PRS DGT Pickup Test
I have recorded some of the sounds you can get from the PRS DGT.
Check it out:
Don't forget to subscribe to be kept up to date.
- Lee
REVIEW: Spear TC-Silver
A great value for money metal / shred machine that stands out from the crowd.
Spear TC-Silver
Facts:
- Vietnam made
- Luthite body
- 2 x spear humbuckers
- Fast neck
- RRP £229 GBP
Build Quality
We have had a few Spear's in the last couple of weeks and they all consistently amaze us with the build quality out of the box. I couldn't find any issues on this review guitar, all frets were fine and all it needed was a retune.
In use
First thing you notice about this guitar is how nice the neck feels, in unfinished maple it's a dream to play and a shredders paradise. It's a shallow cut, reminds me of a wizard neck if you are familiar with one.
One volume and one tone work fine and the only downside for this reviewer was the position of the pickup selector switch, which I kept accidentally knocking when strumming. Could be down to my playing style but would have preferred it to be to the left of the tone dial.
It's a very light guitar and comfortable when played standing or sitting.
Sounds
You will not be surprised to hear that this sits firmly in the metal camp, nice high output pickups love to be driven especially on the bridge pickup. Lead sound is nice and the notes ring out, I'm very pleased given the price of the guitar.
The neck pickup is great for rhythm and picked chords.
Overall
This is a great starter guitar for any metal and shred fans, especially at this price. I haven't played a guitar as good as this for the money ever!
Pros:
- Standard pickups are great
- Unique styling
- Price
Cons:
- Finish won't be for everyone
- Be good to have an option of a tremolo
G | H rating 4/5 - A great starter guitar with distinctive looks to stand out from the crowd.
Thanks to Black I Distribution.
- Lee
REVIEW: Spear SHL1 Evil Monkey
Single pickup single cut that is affordable and great out of the box for beginners and experienced players looking to add to their collection.
Evil Monkey
Facts:
- Vietnam made
- Single Seymour Duncan SH-4 Jeff Beck
- Mahogany body and maple top
- RRP £379 GBP
Build Quality
As with other Spear guitars reviewed the build quality is excellent for the money, no sharp frets and well setup. In particular the binding is excellent and no issues were found on this review guitar.
Looks like it will take a beating, but please don't and treat this Monkey nicely.
In use
A single pickup at the bridge makes this an easy guitar to use, only a volume and tone to worry about.
Nice weight for a single cut and comfortable to play standing up.
Sounds
The SH-4 is a very bright pickup but also holds it's own when used in conjunction with a OD pedal, recommended for rock and punk players.
The clean tones are nice and clear and I found it to be great for playing lead.
Overall
This isn't going to be for everyone due to only having a single humbucker at the bridge, but what a pickup... It will be great for people looking for a straight up no nonsense rock and punk machine.
Pros:
- Nice and simple
- Funky graphic
- Quality pickup
- Great for beginners looking for a single cut
Cons:
- Not versatile for someone looking for one guitar that covers a lot of bases due to the single pickup
G | H rating 4/5 - pure rock and punk at a great price.
Thanks to Black I Distribution.
- Lee
REVIEW: Spear RD Relic
Every now and again a guitar comes along which you either love or hate, I think the SPEAR RD RELIC is one of those. It's finish won't be for everyone but from playing it for a couple of hours I would like people to see past this and actually pick one up and give it a chance.
Spear RD Relic
It's a single cut fitted with two P90's and sanded back to give a worn finish, but the thing that makes this stand out from the crowd is the top.
Few facts:
- Vietnam manufactured
- Two Spear P90's
- Set neck
- Sanded back finish
- 22 Frets
RRP £329 GBP
Build Quality
Setup out of the box was good, just needed a tune up. Had a good look around the guitar and there were no sharp frets to be seen and everything worked as expected. As seen with other Spear guitars they appear to have a good checking process at the factory, although I would suggest that it is shipped with a set of 10's instead of 9's.
In use
Nice weight for a single cut, after playing stood up for half an hour I wasn't feeling the strain that I normally do with a single cut.
The unfinished neck is very comfortable and there is excellent access to the higher frets thanks to the set neck and cutaway design.
Sounds
This is the first time I've used a guitar with P90's and they give a great vintage vibe that harks back to the 50's. They are very bright and great for blues and can also deal with some gain to give a nice tone for rocking out.
Not recommended for metal players.
