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.
Merry Xmas and Thanks
Just wanted to say a big thanks to all of you for supporting the site in the first few months of it's life. We are still in the early stages and have some exciting stuff coming up in the new year including
- More gear reviews
- More competitions (including one of the 6-string variety!)
- Podcast
Thanks again and have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from Guitarist Hub.
Let us know what guitar gear Santa brings you..
REVIEW: Lick Library, Jam with Cream
Lick Library - Jam with Cream.
Lick Library - Jam with Cream
Presented by Michael Casswell.
RRP £27.99 GBP.
Presentation
Usual excellent presentation from Lick Library, sounds and visuals are great.
Michael does a good job of explaining how to play the songs and stops to give extra information when needed i.e. when explaining chords.
What does it cover?
2 DVD's and 1 CD with jam tracks.
- Sunshine of your love
- Badge
- White Room
- Spoonful
- Crossroads
- Politician
- I feel free
Overall
This one is probably just for Cream fans rather than general blues players.
Another great lesson from Lick Library, good value for money too.
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to Lick Library.
REVIEW: Lick Library, Eric Clapton
Lick Library, Learn to play Eric Clapton.
Lick Library - Eric Clapton
Presented by Jamie Humphries.
RRP £24.99 GBP.
Presentation
Up to Lick Library standards, superb sound and picture quality.
The songs are well explained but there are a few points where the chords are brushed over rather than explained fully, but you can pause the DVD to take a look at positioning if necessary.
What does it cover?
Two DVD's covering:
- Layla
- Sunshine of your love
- Cocaine
- White room
- Bad love
I would say this is aimed at the intermediate guitarist.
Overall
If you are fan of Eric Clapton and Cream then you can't go wrong with this DVD.
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to Lick Library.
REVIEW: Lick Library – Quick Licks (Up tempo blues, Eric Clapton)
Lick Library brings you an up tempo blues lesson in the style of Eric Clapton.
Lick Library - Up tempo blues
- Learn minor blues licks in the style of Eric Clapton
- Jam track
- Scale information
Presented by Michael Casswell.
RRP £19.99
Presentation
If you have seen a Lick Library DVD previously the high level of presentation won't be a surprise.
- Easy to navigate
- Great sound quality
- Well explained, paced really well for the beginner or advanced player
What does it cover?
This DVD covers a lot of different blues licks and gives you the base knowledge that you need to start playing some blues, points worth mentioning:
- 34 licks based around major and minor pentatonic
- Great theory section explaining what you should be learning
- Nails Eric's style
Overall
I would recommend this DVD for anyone who is a fan of Eric Clapton OR a blues player that wants to learn some great new licks.
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to Lick Library.
REVIEW: MXR EVH Phase 90 pedal
The MXR EVH 90 is a phase pedal that Eddie and Dunlop worked on together to update the current Phase 90.
EVH Phase 90
- Deep rich phase
- Script switch to toggle between vintage and modern
Build quality
As with other MXR products the build quality is excellent and the print of the distinctive EVH pattern is well done.
Dial and footswitch well made.
In use
Not many controls to worry about all easy to see, but slight niggle (same as with Dime Distortion) is that the Script button is a lot smaller so can be a little cumbersome when wanting to change quickly.
Sounds
Don't just think it's for EVH fan's, this is an updated Phase 90 (although the pattern may put some people off).
You can immediately dial in the tone you remember from the early albums if that's what you want but whether used clean or with OD, you can get some cool sounding tones from this.
If you are after a phase pedal check it out, don't discount because of the association with EVH.
On the other hand if you are a die hard EVH fan then you have to check it out, but if you already have a phase pedal you might want to reconsider.
Overall
A nice little pedal but in my opinion doesn't warrant a new purchase if you already have a phase pedal.
If you are looking at getting a phase pedal (EVH fan or not), check one out.
G | H rating 3.5/5
Thanks to Strings and Things.
Some samples:
REVIEW: MXR DIME DISTORTION
The MXR Dime Distortion is a pedal that nails that brutal no nonsense tone of the late and great Dimebag Darrell.
- Scoop switch which notches the mids for a modern metal tone
- 3 band EQ
- Tough casing
- Comes with power supply
MXR Dime Distortion
Build Quality
Build quality is superb, with its tough shell, solid dials and footswitch this pedal is going to last a LONG time.
All dials worked and there were no others issues found on this review copy.
Comes with a power adaptor, might help swing the decision if you are after a distortion pedal as a lot of them don't.
In use
Comes with a power supply, which is a big plus.
Dials are all easy to use and well labelled.
Footswitch is as you would expect and easy to turn on.
Scoop switch is a little fiddly as it's a lot smaller than the other switches.
Sounds
If you are fan (like me) of Dimebag this pedal is a MUST buy..
It's by far the best distortion pedal I've come across, even for non Dimebag fans it's worth a look.
The great thing is that if you want a full on metal tone then with the scoop switch you have it, but then if you want something a bit more versatile then this has it in spades. You can turn down the gain and get anything from a little Texas blues to a rock sound just by altering the dial.
Controls (from left to right):
- Output
- Bass
- Mid
- Trem
- Gain
Overall
If you are a fan of Dimebag - get it! if not and you are after a pedal that can go from soft to heavy covering a lot of bases then try one out.
G | H rating 4.5/5
Thanks to Strings and Things.
Here is a video demonstrating the DIME tone you can get from it:
REVIEW: Vintage V200 Acoustic Guitar
V200
There have probably never been so many good budget guitars available as there is today and the Vintage V200 is another fine example. Priced from around £150 (rrp £199) this smart little ‘concert’ style guitar features a solid spruce top, mahogany laminate back and sides, abalone rosette, rosewood bridge and fretboard and a nato neck with grover tuners.
