a lot of sound, though admittedly not as loud as a dreadnought or other larger bodied instrument. That said though, even in a raucous bluegrass jam the 000-18GE holds its ground admirably.

As an aside: Martin recommends its Studio Performance Light Phosphor Bronze (MSP4100) string set, and I’ve tried these on occasion with much success, but my current favorite strings for this particular guitar are the John Pearse 600L Phosphor Bronze Wound; a 12-53 set. Light but still meaty. Easy on the fingers and the ears. They also last for quite a few weeks with regular play, and I’ve never heard a cleaner sounding string.

All in all, Martin’s 000-18 Golden Era 1937 Sunburst gets a helluva’ lot right, while getting almost nothing wrong –– the guitar’s fit and finish are flawless, its tone and playability have few peers, and the authentically vintage vibe is just undeniably cool. The 000-18GE easily outperforms most of the acoustic guitars I’ve touched in my 20+ years of playing, and certainly puts to shame all that I’ve owned. It’s an easy recommendation to make; give one of these beauties a try –– I think you’ll like what you find.

1 comment

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REVIEW: Seymour Duncan’s Twin Tube Classic Overdrive

Cary — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 16:39:12 +0000

It’s the holy grail of the armchair guitar-god isn’t it? –– an overdrive pedal capable of producing searing, creamy, tube-driven distortion reminiscent of the great classic amp heads, but at a reasonable price-point and with a small footprint.

Add in a dose of seriously sturdy construction, dual overdrive channels, military-grade vacuum tubes, and true-bypass circuitry, and you’ve got a pedal that’ll really go the distance –– that’s the Twin Tube Classic.

Like most long-time electric guitar players, I’ve owned at least a dozen or more distortion pedals over the years, and I’ve spent real “quality time” with at least a few dozen more, but nothing has ever scratched my itch for the rich, warm, organic sound of a vacuum tube being pushed to the breaking point like Seymour Duncan’s Twin Tube does… it’s just that good.

Creamy High-Voltage Goodness

Running off a 16-volt AC adapter (as opposed to the more common 9-volt DC,) the Twin Tube Classic is pumping some serious voltage through a set of subminiature military-spec 6021 vacuum tubes, and producing a high-quality overdrive that will leave your ears truly satisfied and your fingers itching to play.

The controls couldn’t be much easier: there’s an ON/BYPASS footswitch (with true bypass circuitry) for turning the device off and on, a CHANNEL SELECT footswitch for moving between the two overdrive channels (Rhythm and Lead,) separate VOLUME and GAIN knobs for each of the channels, and a single set of BASS and TREBLE knobs for setting your desired tone. The back panel is as simple as simple can be: Input, Output, that’s it.

With two channels on-board, plus a bypass footswitch in easy reach, the Twin Tube Classic essentially gives you access to three different pre-sets –– your amp’s clean tone, the pedal’s Ryhthm overdrive channel, and of course the Lead overdrive channel… what more are you really looking for?

Seymour Duncan has managed to create one highly usable pedal in the Twin Tube Classic: the unit’s Rhythm overdrive channel easily produces anything from a slightly muddy slur to a full-on clipped and crunchy distortion, while the Lead channel can be set to produce just about anything you like –– from just a slight tweak in volume all the way up to buttery smooth wailing and crying.

Pounding Townshend-esqe power chords? Check!

Vocally expressive Warren Haynesian blues riffs? Check!

It’s ultimately an entire tube pre-amp in a floor pedal.

And I’ve been pleasantly surprised to find that the Twin Tube Classic performs equally well with both singlecoils and humbuckers –– heck, the tone this thing produces when matched with P-90s (my Gibson ‘67 SG Special) is nothing short of guttural and gorgeous.

In fact, perhaps the only thing this pedal won’t do is screeching modern high-gain distortion –– Seymour Duncan built a pedal just for that: the Twin Tube Mayhem –– but when it comes to classic tube distortion, you really have to hear this thing to believe it… the Twin Tube Classic is quite simply one of the most expressive overdrive pedals I’ve had the pleasure to play, and both my Strat and SG are thanking me for sinking one of these orange beauties into my pedal board.

Get out there and try one out. You won’t be disappointed.

7 comments

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REVIEW: Fender’s ‘65 Twin Reverb Reissue

REVIEW: Fender Limited Edition “Thin Skin” ‘62 Stratocaster

Cary — Wed, 16 Apr 2008 08:39:35 +0000

Model Fender Limited Edition “Thin Skin” ‘62 Stratocaster Re-Issue

Intro As long-time readers of this blog may remember, in early 2007 I began a “Quest For The Perfect Strat,” with the sole intention of digging up the best combination of playability, affordability, looks, and tone that Fender had to offer in the way of vintage-style Stratocasters.

Having had a life-long love affair with the company’s simple but versatile Tele––and somehow managing to go some 20+ years without ever owning a Strat––I decided early on that I would skip the many worthy clones on the market, and keep my efforts trained on the real deal: the Fender Stratocaster.

Because there’s really no such thing as a “perfect” guitar, and the readers of this blog alone make up a huge cross section of popular guitar-playing styles and techniques, my quest has been not so much to find “the” perfect Strat, but the Strat that best suits my own personal tastes and needs… or to put it perhaps more succinctly: when reading this review keep in mind that as always, your mileage may vary.

After more than a year of searching through big-box guitar stores and pawn shops alike, I’m happy to report that Fender is producing some particularly gorgeous instruments at *subjectively* reasonable prices right now (if you’re willing to dig around a bit,) and that I found my own little piece of heaven in a 3-tone Sunburst “Limited Dealer Run” Thin Skin ‘62 Stratocaster Re-Issue––one of just 180 produced.

This thing is stunning…

Specs

Comfort-contoured Alder body
1-piece “C” shaped Maple neck with nitro finish (25.5“ scale length)
Rosewood fretboard with 21 Medium Jumbo 6105 frets (7.25” radius)
Three American Vintage ‘62 Strat single-coil pickups (w/aged covers)
Master volume and two tone controls
3-way pickup switching (5-way pickup switch included)
American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo w/“Ash Tray” bridge cover
Fender/Gotoh vintage-style tuners
Chrome hardware
3-ply Mint Green pickguard
3-tone Sunburst “Thin Skin” nitrocellulose finish
Limited Edition backplate
Deluxe brown hardshell case (orange plush interior,) strap, and cable

What I Liked Oh the tone… like the production-model American Vintage ‘62 Strat reissue, this “Thin Skin” beauty very commendably captures the sound and feel of a real vintage Stratocaster circa the 1960s––minus the heart-cluching price tag and cosmetic wear & tear of course.

In fact, if you’re already enamored of the ‘62 Strats then keeping an eye out for a thin skin model is pretty much a no-brainer. Many of the classier guitar joints get “Dealer Run” limited editions on a regular basis, and they are often priced competitively with the standard production models that they’re based on.

Two of my favorite retailers are Music Zoo and Music Machine (no affiliation, folks,) but there are any number of others you might want to peruse on a regular basis.

The two big selling points on this particular instrument are, surprise, surprise, the same two things that I had found lacking from Fender’s American Vintage ‘62 Strat reissue (a guitar I really loved nonetheless) ––the “Thin Skin” comes already upgraded with a set of comfy Medium Jumbo 6105 frets (those skinny vintage wires just don’t feel good to my fingers,) and of course the whole thing is decked out in a very thin nitrocellulose finish, causing it to age quickly and beautifully, and sing like nobody’s business.

As I stated in my earlier review, if you’ve ever doubted the tonal effects that a quality nitro finish can have on a guitar, then I dare say you haven’t spent enough quality time with a nitro-finished Strat––let alone a thin skin. There’s a singing richness to the sound that simply can’t be replicated by a poly-coated guitar… at least not to my ears.

And those fatter, taller 6105 fret wires add a bit of extra sustain to an instrument that already seems to wail unendingly. They’re also far more comfortable for those of us who like to bend strings to the moon and back, and feel particularly solid when chunking out big jazz chords and comping up and down the neck.

With these two added features out of the way (oh yes, and a Limited Edition backplate,) the Thin Skin ‘62 Strat stays pretty much true to its Production Run predecessor.

The guitar is loaded with a trio of Fender’s reissue American Vintage ‘62 Strat single-coil pickups, and these things do a very impressive (if noisy) job of re-creating that warm, organic, early ’60s Strat punch. Mid-tones are emphasized, and the traditional Strat “quack” is there in spades. As is to be expected, the bridge pickup is a bit more biting than I personally find useful, but once again: your mileage may vary.

From snarling Hendrix-style chord chaos to gut-aching blues and twang, the Thin Skin ‘62 is both highly versatile and impressively true to that vintage Stratocaster sound––shimmering highs, fat and round lows, and a truly walloping mid-section make for a thick full tone that’s difficult, if not impossible, to adequately explain.

As far as playability is concerned, the Thin Skin ‘62 Strat is everything you could want it to be… provided you like a vintage feeling guitar (like I do!)––the highly curved vintage 7.25“ fretboard radius makes for easy chording and vamping, but if you’re a serious string bender (who isn’t?) you’ll probably need to ride that action fairly high. With that kind of curve in the neck you are bound to fret-out a bit above the 12th fret otherwise.

Of course, this is true-to-form for a vintage Strat, and for folks who like their guitar to fight back a bit it’s no big thing, but if you’re a speed demon who prefers his action low and fast then you’ll probably want to look elsewhere––a vintage-style Strat just isn’t going to float your boat.

Neckwise, the ”Thin Skin“ is armed with what is easily my favorite Fender neck profile: the Vintage ”C“ shape. Now, neck preference is a very personal thing, but time and again I’ve found the vintage ”C“ to be wonderfully contoured for my own playing style, hand size, and finger length… it just feels good in my hands.

Tuners are solid, the six-point vintage tremolo is surprisingly dependable, and even with string trees on the headstock I have found this guitar to have fewer tuning issues than any electric I’ve owned in the last 20 years. For blues it’s a true godsend.

Last but not least, the ”Thin Skin“ ‘62 Stratocaster is about as handsome a guitar as you’re going to find. Beyond its tonal value, the thin Nitrocellulose finish on these beauties is absolutely stunning just on looks alone. Gone is the thick, plastic-like gloss of polyurethane––this bad boy is imbued with a subtle, almost matte-style sheen that wonderfully accentuates the natural wood pattern beneath.

On top of that, a ”mint green“ pickguard matched with aged plastic parts (including switch tip and pickup covers,) makes for a throughly vintage vibe all around. The Deluxe brown Tolex hardshell case brings the package full circle with a funky orange plush interior and old-school Fender good looks.

What I Didn’t Like Surprisingly, my only complaint after many months of constant playing is that the Thin Skin ‘62 Stratocaster, like pretty much all vintage-style Strats, has a propensity to hum and buzz like nobody’s business.

Why a world class guitar behemoth like Fender doesn’t bother to supply better shielding in its instruments is anyone’s guess, but luckily for us, adopting the much less noise-prone wiring of the popular Quieting The Beast modification is fairly straight-forward business… provided you’ve got a few soldering chops and an afternoon you can safely set aside for pulling your guitar apart.

It’s a shame that this fairly basic wiring scheme hasn’t been introduced into any of Fender’s guitars, but I definitely wouldn’t let this one ”true to the time period“ flaw get in the way of purchasing such an otherwise amazing instrument.

Other than a bit of noise I have no reservations about this guitar––it does what it does, exceedingly well, and at a surprisingly decent price point. What’s not to love?

Final Word In the end, the Limited Edition ”Thin Skin“ ‘62 Stratocaster Re-Issue takes an already great thing (the production model American Vintage ‘62 Strat,) and makes it truly shine––all for a price well below that of very comparable Custom Shop models.

Sure, you could pay a few thousand more for a pre-worn-in Relic, but why bother when you can get a ”Thin Skin“ model that should age quickly and gracefully on its own, and for a surprisingly reasonable price of just less than $1500.

If you can find one, grab it––these things are a steal…

15 comments

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REVIEW: Peavey Windsor Studio Class A Tube Amp

Cary — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:48:29 +0000

Well, I have to send out a huge Thank You to EGR reader Jarrod Perkins, who was kind enough to submit the following review of Peavey’s new Windsor Studio Class A 15-watt tube amp.

