Reverend Guitars

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Heard a lot about these planks in US mags but virtually unavailable here in the UK, so I bought one off ebay. It?s a maple neck Avenger model that is basically 3 Strat pups on a plate. I changed the original Kent Armstrong pups for a set of Van Zandt ?blues?.

This guitar has unbelievable tone and resonance. Everyone who plays it is totally knocked out. In fact I?m so knocked out that I?m flogging my Relic Strat and my Tokai Tele.

Go try, you?ll be impressed???. :D
 
I believe that Reverend Giutars are made by the same people who make Robin's and Rio Grande pups. Could be wrong though.

Ned
 
Hi Ned

Not sure about the connections you refer to but I know that Reverend guitars are designed and built by Joe Naylor and his crew.

Joe was responsible for the Naylor range of amps that are now manufactured by some other group who bought the name (I could be wrong).

Reverend are also producing a range of tube amps but I haven't heard any.

**** fine guitar though.
 
Hey Lee

Your Avenger must sound amazingly good with those Van Zandt blues. I have a set of coil tapped VZs in a Japanese Squier and they are indeed magical

Could you describe what the resonance of the Reverend does with those pickups? I have heard great things about Reverends and played one in a shop on the East Coast several years ago. I was impressed with the neck and how good it sounded unamped. Maybe Reverends will prove to be the sleepers (like Tokai) of the future. You can also get them direct (and at times Naylor will sell his prototypes and NAMM Show models) through his Web site:

www.reverenddirect.com

Congratulations! Testify! 8)

Steve
 
Sorry, I was thinking of Alamo and Metropolitan guitars. Definately sweet looking guitars and amps.

Should I setup a special forum for discussion? Maybe someone (other than myself) should let the Reverend folks know about this site.

Ned
 
Sorry guys busy nightlife.

Steve

In answer to your questions the thing just sings all day. I can't describe the tone really. It's almost bell like a times and totally unlike any guitar I've ever owned.

I had a Danelectro U1 customised with another pickup fitted at the bridge, a 4 way Tele switch and series/parallel wiring but this thing just blows it away. Plus it does real great Strat tones. It sounds great through my WEM amps.

The VZ pups are the best I've tried. I have an 87' Japanese Strat that wails with those pups in. In fact I have the Torres Custom set of VZ's in that guitar. The neck pickup is a vintage Strat, the middle is reverse wound 'blues' and the bridge the hot 'blues' - great. That guitar also has a Chandler "Tone X" auto wha fitted in the middle pot position.

I've had quite a few Tokai Strats, US & Japanese Strats but this Japanese Fender creams em' and it was cheap too.

With that and the Rev, well I'm happy so far.
 
Just bagged another one of these with a trem.

HOT DADDY! :D

If your gigging, you must have one.
 
Hi Lee

Just pulled the trigger on a demo Slingshot with a Bigsby. Flame red with twin P90s. Also sent for hard case - the case looks like a two-toned shoe from the 1960s! Can't wait to twang that Bigsby! Will give you a report after it sails in

thanks

Steve
 
Never seen a Bigsby version. Even though I'm not a Bigsby fan, I'll look forward to your report.

I'll be interested in finding out how the Naylor P90's compare to say Duncans/Gibson reissues (or are the Rev's made by Kent Armstrong).

On this trem version that I've picked up, I've noticed that there are 2 extra screws on the back of the guitar just below the 4 neck screws. They don't seem to be part of the neck fixing so I'm just wondering what they are for :-? .

Any ideas?
 
After some thoughts on the screws, I think they hold the trem claw in place :roll: but I haven't removed the scratch plate to find out just yet.
 
Tokaigeezer!!

How are you getting on with that Reverend Slingshot?

I had to sell my Commando with the trem to a mate. He nearly wrenched my arm off when I tried to get it back.
 
erk ... :eek: Forgot to send that in didn't I?

Well as I said it's a demo, but one with no marks on it. This one made the rounds of the guitar shows and was very like the one reviewed in Guitar Player (but that Slingshot had a fake Bigsby called the Revsby which survived until a lawsuit was threatened against Mr. Naylor, so I hear.)

Fireball Red, with white pickguard and vinyl siding, two P90-style pickups with the Bigsby, plus the studio switch, which throws both pickups on no matter what position the five-way switch is in. Cool option. Rosewood board.

