Spear Gladius Sp

GEAR SPEAR GLADIUS SP

The spalted maple top gives this guitar a unique ﬁnish The licensed Floyd Rose keeps the tuning rock solid

No fret markers: you better know your way around

£349 SPEAR GLADIUS SP SPEAR’S NEW GUITAR IS NAMED AFTER A SWORD. LET’S GIVE THIS SIX-STRINGED WEAPON A STAB… WORDS: ED MITCHELL it really is. The only thing that lets the guitar Marshall amplifier. On a clean channel the THE SIZZLE down is some rough finish spots on the back pickups were bright and the in-between Spear guitars are relatively new to the of the guitar’s neck. Bit more sandpapering settings produce warm tones reminiscent of UK. The company’s new Gladius SP model is next time chaps… Jimi Hendrix’s sound on Little Wing. Whack on named after an ancient Roman sword. Spears, The hardware on the Gladius includes a the overdrive and you’ll be grinning from ear swords… presumably that makes this guitar licensed Floyd Rose vibrato, locking top nut to ear. The bridge humbucker is a slavering a weapon of rock or something? Looking at and decent quality geared machineheads all beast! Harmonics jumped so easily from the it, we wouldn’t argue with that. This guitar coated in a smoky chrome finish. A couple strings that we could have given Zakk Wylde means business with its aggressive shape, of Spear H-Monster ALNICO humbuckers a run for his money. The neck humbucker is chunky as fuck hardware and pickups, and a (sporting the chunkiest pole pieces we’ve a little muddy sounding but still useable – it top that looks like it was hewn from an old would take a lot to drag us away from that castle door. Yeah, the blokes in Manowar “Spear’s Gladius SP is a twin- bridge humbucker anyway. would probably love this guitar. Let’s find out humbucker rock machine with if we love it too… WHO’S IT FOR? THE BOTTOM LINE a twist of individuality” We always play a game of ‘guess the price’ Rockers, shredders and whenever a new guitar turns up at the TG WHAT’S IT GOT? seen in many a jam session) provide the fire other hairy folk… The beautiful looking top on this guitar office. Yeah, the days just fly by. We like to power. The pickups share master volume is made from spalted maple. ‘Great,’ you think that we know our stuff, but it’s not and tone controls and a five-way switch that INFORMATION say. ‘What the hell does spalted mean?’ It’s always easy to nail the price, as we discovered offers each pickup alone, both on together, ORIGIN: Vietnam basically regular maple wood that’s been when we whipped out the Gladius SP. Our and a couple of split coil options. BODY: Mahogany with scarred by a fungal infection. Being riddled ‘spalted’ maple top guesses ranged from £400-odd’ to ‘at least NECK: 5-ply Canadian with fungus is never attractive in humans, BUILT TO LAST? hard rock maple/ £600. Now that we know the truth we reckon but as you can see the cosmetic effect it has The Gladius SP’s sandwiched Canadian hard mahogany, thru-neck the price tag of £349 makes this guitar a on the appearance of wood is pretty damn rock maple and mahogany construction make FINGERBOARD: Rosewood bit of a bargain. Why is it so cheap, you ask? FRETS: 24, fat sexy. The fungus is responsible for all those it feel indestructible. Everything about this PICKUPS: 2x Spear Spear builds its guitars in Vietnam so you get dark squiggly lines on our Gladius SP above. guitar screams, ‘I’m a chunky fucker so don’t H-Monster ALNICO a guitar with great spec at a fraction of the Thanks to the unpredictable nature of our tiny mess!’ As always, don’t drop it, sit on it, set humbuckers cost of an axe that’s born in the USA, Japan HARDWARE: Licensed fungal friends every piece of spalted maple it on fire or anything daft like that, and this Floyd Rose Double or even Korea. is totally different. That means that each guitar will become a rocking family heirloom. Locking vibrato and die- Spear might not have the history or Gladius SP is unique. Not bad for a 350 quid cast machineheads prestige of a company like Jackson or LEFT-HANDERS: No guitar, huh? HANDS ON FINISH: Natural only Ibanez, but its Gladius SP deserves a place The construction of the Gladius SP is On a strap the Gladius SP feels substantial but CONTACT: Black i on your must-try list if you’re looking for a Distribution 01236 sophisticated for a guitar of this price. The not overly heavy. Tuning is rock solid thanks 861261 twin-humbucker rock machine with great body and neck are formed from a sandwich of to that locking vibrato and the slim neck feels WEB: www.blacki.eu playability and a twist of individuality. Spear Canadian hard rock maple and mahogany. At fast and comfortable. The fingerboard has no still has a lot to prove, but it’s made its, ahem, the business end of this sandwich Spear has markers although there are dots on the side of ALTERNATIVELY point with the Gladius SP. glued a pair of mahogany wings – with that the neck – you’ll soon get used to finding your Dean Razorback DB slice of spalted maple stuck on top – to form way around we reckon. All well and good, but – £495 FOR: Great looks, chunky tone, cheap as chips the twin-cutaway body shape. The effect of we came to rock, so let’s get plugged in… Jackson DXMG Dinky AGAINST: Finish is a bit rough in places all this creative woodworking is a neck-thru We were struck by the beefiness of the – £429 guitar that looks much more expensive than Gladius SP when we ran it through a small Spear T200 – £279 TG RATING: ✮✮✮✮✮