Peavey’s entire Windsor line continues to garner great reviews, and I’m happy to see that Jarrod’s experience was no exception––with boutique Class A’s running in the thousands of dollars, it seems incredible that Peavey is selling these beauties for just under $400.

Thanks again, Jarrod. And without further ado…

Before the Purchase

I had been in the market for a new amplifier for a few months, as my Fender Blues Junior just wasn’t cutting it for me anymore. The Fender had a nice smooth tube sound, but tended to record very mid-dy, could not achieve a very high gain (not that it was supposed to), and had a broken reverb unit. The things I was looking for in an amp were:

A. A single 12“ speaker

B. A recording line out

C. The ability to get a good crunch at low volumes

D. A sub $500 price tag

Tubes were optional, although I had grown to love the gritty tube break-up sound. But I started playing guitar in the 80’s where a solid state Crate was all the rage. I do lots of home recording at all hours (hence the low volume requirement) , and play a handful of live gigs on electric guitar. I am a songwriter before a guitarist, so you must excuse the poor playing in the following audio clips. :)

I tested out and/or researched quite a few amps before I settled on the Peavey. A few Fenders which were all OK but didn’t blow me away. A Line 6 Spider that had tons of features but the tone just sounded… well, fake. A Mesa Boogie that was too high gain for my liking, a Vox Valvetronix that wasn’t bad but had too many buttons, etc… I read the description of the Peavey Windsor and thought ”Wow, that sounds exactly like what I’ve been looking for!“ The only downer is that no stores in my area stocked it, so I had to order it unplayed.

Plugging In

I got the amp three days later and unboxed it. The first thing I noticed is that it was much bigger than my Blues Junior. However it wasn’t too heavy and the handle seemed very sturdy AND comfortable. I plugged it in and let it warm up for a minute in standby (a feature my Fender did not have). When I turned it on, I got a few weird hums and pops (the power tube wasn’t properly seated, an easy fix with no more problems).

The first thing I noticed upon hitting a chord is that this guy has ALOT more gain than my Fender did. With the ”pre“ volume on 4 and master only on 1, I got quite a bit of crunch. I had to have the ”pre“ on 8 or 9 on my previous amp to get this sound.

Another immediate sound difference I noticed was the decrease in bass from my old amp. The Windsor is an open backed amp, so I had to crank the bass up to 11 (12 is the max) to get the sound I like. I tried the reverb, and while it at least worked, it really leaves something to be desired. It just sounded kind of cheap and ineffective. Luckily, I normally don’t use much reverb, or at least add it in later on recordings.

The amp also comes with a footswitchable ”preamp boost“ (no footswitch is included, although I had a generic one lying around) which I was excited about for live playing. However, I was initially disappointed with the boost. I had a great tone going before the boost but the instant I hit the switch, it’s like someone turned the Mid control up to 100. There is no way to adjust the EQ of the boost (it’s not a separate channel), so you either like it or you don’t. The good news is the first time I played the amp live, the boost sounded PERFECT. I guess Peavey knew what they were doing after all. For studio playing, I find myself always using the amp non boosted, which can get you some amazing tones.

A Closer Look

There are a couple of cool features on this amp I haven’t discussed. The first is an XLR out with built-in mic simulator. This can be used for recording or put into a PA system, but it does not silence or change the tone of the amp (in theory). That’s good, but what if I do want silent recording?

That leads me to my next feature, which is my favorite thing about the amp: the Power Sponge. This is basically the same feature that the Princeton Recording Amp has (for $600 more). It allows you to turn the actual volume down as low as you want without affecting your tone at all. So you can run your XLR out to a recorder while basically silencing your amp (it won’t 100% silence it, but it’s so quiet it wouldn’t wake a sleeping baby in the same room).

I’ve found that the Power Sponge seems to do almost nothing until it gets close to 20% power, then it rapidly decreases the volume. When I do this & record with the XLR out, I said it doesn’t change the amps tone ”in theory“. What I mean by that is the mic simulator DOES give you a different sound, but it is more in the EQ than the tone. The sound in my recorder is deeper and bassier than what was previously coming out of my speaker.

The last feature is one that tubeheads will really like: the ability to interchange power tubes from EL34 (stock), to 6L6GC, 6550, 6CA7, KT88, KT66, KT77, KT90, or KT100. I haven’t yet changed the tube, but this is an exciting possibility.

Sound Clips

I recorded a few clips with two different guitars to give you a taste of the amp. They were recorded up close with a Zoom H2 recorder and sound a bit thin to me (I guess due to where the recorder was placed), but fairly realistic. The first four clips are recorded with a PRS CE22, the last two clips with a Fender American Deluxe HSS Strat.

1 – PRS – Preamp volume on 3.

2 – PRS – Preamp volume on 4 and footswitch ”boost“ added in the middle.

3 – PRS – Preamp volume on 8.

4 – PRS – Clean with reverb.

5 – Strat – Preamp volume on 4 and footswitch ”boost“ added near the end.

6 – Strat – Preamp volume on 6.

Overall

Although it’s not the worlds best amplifier, I feel that for under $400 you’d be hard pressed to find a more versatile and feature packed tube combo amp.

Sure, it could use some work on the Power Sponge adjustment, maybe pull back the gain a bit in the preamp, and a complete reverb overhaul, but these are things I can live with.

This is a great amp for someone (like me) who wants one multi-purpose amp to use for recording and small to mid-sized gigs. It may not have the power of a vintage Twin Reverb or the gain of a Dual Rectifier, but it hands down beats both of those amps in sheer versatility.

47 comments

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REVIEW: Guyatone’s ULTRON Optical Auto Wah & ULTREM Optical Tremolo

Cary — Mon, 24 Sep 2007 08:00:00 +0000

I’d been in the market for an envelope filter for more than a few months when Godlyke approached me about reviewing their new Guyatone Optical effects pedals… so needless to say I just couldn’t resist taking them for a test drive.

For those of you who aren’t already acquainted with this latest line of effects from Guyatone, the Ultron Auto Wah and Ultrem Tremolo are hybrid analog/digital stomp-boxes that promise the warmth of a 100% analog signal chain paired with the the accuracy and versatility of digital controllers… I’m happy to say they deliver decidedly well on both fronts.

Designed in part by renowned engineer Hideko Shimizu––who unfortunately passed away before the Optical Series reached its final design stages––the pedals were initially meant to be simple vintage-style optical effects (think Mu-tron III) but luckily for us, the “Opticals” would ultimately become high-end units capable of far more in the way of great guitar tone than their venerable predecessors could have ever dreamed of.

Ultron Optical Auto Wah Picking up where the Mu-tron III left off, and then just running with it, the Guyatone Ultron is one seriously dangerous envelope filter––while many auto-wah type effects are built to do just one thing well, the Ultron is an entirely different kind of animal… it’s absolutely loaded with sonic possibilities.

In fact, the list of features is so incredibly long that at first glance the pedal can seem almost daunting in its options, but I found that spending just a few minutes with the included manual got me fully acquainted with the Ultron’s basic control layout. In no time at all I was creating very memorable tones, from classic wah-wah effects to downright spacey experimental stuff.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have an expression pedal on-hand to test out the Ultron’s “Pedal Wah” functionality (yep, it can function as a traditional, if highly tweakable, wah pedal,) but the other two effect types––Touch Wah, and Wave Wah––worked flawlessly, and offered the kind of variables you’d usually only expect from a rack-mount unit.

Exactly what kind of variables? Well, you’ve got access to Low-Pass, High-Pass, Band-Pass, and Notch filter effects via a rotary dial, not to mention a Threshold control, Frequency control, Peak control, and three top-mounted dip switches, which include a Range switch (M, H, and L,) Drive switch (for switching the travel direction of the wah effect,) and a TAP/PDL switch for adjusting the Speed ratio in Tap mode, or the Volume curve when using an expression pedal.

As if that weren’t enough, in Wave Wah mode (which produces effects via the Ultron’s digital oscillator) you’ve got access to not only six different wave forms––allowing for an incredibly wide range of tonal possibilities––but also a highly accurate tap-tempo mode, which makes syncing-up envelope effects to the tempo of your tunes a real breeze.

Where the Ultron really shines though is in Touch Wah mode… this is the classic Auto-Wah effect, which produces envelope filtering based on your picking attack.

Needless to say, any effect that varies its parameters based on your own playing dynamics is going to take some time to master, but trust me when I say it’s well worth the effort… the Ultron easily produces the kind of squashy, rhythmic wah effect that would make any funk aficionado smile.

I particularly enjoyed experimenting with the Ultron’s Drive switch––in UP mode it offers straight-up traditional wah functionality, but in DOWN mode you can coax your guitar into all kinds of crazy space-age lounge tones circa the 1970s. Mmmm, this is really good stuff.

Of course, Guyatone has armed the Ultron with True Bypass circuitry, ensuring your guitar’s tone will stay pristine when the effect isn’t in use, and like its sister pedal the Ultrem, this bad boy is packed into a truly road-worthy chassis––the pedal was definitely built to last.

Overall, the Guyatone Ultron is easily one of our favorite envelope filters to-date––with a 100% analog signal path, and a staggering number of customizable parameters on-board, the Ultron truly brings new meaning to the word versatile. If you’re in the market for an auto-wah that’s head and shoulders above the rest, you’ll definitely want to give the Ultron a look.

Ultrem Optical Tremolo Of course, the Ultrem is no slouch either… just as loaded with options as the Ultron––and capable of actually syncing up to its sibling pedal via those digital oscillators––the Ultrem offers all the old-school analog tremolo you’ve ever dreamt of, along with a host of new options you didn’t even know you wanted.

In fact, in spite of its numerous options, I think you’ll find that once you’ve got a hang of the Guyatone Ultron pedal you’ll have no problem at all finding your way around the Ultrem––both boxes are built around the same hybrid analog/ditigal technology, and both boast very similar control layouts, so while they produce vastly different effects, your skills at tweaking one pedal should easily translate to mastery of the other.

Once again you’ve got easy access to six different wave forms, multiple tremolo effects modes (Wave Tap, Momentary Wave, and various Expression Pedal modes,) and numerous other options, including tap-tempo, Pan and Blend switches, and the incredibly cool Saturation knob, which allows you to dial in a bit of distortion to better emulate the tonal characteristics of classic tube driven tremolo units.

Added extras include both Mono & Stereo outputs (a must-have for truly great tremolo effects,) and like the Ultron, a big, bright red LED display. Oh yeah, and there’s an Expression Pedal input jack for bringing control of your Ultrem’s parameters right to your… toe tips?

Tone-wise the Ultrem is an absolute no-brainer––if you’re enamored at all with vintage-style tube amp tremolo you’ll be more than satisfied with what the Ultrem can do for your guitar’s tone… not only does the Ultrem bring authentic optical tremolo to any guitar player’s rig, but the wide array of wild tremolo effects that it offers will keep even the most die-hard gearhead happily tweaking knobs and switches for weeks to come.

Final Word All in all, it’s easy to recommend either of Guyatone’s Optical Effects Pedals––by themselves, the Ultron and Ultrem are very formidable stompboxes, but side by side I’d say they’re as close to an unbeatable pair as you’re likely to find.

Early on I was told that Guyatone’s pedals were all about warm, organic, analog tone, and I have to say that I wasn’t at all disappointed… these are great pedals, with gorgeous tone, and either one would make a worthy edition to your effects arsenal.

Now check out these sound samples––

EGR Sound Samples

Recorded direct via Line 6 GearBox

Ultron – Talking Slow
Ultron – Kinda’ Jazzy
Ultron – Reverse Wah
Ultrem – Distorted Sweep
Ultrem – Picking
Ultron & Ultrem – One-Take Spacy

4 comments

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REVIEW: Fender American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster Re-Issue

Cary — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 20:29:54 +0000

Model Fender American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster

Intro First introduced in 1998, and in constant production ever since, the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster is a reissue of Fender’s now classic and highly sought after ‘62 Strat––one of the true watershed instruments in Fender’s illustrious arsenal of six-strings.

Comfort-contoured, with a traditional Alder body, and Maple neck––not to mention an old-school nitro finish––the ‘62 Stratocaster reissue really feels and looks the part of a true vintage instrument, albeit without the incredibly comfy “worn-in” vibe of the real thing… and without the aged wood.

