Members dZjupp Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 i have had a hellhound amp for a number of years now and have not even thought of getting another amp (which is amazing in itself). the time came in the past few weeks to look for a new guitar, preferably another telecaster (been using a modded 72'custom reissue, and a 96' prs Cu22 ten top which i sold), i searched high and low around town (kc,mo) and just couldn't find anything that was a great all in one deal, i'm talking the $500 to $1500 dollar range, fender and gibson's offering is crap these days, frets are so freakin huge, and the neck/fretwork is terrible that i could barely play them and for a thousand $ and over, i'd expect pretty well dressed/balanced guitars. yeah right. i remembered mt music shoppe in shawnee,ks having a few reverends so i thought i would check it out lastnight. i played a number of them and took home a blue warhawk HB and a black jetstream 390. i cannot believe how good these instruments are. i've owned really nice and expensive guitars (robin, fender deluxe,prs) and none of them compare to these things. the pickups are just incredible, and the tone and bass controls are something someoneshould have thought of decades ago. they both are very well balanced weight wise and just breathe tone, something the big manufacturers couldn't offer (i.e.-i wanted an american deluxe tele and it just sounded dead). it is like i have come full circle using reverends amp, speakers (i built my own marshall style 4x12 using reverend alltones), and now these guitars, and to make the deal even more exciting for me, i got two of the frekin things! let me tell you that the necks and fretwork on these things are perfect, they are using nice hardware on these, they could have taken the cheapo route but i'm glad they didn't. these two guitar brought my entire rig back to life and they both just scream through it. the warhawki got the blue one with humbuckers. the first thing you notice is 1. the raised center of the body and 2. the reverse headstock, which i personally love. it is very resonant and you can tell its mahoghany in almost an SG manner. when you put the thing on, it is just so balanced to hold and play, the fretboard has a pretty flat radius, but after a couple of hours i was used to it. the tuners have a great action to them, they are wilkinson tuners. the controls have a smooth action to them as well and the input jack is nice and snug. i really like where the p/u selector is located, its actually very easy to change on the fly (i'm used to it being on the upper horn) but since its on the lower 'wing' section this may help. the neck is a really fine satin almost so fine that you would think its gun oiled like a G&L, and the frets are just the perfect size, not huge but not quite vintage either, just a great fit, and the edges and finish of the fretboard are great, better, no, way better than the rolled edge thing fender does. now for the sound-like i said i play through a hellhound head set on the uk mode through a 4x12 cab with a ton of EHX pedals, my main distortion being a graphic fuzz. when i plugged this thing in whn i got home, i could not believe. the best sound i've ever heard coming out of my amp. period. full tight bass, and SG like mids that just screamed. and not only on the bridge, the neck is more bridge like in character than gibson/syrupy and cuts through almost as well as the bridge, which i've never experienced. clean, this guitar literally shines, it is one of the best clean humbuckign sounds i've heard, very toneful and i haven't even't gotten to the bass roll off feature yet. i've always thought that coil tapping was the way to go, not anymore, this feature defeats coil tapping in so many ways. i basically see (and hear) it like this, roll it all the way up and that is the full bass added to your humbuckers, bring it all the way down and the initial sound is still there, but the p/u sounds different in a way, not thinned out by any means, but just sounds like you switched to some other pickup. so from going from the bass all the way down there are about 4-5 settings in between that you can really hear the character of the p/u change. so much more versatile! the Jetsream 390as if my night (actually the past three nights) couldn't get any better, i also remembered that i bought this incredible gem. the first things that strike me when i look at this thing is the top binding, it was a great idea and really sets off the look of the guitar. the neck is primarily the same as the warhawk. the resonance of this one is different however, it is a hollow out mahoghany with a spruce top and you can tell, its hollowbody in essence, but the spruce tightens the overall sound up alot. and makes it breathe in a way. the jetstream is also very well balanced and is alot lighter than it looks. it has wilkinson tuners and a wilkinson trem bridge that i can tell reverend set up and oiled (along with the string trees on both models), it is tight and has the perfect amount of action when pushing down or pulling up (+ or - 1 full note) which is right where i enjoy it. now when i plugged this thing in, i honestly didn't know what to expect, it wis my first p90 equipped guitar. and i did try out the gibson SG special w/p90's earlier at another store and did like it, but it lacked in tonal variation in my opinion, but the mojo was definately there. i plugged in the jetstream and dear God, the bass that the warhawk had was in this thing too! i couldn't believe it! basically the tone is pretty breathy and the p90's can get