142 | TOTAL GUITAR | AUGUST 2007 &

Flip the page to ﬁnd out which one won our Group Test head-to-head

Dea n Razorback DB Spea r Tomcat Golden Tiger

Washbu rn W1200 PRO-E

Fender J5 Triple Tele Delu xe

Group Test ave you seen what 500 The sheer number of brands has Dean Razorback DB, which is an quid can buy you in a created a competitive atmosphere affordable version of… you guessed guitar shop or online these where manufacturers are producing it, Dimebag Darrell’s mega-selling Hdays? The world is your better quality guitars with pro-quality Razorback model. We’ve also bagged oyster – especially if you’ve got a few hardware and pickups in an effort Washburn’s recently launched Mid-priced rockers hundred clams in your pocket. to get you to part with your money. WI200 PRO-E, basically an Idol When we got our hands on the new These days it’s not unusual to find model packing a pair of active EMG Fender J5 ‘John 5’ Triple Tele Deluxe a £400 Chinese-made guitar that humbuckers. Rounding out this recently we took the opportunity kicks ass as hard as an axe priced at collection of six-stringed gladiators is to see what the competition had a grand. That’s great news if you’re the brilliantly-named Tomcat Golden around £500 to offer. OK, Mr 5’s guitar retails at on a tight budget but can’t bear to Tiger from new boys on the block £699, but as usual a bit of squirrelling compromise on tone and playability. Spear Guitars. around on the internet uncovered This is a battle between four very Is Fender’s new John 5 Triple Deluxe Tele the best mid- some good deals. We actually found Meet the contenders different guitars. The only things a Triple Tele Deluxe selling at £569. For this Group Test we pitted these axes have in common are priced rocker on the market right now? Meet three You might find an even better deal by the Fender J5 Triple Tele Deluxe wood, humbuckers and a desire to the time you read this Group Test. against three guitars that we reckon be number one on your shopping list. other axes that beg to differ… The quality of top of the range represent the best value for money Which one will bag TG’s Group Test guitars hasn’t changed all that for around £500. First, there’s the prize? Let’s get it on and find out… WORDSED MITCHELL much over the years. You should get what you pay for so you have a right to expect the best when you’re “IT’S NOT UNUSUAL TO FIND A £400 paying top dollar for a guitar. The CHINESE-MADE GUITAR THAT KICKS ASS real growth in quality has happened in beginner and mid-priced guitars. AS HARD AS AN AXE THAT’S A GRAND”