In the bridge and neck positions I experienced a lot of hum but when using both pickups (middle setting on selector) the hum is cancelled.
Relic'd Top
Overall
If you can see past the finish then this is a great blues guitar and good value for money, if you can't then at least give it a sound test before making your mind up.
Pros:
- P90 goodness
- Comfortable neck
- Nice weight for a single cut
Cons:
- That finish wont be for everyone
G | H rating - 3.5/5
- Lee
Thanks to Black I Distribution.
REVIEW: PRS SE Custom Semi Hollow
PRS SE Custom Semi Hollow
An affordable PRS SE made in Korea retailing at around £450, which has all the makings of a top quality guitar and doesn't look out of place next to a USA made one.
- Maple top
- Mahogany back and neck
- Rosewood fingerboard
- PRS gig bag
Build Quality
If you don't check the back of the headstock you wouldn't guess its made in the far east, PRS haven't forgotten their quality checks on any of the SE range.
I couldn't see any blemishes on this review model on the finish, fingerboard or headstock.
Electrics worked 100% and volume and tone pots were responsive.
In use
Controls are as expected on a guitar with two humbuckers:
- Volume
- Tone
- Three-way switch
The neck is wide/fat which is comfortable and not too chunky, feels vintage.
Sounds
This is one of the brightest clean guitar tones I've heard, sounds almost single coil.
The bridge pickup is crisp clean and also handles gain well but loses a little clarity on single notes when using lots of volume.
The neck pickup is warm and great for blues.
My favourite is using both pickups, it gives an almost acoustic quality that I haven't heard on an electric.
Overall
I think the SE range are often overlooked by guitarists looking at PRS but they shouldn't be discounted, especially the Semi Hollow. It stands on it's own as a unique guitar at a great price, as already mentioned an unbelievable £450.
If you are after something a bit more versatile and you are on a budget you can't go far wrong with this.
Pros:
- Price
- Build quality
- Acoustic qualities
Cons:
- Will be overlooked by people after a 'proper' PRS
- Laminate top wont be for all
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to World Guitars and Headline Music.
Spear Gladius – Floyd Rose, Thru Neck, Affordable – what are you waiting for
The Spear Gladius is a distinctive and affordable guitar, stand out from the crowd!
Spear Gladius
Specs:
- Spalted Maple Top and mahogany body
- Licensed Floyd Rose II
- 24 frets
- Natural finish
- Distinctive thru neck design
- Vietnamese made
Build Quality
I've got to be honest when I first saw this guitar I was surprised by the price, which at £429 is unbelievable! It looks stunning, I haven't found any flaws in the top, neck or headstock although the natural finish will damage more easily than a poly finish but personally I prefer this on the Gladius.
Set up well out of the box, just needed to lower the action a little for my playing.
The thru neck is so distinctive, especially at this price point. Best neck setup available, most at this price are bolt on.
Thru Neck
Ease of use
Having a guitar with a Floyd Rose is always going to cause concern for some players, they are notoriously fiddly to setup but once you get this right you wont have any problems, be careful to support the bridge (put some wood underneath) when restringing to keep it level.
The controls are well laid out and the 5-way is fine.
The neck is very similar to the wizard, a shred machine.
Sounds
Just by looking at this guitar you don't need me to tell you it's built for metal and rock.
It's powered by Spear's own M-PAF Monster humbuckers, which are very hot!
The bridge is great for lead and the neck is a nice rhythm pickup, plenty of bass. I found they cover a lot of bases but are more comfortable with heavy rock and lead, check out the video below for samples.
Value for money
This is one of the best guitars I have seen at this price range, I thought it was at least £300 more expensive when I first saw it. The workmanship is to a high standard and as I have already stated and found no problems.
The Floyd Rose is stable and didn't lose tuning.
The killer feature for me is the neck, its so distinctive.
Maybe a soft case could be included in the price.
Overall
I have reviewed quite a few guitars and I am happy to have this stay on in my collection, if you are after a distinctive Floyd Rose equipped guitar then this is the one for you.
There are loads out there of similar specification, but this really stands out from the crowd with it's spalted maple top and thru neck.
Be different, try one out.
G|H rating 5/5
Lee
Thanks to Black I Distribution - www.spear-guitars.co.uk (+44 (0)1236 861261)
PRS 513 – Review
PRS 513
PRS 513
The PRS 513 is a versatile guitar covering a range of tones thanks to its innovative 5 single coil pickup setup.