With vintage Strats circa the 1960s running in the tens of thousands of dollars, it’s no wonder that the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster remains so popular. For about $1400 you get a very reasonable facsimile of a guitar from Fender’s glory years, minus the heart-stopping price tag.

The guitar also happens to play like a dream.

Specs

Comfort-contoured Alder body
“C” shaped Maple neck with nitro finish (25.5“ scale length)
Rosewood fretboard with 21 vintage-style frets (7.25” radius)
Three American Vintage ‘62 Strat single-coil pickups (w/aged white covers)
Master volume and two tone controls
3-way pickup switching (5-way pickup switch included)
American Vintage Synchronized Tremolo w/“Ash Tray” bridge cover
Fender/Gotoh vintage-style tuners
Chrome hardware
3-ply Mint Green pickguard

The guitar ships with a Deluxe brown hardshell case, vintage-style guitar strap and cable, and a Meguiar’s “Mist and Wipe” kit. It also sports a nitrocellulose lacquer finish, and is available in Olympic White, Black, Ocean Turquoise, Surf Green, Ice Blue Metallic, and of course 3-Color Sunburst (shown here, and costing an extra $50.00.)

What I Liked Tone, tone, tone… the American Vintage ‘62 Strat reissue does a very competent job capturing the sound and feel of a real vintage Stratocaster.

Is it a perfect recreation? Of course not. But short of shelling out a small fortune on an early ’60s Strat, or at the least dropping three or four Gs on a Custom Shop “Relic” model, you’re not going to get any closer than this––and this, in my mind, is as close as most of us will ever need to get.

If you’ve ever doubted the tonal effects that a quality nitro finish can have on a guitar––as opposed to the suffocating effects of pulyurethane––than I dare say you haven’t spent enough quality time with a nitro-finished Strat. There’s a singing richness to the sound of both the ‘62 reissue, and its sibling the ‘57 reissue, that simply can’t be replicated by a poly-coated guitar.

Add to this the classic tone of Fender’s reissue American Vintage ‘62 Strat single-coil pickups (they’re punchy, with a bit more emphasis on the mid-tones and a heckuva’ lot of “quack”,) and you get a guitar that just oozes with that warm, organic, early ’60s Strat sound.

Throw down some sweet fuzz and you can easily reach into “little wing” territory––mad Hendrix chops not withstanding––or plug her straight into your tube amp for anything from shimmering but deep clean tones, to dirty, guttural blues.

Of course, in the name of historical accuracy the ‘62 Strat reissue comes with a traditional 3-way pickup switch already installed, but Fender was smart enough to include a 5-way switch as well for those who prefer the ease-of-use of the latter. And in case you’re wondering, yeah, swapping out the 3-way is a breeze if you’re comfortable at all with a soldering iron. This is really basic stuff.

Playability-wise the American Vintage ‘62 Strat is right where it should be… with a heavily curved vintage 7.25“ fretboard radius, chording is particularly comfortable pretty much across the neck, though if you like to bend strings (and who doesn’t!) you’ll find you need to run your action a bit high to avoid fretting out above the 12th fret.

This is perfectly true-to-form for a vintage Strat, of course, and for those of us who prefer to ”dig in“ a bit during solos it’s no big thang, but if you like your action low and fast then you probably shouldn’t be looking at a vintage-style Stratocaster at all––they simply weren’t built for it.

In my own humble opinion the vintage ”C“ shaped neck that Fender uses on their ‘62 reissue is about as comfortable as necks get… not too fat, not too thin, and perfectly contoured for my hand. But as I always say, neck preference is a very personal thing. This one may or may not be for you, but for me it’s a dream.

When it comes to hardware, this guitar performs impressively well. The six-point vintage tremolo runs smooth, and seems to be particularly dependable. Even with string trees on the headstock, and a full six points of contact with the body, I never experienced any tuning issues with the ‘62 Strat.

Likewise, the tuners on this thing are absolutely solid. To be honest, if there was going to be trouble with the hardware this is where I expected to find it, but much to my surprise I had no problems with string slippage or other tuning nightmares. In fact, when it comes to tuning stability the guitar performed as well as any I’ve played.

Moving on to aesthetics, well, the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster is pretty much all that you could ask for if you’re enamored of the vintage vibe of a real early-’60s era Strat. Beyond its tonal value, the Nitrocellulose finish on these beauties is absolutely stunning just for looks. It doesn’t carry the hard plasticy shine of polyurethane, but instead exudes a subtle sheen that really accentuates the intricacies of the wood pattern beneath.

Being Nitro, that finish is going to age much more gracefully than Polyurethane––and indeed, over time the nitro will actually begin to react to the chemicals in your own skin, subtly shifting the colors of the guitar in completely unique ways. This is one of the reasons that original guitars from the early days of rock and roll look so incredibly cool today––every single instrument is a piece of art in itself.

The ’62s vintage vibe is rounded out with a “mint green” pickguard (really nice touch,) and aged plastic parts, including switch tip and pickup covers.

What I Didn’t Like While there isn’t a whole lot to dislike about the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster, I suppose I have a few minor gripes…

Though accurate to the time period, those skinny vintage fret wires aren’t something I would choose to put my fingers through if I didn’t have to. Certainly, thin frets are something you can adapt to, but my own feeling is that they just aren’t all that comfortable––heck, it’s one of the reasons that many big players who can afford to purchase real vintage Strats for actual playing purposes end up re-fretting as a first step.

Of course, you can’t fault Fender… the guitar is, after all, meant to be an accurate recreation of an already classic instrument.

The other obvious shortcoming of just about any old-school Stratocaster is its propensity to hum and buzz, and the American Vintage ‘62 Strat is certainly no exception. Personally, I’ve never understood why Fender didn’t supply better shielding in its instruments, let alone adopt the much less noise-prone wiring of the popular Quieting The Beast modification.

In the end, while the ‘62 reissue can be noisy, I certainly wouldn’t let that stop me from purchasing one of these otherwise excellent instruments. The mod mentioned above can pretty much erase most humming issues, and ultimately, well, a Strat will be a Strat.

A little bit of noise is nothing to be afraid of.

Final Word Ultimately, the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster is a very formidable guitar, offering the vintage look, feel, and general mojo of an early ’60s era Strat at a price that’s literally tens of thousands of dollars less than a vintage original.

While it may not satisfy the top-shelf guitar collectors out there, folks who actually play their guitars will find that the ‘62 re-issue offers a huge amount of guitar for a very small price tag. With a street price of around $1400 it seems like a steal…

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REVIEW: The Phaseomatic Deluxe – Effectrode’s All-Tube Phase Shifter

Cary — Thu, 09 Aug 2007 00:14:39 +0000

Model Effectrode Phaseomatic Deluxe

Intro The Phaseomatic Deluxe is boutique effects company Effectrode’s handsome new photo-optical vacuum tube phase shifter.

Like something straight out of an old Sci-Fi film, this imposingly sturdy little stomp-box features the kind of retro-50’s styling that would look right at home perched on top of your grandfather’s old television console, or perhaps mounted in the cockpit of a WWII-era fighter plane.

But don’t let the old-school look fool you––the phaseomatic produces tones that are just as inspiring today as they were when vacuum tubes were the mainstay of audio electronics. If anything, Effectrode has built a pedal that far outperforms many of the rather lifeless digital phase-shifting products on the market today.

What I Liked Spend a few minutes with the Phaseomatic and you’ll quickly realize that this is one pedal that has truly earned its “Deluxe” moniker. Far more than just a standard phase shifter, the Phaseomatic easily produces very convincing Chorus, Tremolo, and even “Leslie” Rotating Speaker effects––and all with gorgeous 100% tube tone.

Call me a purist, but to my ears digital effects simply can’t compete.

With all Class A circuitry, and a trio of 12AT7 vacuum tubes poking out of the top, Effectrode’s latest stomp-box produces the kind of warm, organic sounds that only old-school audio technology can currently offer. Enough said. And it does it without undue levels of noise or hiss, to boot.

Of course, when it comes to straight phase shifting effects, the Phaseomatic Deluxe truly excels––whether you’re looking for wide, epic phasing sweeps, or short electrical surges, you can pretty much dial-up any kind of sound you could imagine or require.

Easy-access Width, Speed, and Blend controls are all available via classic chicken head knobs on the top of the unit, while a toggle switch allows you to quickly change between Normal & Metallic resonance modes––Metallic mode producing a much more dramatic effect, and being particularly effective when used in combination with slower Speed settings.

As if all of that weren’t enough to keep you very, very busy, the Phaseomatic offers yet more customizable settings in the form of six different wave shapes, including Triangle (the pedal’s default,) Sine, Square, Rise, Fall, and Stepped.

Each wave shape offers an entirely unique blend of tones, and it’s here that you can begin to explore the nearly limitless possibilities of this pedal… at higher modulation rates the Triangle form produces watery chorus-like effects, while playing around with the Square wave can take you straight into classic Vibrato/Tremolo territory. With a bit of experimenting you can even deviate into some outrageously pulsating Sci-Fi type flying saucer effects.

Somehow, all of these effects come out warm and full, and absolutely teaming with life.

And while “tone” may be everything when it comes to guitar effects, the good folks at Effectrode didn’t just stop there––the Phaseomatic simply drips with retro style. Chalk it up to sentimentality, but I’ve come to realize that there’s something incredibly appealing about watching those three vacuum tubes warm up to a healthy orange glow.

On top of that, the pedal is just built like a tank.

What I Didn’t Like Ironically, perhaps the Phaseomatic’s only downside is its incredible versatility. Due to the unit’s footswitchable wave forms––which are accessed by powering off the pedal, powering it back on, and then clicking the footswitch during the one-minute warm-up period––you can quite easily get lost in its myriad settings.

While there are great tones to be had in all wave forms, it can be a bit frustrating if you lose track of which wave form you’re currently in, particularly if you’re trying to dial-up a favorite setting from a previous session.

Of course, the unit I got for review was a prototype, so I’d say there’s still time for Effectrode to correct this one minor glitch––perhaps via a rotary dial. Come to think of it, even just a multi-colored LED would go a long way towards keeping users oriented.

Final Word Effectrode’s Phaseomatic Deluxe is a truly versatile pedal capable of producing a multitude of high-quality effects to bolster your guitar’s tonal palate.

If you’ve found yourself in the market for a one-trick-pony phase shifter, the Phaseomatic may not be a perfect fit, but for tube aficionados who enjoy endlessly tweaking their tone, this badass little stomp-box has far more to offer than your average phaser.

In fact, I’d go so far as to say that if you had to purchase just one effects pedal for all of your guitar’s Phase Shifting, Chorus, and Vibrato needs, the Phaseomatic Deluxe would definitely be at the top of the list.

Solid construction, impeccable design, Class A circuitry, and a full complement of vacuum tubes ensure that your guitar’s signal will be bathed in top-shelf tone for years to come.

EGR Sound Samples
Recorded direct via Line 6 GearBox

Phaseomatic Deluxe – Freakout
Phaseomatic Deluxe – Pickin’
Phaseomatic Deluxe – Reverby Western

Effectrode Sound Samples

Phaseomatic Deluxe - Flying Saucer
Phaseomatic Deluxe - Step Phasing
Phaseomatic Deluxe - Overdriven Phasing
Phaseomatic Deluxe - Falling Sawtooth
Phaseomatic Deluxe - True Vibrato

Manufacturer: Effectrode | Model: Phaseomatic Deluxe | Contact: sales@effectrode.com | Web Site: www.effectrode.com

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REVIEW: Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster

Cary — Fri, 29 Jun 2007 17:13:30 +0000

Model Fender Eric Johnson Stratocaster

Intro The long awaited Eric Johnson Stratocaster was introduced in January of 2005, and has received accolades across the board ever since. Walk into your local music store, take one off the rack, and you’ll quickly see why. Simply put, the guitar is beautifully built, with all the vintage vibe and traditional Strat-appeal you could ask for.

With a deep-contoured, lightweight Alder body, single-piece quartersawn neck, a set of three “special design” Eric Johnson single-coil pickups, not to mention a host of other customizations, the EJ Strat feels and plays a lot more like a true Custom Shop guitar than a reasonably priced production model––but that’s exactly what it is.