144 145 “THE TOMCAT GOLDEN TIGER OFFERS MORE PLAYABILITY MID-PRICED ROCKERS GROUP TEST & THAN YOU’D EXPECT FOR £429”

£699 At a glance £499 At a glance Fender J5 Triple Tele Fender J5 Triple Tele Washburn WI200 PRO-E Washburn WI200 PRO-E John 5’s latest blingcaster Deluxe Is it the Rock Idol? BODY: Agathis NECK: Maple, bolt-on BODY: Alder ■ Pickups ■ FINGERBOARD: Rosewood ■ Vibrato NECK: Maple, bolt-on The WI200 is available Headstock The WI200 is ﬁtted with top SCALE: 24.75” A Tele with a vibrato? FINGERBOARD: Rosewood with EMG or Seymour quality Grover machineheads PICKUPS: EMG85 (neck) Crazy but it works great SCALE: 25.5” Duncan humbuckers. and EMG81 (bridge) active PICKUPS: 3x Enforcer ‘Wide Your choice! Range’ humbuckers humbuckers CONTROLS: Master CONTROLS: 2x volume, 2x volume, master tone and tone and three-way pickup three-way pickup selector selector switch switch HARDWARE: Grover HARDWARE: Chrome machineheads, tune-o- vibrato, Schaller locking matic bridge, stop tailpiece, ■ Humbuckers machineheads ■ Body Buzz Feiten tuning system ■ Three stonking humbuckers Headstock FINISH: Black only We reckon the double FINISH: Black only provide plenty of ﬁrepower We like the J5’s big 70s-era CONTACT: Fender GBI cutaway body looks CONTACT: Sound headstock. Groovy, baby 01342 331700 stylish and modern Technology 01462 480000 WEB: www.fender.co.uk WEB: www.washburn.com

he Telecaster is almost the three powerful Enforcer middle humbucker, a common ccording to Washburn, feel of a modern take on a like a steal. Well, we’ve been 60 years old. When humbuckers, the 22 fat frets problem with triple ’bucker its 200 PRO Series Gibson SG. There are a load of digging and found this guitar you’re that age ‘the and the rock-solid tuning guitars. It’s not a serious downer, was ‘designed around Idol models available including selling online at £359, so it’s T yoof’ will just think stability provided by the locking just annoying. A the single premise to the aged WI64 Vintage guitar got to be the cheapest EMG- you’re an old fool while the Tele machineheads. And a padded If these niggles haven’t put create a truly professional series (£449), but our WI200 is equipped guitar out there. Call us is still cutting it with the kids gigbag is included in the price. you off the J5 Tele make sure of guitars offering the best value designed to offer the maximum greedy but a set neck would’ve thanks to cutting-edge signature All gravy but there are you shop around: we’ve seen this for money in today’s electric firepower for the least amount of sweetened the deal. Still, we models from the likes of Jim a couple of potential deal guitar online for as little as £569. guitar market’. Hey, we’ll be the money. That’s why it features a can’t complain. The WI200 PRO- Root of Slipknot and John 5. breakers. For a start, the J5 is a Great guitar but not quite a five judge of that, Washburn dudes. bolt-on neck and Agathis body, E didn’t win this Group Test, but Speaking of which… Johnny 5’s axe looks pretty tasty real heavyweight. Everyone in out of five, er, Mr 5… and EMG81 (bridge) active instead of the set neck and it came pretty damn close. thanks to a load of pimped-out the TG office that picked the SUMMARY The sizzle: The 200 PRO Series humbuckers at £449. The one mahogany body of some of the SUMMARY The sizzle: The J5 Triple Tele chrome and sexy black paint. guitar up exclaimed, ‘Jeez, that’s Idol model is available fitted we’ve got has the EMG pickups. other Idol models. For: Killer looks, superb neck For: Looks cool, great pickups Deluxe is based on a 70s bloody heavy!’ We wouldn’t with Seymour Duncan ’59 and It’s main selling point is the Against: Heavy! Obtrusive ’bucker Against: We’d prefer a set neck Telecaster Deluxe, a Tele/Strat We say: This guitar is almost fancy strapping this guitar on Custom Custom humbuckers We say: The Idol’s double- EMG pickups. EMGs cost £90 hybrid that some cruel folk brilliant. We love the comfortable for a whole gig. We also kept ✮✮✮✮✮ (neck and bridge respectively) cutaway thin body and twin each, so the £449 retail price of ✮✮✮✮✮ nicknamed the ‘Uglycaster’. But 60s-style C-shape neck profile, whacking our pick off that TG says: A heavyweight contender! at £379 or EMG85 (neck) humbucker line-up give it the the WI200 PRO-E starts to look TG says: A 21st Century SG…