- 5 single coils
- Mahogany Body
- Mahogany Neck
- Rosewood Fingerboard with 513 birds
- Maple top
- Trem
- Hard case
Model tested retails at £2795
Build Quality
As with all PRS guitars tested so far the build quality is excellent, although for this guitar the case latches weren't up to the standard that I have seen on other ones. The guitar itself is stunning, 10 top in black sunburst.
Ease of use
This is a guitar that you have to sit down with and learn the controls, there are two toggles to control the 5 pickups available. Once you have mastered the controls it is fine, they make sense. The bottom one controls the pickup selection (bridge, bridge/mid, mid, mid/neck and neck) then the top one controls the pickup sound (humbucker, clean humbucking and single coil). The knobs are volume and tone, in the places you would expect.
Wide / Fat neck is comfortable and feels like a vintage instrument.
Sounds
As already mentioned this is a very versatile guitar, ranging from a hard and heavy humbucker all the way to a single coil twang.
You can see from the video that it covers a lot of bases and wont disappoint, remember you will get hum on the single coil setting.
Value for money
PRS guitars are expensive but they are worth the money when you look at the quality of woods and finish on the 513. There are many different models (check out the swamp ash) for the 513 and it is worth checking all the of the different options available before parting with your cash. Like any top end guitar it will hold onto a lot of it's value.
Overall
The 513 is an interesting guitar that covers a wide range of tones, which makes it a good choice for the guitarist who wants to play lots of styles of music. Playing blues, rock, jazz and metal this guitar performs.
G | H rating 4/5 - a very versatile guitar, if you are looking at a PRS then definitely try one out.
Guitar Info:
Headline (PRS UK) 01223 874301
Thanks to World Guitars - www.worldguitars.co.uk
REVIEW: PRS AL DI MEOLA
PRS AL DI MEOLA SIGNATURE
Al Di Meola with case
In 08 PRS produced an Al Di Meola Signature guitar featuring the following:
- 22 frets
- Unique Prism finish
- "9" curly maple top
- Mahogany neck and body
- 25" scale neck
- 57/08 pickups
- Mexican rosewood fingerboard (with new birds)
- Al's neck carve
Build Quality
The build quality is as you would expect with a high end PRS, exceptional. I can see no flaws, the top is stunning and the finish is well applied.
Pic (a) "9" curly maple top
As you can see from pic (a), the top is a figured curly maple. The wood selected is "9" top, which relates to the way PRS grade their tops. "10" top is the best on a normal PRS, this "9" is unique and is only available on this model.
The grain on the wood throughout the guitar is a work of art, even on the back where a lot of manufacturers aren't too worried PRS have picked a nice grain, but then at this price (£3499) you wouldn't expect any less.
Even compared to the Custom 24, this is a step up.
The new style birds are flawless and in my opinion better than the old ones (the previous ones were filled in rather than outlines).
Ease of use
This PRS has one of the most comfortable necks I've ever played. Same fretboard width as a wide/thin but thicker and a bit more comfortable for my hands (I'm more used to a 50's Les Paul neck). This guitar is so easy to play, the string spacing also feels comfortable.
The pickup selector is a toggle switch to go from bridge/middle/neck and when you pull up the tone control you coil tap the humbucker turning it into a single coil, remember you will get some hum.
As expected it comes with a hard case, which fits the guitar perfectly and has a handy compartment for storage.
Sounds
I can't see anyone not falling in love with the tone available at your disposal with the 57/08 pickups, if only it was easy to buy these separately. The history behind these pickups is that PRS bought winding machines with the original wire on them from the 50's, hence the name. These are limited and only seen on their top end guitars, they are very versatile and as you would expect very vintage sounding (think old Fleetwo0d mac, ala Peter Green).
The bridge is rounded and clear, middle is great for jazzy/blues (listen to some early Al Di Meola) and the neck is to die for if you are a blues man. I cant recommend these pickups highly enough, now only if I could get them on all my guitars and if you see some for sale snap them up.
Value for money
If you are looking at getting a PRS then you wont be surprised by the pricing for this (£3499), one thing to bear in mind though is that a guitar is (hopefully) for life and should the worst happen you will get most of your money back, especially on a signature model.
When comparing to my Custom 24 (retailing around £1800 mark), it's definitely a step up in terms of the woods used, time spent on the finish and the pickups, which is making the difference. The build quality on any PRS (even the SE range) is stunning and the same love goes into all of them so it's the time and materials used that makes the difference here.