The instrument was apparently designed by Custom Shop builder Michael Frank-Braun, in collaboration with Johnson himself, and the pedigree shows. For a production guitar, this thing has CS written all over it.

If you’re in the market for a truly high-quality Stratocaster with vintage styling and some modern amenities, you’ll definitely want to read on.

Specs

Two-piece ‘57-style lightweight Alder body
One-piece quartersawn Maple neck (soft “V” shape, Nitro finish)
Maple fretboard with 12“ Radius and 21 highly polished MJ frets
Extra smooth neck-to-headstock volute
‘57-style body cavities and taggered vintage style tuners (no need for string tree)
Vintage tremolo w/silver painted block and ‘57-style string recess
Three special design Eric Johnson Pickups w/countersunk mounting screws

The guitar also sports Fender’s Thin Nitrocellulose Lacquer finish, and is available in two-color Sunburst (shown here,) Black, Candy Apple Red, and White Blonde.

Ships with a deluxe Blonde hardshell case w/black ends, a black interior, strap, and a cable.

What I Liked The big story here is what you get for your money––in the last few months I’ve spent quality time with just about every production Strat model on the market, and in my opinion the Eric Johnson Stratocaster is about as good as it gets in the sub-$2,000 price range.

Period.

Granted, depending on your neck/fretboard preference the EJ still may not be the guitar for you, and there are certainly some fantastic Strats in the $1600 range if and when you can find them––take a look at some of the ”thin-skin“ ‘62 Reissues… Mmmmm––but if you’re looking for a guitar that blends old-school Strat style & quality with a number of modern conveniences to boot, the EJ Stratocaster is at the top of the list.

Can you say resonant? Strum a few chords on the EJ Strat before you plug it in and you know you’re in for a treat––the guitar absolutely sings, even without amplification. Now I’m no luthier, but I suppose this is the effect of a top-shelf alder body paired with a true quartersawn maple neck, and perhaps even the complete lack of string trees. Whatever it is, it says loads about the quality of this guitar.

Plug it in and you’ve got a Strat that’s dripping with sustain, and a truly ear-pleasing variety of traditional yet somehow unique singlecoil Stratocaster tones. Between the three modified Custom Shop pickups, and that extra-thin Nitro finish, this thing is a veritable tone machine.

In fact, one of Johnson’s customizations––the re-wiring of the middle pickup tone control over to the bridge pickup––is one of those long-standing mods that really should at least be an option on Strats coming straight from Fender… there is very little downside to this tweak (how many of you spend time fiddling with the tone control of your middle pickup?) and the upside is a truly useable third pickup, with a darker, more punchy tone.

Another highlight of the EJ Strat is its gorgeous, vintage-tinted, Nitro-finished neck––now I’ll come right out and say that I’m not a big personal fan of the EJ’s soft ”V“ shape profile (it simply doesn’t fit right in my hands,) but I know plenty of folks who love it, and my own preference for a vintage ”C“ profile in no way diminishes the high quality and extreme playability of this neck.

I’ve read user reviews that complained of an annoying stickiness to the neck, usually attributed to the Nitrocellulose finish, but I experienced none of this myself. And while Fender’s own specs mention only ”maple“ in describing the neck material, the guitar I played boasted a beautiful flame pattern across the back of the neck and into the headstock.

When it comes to the fretboard, the Eric Johnson Strocaster steps right into modern territory––while the rest of the instrument exudes a thoroughly retro feel, the flat 12” radius fretboard makes for truly fast and accurate bends, and allows for what is arguably the lowest action I’ve come across on an otherwise vintage-style Strat.

Once again, if you’re a fan of Fender’s early, and much rounder 7.25“ neck radius (like me,) you may not take a liking to the EJ Strat’s downright flat fingerboard (we’re squarely into Les Paul territory here,) but it’s really just a matter of preference. This beauty absolutely excels at fast fret work.

Oh yeah, and forget those skinny, finger-eating vintage wires… the EJ is armed with 21 incredibly comfortable Medium Jumbo frets––the kind of modification you will find on the vintage instruments of many a serious player.

Rounding it all out, the Eric Johnson Stratocaster is just plain good to look at. All four of its available finishes––2-color Sunburst, Black, Candy Apple Red, and White Blonde––are lovely, traditional Strat colors. But on top of that, the EJ’s extra-thin Nitrocellulose finish is going to age like a fine bottle of wine––getting more complex, unique, and personal to the player as time goes by.

What I Didn’t Like To be honest, I can’t say there’s a whole lot about the Eric Johnson Stratocaster that really rubbed me the wrong way. My only issues with the guitar are ones of personal preference, and certainly not anything that could be considered a true gripe.

What stops the EJ Strat from being my perfect Strat is simply the fact that I much prefer Fender’s vintage 7.25” neck radius and comfy “C” shaped profile to the flatter 12′ radius and “soft V” profile of the EJ. These are minor issues however, and I have no qualms in stating that for many, many guitarists, the modern conveniences of the Eric Johnson Stratocaster will end up being just what the doctor ordered.

In the end, there’s really not much to dislike about this guitar.

Final Word Custom Shop quality in a production level instrument is kind of the holy grail of guitar buying, and it’s the reason that many of us can spend literally months hunting down, checking out, and madly tossing aside instruments in our search for the perfect guitar––the one that absolutely must go home with us today.

Simply put, Fender’s Eric Johnson Stratocaster is one of those guitars.

Before you blow $1200 on an American Deluxe, before you mortgage your house for that Custom Shop Relic, go out and spend some quality time with an EJ Strat––you won’t be disappointed.

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REVIEW: Fender Highway One Stratocaster (’06 Upgrade)

Cary — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 11:05:45 +0000

Model Fender Highway One Stratocaster

Intro Introduced in July of 2006, the upgraded Highway One Stratocaster is Fender’s least expensive American Made Strat, and as such has been highly touted as the obvious answer for those guitar players longing for American Made quality at a reasonable price.

The guitar sports some nice amenities––including a set of suped-up “hot” singlecoil pickups (reverse wound/reverse polarity in the middle position,) a satin nitro lacquer finish, and Fender’s Greasebucket Tone Circuit––though to my mind there are some downsides to the design as well.

While the Highway One Stratocaster will undoubtedly be a perfect fit for many guitar players, especially those prone to high-gain mayhem (these pickups sounds phenomenal with a little overdrive,) I do have to say that the three guitars I played for this review weren’t particularly comfortable in the neck department.

Of course, your experience may vary.

Specs

Alder body
Maple neck (modern C-shape)
Rosewood or Maple fretboard w/22 jumbo frets (9.5” radius)
A trio of Hot singlecoil Strat pickups w/Alnico 3 magnets
Greasebucket Tone Circuit on bridge & neck pickups
Master volume knob and 5-way pickup switching
Vintage style synchronized tremolo and Fender/Ping Standard tuners
3-ply parchment pickguard, fat ‘70s-style headstock, and original body shape
H/S/H pickup routing and a deluxe gig bag

The guitar’s Satin Nitrocellulose Lacquer Finish (no poly here!) comes in Honey Blonde (shown,) Flat Black, Wine Transparent, Daphne Blue, and 3-Color Sunburst.

What I Liked Nice, nice finish… OK, it’s not for everyone, and it certainly brings a unique look to the Highway One, but if you’re at all enamored of a satin finish, and if you’ve been looking to get into a guitar that doesn’t look like it’s been dipped in a vat of gooey varnish, well, this one’s a no-brainer.

In my experience people who’ve never played a Strat with a true nitrocellulose finish tend to underestimate its effect on tone and sustain, but to my ears a nitro-finished guitar sounds richer, with more sonic subtleties, and with just a little more oomph. Of course, that delicate finish tends to scratch easily, but the upside is that you get an instrument that should age beautifully––kind of like a nice bottle of wine.

I also really liked the electronics in the Highway One Strat, though once again, this really comes down to personal preference, and what exactly you want to do with your guitar.

For instance, while the hot Alnico 3 single-coils absolutely pop, and they sound great pushing a tube-amp or pumped through a nice high-gain distortion pedal, I found that clean tones lacked the warmth of a vintage-style single-coil––not a big deal for someone who wants to push their Strat into the heavy shred zone, but a possible deal breaker for those who prefer that old-school Stratocaster squawk.

Another plus is Fender’s Greasebucket Tone Circuit, which modifies the traditional Strat wiring by providing tone control for the bridge pickup instead of the middle, and helps to ease back on the high-end without adding weighty low-end bass into the mix. While I didn’t mess around with this feature a whole lot during my testing (that’s just the kind of player I am… I tend to dial in a nice tone and then stay put,) I can definitely see its uses, and it makes for a great extra touch.

The Highway One’s tremolo worked as advertised, and while I’m not a huge user of this feature I did find the whole thing to stay in tune quite nicely even after judicious use. Tuners work well, too, and of course the Highway One sports a ’70s style oversized headstock––a feature you may love or hate, though I could personally go either way. It would undoubtedly look a lot better (and not so out of place,) in an aged-yellow finish instead of Fender’s current lackluster greyish tint.

What I Didn’t Like Having read rave reviews about this guitar, and considering the sheer number of readers who’ve written me about their much-loved Highway One Stratocasters, I was surprised to find that I personally didn’t like the necks on these instruments at all.

Now don’t get me wrong––as I always emphasize in my reviews, neck shape and comfort is highly subjective, and every guitarist has a different hand size, different neck-profile preference, and a different style of playing––but all that said, the maple modern C-shaped neck on the Highway One Strat (2006 version) is one of the more uncomfortable that I’ve come across… and if you follow this blog you know I’ve been playing a lot of Strats lately.

To be honest with you, I’m pretty sure it’s not the neck shape itself that’s to blame, but more than likely just a rather unfortunate combination of modern C-shape profile, satin finish on the back of the neck (definitely an acquired taste,) a decidedly sticky fretboard (could go away over time, but maybe not) and a set of very large Jumbo-sized frets.

I know, I know––there are folks out there who love huge frets, and believe me, I’m not a fan of those extra-skinny vintage wires either––but I found the frets on the Highway One to be so oversized as to make the whole fretboard feel clunky and almost toyish. Of course, if this is your style of fret then I say more power to ya’, but it’s definitely not my bag, and something you might want to be aware of; particularly if you’re considering purchasing one sight unseen.

In an attempt to be perfectly fair, I actually played three of these guitars during the review process (just to be sure I hadn’t stumbled onto a lemon,) but my over all take on the Highway One Strat’s neck/fretboard/fret combination was basically this: slow, sticky, and a bit difficult to play.

Final Word All griping aside however, the Highway One Stratocaster offers a number of excellent plusses for the guitar player searching for an American Made Strat at a reasonable price, though there are some trade-offs that need to be considered.

Fans of mega-sized frets and big, fat necks may well fall in love with this instrument, as will those who tend to travel in high-gain territory.

The Highway One Stratocaster does some things very well, but it most certainly is not your father’s Strat, so while I always recommend actually playing a guitar before you purchase it (now there’s a statement that would’ve sounded strange ten years ago,) with the Highway One Stratocaster I think it’s a true necessity–– that way you can better judge how this neck works for your hands and fretting style. :: Updated 10-22-2009.

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REVIEW: Fender Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster

Cary — Mon, 09 Apr 2007 21:06:06 +0000

Model Fender Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster

Intro A very considerable step up from Fender’s lower-end Classic ’60s Strat, the Classic Players ’60s Stratocaster pushes Mexican-made quality into a whole new arena.

The guitar, while being assembled in Mexico, was designed by none other than Master Builder Greg Fessler of Fender’s famous Custom Shop, and it shows––the instrument sports a number of top-shelf components that belie its rather meager street price of around $800.

Those features include better electronics (a pair of Custom Shop ‘69 singlecoil pickups,) noticeably better hardware (a two-point vintage bridge that’s apparently available for the first time outside of the Custom Shop,) fatter frets, and a thoroughly modern (read: flat!) 12″ fretboard radius.

Right off the rack you can tell this thing’s going to sing… and it does.