£495 At a glance At a glance Dean Razorback DB Dean Razorback DB Spear Tomcat Golden Tiger Spear Tomcat Wonder what DB stands for? BODY: Basswood Pants or the cat’s pyjamas? Golden Tiger NECK: Maple, bolt-on £429 BODY: Mahogany, maple FINGERBOARD: Rosewood NECK: Maple, glued-in SCALE: 24.75” FINGERBOARD: Rosewood ■ Body PICKUPS: 2x Dean ■ Body SCALE: 24.75” The Razorback DB’s humbuckers The mahogany PICKUPS: Seymour Duncan lightweight body is made CONTROLS: 2x volume, and maple body is SH-4 Jeff Beck (bridge) and from basswood master tone and three-way quirky but cool SH-2 Jazz (neck) pickup selector switch CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x HARDWARE: Grover tone, pickup selector switch machineheads, tune-o- HARDWARE: Sperzel matic bridge locking machineheads FINISH: Metallic red FINISH: Amber, Translucent ■ Pickups (shown), metallic white Blue, Tobacco Sunburst ■ Pickups This guitar features a killer and classic black ■ Fingerboard CONTACT: Black i The pickups are OK but ■ Headstock twin Seymour Duncan CONTACT: Bill Lewington We reckon the Tomcat’s Distribution 01236 861261 we’d upgrade to a Seymour The Dimebag-designed humbucker setup Duncan Dimebucker headstock is huge! It comes WEB: www.deanguitars. inlays look brilliant WEB: www.blacki.eu ﬁtted with Grover machineheads com

ome TG readers reckon We say: The DB has the iconic they just don’t have the balls we pear is a relative We say: Yep, this is a killer although we would agree that we should stop going spiky body and huge Dimebag- expect from one of Dime’s metal newcomer to the guitar guitar. The chunky neck and 22 they’re an acquired taste. on about Dimebag designed headstock. It’s only machines. Here’s an idea: we’ve scene in the UK, and it fat, well-finished frets make the The Tomcat Golden Tiger S Darrell because he’s when you look closer that you spotted the Razorback DB online S deals in high-spec, quality Golden Tiger feel like a guitar at won this Group Test because dead an’ that. Sorry, ain’t gonna see why this guitar is so keenly at £314. Get a Seymour Duncan guitars that sell at affordable twice the price. String bending it offers more playability and happen. Dime designed the Dean priced: instead of the mahogany Dimebucker (approx £80), have prices. We were impressed when above the 12th fret is a joy and features than we’d ever expect Razorback, one of the most body you get basswood; the it fitted and you’ll have a killer we reviewed Spear’s Gladius SP tuning stability is rock solid. for £429. This tiger took on brilliant metal guitars of all time, neck is a bolt-on; you get a fixed metal guitar that plays great at a recently, so let’s see how the new We can’t fault the pickup some fearsome competition and so get over it! bridge in place of the Floyd Rose bargain price. Tomcat Golden Tiger stacks up. selection either; there’s a rocking emerged as the pick of the litter. Floyd Rose vibrato and Seymour locking vibrato; and there’s no SUMMARY maple top and a striking flame Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck at SUMMARY The sizzle: We wish we could Duncan Dimebucker humbucker Seymour Duncan Dimebucker in The sizzle: The Tomcat Golden maple veneer. You also get a pair the bridge and a Jazz in the For: Lethal looks, the neck profile For: Value for money, killer spec afford a US-made Razorback, will rid you of £995. Hmm, what the bridge position. Tiger looks like the bastard child of Seymour Duncan humbuckers. neck position. We even like the Against: We miss the Dime pickup Against: Feline inlays not for you? but we’re talking two grand we need is a Razorback that In use, it’s Dime’s signature of a Gibson Les Paul and a So we know it’s got all the right slightly bonkers pussy footing plus. Even the Chinese made looks the part but only costs 500 pickup we miss most. The DB’s ✮✮✮✮✮ Fernandes Ravelle. Specification bits, but is this tiger a roaring fingerboard inlays including the ✮✮✮✮✮ Razorback with its set-neck, quid. Funny we should say that… humbuckers are poky enough but TG says: A modern metal icon is high with a mahogany body, success? Sorry… cat-shaped inlay at the 12th fret, TG says: Top cat!