Prism Finish
Overall
As you can tell this reviewer is in love with this guitar, although the finish wont be for all it's better in person believe me. Unfortunately for this model people will always judge on the Prism and take either a like or dislike to it straight away. If you take a look in person and see all the different finishes applied you really get an appreciation for it, the playability and sound will outway the finish in my opinion.
In summary, give it a try you wont be disappointed.
G | H rating 4/5 - one of the best playing and sounding guitars on the market but the finish wont be for everyone.
Video Demo
Part 1
Part 2
Guitar Info:
Headline (PRS UK) 01223 874301
Thanks to World Guitars - www.worldguitars.co.uk
Gibson SG Faded Review
SG
If you fancy an American made, budget, Gibson SG with some added classic, road-rash cool, you won’t have to look much further than the Special Faded 3.
Straight out of the box this little beauty looks like it could tell a tale from many a long tour. It shows plenty of authentic looking wear’n tear from the hand-worn finish, which is smooth and free of the more obvious hacks and dings (which of course can be added later at your leisure!). This helps to keep costs down of course, as do the use of dot inlays and single Volume and Tone controls along with the unusual 6-way, chickenhead selector switch. This is a neat idea and allows you to dial bridge, bridge/middle, middle, middle/neck, or bridge/neck pickup combinations.
Nothing unusual about the body and neck, which are standard mahogany. Nor is there anything unusual about the three 490 Humbucker pickups (apparently the same pickups offered on the top of the line Les Paul Supreme). The bridge pickup is great for rock and metal and the neck pickup has a nice rounded warm bluesy feel. With a neck profile so comfortable and somewhere between a 50's Les Paul and Stratocaster, I wasn’t surprised then to find playability and tone on this guitar being above anything else for this price (around £500-£600) I've played so far in reviews. The bad news is that this is a limited edition guitar and no longer made, so you’ll have to move quickly to pick up a new one.
Overall
If you want a real USA Gibson, on a budget then this is the best I’ve played. It beats an Epiphone hands down and has bags of character in both looks and sounds. The downside is that you’ll be fighting the urge to dress like Keef and start slurring your words – unless of course you already dress like Keef and slur your words, in which case this is the guitar for you!
G | H rating 5/5 - Highly recommended
UncleBob
Epiphone Sheraton II – Review
Epiphone Sheraton II
Ok, so my dream guitar was (and still is) a Gibson ES-335, unfortunately my wallet is a little smaller than my dreams.
I was not actually in the market for an Epiphone, the guitar I thought I was going to buy was a Gretsch 5122. But one play on this guitar (Used, at World Guitars) was enough to convince me to buy it.
This model is a Sheraton II in vintage Sunburst, it features an arched maple top, back, and sides, a 3-piece set maple neck Dual humbuckers (stock), Gold-plated hardware, Vine inlay on peg head and Mother-of-pearl and abalone fretboard inlays.
Purely from an aesthetic point of view, this guitar looks amazing, 335 styling with that distinctive headstock. It is a very attractive guitar. From a sound point of view I was pleasantly surprised, the output from the stock Humbuckers was decent enough with nice warm tones from the neck pickup and a good bite from the bridge pickup - though to be honest I had already made up my mind to replace these and I currently have a set of P94's winging their way to me (review later). Do not be put off by this though, the stock pickups are perfectly good enough as they are.
This is a sub £400 guitar so we are not talking perfection but to be honest the rest of the hardware is great (pots will be upgraded but only to accomodate the new pups), tuning pegs are grovers and this thing stays in tune very well. Not to keen on the gold plating but hey ho, I can live with that.
The neck is very playable and very fast, with a low action (this is used so may have benefited from a pro-setup before re-sale). All reports I have heard though mention that out-of-box setup is very good from Epiphone.
All in all a great guitar for the money. With a few minor upgrades i'm sure it will become a great guitar regardless of cost, up there with my Les Paul Std.
G| H Rating 4/5
Kevin Loomes
Tokai Love Rock
Tokai
If you are looking for a Les Paul but are on a budget then you cant go wrong by looking at the Tokai Love Rock series.
I owned a 2006 Korean model in cherry sunburst, which had the weight and the looks of its master. Great for rock, blues and metal the Love Rock is based on a 50's standard and has a chunky neck and vintage sounding pickups.
I changed to Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II (same as Slash) and what a difference, through a nice amp this guitar can definately fool you into thinking you are playing the real thing.