Spec:
- Top: Solid Spruce
- Back: Mahogany Laminate
- Sides: Mahogany Laminate
- Binding: Multi-Layer Ivory/Black Top/Sides
- Soundhole: Abalone
- Back/Bottom Centre Line: Multi-Layer Ivory/Black
- Neck: Nato
- Width at nut: 43mm
- Fingerboard: Rosewood
- Bridge: Rosewood
- Saddle: Compensated
- Pickguard: ‘Mock’ Tortoiseshell
- Scale: 642mm
- Tuners: Grover® 102C
Build Quality
My initial impression is that of a very smart looking little guitar with a slightly understated look. The high-gloss finish seems even all round, showing off the solid spruce top with a light, ‘honey’ tint. The grain is fairly tight and straight, widening a bit near the outer lower bouts, giving it a slightly stripy look. The soundhole is finished in a smart abalone ring (even though the website describes it as wood inlay) and there’s a mock tortoiseshell pickguard. A quick peek inside shows all to be very neat and tidy with no signs of any excess glue (unfortunately, also little sign of that lovely ‘smokey’ mahogany scent, I guess due to the laminating process, a shame if you’re a guitar snorter like me!).
The mahogany finish is also light enough to allow the grain to show through the back and sides and the ivory/black pinstripe edging nicely balances with the lighter top. Compare that to a previous model of this guitar I tried, returned due to body damage, where the back and sides were much darker and seemed too much of a contrast to the top - with the edging almost lost altogether (a point worth noting if buying without seeing).
Small dot inlays adorn the rosewood fretboard, with a darker edging to the nato neck. Frets are all well finished and intonation is good. A black mark though for the rough ends of frets 7 & 8 which is a shame as it’s a minor flaw that really has no excuse for not being noticed and sorted out at the factory. Also the fretboard seems a bit on the dry side, but nothing some lemon oil can’t sort out. A set of Grover tuners finishes the headstock nicely.
In use
I found the small body very comfortable, particularly if sat classical style, though it did feel a tad neck-heavy when resting on my leg - I guess due to the lack of weight in the smaller body - and there’s only one strap button if you want to play standing up. No issues with the comfortable ‘C’ shaped neck, although the 43mm width at the nut might not suit some fingerstylists. This example was easy to play though, particularly as the action was set quite low.
Sounds
‘Bright and Characterful’, as described by ‘Vintage’ is a good summary. It is bright and ‘chimey’ and a bit thin in places but then a small-bodied guitar like this was always likely suffer with some depth of tone (and I suspect the low action has robbed it a bit too). That said it has mellowed over the last couple of weeks and is responsive to different playing positions and no doubt the spruce top will open up a bit over time.
Overall
During the time I’ve had this guitar it’s sat very snugly in the corner of my living room and I’ve found it very hard not to pick it up every time I went passed. It’s a very pleasant little guitar for the money, well made, nice to look at and nice to play with it’s bright, easy tone. Would certainly make an excellent first timer but one I suspect you’d always hang onto.
G | H rating 3.5/5
- Bob
UNBOXING: Today’s Delivery – SPEAR
Had a nice delivery of 3 Spear Guitars today, here are a few initial pic's.
Reviews coming soon, check out Spear.
SHL1 Evil Monkey
TC-Silver
RD Relic Vintage White
COMPETITION: SPEAR ST-1 Clip Tuner
Thanks to the guys at Black I Distribution I have a SPEAR ST-1 CLIP METRO-TUNER, as reviewed by us here.
Spear ST-1
So what do you need to do:
1. Subscribe to our YouTube Channel.
2. Add us as a friend.
3. Send us a message (Subject: Spear Comp) and tell me how much the RD-Blues guitar is on the Spear site.
Sorry, making you work a bit harder for this one.
Good luck
Entries close 31st December 2009 (thats right folks the last day of the year)
REVIEW: Guitar Man Strap
Guitar Man Strap
There are loads of straps on the market today ranging in price, this is a mini review for the Guitar Man.
Build Quality
Very well made, no problems with any of the padding or stitching.
In use
Easy to adjust, when you set it up it stays in position.
Has padding so really comfortable.
Overall
Good guitar strap, the padding is a nice feature.
Pros:
- Padding
Cons:
- Only in black, would be good to have some variety
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to Strings and Things.
DOWNLOAD: Guitarist Hub Wallpapers
Thanks to Andy Riley we now have Guitarist Hub Wallpapers in our download section.
DOWNLOAD: Guitarist Hub iPhone Ringtone
Check out our new download page for the Guitarist Hub TV iPhone ringtone.
REVIEW: Hercules iStand, floor stand
Hercules iStand
The Hercules iStand is a compact floor stand that can be folded away and used in your gigbag.
Build Quality
It's made of tough durable plastic, the legs and cradle are metal.
It feels sturdy and when folded could be chucked around and it would withstand it no problem. It's made for travelling and will take a battering and come out on top everytime.
When constructed it gives confidence that it will hold your prized possession safely.
Ease of use
Pretty self explanatory when you start to assemble, all the parts fall into place effortlessly and can be assembled in under 30 seconds.
In use
Overall
I have checked out a few floor stands and have always been unsure of their stability, this immediately feels different.
The cradle holds your guitar in place and unless it takes a big knock from the back it isn't going anywhere.
Pros:
- Folds away for easy storage
- Well designed and a great looking piece of kit
Cons:
- If knocked from behind it will unsettle the guitar, no headstock support as with Hercules other stands
G | H rating 4/5
Thanks to Strings and Things.