146 147 SPEAR SHL1 ‘EVIL MONKEY’ REVIEW & ■ Pickup There’s only one pickup but it is a Seymour Duncan JB ■ Neck The set mahogany neck feels great for a guitar this price

■ Body Cheap as chimps but the SHL1 is packing serious tonewoods... ■ Monkey! Look close and you’ ll see a scar y monkey face in that tribal art

Spear SHL1 ‘Evil Monkey’£299 Don’t worr y, it’s not Britney’s signature model. TG spanks the monkey…

ontrary to popular got the tribal monkey design, play rhythm at the neck, it might At a g lance opinion, it’s not hard and it’s been cut back to just one be worth stretching to Spear ’s to impress TG. All you Seymour Duncan JB humbucker, Tom Cat Golden Tiger model at Spear SHL1 Evil Monkey Cneed to do is design an because a lot of rock players just £429. Still, the Seymour Duncan BODY: Solid mahogany electric guitar that combines sit on the bridge pickup anyway. JB humbucker at the bridge is body and top adventurous materials, thrusting Is it good for solos? Oh yes.” an absolute belter, handing you NECK: Mahogany, set, features, a flash of innovation the ultimate solo tone on a silver three-ply and a soupçon of whimsy, We say: TG’s all for innovation, platter, supplying a glorious bite FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, and execute it with panache, but sometimes it’s equally cool that complements the endless with dot inlays SCALE: 24.75” delivering it to our door with a silk to see a budget model that sustain of the mahogany, and PICKUPS: 1x Seymour bow around the neck for under sticks with tradition. This primate even supplying decent warmth Duncan JB humbucker in £300. Spear seems to have ain’t breaking any moulds, but if for chords if you experiment with bridge position managed all that with the Evil you’re turned on by the classic the amp EQ. CONTROLS: Master Monkey except for the bow. And 50s singlecuts, you’ll be stunned You’ll find cheaper singlecuts volume, master tone we can live without that. how close you get for £299. on the market, and you’ll find HARDWARE: Gold Its weight is staggering, and better ones. The point is, we FINISH: Black with Tribal The sizzle: Spear was launched the build materials are textbook can’t remember playing one that graphic [pictured] CONTACT: Black i in 2005 by a splinter group of Les Paul: a dense mahogany is both cheap as hell and rocks Distribution 01236 861261 ex-Cort employees. They weren’t body topped with maple, a set this hard. Consider us impressed. WEB: www.blacki.eu available, but Mark Breingan at mahogany neck that fits your Henry Yates UK distributor Black i Distribution hand like a baseball bat, and was happy to spread the an instantly familiar scale that SUM MARY hyperbole. “It’s a tough market,” eats up expressive, vibrato-heavy he notes, “but we’re trying to playing styles. All that for £299? For: Serious quality in every department for £299 bring over guitars that appeal Spear must be having a laugh. Against: Derivative styling, lack of neck pickup might anger some to the rock market and are a bit But not everyone’s smiling. ✮✮✮✮✮ different. The Evil Monkey looks Single-pickup electrics are always like a standard singlecut, but it’s contentious, and if you mainly TG says… This Spear is mint, baby!

