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15 Aug

REVIEWED: FENDER AMERICAN PROFESSIONAL TELECASTER

Fender Music Australia | fender.com.au | RRP: $3099

Of all of Leo Fender’s designs, the Telecaster is arguably his finest work. Simple, robust and full of punch — it’s an instrument that has been heard on countless recordings. Flash forward to today and Fender has reinvigorated the iconic instrument within their new American Professional series. But the question remains: is this a step in the right direction for the behemoth brand, or are they simply treading water?

15 Aug

9 Aug

REVIEWED: JACKSON MISHA MANSOOR JUGGERNAUT HT6

Jackson Guitars | jacksonguitars.com | RRP: $1999

Periphery’s Misha Mansoor is one of those true guitar trendsetters, like Eddie Van Halen and Slash: even if you’re not into their playing, you’ve seen their influence on the gear industry, both in their own signature gear and in the competing products of other manufacturers in their wake. EVH spawned a legion of superstrats. Slash revived the Les Paul at a time when everyone played, well, superstrats. And Mansoor’s influence on guitars, pickups, amps, processors and effects has reached players in genres far outside of Periphery’s progressive metal.

9 Aug

4 Aug

REVIEWED: PAUL REED SMITH SE 277 SEMI HOLLOW ZEBRAWOOD

Electric Factory | elfa.com.au | Expect To Pay: $1449

The current guitar market seems littered with jet black extended range guitars, sporting the most modern hardware and pickups on offer, as though tuning low is an exclusive right only for players in the heavy music spectrum. With that in mind you can imagine my surprise when I opened up the bag for the Paul Reed Smith SE 277 Semi Hollow to find a gorgeous Zebrawood topped guitar with dual soapbar pickups. Aesthetically speaking, it is extremely elegant and a true testament to PRS’ long legacy of well made, beautiful guitars.

4 Aug

2 Aug

REVIEWED: GRETSCH STREAMLINER G2420T GUITAR REVIEW

Gretsch Australia | gretsch.com.au | RRP: $1199

Looking back at the last hundred or so years of popular music, it could very well be said that every era is defined and delineated by a particular make of guitar. It’s difficult to imagine music in the 60’s and 70’s without a Les Paul or a Strat showing up in your mind’s eye, it is well known that the 90’s was the age of the offset and, for better or worse, the arse end of the last century was littered with seven-strings and shredders. Before all that though, the first hero of guitar catalogues was the regal hollow body whose F-holes and rounded, sonorous quality set the benchmark for fans of jazz and blues alike. Big bands put the guitar player in the front row thanks to the inimitable talents of Charlie Christian and Wes Montgomery who paved way for torchbearers like Pat Metheny and Bill Frisell, all of whom would be unrecognisable without their wide profile, single cutaway guitars. As I mention elsewhere in this issue, Gretsch have been a big name in the hollow body game since Robert Johnson made his infamous pact and it is with the full weight of that history that they present the Streamliner G2420T.

2 Aug

2 Aug

REVIEWED: J&D LUTHIERS JD-LS3 GUITAR

Jade Australia | jadeaustralia.com.au | Expect To Pay: $499

J&D Luthiers aren’t shy about explaining the inspiration behind this guitar, with their website quite clearly naming Mr. Les Paul and his namesake instrument. With a price of $499, this is one of the more affordable LP-style guitars out there, and it’s always great to see options beyond the typical Strat copies that proliferate the lower end of the market. So let’s have a look at how this compares to the real deal.

2 Aug

26 Jul

REVIEWED: GRETSCH ELECTROMATIC G5622T-CB GUITAR

Gretsch Australia | gretsch.com.au | RRP: $1849

From the outset of this review, I should make it known that I am above all else a hollow body guy. Even as a fat, gothic teenager I knew that eventually at least one of my guitars would be as empty inside as I was convinced I was. Now, some 20 years later, I’m addicted to the infernal things. There is something about the wild, James-Dean-on-a-motorcycle, maverick pride that they invoke that speaks to me as a player; strange given that there are few things that are further from my fingers than rockabilly pastiche. Even as far back as the 30’s, before rock‘n’roll was stolen from African Americans and proliferated globally by Brylcreem-ed hip-wigglers, the art deco Gretsch logo was synonymous with a style and grace that so few manage to pull off without looking like a certain Nickelodeon cartoon. Few things make me, and any number of sympathetic riffsters, happier these days than to quake in the presence of the likes of the Electromatic G5622T.

26 Jul

20 Jul

REVIEWED: GUILD GUITARS CE100D CAPRI WITH BIGSBY

Zenith Music | zenithmusic.com.au | Expect To Pay: $2799

Guild may not have had an overly strong presence in the Australian market of the last decade, but that doesn’t mean their guitars haven’t continued to deliver in tone, looks and build quality. It is only recently that we have started to see them finding their way back into discerning guitar stores around the country and it is with good reason, too. The range on offer from Guild and the quality at every price point means you can find that special guitar that you might have been struggling to find elsewhere. This month I got to put my hands on the first Guild I’ve come across in a number of years, and I wasn’t in the least bit disappointed. It was worth the wait.

20 Jul

28 Jun

REVIEWED: JACKSON SLAT7-MS AND SLAT8-MS X SERIES SOLOIST GUITARS

Jackson Guitars | jacksonguitars.com | RRP: Seven String: $2199 | Eight String: $2399

Jackson’s X Series Soloist guitars are built for speed, technicality and low-tuned djent-riff-ication.

28 Jun

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