heavy or with the bass roll off get way stratty. like with the warhawk, with the bass roll off function there are tons of sounds to be had, but these p90's are mean, the sound alot stronger than others that i've tested out before, not necessarily thicker but more full bodied and stronger-almost to the pont of humbucking. and i was leary about the michrophonics and noise-nada. there is hu cancelling on 2 and 4 but even in the alone positions, there wasn't any noise that i have heard yet. i'm not sure if reverend makes their p90's to cancel out noise, but honestly i wasn't hearing any. needless to say i was impressed and felt good about the jetstream purchase, it could be my end all of guitars as i'm starting to OVERplay the thing, its got the biggest range tone wise of any guitar i've ever had or played, period. so i know by now you are thinking i'm suping up this post and kissing reverends ass.well the reason i wrote it is because like you guys i search high and low for great gear, and will spend whatever it takes to get there. let me tell you, i got these things for a $1000, two of them, not one, and they are THE best electrics i've ever brought home to play, look wise, quality, and more importantly-sound and functionality, and performance. i dare anybody to find a brand new american made guitar to compare to these things, and i also dare you to buy one, because you will end up buying more than one. that is what is great about them, at around $500 a piece, you could build an entire collection of them easily. i rarely write any reviews-ever but these things have tripped me out and reshaped the way i think about guitar purchases. thanksjay Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tiger roach Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 So - you like them? It just so happens I am going to go try a Rev tonight - I just found out the mom & pop store near my house is now a Reverend dealer. I am interested in the Charger 290. I'll report back tomorrow. Enjoy the new guitars DZ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dZjupp Posted October 18, 2006 Author Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by tiger roach So - you like them? It just so happens I am going to go try a Rev tonight - I just found out the mom & pop store near my house is now a Reverend dealer. I am interested in the Charger 290. I'll report back tomorrow. Enjoy the new guitars DZ! i am enjoying them, in the 10 years i've played i've never been adicted to guitars like i am these, i just want to playt he second i get in the door... hope you take cash, because you will be leaving with that thing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackHatHunter Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 pics please Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ThisIsOurMusic Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 i envy you, ive been jonesing for a reverend slingshot for maybe 2 years now, reverends are hard to find Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BlackCat Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Congrats on the score. I got my Clubking 290 in July and I bonded with it imeadiately. A Warhawk is is number one on my GAS list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Chairborne Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I like 'em. Haven't seen the MIK ones in person yet, but they look nice and obviously dZjupp likes 'em . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members jbford1 Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by tiger roach So - you like them? It just so happens I am going to go try a Rev tonight - I just found out the mom & pop store near my house is now a Reverend dealer. I am interested in the Charger 290. I'll report back tomorrow. Enjoy the new guitars DZ! Yes I tried the Charger 290 at Infinity Guitars.. it's sweet.... great guitar at that price.... thought about buying it, but I'm saving up for a Robin... rock bford Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Frets99 Posted October 18, 2006 Share Posted October 18, 2006 Congrats!!! I'm jealous!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Brian Krashpad Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Originally posted by Frets99 Congrats!!! I'm jealous!! +1! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members DenverDave Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Very nice - but where is the 'this-thread-is-useless-without-pics' people when you need them??? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tomr63 Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 Thanks for the informative reviews. I have been thinking about a Warhawk for some time now but I have never had a chance to play one. Glad you like your new geetars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members tiger roach Posted October 18, 2006 Members Share Posted October 18, 2006 I just got back from trying out the Charger 290. Definitely a nice guitar - the neck feels great, and I like the sound of the P90s. It didn't quite grab me by the balls though, I guess I'm having trouble getting past its unconventional appearance. I noted just a couple little details that reminded me it is a budget guitar: the fret ends aren't very smooth, and there was some weirdness in the finish around the pickup routs. All in all though, it is amazing for the price they are asking and I'm not aware of anything in that price range that comes close. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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