Unfortunately I dont have it anymore to compare to my traditional but we shared some great times.
If you are looking for a guitar on an Epiphone budget then I would go for this every time, give them a try.
G | H rating 4/5
PRS Custom 24 – Review
PRS CUSTOM 24
PRS guitars have always been seen as a bit on the expensive side from the outside but when you get a chance to play one you soon understand why. The workmanship that has gone into each instrument can be seen, from the figured maple top, the neck through to the headstock.
PRS Custom 24
The review is based on a 10 top (highest grade maple top) in Grey / Black and Moon inlays (Birds added £400) and as you would expect it comes with a high quality case.
Contents
When you buy a PRS you get all you would expect from a high end guitar but the bits that make the difference are things like the hand written serial number on the back of the headstock and hang tag so you can see who finished the guitar and tested. Not a let down in this department.
Finish
PRS guitars come in all sorts of finishes and are graded on maple top with a grading system (10 being the highest). The most impressive thing about this guitar is the attention to detail and the quality control process. I have been unable to find any issues with the review guitar, the top is flawless, the neck is well shaped and there are no sharp edges on the frets.
Sounds
This particular model has a 5 way selector, which allows for a wide range of tones through the use of coil tapping the humbuckers. The Custom 24 comes as standard with HFS in the bridge and Vintage Bass in the neck position. In summary I would say that these cover most bases, the bridge is a HOT pickup and is great for leads and chunky riffs and rings like a bell clean. The coil tapping sounds JUST like a stratocaster, just as good as a pair of Texas Specials. The neck is a nice warm pickup and with the tone turned down you can nail a great Carlos Santana and Slash tone.
With all pickups both distorted and clean the notes ring so clear and stands above any guitar I have heard at a similar price.
Playability
This guitar played well straight out of the box, the neck is a wide / thin. It is a very flat fretboard and is really easy to pickup and play with no effort. Frets are pretty chunky and work well with the rosewood neck. Its the easiest guitar to play ive ever picked up.
Overall
- Finish 5/5 - No blemishes and quality control issues found on my review model, higher quality than on the Gibson
- Sounds 4/5 - You can get a wide range of tones with this guitar, very versatile. If you want a good all rounder then this is the guitar for you
- Value for money 4/5 - PRS are an expensive brand but with this you get a guitar which oozes quality and you will not lose much if the worst happens and you have to part with it
G | H Rating - 4/5
Gibson Les Paul Traditional = Old School Tone
If you are after that classic LP tone, then the Traditional is the one for you.
Gibson have flooded the market with new models in the past few years and to be honest I wasn't impressed with the quality vs price argument for a few years. When you are looking to drop over £1000 on your new pride and joy you want to make sure its going to be worth it.
The current crop entering the market are noticeably better than the ones that I looked at around 3 years ago, maybe the ones I looked at were bad examples but I wasn't going to shell out my hard earned cash for one. Im glad to say the quality has improved immensely since those days when I looked 3 months ago for a new piece of kit.
Two of my favourite players also happen to be big LP players, Slash and Peter Green. Which has made it hard to ignore the lure of for too long before getting hooked.
I went shopping at World Guitars to try out the Standard and the Traditional and came back with the traditional for the following reasons
- Chunky but comfortable neck
- Nice AA maple top
- Classic tones from the 57 pickups
- Heavy (as a LP should be!)
The Traditional uses two 57 classics, which are great for blues and rock playing. Not as hot as a burstbucker and a little muddier (is that even a word!), a good balance and when played through a nice tube amp amazing.
The neck is back not he chunky 50's feel unlike the Standard, which is a new carve to be more comfortable. But with any guitar TRY BEFORE YOU BUY.
The most impressive part for me is the AA Maple top (mines in Honeyburst), which has grains going both horizontally and vertically and with the pick guard off looks stunning.
Overall:
- Finish 4/5 - Dropped a top score here due to a bit of binding not lining up correctly, bit more work for Gibson here but much improved
- Sounds 5/5 - Anything from classic blues to rock, if you are a metal player then get the Standard
- Value for money 4/5 - LP's are expensive but you are getting an instrument that is going to last a lifetime, ive dropped a mark here because of the finish issue
Gibson Les Paul Traditional vs Standard
Ive put together a video review comparing the LP Traditional vs Standard.
I will let the video do the talking but bottom line is if you like a more old school LP then go for the traditional. You can remove the pickguard if you want the look of the Standard but for me the traditional is the best of the two.