Specs

Alder body
Maple “C” Shaped neck (gloss poly finish)
Rosewood fretboard with 12” radius (305 mm) and 21 Medium Jumbo frets
Three CS ‘69 single-ooil Strat pickups w/grey bobbins
Master volume and two tone controls, 5-way pickup switching
CS vintage style 2-point synchronized tremolo (w/stamped solid steel saddles & milled solid steel block)
Fender/Ping vintage style tuners
3-ply mint green pickguard, “aged” knobs and switch tip, and a deluxe gig bag

The polyester finish comes in Sonic Blue, and 3-Color Sunburst (this one will cost you an additional $50.00.)

What I Liked What a difference a bit of hardware can make…

While I enjoyed the time I spent with Fender’s lower-cost Classic ‘60 Stratocaster, the new Classic Player model is in a class all its own––at least as far as Mexi-Strats go.

Aesthetics-wise, they got the vintage style just right on these beauties, from the rather bleached-out looking “mint green” pickguard, down to the tuners, and finishes. Heck, the whole guitar pretty much oozes that early-’60s vibe, though a retro-brown hard case with plush interior would really seal the deal (you can expect to shell out another $180 for that.)

As far as feel is concerned, the Classic Player ’60s Strat boasts a C-shaped maple neck that I found to be mighty comfortable, though perhaps a tad on the chunky side for those with smaller hands. In fact, neck preference is so personal that I hesitate to make any kind of recommendations here, but suffice it to say that if you’ve got a penchant for a vintage ’60s-style neck, the Classic Player will probably leave you satisfied.

Those who prefer the ’50s “V” shape will want to take a look at this guitar’s sibling, the Classic Player ’50s Stratocaster––while I’m not a huge fan of maple fretboards (probably my 20-years playing Gibsons,) it’s a very sweet guitar for this price range, and not one to be overlooked.

Moving on, one of the true stand-out features of the Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster is its super-flat 12″ fretboard radius, paired with a set of medium jumbo (MJ) frets. Now, this could go either way for the true vintage die-hard, as this modernized combination seriously alters the way the guitar feels… not necessarily in a bad way (particularly if you’re migrating over from something like a Les Paul,) but most definitely in a way that feels more contemporary than old-school.

That said, the flatter fretboard radius makes for sweet, effortless bending with very little danger of fretting out––even with the action dialed down to the point of absurdity. Adding to the magic, those MJ frets make for more comfortable playing than you’ll ever achieve with a set of skinny vintage wires… in fact, they feel just like a fret should––barely noticeable.

Another other big leap forward from the cheaper Mexi-models is Fender’s Custom Shop 2-point synchronized tremolo bridge––this thing’s got stamped solid steel saddles, a milled solid steel block, and perhaps most importantly, it holds its tune like nobody’s business. Even after I tortured the guitar with a full arsenal of tremolo acrobatics it still managed to stay playably in-tune. A nice change from the Classic ’60s model.

Rounding out the serious upgrades on this instrument are Fender’s Custom Shop ‘69 singlecoil pickups. It would be a bit on the absurd side for me to try to describe them to you in words, but I will say that these things pack a truly “vintage” early-’60s sound––think classic Hendrix, ala Are You Experienced? and you’ll get a pretty good idea of what you can expect from these babies… provided you’ve got the chops to back ‘em up! ;)

I honestly can’t say enough about these pickups, though if you’ve been spoiled by modern noiseless singlecoils, or perhaps even humbuckers, you can expect to be a bit annoyed by the “classic” hum. Still, the truly singular tone of these pups helps set this guitar far apart from other Strats in its price range. (NOTE: Acme Guitar Works has some nice sound samples of the CS ’69s in action.)

What I Didn’t Like Amazingly, I have only one real issue with the Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster, and it’s not much of a deal breaker if you’re strictly looking to stick within the sub-$1,000 price range.

When it comes right down to it I’m just never going to be a big fan of Fender’s modern Polyester finish––yep, these things are damned near bullet-proof now, so if you prefer a guitar that’s going to hold its shine until the second coming, well, you’ll probably love this finish…

However, if you’re like a lot of people, and you find yourself longing for the personally worn-in look and feel of a well-loved (and played!) instrument, a Polyester finish is the last thing you want coating your beloved guitar. This is where the more expensive models, particularly many of the American Custom Shop guitars, really earn their extra cost––Fender’s “thin skin” nitrocellulose finish is a beauty to behold, not to mention the fact that it ages like a fine wine, but you’ll pay about twice as much for it as well.

Final Word Well, I guess it’s pretty obvious that I really liked the Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster, and while it may not satisfy My Quest For The Perfect Strat (that Poly finish is a bit of a drag, and I actually prefer the tight curve of a vintage fretboard radius,) its still a mighty contender for your money, and highly recommended to those in the market for a top-quality Strat in the $800 price range.

If you don’t mind a thick Polyester finish, and the modern feel of a flatter fretboard, the Classic Player ’60s Stratocaster provides a heck of a lot of bang for the buck. Two thumbs up.

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REVIEW: Fender Classic ’60s Stratocaster

Cary — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 10:42:23 +0000

Model Fender Classic ’60s Stratocaster

Intro The Classic ’60s Strat is Fender’s low-cost, Mexican made answer to the seemingly endless fascination we guitarists have with the Stratocasters of yester-year.

While far from being on a par with its costly American made counterpart––the American Vintage ‘62 Stratocaster––the Classic ’60s Strat still manages to fill a particular niche, and does it quite well for its low-ball pricing (somewhere in the $600 to $650 range.)

The guitar definitely exudes a vintage vibe and sound, and while it may not fit the bill for the truly discerning musician, starving artists are likely to appreciate the pure aesthetic value that the Classic ’60s Stratocaster has to offer.

This thing looks and feels like a “real” Strat––no way around that.

Specs

Alder body
Maple “C” shape neck
Rosewood fretboard with 7.25“ radius and 21 vintage style frets
3 vintage style single-coil Strat pickups
Master volume & two tone controls, and 5-way pickup switching
Vintage style synchronized tremolo, Fender/Ping vintage style tuners
Chrome hardware, mint green pickguard
Aged parts, including knobs, switch tip, and pickup covers, and a deluxe gig bag

The polyester finish comes in 3-Color Sunburst (it’ll cost you an additional $50.00,) Lake Placid Blue, Black, Candy Apple Red, Inca Silver, and Burgundy Mist.

What I Liked The Fender Classic ’60s Stratocaster is ample proof that a guitar doesn’t have to be built in America to be of high quality. While the cheaper hardware may leave a bit to be desired (some would call it ”room to grow,“) there are definitely a few places where this guitar absolutely shines.

Fist off, the ’60s Strat is just dripping with retro style. That old-school yellowed finish on the neck & headstock, not to mention vintage style tuners, a funky mint green pickguard, and of course those ”aged“ plastic parts, make for a great looking guitar all around. Definitely gets two thumbs up for visual appeal.

The ”C“ shaped maple neck is another stand-out, and I found it to be just plain comfortable in my hand, and fast, fast, fast… with one caveat: the glossy polyurethane finish is one of those things you either lover or hate–personally, I think it feels just like a great guitar neck should, but if you absolutely have to have a smooth satin finish, well, this could easily be a deal breaker.

While some folks don’t like the ’60s necks at all, to me they feel sufficiently chunky without getting in the way. This is one of those things you’ll really have to decide for yourself, as every hand is different, and every guitar is different as well––even those of the same model.

Another feature you’re either going to love or hate on the ’60s Strat is the vintage 7.25” radius rosewood fretboard. As a long-time player of much flatter fretboards I can say that while it does take adjusting to, that highly curved fretboard is a big part of what makes a vintage Strat feel so different than a modern one. I like it. You might not.

For those who don’t know, a tight vintage radius like the one on the ’60s Strat means that while chording is incredibly comfortable, action tends to require a bit higher of an adjustment––that is if you don’t want to be fretting-out during bends above the 13th fret or so.

In the end, if you’re obsessed with having super-low action, the reality is that a vintage-style guitar may not be for you–you’ll find that you have to “dig in” a bit to make a classic Strat really sing, but those who are in the know will tell you that it’s well worth the extra effort.

What I Didn’t Like Cheap hardware is where the Classic ’60s Stratocaster falls a bit from grace… in fact, it’s not really that the hardware is bad for a Fender in this price range, it’s just that there is so much better out there.

The two different guitars I played had moderate difficulty staying in tune with heavy tremolo use… now granted, this may be accurate to a period-correct instrument, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

I’m not even sure if this was a problem with the vintage style bridge or those Fender/Ping tuners, but these are the first two things I would upgrade if purchasing this guitar.

Pickup-wise, the ’60s Strat is kind of right in the middle––the pups can seem a bit weak and noisy (that’s vintage 60-cycle hum, folks!) but then again that weakness is fairly true to Strats from the ’60s, so its part of what makes this guitar sound different than a modern instrument.

Once again, you’ll have to make up your own mind about this one… luckily, pickups can be replaced!

Unfortunately, finish can’t… at least not very easily. Perhaps the biggest downside to the Classic ’60s Stratocaster is its polyester finish. You know the score––if you want a finish that will last a lifetime with out ever showing any wear and tear, then you’ll be more than happy with the finish on this guitar. If, however, you prefer an instrument that will age like a fine wine, becoming more tasty & comfy as the years go by, nitrocellulose is the way to go. Unfortunately, it’ll also cost you a premium.

The finish on this thing is downright plasticy, enough said.

Final Word All in all, while the Classic ’60s Stratocaster may not be the answer for everyone, it really is a quality instrument that sounds great and feels good in the hands. The decision to purchase one would really have to come down to exactly which features are required, and how much money one has to spend.

With an excellent neck, and generally good vintage looks, this guitar is certainly a great buy for the beginner or intermediate guitar player, and with a plethora of great after-market hardware available, it would make a great jumping off point for the guitarist who wants to heavily customize their Strat without starting from scratch.

Heck, add a few hundred dollars in top-shelf hardware and you’d have a vintage style Stratocaster that just wouldn’t stop––at a fraction of the cost of an American Vintage Reissue. The finish isn’t exactly a masterpiece, but then you’re not paying out the nose, either.

Highly recommended for those looking to purchase a real Fender Strat while still staying within a very tight budget. If you have more to spend, take a look at the Classic Player ’60s Strat… if not, you could do far worse than one of these beauties.

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REVIEW: ESP’s LTD EC-400AT Archtop

Cary — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 21:57:06 +0000

Intro The LTD EC-400AT Archtop is Japanese guitar maker ESP’s low-cost answer to the much more expensive Gibson Les Paul or even LP Studio. While it comes in two different finishes (Gold and Black,) the metallic Gold model is clearly aimed at guitar players like myself who long for the classically stylish good looks of the mighty Les Paul Goldtop––minus the equally mighty price tag.

Specs Solid mahogany body, 3-piece “set” mahogany neck (24-3/4“ scale length,) rosewood fingerboard (with cream binding & 22 Extra-Jumbo frets,) flag inlays with model name at 12th fret, Seymour Duncan JB Humbucker at bridge, Seymour Duncan ‘59 Humbucker at neck, 3-way pickup switching, two volume & one tone control, Grover tuners, Earvana compensated nut, stopbar tailpiece, tune-o-matic bridge.

What I Liked While the EC-400 Archtop is built in ESP’s South Korean guitar factory, unlike the lackluster components on many comparably priced LP clones the EC-400AT ships fully loaded with high-quality parts.

A pair of real Seymour Duncan Humbucker pickups (not those ”Designed by Duncan“ cheapos,) simple but dependable Grover tuners that actually hold their tune, a traditional tune-o-matic bridge, and ESP’s Earvana compensated nut all add up to a great playing instrument at a rock bottom price.

Those Duncans provide the kind of warm growl you’d expect from a Les Paul, with soaring, creamy solos a cinch when playing in the neck position (I’ve really come to love that ‘59 humbucker,) and brutal, ear-damaging crunch from the bridge (and I mean that in the nicest way.)

On top of that, an obvious attention to detail belies the EC-400’s low-rent roots, with a flawless (and might I add thick,) metallic gold top finish, cream binding all around (including headstock,) and a gorgeous and dark stained finish on the body & neck. You pull this guitar out of its box and wonder how ESP can afford to sell it so cheap while a bottom-end Les Paul will still set you back about twice as much.

The neck is comfortable, and reasonably fast, and mine came with excellent set-up straight from Musician’s Friend––action low with no fret-buzz, and excellent intonation up the neck.