The Evil Monkey has a set neck with a rosewood fingerboard

“THIS PRIMATE AIN’T BREAKING ANY MOULDS, BUT IF YOU’RE TURNED ON BY THE CLASSIC 50S SINGLECUTS YOU’LL BE STUNNED HOW CLOSE YOU GET FOR £299”

126 127 &

Cort EVL-Z4

Flip the page to ﬁnd out which one won our Group Test head-to-head

Ha mer XT SATQ Spea r Glad ius SP

Washbu rn SI61

here’s a time and a place for available on guitars at every price ticks in all the right boxes and the humbuckers. Specifically, point, from the Gibson Les Paul endorsement of hair-free Anthrax it’s when you’re stood in the Standard right to the bottom of the hero Scott Ian, the Washburn SI61 Tspotlight, cloaked in dry ice, barrel. Inspired by the new Washburn (£349) practically chose itself, but legs apart, a rabid crowd baying your Scott Ian SI61, we’re pitching this if it thinks it can put its feet up and Group Test name as you tear into the riff from Group Test somewhere in the middle, cruise to victory then it’s got three Sweet Child O’ Mine. Singlecoils and with a £500 price ceiling that means nasty surprises. P90s have their specialities, but for these four axes should deliver the First up is the Spear Gladius SP hard rock the humbucker is king. goods without battering your wallet. (£329), which belies its price tag with Strange, then, that when Gibson one of the longest spec sheets we’ve technician Seth Lover invented the Humbucker heroes seen from a Vietnamese luthier. Next Humbucker axes PAF humbucker in 1957, he wasn’t Like we said, you can’t move for up, we’ve thrown the Satanists a thinking about any of that. In fact, humbucker-equipped guitars in the bone with the Cort EVL-Z4 (£329), Lover’s brief was simply to design a mid-price market, so TG could afford which we’re hoping should sound as pickup that eliminated the irritating to be as fussy as a Stringfellows frightening as it looks. Finally, we’ve hum of singlecoils, which he achieved doorman and turn away any model thrown a few more fivers into the mix under £500 by incorporating two magnetic coils that wasn’t built by a reputable to see what the Hamer XT SATQ can with opposing windings and polarities luthier, offered a mediocre spec deliver in this Group Test for £499. You don’t need to cough up for a Gibson Les Paul to experience the (so ‘bucking’ the ‘hum’). It was a or turned up in ripped jeans. With Let battle commence… happy side effect that the PAF was creamy thrills of humbuckers. With £500 in our wallet and our Marshall fatter and angrier than its rivals – qualities that the guitarists of the “YOU CAN’T MOVE FOR GUITARS WITH stack rolling behind us, TG sets out to prove it… time were desperate to nail. HUMBUCKERS IN THE MID-PRICE MARKET Half a century later, humbuckers WORDSHENRY YATES built to Lover’s guiding principles are SO TG COULD AFFORD TO BE FUSSY”

144 145 “THE NATURAL BEAUTY OF THE GLADIUS SP CONVEYS THE VIBE HUMBUCKER AXES UNDER £500 GROUP TEST & OF A BOUTIQUE INSTRUMENT”