Now 've alway liked Bigsbys, because I used tremolo sparingly, like spice on an entree: just enough and it's beautiful, too much and it's hideous. But even I admit that they can be wobbly and throw the guitar out of tune pretty easily. But this new unit has a Tunomatic type bridge on it with sidelocks on it that make it very solid. Plus the new Bigs has a real solid feel to it: it's very stable and I've yet to yank on it enough to detune things.

The pickups, whoever does make them, are excellent: fat and powerful in the neck, grunty and sharp in the bridge - very funky and they really cut through. No need for upgrades. It barks almost up to Les Paul levels and sustains really well for a hollow body. Not noisy at all for single coils.

The neck, as you know, Lee, is one of the best things about Reverends. The neck width has been widened a tad up to 1 11/16, I think, from its previous width that was something like 1 21/32. Feels like a compound radius, but the specs are probably on the site at: www.reverenddirect.com

It has the feel of a pro guitar to it, despite the phenolic (plastic) body. It doesn't hide your clams so you must pay attention when fretting, which is a good thing. I don't miss the wood at all: the alder, ash, maple, mahogony, whatever, which is strange because I love the sound of an alder-body Strat (replica, of course) through a good tube amp. It's great for riffing and also single line stuff. And the Bigsby is so cool for bluesy warbles. Most broken-in feel of any new neck I've played. Feels like a great Strat neck that's smooth and waxy brown, and the tint of the back adds to eye appeal.

And the resonance! Good grief, this klangs like a glockenspiel! My usual test is to play a guitar unplugged with my left ear resting atop the upper left bout. Tokai Strats usualy ring pretty well, but this resonates so loudly that it almost hurts my ears! All this combines for a very good fundamental tone and contributes to the amped tones.

So while I've been spending most of my time with the Tokais, every time I plug in the Slingshot I am astounded all over again with the cool tones, great feel and ringing quality of this ax. It does about everything my Les Paul Pro Deluxe does, so that may head, like all good things in time, to ebay Heaven.

The black and white hardshell case is de coolest ? looks like a two-toned shoe.

I tested out a Rumblefish 5-string bass last summer in a bass store in Phoenix, and the swingin' resonance of the low B was sashaying like a New Orleans second-line band: it was that funky. Did the ear test and the low B warbled so much it made me laugh out loud. So I really wouldn't mind one of those either. Obviously Joe Naylor is up to something with these instruments.

Check out the links on the Rev Website and you will find their Reverend Congregation site. Joe himself will actually send in answers when members are puzzled about something. Imagine the top person at Gibson or Fender chatting with the common proles, taking their suggestions into the next design, or giving hints of the next product around the corner! Don't hold your breath!

Plus I hear his amps are good. These are sleeper instruments, and used on ebay are one heckova deal. Purists may sniff at the lack of body wood, but then they probably haven't had the pleasure of playing one yet! Me, I'd like an Avenger in faux flame maple (hey - they look great!) with a maple board and the Bigsby. Way cool.

So, yes, me and the Rev are getting along nicely, And I hear he has a new one called the Wolfman, with minihumbuckers ... but finances are eh .... you know the drill

Steve
 
Nice post,

Sounds like you are having fun with the Rev. You are now a "true believer".

BTW, someone mentioned to me that the neck profile has changed from the earlier models. Any ideas?

Must dash, boss looking over my shoulder :eek:
 
Hey Lee

The nerve of these bosses - interfering with really important stuff at work! :wink:

I don't know exactly about the profile change. My Slingshot neck is pretty wide, thin and flat - more like an Ibanez neck or a Carvin neck than a Strat. The Rev site talks about the older necks on the Demos for Sale page, which expalins specs on the East Pointe necks. This may help you out.

Or you could ask one of the deacons in the Amen Corner on the Congregation site, under links/discussion groups.

Good luck with your Avenger!

Steve

Hey - just how close is the Avenger to a good clean Strat (Tokai) sound through a good amp?
 
Hey Lee

The nerve of these bosses - interfering with really important stuff at work! :wink:

I don't know exactly about the profile change. My Slingshot neck is pretty wide, thin and flat - more like an Ibanez neck or a Carvin neck than a Strat. The Rev site talks about the older necks on the Demos for Sale page, which expalins specs on the East Pointe necks. This may help you out.

Or you could ask one of the deacons in the Amen Corner on the Congregation site, under links/discussion groups.

Good luck with your Avenger!

Steve

Hey - just how close is the Avenger to a good clean Strat (Tokai) sound through a good amp?
 
Hi Steve!

Sorry been off line for a while.

The Avenger does the Strat sound pretty well but there's such a big hole under that pickguard you can put whatever you want in there.
 
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