What I Didn’t Like Can you say heavy? The EC-400AT is made of solid mahogany, and while that makes for impressive sustain and tone, it also makes for one hefty six-string. Lack of an included case or even a gig-bag is also a minor annoyance that requires some extra out-of-pocket expense… I mean, who’s going to buy a guitar without a case?

Other than that my only frustration with the EC-400 Archtop is its basic pickup controls––two volume knobs and a tone knob… a more useful set-up would be a single volume knob and two tone knobs, but for whatever reason ESP has chosen this current layout for a large portion of their instruments. Not sure what the reasoning is here.

Final Word At just under $600 there are few guitars out there that can match the LTD EC-400 Archtop for caliber of hardware, quality of workmanship, and just plain good looks. For those looking for a cheaper alternative to a middle to low-end Les Paul it’s a no-brainer––Epiphone’s comparably priced LPs don’t even come close.

You might also note that ESP has launched their brand new website in the last few days and it looks like the EC-400AT may now be out of production––replaced by some newer EC models––so if you’re set on purchasing one you might need to act fast… of course the upside is that if you time it right, and keep a hawk’s eye on the guitar retailers, you may be able to pick one up when they start to sell at clearance prices.

Now that would be an offer I just couldn’t refuse.

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REVIEW: Effectrode’s Tube-Vibe

Cary — Tue, 14 Nov 2006 17:00:45 +0000

Liquid Tones, Vintage Good Looks, 100% Tube Signal Path

The Tube-Vibe is Effectrode’s homage to the classic––some would say historic––Shiftee U-915 Uni-Vibe pedal, which was first introduced to the U.S. back in ‘69, and went on to gain legendary status at the hands of many great guitar players, perhaps most notably Jimi Hendrix, who was obviously enamored of the Uni-Vibe’s ability to produce shimmering, liquid-like tones.

While there have been any number of Uni-Vibe remakes over the years, Effectrode’s offering is certainly one of the nicest I’ve had the pleasure to play, and while I don’t have an original Uni-Vibe to compare it to, suffice it to say that the Tube-Vibe more than excels at pumping out pure, rippling, almost other-worldy tube-driven vibrato & chorus tones––and it looks good doing it, too!

Take it out of the box and the first thing you notice are the Tube-Vibe’s stylish retro looks: the pedal sports a solid die-cast aluminum chassis finished in prismatic purple coating, accented with a trio of cream colored amplifier-style knobs (Speed, Volume & Blend,) and a heavy duty American made Carling technology footswitch.

Plug it in and the three vacuum tubes protruding from the top of the Tube-Vibe put off a soft, nostalgic orange glow. Meanwhile, up towards the top of the unit an orange jewel L.E.D. pulsates to the vibrato’s modulation speed. The whole thing just oozes “old-school cool.”

And unlike some pedals on the market these days, the Tube-Vibe actually sounds better than it looks––heck, that’s saying a lot considering how damned good this pedal looks!

It’s All About The Tone

With an all-tube signal path, and a plethora of customizable features, the Tube-Vibe really is one of the finest tube effects to come my way in a very long time. The pedal is capable of producing an incredibly wide range of tones, from soft chorus-type effects to full-on insane warbling, from fluidly pulsating waves of sound to classic “tube vibrato” with that shimmering, glassy high-end that today’s digital pedals can only dream about.

The three control knobs––Speed, Volume & Blend––allow for endless tweaking of your tone, with the Blend knob allowing you to move from a completely dry signal (fully counter clockwise,) to chorus (12:00 position,) to the classic vibrato Uni-Vibe tone (fully clockwise.) Volume & Speed controls do just what you’d expect, with the Volume knob capable of adding an extra +6dB to your signal. In fact, with the volume cranked I even managed to push my tube amp (the Atomic Space Tone) into a soft, warm overdrive… pretty fun.

Flip the pedal over and unscrew the back (CAUTION: unplug it first––there’s 350 volts of power in there!) and you have access to a tiny pair of internal dip switches, not to mention a width trimmer, that allow for even more customization.

The dip switches essentially allow you to control the Tube-Vibe’s waveform (either Square or Triangle,) and also the pedal’s vibe-wah feature, which I was unfortunately unable to review as it requires the use of a passive volume pedal. The smoothed square voicing produces a rich, warm tone similar to the original Uni-Vibe (with accentuated peaks of sound,) while the smoothed triangle waveform produces a more subtle and uniform sweep.

Throw in the width trimmer and you have yet more control––by shortening the sweep you can reduce the “de-tuning” that occurs when using a heavy vibrato setting, or even control the “throb” of the chorus effect.

In fact, the only complaint I have about the Tube-Vibe is that these great controls are hidden inside the chassis instead of being easily accessible right on the top. But that’s an admittedly minor shortcoming in a product that sounds this good. In a word, the Tube-Vibe’s all-tube tone just plain rocks––from vintage Leslie-like vibrato all the way to droning, Cobain-esque chorus.

The Lowdown

With true bypass switching (making the unit absolutely noiseless when disengaged,) a bomb-proof chassis, highly customizable features, and the type of warm, shimmering tone that only a 100% tube signal pathway can offer, Effectrode’s Tube-Vibe vibrato pedal is a must-have for the tube aficionado or retro guitar freak.

A street price of just over $400 may scare off those who are accustomed to the bare-bones pricing of today’s mass-produced digital effects, but for your money you get a hand-built piece of machinery (made in Corvalis, Oregon, USA) with infinitely more soul, tone and attitude than any cheap-o digital stomp-box will ever be able to offer.

If “tone” is your thing, then the Tube-Vibe is your pedal. Enough said…

The Sound Samples

Tube-Vibe: Funky Minor – 652 kb

Tube-Vibe: Shorty Blues – 652 kb

Tube-Vibe: Chorus Strum – 613 kb

Manufacturer: Effectrode | Model: Tube-Vibe | Contact: sales@effectrode.com | Web Site: www.effectrode.com

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REVIEW: Aslin Dane’s Bohemian

Cary — Mon, 13 Nov 2006 08:10:43 +0000

Model Aslin Dane Bohemian

Intro If Aslin Dane’s Bohemian looks familiar to you it’s probably because the guitar is essentially an unofficial re-release of the earlier Brian May Signature model (based on May’s legendary Red Special)––minus the artist’s actual endorsement.

While the full story behind the relationship between Aslin Dane and Queen’s Brian May is beyond the scope of this review, suffice it to say that Codel Enterprises (Aslin Dane’s parent company) was the distributor for the Brian May Signature Guitar from 2002 through 2004, and the Bohemian mark’s the company’s move to create an updated version of this popular instrument.

To that end, they’ve done a wonderful job with the Bohemian, and I’m not ashamed to tell you right out of the gate: the guitar is built in China, and I really enjoyed playing it.

In fact, this, along with a few other recent encounters, leads me to believe that the gap between American and Asian built guitars is closing fast. Sure, there are obvious exceptions, but folks like Aslin Dane, ESP, Schecter and a host of others are showing that it doesn’t take an American Flag stamped on the label to create a good guitar––it just takes attention to detail.

Aesthetics
And attention to detail is one place where the Bohemian shines: its mahogany body, which is fairly light-weight and has a flat but comfortable fit, sports a handsome cherry finish and is bound top & back with 6-ply white binding.

This is a great looking guitar with a decidedly retro bent, and while it obviously bears a striking resemblance to Brian May’s Red Special, when you get this guitar in hand it’s easy to imagine someone like a young Syd Barrett or Brian Jones plying the strings in a dank London Pub.

The soft arrow-shaped headstock and that insane rack of six pickup sliders just adds to the rather funky, psychedelic appeal that the Bohemian exudes.

Fingerboard One of the first things that really stood out to me about the Bohemian was its comfy neck & fingerboard (mahogany & rosewood respectively.) The set neck, which runs 20mm thick at the 1st fret, and 21mm at the 12th, is fast in the hand and surprisingly playable, with a fat fretboard that I found particularly comfortable for chording and long, bluesy bends.

In fact, while I’m not sure of the exact dimensions, the fretboard is noticeably wider than my Les Paul-style ESP––leaving plenty of room for really bending the strings up where it counts.

The Bohemian’s double-cutaway body also makes for excellent high-fret access, and like the J3 Pro 6 that I reviewed a few weeks back, I found myself playing around in the higher end of the guitar’s register than I normally would. While I’m not usually one to go for piercingly-high leads, this guitar does make them incredibly easy to pull off.

Other features in this area include a double adjustable truss-rod, 45mm black graphite nut, and chrome, die-cast Hagstrom tuners that have been staggered for straight string pull across the headstock.

Electronics & Hardware The electronics may well be what really set this guitar apart––three chrome-top mini humbuckers, and a set of six old-school pickup sliders (3 on/off, 3 coil-taps) makes for a full 22 different pickup/tone/tapping combinations… perhaps more than you’ll ever use.

The variety of tones is nice to have at your fingertips, and coil-tapping in all three pickups is certainly a major plus, though I’ll admit that while Brian May may have made great use of all these options, I felt a little lost in the possibilities. So many tones, and so little time! Sometimes I wasn’t even sure where to start.

Of course, none of this is a bad thing… the Bohemian simply gives you more tonal variations than you can shake a stick at. The three mini-humbuckers produce a nice tone on their own, and while they aren’t nearly as warm as the Duncans I’m used to, well, they aren’t nearly as expensive either.

The guitar performed well across the board, be it with an expansive, reverb-laden clean tone, a dirty crunch, or even some seriously high-gain shredding.

Another nice plus is the Fulcrum 2-point tremolo. I had zero problems with this unit while I had the guitar in for review (which was an admittedly short period of time,) and found it fun to use, with a tight but responsive feel.

Now, being a Les Paul man I don’t have the kind of day-in & day-out experience with whammy bars that some of my Strat-wielding colleagues have, but I’m happy to report that the Bohemian seemed to keep its tuning quite nicely in spite of pretty heavy punishing on my part, and certainly better than I expected for an instrument in this price range.

The Lowdown With an estimated street price of just $349 I find Aslin Dane’s Bohemian to be an exceedingly easy guitar to recommend. You’d find it hard to come by a much more unique instrument in the otherwise lackluster sub-$400 price range, and the Bohemian’s built-in “Fun Factor” makes it a bit of a no-brainer for beginning and intermediate players.

Heck, I’ve been playing for well over 20-years, and I found the Bohemian to be a pleasure to play; far exceeding what I’ve come to expect from a guitar selling in the mid $300s.

Of course, if you’re a Brian May fan the decision becomes even easier… while not an officially endorsed Signature guitar, the Bohemian is a very respectable homage to May’s legendary Red Special. If you’re in the market for a new guitar you’ll definitely want to give this baby a try.

Oh yeah, and rumor has it there’s a Bohemian with three P-90s coming down the pipeline, so keep your eyes peeled!

Manufacturer: Aslin Dane | Model: Bohemian | Telephone: 1-866-472-1441 | Web Site: www.aslindane.com

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REVIEW: The J3 Pro 6

Cary — Mon, 16 Oct 2006 08:17:09 +0000

Light Weight, Coil Tapping, Double Octave Fun

J3 Guitars hasn’t been around all that long––they introduced their first line of instruments at the Summer NAMM show in 2005––but I can assure you that the three men behind the company (all named John––hence the name J3) definitely know a thing or two about designing guitars.

In fact, I’ve spent the last week getting to know the Pro 6, part of J3’s Professional Series of guitars, and I have to say that I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the quality, playability and tone of the instrument, not to mention its insane full 24-fret access––the guitar is truly playable through two full octaves.

The guys at J3 asked me for a quick review (they understandably want to get the word out about their products,) so this one isn’t going to be as in-depth as I might like it to be, but I’ll try to cover all the bases…

Tone, Playability, And Style The Pro 6 (you guessed it, there’s a Pro 12 twelve-string too!) sports a truly light-weight Nato body, and when I say light-weight I really do mean light-weight. It could be that I’m just used to the backbreaking heft of my EC400 archtop (solid mahogany will do that,) but the Pro 6 is just incredibly comfortable to play––being slim, light in the hands, and curved in all the right places.