£329 At a glance £329 At a glance Spear Gladius SP Spear Gladius SP Cort EVL-Z4 Cort EVL-Z4 BODY: Mahogany, with Something EVL this way comes… BODY: Solid mahogany Is this Spear mint? NECK: Maple, bolt-on spalt maple top ■ Pickups ■ FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, ■ Body NECK: Five-ply Canadian EMG ‘buckers always Body Bevelled edges and with Pentagon inlays The spalted maple hard maple and mahogany, get TG excited, even recessed controls add SCALE: 24” top makes each thru construction these passive jobs Gladius a one-off FINGERBOARD: Indian a touch of class PICKUPS: 2x EMG-HZ H4 rosewood humbuckers (neck and SCALE: 25.5” bridge) PICKUPS: Spear M-PAF CONTROLS: 2x volume, 1x Monster Pole humbuckers tone, 3-way pickup selector CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x HARDWARE: Die-cast tone, 5-way pickup selector tuners, TonePros locking HARDWARE: Die-cast bridge, string-thru tailpiece ■ Pickups ■ Neck tuners, string-thru tailpiece ■ Satanic inlays FINISH: Black Satin There are various coil- You won’t see many FINISH: Natural Open Pore Pentagram inlays. CONTACT: HC Distribution splitting options with ﬁve-ply thru neck CONTACT: Black i The Devil’s in the [email protected] these humbuckers axes at this price Distribution 01236 861261 detail, as they say WEB: www.cort-guitars. WEB: www.blacki.eu co.uk

G’s spent recent months We say: Anyone with eyes from the eclectic timbers and or all you aspirant use of contours and bevels for – we still dug out a superb raving about Spear should already be hot for the thru-neck, there’s huge sustain rockers on a budget, your beer belly and picking arm response across the board, Guitar to anyone who’ll Gladius SP, whose credible and tonal character on the it’s only a matter of mean the Z4 model is the most with the bridge turning in T listen, so when we tonewoods and natural beauty table, and these benefits are F time before the sales accommodating of the four axes monster tone for solos and the heard the boys had launched a convey the vibe of a high-end complemented by the class of assistants suggest a Cort. And if in this Group Test. As a playing neck taking care of crunching hard-tail Gladius SP, we crawled boutique instrument. But it’s not the PAFs. The option to split the you’re wearing Mortiis makeup, experience, it feels tight and overdriven rhythm parts. There over broken glass with our flies until you retract your tongue that coils is clever, but left TG them in a crucifix and biker boots, they’ll compact, offering a comparable are no silver medals in the TG undone to get one. you realise this model has also one piece to deliver a tone that probably show you this one. pocket-rocket vibe to a Les Paul Group Test, but if there were been honed to perfection, with is fat, thick... and enough to bag Junior but with zippier play due we’d be hanging it round the The sizzle: Established in 2005, mahogany body with spalted the expansive cutaways and Spear the Group Test title. The sizzle: Don’t be fooled by maple neck are always good to the C-profile of the neck. It’s a EVL-Z4’s neck. Spear might not be a household maple top, throws in a five-ply speedy unfinished neck making SUMMARY novelty trimmings like the coffin to see, but the main event is shame the fret access isn’t quite SUMMARY name, but you’re not Posh Spice maple and mahogany thru neck it handle like a go-faster 24-fret truss rod cover and pentagon undoubtedly the twin EMGs. It’s on the par of the doublecuts it’s For: One-of-a-kind looks, tone For: Spooky metal vibe, EMG kudos so stop worrying about labels and stretches our grins even Fender Stratocaster. inlays – Cort’s EVL-Z4 is backed time to wake the dead… up against though. Against: We’re keeping quiet Against: Fret access could be better and feel the spec. Not so much further with twin Monster Pole Handling is one thing and tone up by one of the most serious For £329, it goes without a guitar as a tree with strings, humbuckers whose coils can be another, but here the Gladius ✮✮✮✮✮ specs in the group. A solid We say: The body shape is saying that these are passive ✮✮✮✮✮ the Gladius combines a solid split with a five-way selector. scores again. As you’d imagine TG says: It’ll give you wood mahogany body and a bolted clichéd fare, but Cort’s judicious EMGs, but that didn’t matter TG says: It’s a scream!

