T H E GA S STATION 98 souped-up single-cuts Words Jonathan Horsley / Photography Neil Godwin Bolder, louder, faster, these high-power electrics take a classic design and augment it for shred and rough ’n’ tumble rock TOTAL GUITAR MAY 2018 TGR305.gear_test.
the tg test 99 R epurposing classic shapes of guitar design and retooling them for contemporary contexts is all part of the game for guitar manufacturers. It’s been going on since the electric guitar was born, but spiked most notably in the 80s with the hot-rodding of S-style electrics to court the shredder’s dollar.
T H E GA S STATION £639 £539 HaGStRoM ULtRa SWede JaCKSoN X-SeRIeS MaRtY FRIedMaN MF-1 SIGNatURe What’s this Resinator fretboard all about? Isn’t Marty Friedman’s signature Jackson a lot pointier? A major feature unique to Hagstrom, the Resinator comprises a wood composite that’s engineered to perform similarly in terms of tone, look and feel as ebony.
the tg test £850 £849 Ltd eC-401 PRS Se tReMoNtI Who’s this guitar for? Aren’t there a million Tremonti signature models? What’s new? It might lack a contoured edge that could take your eye out, but with a set of active EMG humbuckers seated in a mahogany body, a slim neck and extra-jumbo frets offering a shred-ready instrument, it’s perfect for metalheads. The Tremonti has been a big part of the PRS SE line-up for over 10 years now, and for good reason. Here, the headstock has changed.
the tg test Jackson X: supreme playability and versatile tone Head to head Making the cut with a mean shredding machine I 102 n terms of sheer power, the LTD EC-401 will take your breath away. With its pristine Olympic White finish, its three-ply binding on body and headstock, it exudes a quiet class yet deals in atom-splitting tone. Yes, the cleans are snappy, sharp and responsive in the bridge’s EMG 81; bold and with great bass response in the neck’s EMG 60.
T H E GA S STATION FINaL VeRdICt Which single-cut is the right one for you? t here are no easy answers. There are many guitarists for whom the Venn diagram of their spec dreams overlap all four of these single-cut electrics. Certainly, the PRS SE Tremonti’s vibrato sets it apart. Some will hate it, but it’s a great vibrato, stable, neat and a lot of fun. Some players can’t live without it, and that’s why a Floyd Rose option is available on the MF-1 (at a price).