The arched top and headstock both boast a lovely quilted veneer & amber sunburst finish, which, when paired with the gold colored hardware (including Grover tuning machines, a stopbar tailpiece, and tune-o-matic bridge) makes for a very handsome instrument. Cream binding on the body and fingerboard round out the look.

Of course, if you’re in the market for a subtle-looking guitar then the J3 Pro 6 might not be for you (this thing damn near screams at you before you even plug it in,) but for those looking to shred it really fits the bill.

Speaking of shredding, the Pro 6’s dual humbucker set-up is fairly versatile––all the more so with its built-in coil-tapping––but while the instrument could very easily handle just about any style I threw at it (yep, even some warm, smooth Jazz licks,) I felt that it really hit its stride when it came to high-gain, overdriven mayhem.

Grinding rhythm and soaring leads are the hallmarks of the Pro 6 when played through a solid distortion pedal or pre-amp, and the set-in maple neck seems to provide for some deadly sustain, too. On top of that, the included coil-tapping (via a push/pull knob) brings out an entirely different side to this guitar, producing those punchy, bell-like tones you can only get from a single-coil pickup.

As is to be expected, noise can be a bit of a problem in coil-tap mode (particularly with an old-school tube amp like my recently acquired Atomic Space Tone,) but it’s a trade-off that’s well worth it––coil tapping adds a whole extra dimension to the Pro 6’s tonal palate, and I found that it’s really nice to have on-hand when you feel like busting out with something a little more “twangy” than your typical humbucker can pull off.

Final Word Like I said, I’m intentionally keeping this review short, but the final word here is that if you’re looking for a fun instrument that’s light-weight, good looking, and decently priced (this one’s expected to sell for a street price of under $600,) the Pro 6 is one guitar you’ll definitely want to consider.

The Pro 6’s versatility makes it stand out from the many other guitars in its price range, and its unique, truly full-access double-cutaway design makes it a real pleasure to play if you’re into sky-high soloing––heck, the Pro 6 had me exploring parts of the fretboard that I seldom dare to tread.

Manufacturer: J3 Guitars

Model: Pro 6

Telephone: 860-408-1441

Web Site: www.j3guitars.com

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REVIEW: Swart’s Immaculate Atomic Space Tone

Cary — Mon, 25 Sep 2006 08:23:54 +0000

Handmade Quality, Atomic-Age Styling, Delicious All-Tube Tone

When I first stumbled onto Michael Swart’s handsome tweed Atomic Space Tone tube amp, via the Swart Amplifier Co’s website, I may have been instantly struck by the retro-cool look of his handiwork, but I had no inclination that I was gazing upon one of the best sounding tube amplifiers I was ever likely to play.

In fact, as a dyed in the wool “tube freak” it’s almost embarrassing to admit it, but until I got the Atomic Space Tone in for review I apparently had no real idea of just how good a tube amp could sound – Fender, VOX, Boogie, Ampeg, I’ve played plenty of mass-produced tube amps, but in my opinion not one of them can match the lush tone of this surprising little amplifier.

While I realize that may be saying a lot, well… what can I say? Michael Swart’s got a good thing going here.

100% tube circuitry, a 12AX7 tube tremolo unit, tube reverb, point-to-point hand-wiring, and a hand-made/finger jointed pine cabinet are just a few of the features of Swart’s Atomic Space Tone. It’s a stunning amp, made even more so by its diminutive size, old-school style, and seriously soulful 12″ speaker–the aptly named Mojotone British Vintage Series BV-25m.

It’s all about the tone!

I’m going to tell you this right off the bat: the Atomic Space Tone puts my tweed Fender Blues Deluxe to shame. In fact, I’m not even sure how I’m going to go back to the Fender once I send this puppy back. Not only does it put my Fender to shame, but it does so with less weight, smaller dimensions, a heck of a lot more style, and without ever breaking a sweat.

And as far as I’m concerned, the benefit of this amplifier’s smaller size & weight shouldn’t be discounted… I don’t know about you, but these days I’m a lot more interested in making good music than I am in hauling some back-breaking, ear-splitting 4×12 combo in and out of clubs all weekend long. The Atomic Space Tone does away with all that, because it packs more tone & volume into its light-weight chassis than you would ever expect to find there. This thing is an absolute monster of tone.

And while I don’t know a whole heck of a lot about electronics (hey, I’m just a guitar player,) from what I gather a big part of the the Atomic Space Tone’s incredible tonal personality lies in a pair of JJ 6v6 tubes (pumping out 18-22 cathode biased watts of power,) and in the amp’s complete lack of of solid-state rectification.

But whatever the magic ingredients, the Atomic Space Tone is quite simply a highly dynamic piece of machinery. I found it to respond flawlessly to whatever I threw at it, from punchy chord comping (the harmonic subtleties are phenomenal) to crunchy rhythm work, soaring leads, and even some blistering fingerpicking insanity.

And yeah, while you’re never going to get a modern high-gain sound out of this amp (short of a pedal, of course,) just try dropping your guitar’s volume down to nothing, pump the Space Tone’s volume 3/4s of the way up, and then slowly bring your pickup volume back up: now you’ve got access to the full range of what this amp can do–roll that volume knob just a bit higher and you can go from clean rhythm to screaming solo with just a quick movement of the fingers.

Of course, truly organic dynamics aren’t the only thing this amp has going for it–real tube-driven tremolo & reverb units ensure that the Atomic Space Tone pumps out the kind of authentic, retro rock & roll sound you’d expect from an amp built 50 years ago or more. It’s a twang-lover’s dream.

“Lush” is about the only word that comes close to describing the tremolo on this thing, and if you’ve never had the pleasure to work with a tube tremolo unit then trust me, you’ve got a really pleasant surprise coming. The sound, which can run from a high-speed rush to a long & slow sonic wave, is reminiscent of the tube-vibrato voicing of Fender’s venerable Vibroverb and its ilk. It’ll add entirely new sonic possibilities to your playing.

Rounding out the options on the Atomic Space Tone is its incredibly deep, almost echoing tube reverb… and this is where my Fender Blues Deluxe really comes up short. While they spring reverb on the Fender is so twangy and springy as to be almost unusable at anything other than a very low setting (perhaps three on the reverb knob,) Swart gives you a reverb unit that just keeps on giving.

At its lowest setting the tube-reverb is light and airy, adding just a hint of extra sustain. At its highest setting it sounds like you could be playing in the Taj Mahal. The entire spectrum of reverb is somehow musically/harmonically pleasing in a way that no digital reverb has ever come close too. It just works. A two-way footswitch (one switch for reverb, one for tremolo) makes jumping back and forth between settings easy.

And it looks good too.

Yep, there’s no doubt that Michael Swart outdid himself with this one. While the Atomic Space Tone is an absolute beauty to play, it’s also incredibly easy on the eyes. The finger-jointed pine cabinet is covered in that classic vintage tweed you expect to see on amps from the ’40s & ’50s, and the whole thing is then lacquered for durability and topped off with Oxblood siding–a truly unique touch

Turn the amp around and you have easy access to the exposed tubes (nice touch, but watch your fingers–those things get hot!) and also to the amplifier’s five simple control knobs (Volume, Tone, Space, Speed, and Depth,) High & Low cable jacks, footswitch jack, blue jewel power lamp, and Power & Launch toggles (Launch = Standby.)

While the super cool Atomic Space Tone logo may just be icing on the cake, it really does bring the aesthetics of the hardware together. Another great touch, Michael!

Final word…

While Gangsta’ Rappers & Metalheads need not apply, the all-tube Atomic Space Tone is a no-brainer for nearly every other style of music you can think of, including Country, Alt-Country, old-school R&B, Soul, Blues, Jump Blues, Swing, Reggae, Ska, Rockabilly, Funk, Jazz, Fusion, and just about any form of good ol’ Rock & Roll.

The small size & weight of the amp belies its ability to pump out a huge amount of what can only be described as full-on tube tone–the kind of nuanced, dynamic, and truly musical guitar tone that many guitarists spend their entire careers searching for.

The Atomic Space Tone’s going price of around $1,775 is incredibly reasonable, considering that you’re purchasing a hand-made amplifier that will more than likely last you the rest of your guitar playing days–providing equal parts style, attitude, and “quality of tone” that you aren’t likely to find anywhere else.

Go get one now… your guitar will thank you.

Manufacturer: Swart Amplifier Company

Model: Atomic Space Tone

Sales: Michael Swart

Telephone: 910-620-2512

Web Site: www.swartamps.com

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REVIEW: Campbell American’s Precix

Cary — Tue, 22 Aug 2006 08:37:11 +0000

I suppose this will come as no great surprise to most of my readers, but one of the nicest benefits of writing at EGR is that I get to play a whole lot of great instruments that I’d probably never have access to otherwise. Call me crazy, but this is the greatest job in the world… even if it is just a hobby.

Most recently, thanks to Dean Campbell and the good folks at Campbell American, I’ve had the pleasure of putting in some quality time with a Precix – the hand-made, double-cutaway beauty that is Campbell American’s mainstay instrument.

While they’re still a rather young company, Campbell American has been producing quality hand-crafted guitars in New England’s Blackstone Valley since 2002, and in 2004, when Fender closed its Guild guitar factory in Westerly, Rhode Island, Campbell American was lucky enough to be bring some former Guild craftsmen into the fold as well.

Of course, Fender’s loss is Campbell American’s gain, and if my review model is any indication I’m guessing the company has a very satisfied customer base – in this age of mass produced, cookie cutter guitars, the hand-built feel of the Precix is something you just can’t put a price on.

Let’s Take A Look Inside

Crack open the plush-lined hard case (yep, it’s included in the price,) and you’re presented with a handsome instrument that is unashamedly unique – this is definitely not just another Strat or Les Paul clone.

Lift it out of the case and you’ll notice that the Precix has some seriously sexy curves, and manages to feel both light-weight and solidly built, making the guitar exceedingly comfortable to play whether standing up or sitting down.

The review model I spent the last few weeks with had a maple body, though the Precix is available in a number of other materials, including poplar, basswood, mahogany, and ash (and even some more exotic woods for the truly brave.) I guess it says something about the quality of the instrument that while I’ve always been partial to mahogany solid-bodies, the Precix actually got me re-thinking my stance – the maple body seems lite, responsive, and full of vibrant tone & sustain.

Fit, Feel & Tone

With a 25.5“ scale length and a satin-finished rock maple neck, the ”feel“ of the Precix is perhaps closest to that of a Stratocaster, though I hate to make the generalization. I’m not sure about the exact measurements, but the rosewood fretboard (also available in maple or ebony) is definitely a bit wider near the nut than my current guitar, and that extra width, mixed with a slightly flattened ”C“ neck profile, makes for much easier chording in the open position – in contrast to the Precix, an open D-minor chord can feel downright cramped on something like a Les Paul.

The instrument is, in fact, a true pleasure to play, and is absolutely punchy when it comes to fretting. The rock maple neck is highly playable, the action is right where it should be, and with a double-cutaway body design all 22 frets (medium jumbos) are actually useable – *gasp!* Bends, hammer-ons, harmonics… this guitar handles them all with aplomb.

Tone-wise the Precix is incredibly versatile, but my review model, which boasted a pair of Seymour Duncan humbuckers (Jazz at the neck, Custom-Custom at the bridge,) was particularly adept at nasty blues, good old-fashioned classic rock, and it even managed to hold its own with some twangy rockabilly & country. With a Marshall distortion pedal thrown in I was able to produce some seriously deep, dark overdriven tones as well.

But where this guitar really shines is with high-speed runs, scorching lead work, and down & dirty rhythm playing. Heck, it does a bang-up job with Jazz comping too (that slightly flattened ”C“ neck profile again.)

And make no mistake, this combination of pickups is nice and hot, so while they can certainly put out a full, shimmering clean tone, they also managed to push my tweed Fender tube amp into a really blistering overdrive without breaking a sweat. These things are all about brightness and ”punch,“ and if that’s the kind of guitar sound you find yourself dreaming of, well, the Precix certainly won’t disappoint.

Of course, if you like your tone a little on the creamier side Campbell American has you covered there as well – the Precix is available with a Seymour Duncan JB humbucker at the bridge, and a ‘59 humbucker at the neck (a classic set-up, and one of my all time favorites,) or with various other Seymour Duncan model pickups, or with nickel or gold pickup covers.