£349 At a glance £499 At a glance Washburn SI61 Washburn SI61 Hamer XT SATQ Hamer XT SATQ Great Scott? BODY: Solid mahogany Hamer of the Gods… BODY: Mahogany, with NECK: Mahogany, bolt-on arched maple cap FINGERBOARD: Rosewood, NECK: Mahogany, set with Anthragram inlays ■ Body FINGERBOARD: Rosewood ■ Body SCALE: 25.5” The Hamer offers SCALE: 24” Scott’s choice of a PICKUPS: 2x Egnater classic vintage looks PICKUPS: 2x Duncan- doublecut body offers humbuckers with modern playability designed humbuckers great fret access CONTROLS: 1x volume, 1x CONTROLS: 2x volume, 1x tone, 3-way pickup selector tone, 3-way pickup selector HARDWARE: Grover 18:1 HARDWARE: Tune-o-matic tuners, tune-o-matic bridge, bridge, stop tailpiece string-thru tailpiece FINISH: Natural [pictured], FINISH: Obey Graphic Honeyburst, Trans Black, ■ Humbuckers [pictured] Tobacco Sunburst ■ Pickups This axe is packing ■ CONTACT: Sound ■ Abalone CONTACT: Go To Guitars The SI61’s Egnater Obey Graphic a pair of Duncan- Technology 01462 480000 Abalone binding is 01925 576205 rail humbuckers offer The Obey graphics really designed ‘buckers monsterous low-end make this guitar stand WEB: www.washburn.com crushed sea creatures. WEB: www.hamerguitars. out from the crowd That’s just shellﬁsh... com

cott Ian can’t get enough We say: Look past the Obey stand out in this group, offering on’t get all shirty about We say: In contrast to the and purposeful at the bridge, of his US Custom Shop graphic and you’ll realise the a bone-crunching bottom-end the price. Instead, mosher styling of the SI61 and these units should delight older SI81: “This guitar is SI61 follows familiar contours, that’s perfect for Among The take a look at the Z4, the SATQ drips class. The players who are still fuming that S exactly what I’ve been costing it points in the originality Living speed-riffing, but that’s D headstock, remind build is luxurious and impeccably they couldn’t afford a Les Paul, looking for – it’s evil and it plays stakes, but clawing them back less convincing for more melodic yourself that this is a Hamer and tidy, from the bound fingerboard but they might not be mental fuckin’ awesome.” Let’s hope the if you love the classic doublecut styles. Still, if you’re considering count your lucky stars you’re able to the natural maple cap, while enough for younger and harder cheaper SI61 rocks too… vibe. It’s easy to hit the top frets this axe it’s because you want to to get within sniffing distance of the physical performance evokes players to make the financial and to fret notes with speed and nail Ian’s vibe, and if that’s the this legendary brand. a lost collector’s item, letting you stretch. You know who you are, The sizzle: Washburn treats precision, which will suit Anthrax criteria, mission accomplished. slide through a volley of vibrato- so act accordingly. mid-price punters well, so while Visually, there’s actually more of fans looking to mimic Ian’s SUMMARY The sizzle: Hamer reckons website. True, this instrument is heavy blues licks like it’s the SUMMARY realists won’t be surprised to find Ian’s influence here, with an Obey percussive down-picking. We’d the SATQ could cause you a a triumph of form and function, most natural thing in the world. For: Perfect for Ian-style riffing For: All-round class and kudos the SI81’s graded timbers and graphic and Anthragram fret concur with the man himself – it headache, albeit a nice one. combining eye candy like the It’s always good to see Against: Not for non-Anthrax fans Against: It doesn’t like Slipknot riffs premium hardware missing in inlays giving off a meaner vibe plays frickin’ awesome. “You’ll have trouble deciding quilted top and abalone inlays Duncan humbuckers, and in the action, they’ll be satisfied with than the US model’s po-faced Following a rail format, the ✮✮✮✮✮ if you prefer the great looks or with serious artillery like the twin SATQ’s case it’s even better to ✮✮✮✮✮ the features the SI61 retains. maple top and parallelograms. SI61’s twin Egnater humbuckers TG says: Scott of the anarchic incredible sound!” spouts the Duncan humbuckers. hear them. Buttery at the neck TG says: You get what you pay for

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