Finish & Hardware

As if all of that weren’t enough reason to give the Precix a try, it turns out that Campbell American is no slouch in the aesthetics department either. As I mentioned earlier, the Precix is all about curves – every edge on this baby is rounded except at the headstock – but the trans green BVSB nitro cellulose finish on my review instrument was just gorgeous, allowing all the nuances of the natural maple body to shine through, while still providing a deep, rich green sunburst look.

And yeah, green may be an acquired taste in an electric guitar, but Campbell’s pretty much got all of the bases covered. At time of writing they’ve got nine hand-painted Nitro Cellulose finishes available, including: Natural, Translucent Cherry Red, Green Sunburst, Blue Sunburst, Amber Sunburst, Black, White, Arctic Blue, and Gold.

My greenburst review model was decked out in Gold Gotoh hardware – though chrome is standard, and black is also available – including 15:1 ratio tuners (locking Sperzels are optional,) six-saddle strings-thru-body bridge, 3-way pickup switching, and volume and tone knobs with audio taper pots.

Extras

Of course, a guitar isn’t very practical without a case, and Campbell American has thrown in a beauty with the Precix: it’s a TKL road case, with a sturdy 3-ply hand laminated wood shell, heavy-duty Durahyde T covering, steel reinforced seams, a seriously plush interior to keep your Precix in top shape, and a very spacious compartment for your strings, straps, picks and other guitar essentials.

Trust me, the case is nice enough to get buried in – so whether on the road, or just hidden away in your closet, you’ll be happy to know that your Precix is sleeping in true comfort.

Summing It Up…

So what’s the final word?

With a list price of $1780.00 USD, and a street price of around $1350.00, the Campbell American Precix may not be the cheapest guitar in town, but if my review model is any indication, well, you’re going to get all that you pay for and then some.

For a price similar to that of many mass-produced and much less compelling instruments, Campbell American gives you hand-crafted quality, top-shelf hardware, a wonderfully playable neck, a light & comfortable body design, and a variety of tones that absolutely won’t quit.

Throw in the knowledge that you’re buying a true American made instrument, not to mention the pleasure of owning a guitar that doesn’t look like your brother-in-law’s lame Les Paul clone, and this one’s a no-brainer…

The Precix gets five out of five stars, two thumbs up, five smiley guitar picks… go check it out!

Manufacturer: Campbell American

Model: Precix

Sales: Dean Campbell

Telephone: 617-620-8153

Fax: 508-785-3577

Web Site: www.campbellamerican.com

3 comments

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REVIEW: Fender ‘69 Telecaster Thinline

Cary — Mon, 17 Jul 2006 13:07:56 +0000

One of the best performing, and most under-appreciated guitars I’ve ever had the pleasure of owning and playing was Fender’s semi-hollowbodied ‘69 Telecaster Thinline reissue.

Originally conceived and sold as a lighter-weight alternative to Fender’s standard Tele, the Thinline is actually much more than just an easier-on-the-arms Telecaster — it’s a beast all its own.

The Good: While the Thinline’s semi-hollowbody design is in fact quite a bit lighter than a solid body, the real benefit is in its warmer tone, slightly higher propensity for feedback (not considered a plus by everyone, but for my style it was perfect,) and of course its unique f-hole styling.

Did I say warmer tone?

That’s right, I played a ‘69 Tele Thinline on stage for about two years, and one of the things that made this instrument so endearing was the fact that it produces all the twangy goodness you expect from a Tele, but with a warmer, more rounded tone.

In fact, with the pickup switch set in the neck position, and a fair amount of overdrive applied, you can achieve an almost humbucker-like growl — something I’ve never come close to with a solid-bodied Telecaster.

On top of that, the dual vintage-styled single-coil pickups are surprisingly quiet in the buzz department, and the chambered mahogany body sports a gorgeous, thick, high-gloss finish… did I mention it’s thick! Seriously, the finish kind of puts Gibson to shame.

Another stand-out feature is the ‘69 Thinline’s U-shaped maple neck, which, at a typical Tele scale-length of 25.5-inches makes for a tight, punchy feel beneath the fingers (absolutely glorious for rhythm work,) and a rock-solid base for string bending. Trust me, I pull strings like they’re going out of style.

Other nice touches include a fat, swirling 4-ply pearloid pickguard, top-hat pickup-switch, and Fender’s vintage styled three-saddle strings-through-body bridge.

The Bad: My only real complaint with the ‘69 Telecaster Thinline is its Fender/Schaller tuning machines, which in my opinion could be a bit more solid (I was known to pull them out of tune quite quickly.)

Then again, in the less than $700 price range this seems like a very minor gripe for the overall quality of this instrument, and heck, you can probably afford to put some nicer tuners on there if need be.

In fact, unlike some of the much more expensive Gibsons I’ve owned, I never had any problem with the Tele’s hardware tarnishing (in spite of the fact that I sweat badly under stage lights,) or its finish getting overly scratched — I guess that’s just one of the benefits of a Fender.

The Specs: Semi-hollow ash or mahogany body, maple neck U-shaped neck, 25.5“ scale length, maple fretboard with 21 frets, a pair of vintage-styled alnico magnet single-coil pickups, master volume & tone controls, 3-way pickup switching, f-hole, chrome hardware, pearloid pickguard, and vintage F-style tuners.

The Final Word: This one’s a no brainer… I can whole-heartedly recommend Fender’s ‘69 Telecaster Thinline — it’s both a bargain at this price range, and also a solid performing, but uniquely styled Tele.

The Thinline offers not just a lighter-weight design, but also a warmer tone, great sustain, and a highly playable and comfortable neck. It’s got all the benefits of a standard Telecaster, but with a few extra bells & whistle thrown in for good measure.

And at this price point how can you go wrong?

4 comments

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REVIEW: The Rickenbacker 620

Cary — Mon, 19 Jun 2006 12:31:51 +0000

Intro Unless you hang out in the right circles you really don’t hear much about Rickenbacker these days, which is really a shame when you consider that they continue to produce high-quality guitars, with truly one-of-a-kind styling and craftsmanship.

In fact, in a world where badly-conceived Stratocaster and Les Paul clones abound, Rick’s unique form factor, finishes, and American-Made quality come as a real breath of fresh air.

My favorite of Rickenbacker’s six-string offerings (and the one I have the most experience with) is easily the Rickenbacker 620 — a guitar that epitomizes what the company is known for: style, tone, and attitude. It’s also quite possibly Rickenbacker’s least known guitar.

What We Liked Ok, it’ll come as no surprise that the 620 excels at jangley tones — a feature that made Rickenbacker guitars one of the signature sounds of the ’60s psychedelic era — but it also has a whole lot else up its sleeve.

The 620’s Rickenbacker high-gain pickups produce an unbelievably lush tone in the neck position, and because it also sports mono and stereo outputs — that’s right… stereo guitar outputs! — you can route the 620 into a pair of guitar amplifiers, creating a wave of sound that really has to be heard to be appreciated.

Add a good chorus effect to the mix and you’ve got a sound like no other.

And those same high-gain pickups make for great, warm overdriven tones, too; particularly in conjunction with a nice tube amp. Add in the 620’s legendary sustain — yes, some people even complain that it’s too much sustain — and you’ve got a guitar that is an absolute dream for playing long, stretched-out leads.

In all honesty (sorry Gibson & Fender,) the Rickenbacker 620 has the lowest action, and fastest playing neck I’ve ever had the pleasure to play. The slim, maple double-bound neck fits easy in the hand, and the highly polished rosewood fretboard is adorned with sleek triangular pearloid inlays.

Topping off its incredible playability is the 620’s innovative solid maple “Cresting Wave” cutaway body design — which is deceptively light-weight, and beautifully carved. Other cool features include a seriously stylin’ chrome Rickenbacker “R” tailpiece, two each volume and tone controls, 3-way pickup switching, and of course those cool mono/stereo outputs.

What We Didn’t Like Well, there is very little I would actually call “bad” about this guitar, though there are certainly aspects of its design that might turn some people off — for one thing, like a lot of my favorite guitars the Rickenbacker 620 isn’t really all that versatile.

What I mean to say is… well, it’s a Rick, and you’re never going to make it sound like a Strat. But then again, you’re never going to make your Strat sound like a Rick either, so I guess it balances itself out.

Another minor quirk that kind of got to me was the “R” tailpiece, which in spite of its good looks is rather difficult to string-up (hint: whatever you do, make sure you replace one string at a time — which is something you should be doing anyways.)

Specs Solid maple body, double-bound maple neck, rosewood fingerboard with 21 frets and pearloid trangle inlays, six-saddle bridge, Schaller tuners, Rickenbacker high-gain pickups, humbucker pickups, 3-way pickup switching, dual volume & tone controls, thru-body neck, mono/stereo outputs.

Final Word In my mind the Rickenbaker 620 is one of the truly great guitars currently being produced, and I have no problem saying that if you’re in the market for a uniquely-styled instrument, with a clear, lush tone and incredible sustain, well… you’d be hard pressed to find a better guitar at this price range.

The 620 is in a class all its own.

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REVIEW: Gibson’s Classic ES-335 Hollowbody

Cary — Tue, 06 Jun 2006 18:23:15 +0000

Intro Gibson’s incredible ES-335 was first introduced to the world in 1958 as a guitar to bridge the gap between the popular hollowbody instruments of the day, and the newer, more streamlined solidbody models.

It was apparently a stroke of genius on Gibson’s part, because the ES-335 has gone on to become one of the most popular hollowbody guitars in history.

And for good reason – I can tell you from my own experience that the ES-335, while quite costly, is worth every penny to the guitarist who’s interested in producing big, fat, truly authentic blues and R&B tones.

I was lucky enough to play this guitar on stage for a number of years, and matched with a good tube amp, well, it’s an unbeatable combination.

What We Liked Straight out of the case you know this is a quality instrument. It sports a gorgeous figured laminated maple body that really does have to be seen to be appreciated (mine was Cherry Red.) The fine grain of the wood creates beautifully subtle color shifts, and off-white binding on the top, back, and neck adds to the instrument’s elegance.

Of course, playability & tone are where the ES-335 really shines: a slim, 1960’s style neck-profile and rosewood fretboard make for buttery smooth fretting and surprisingly low action – without any obvious fret-buzz. It’s a dreamy set-up for anyone wanting to pull long, bluesy string bends and solos.

The Gibson ES-335 also boasts a pair of ‘57 Classic humbuckers with 3-way pickup switching. Tone-wise it excels at warm, almost bell-like chords in the neck position, crunchy blues comping in the middle position, and creamy, high-sustain, truly harmonic leads in the bridge position.

It’s a veritable monster of old-school tone.

Of course, a double-cutaway design allows for easy access to the upper register (for you lead freaks,) and the shallow hollowbody build is comfortable and fairly light-weight, which makes it a pleasure for long nights on stage. It also stays surprisingly free of painful feedback, even in the noisiest of situations.

True to form, Gibson includes a sturdy black levant hard-shell case in the price – so you’ve got your sizable investment protected when from the moment you walk out the door.

What We Didn’t Like The only real downside I can see to the ES-335 is its general lack of versatility – the guitar does one thing really, really well, but it’s never going to be a Strat. It has three-way pickup switching, plus volume and tone controls for each pickup, so while you do get some adjustability, you’ll want to be sure that you’re happy with the sound of an ES335 before you decide to shell out your hard-earned money.

The ES-335 is never going to sound like anything but an ES-335.

My only other gripe – albeit a small one – is that the nickel hardware on my guitar tarnished fairly easy, and I was never able to find an easy way to clean it up. It’s a minor problem, but one that’s a bit aggravating for an instrument in this price range.

Specs Figured laminated maple body, one-piece mahogany neck, bound rosewood fingerboard with 22 frets and dot inlays, single-ply top & back binding, two ‘57 Classic humbucker pickups, 3-way pickup switching, dual volume & tone controls, nickel or gold grover tuners and other hardware.

Final Word If you’re into that retro hollowbody tone, and you’ve got the kind of scratch needed to own the very best, Gibson’s ES-335 reissue (in any of its manifestations) won’t let you down – it’s good looking, easy playing, light in the hands, and powerful. What more can you ask for?

11 comments

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