PMC GUITARS Blast user reviews ( 9/10) - 3 user reviews

• 05/21/11

  kinder_guano's review

  Characteristics

  And voila! My Blast is built, I've had it now for a good month, and I'm stick to it every day since!
  
  It deserves a little review!
  
  
  
  Flashback: I've known PM, for... wow ... 7 or 8 years ... He knows my tastes, what I like what I hate ... He even happened to identify specs that I had not
  
  thought of or did not want to hear about, though they would be eventually accurate. Hey, Pm's pretty smart!
  
  So eventually, my sweet 666, and her twin sister, the 667, are in!
  
  
  
  In short, my 666!
  
  
  
  The specs:
  
  
  
  -1 piece African mahogany body, with a rather very cool shape, sizing roughly like a Washburn N4.
  
  -Black finish-dyed, waxed and oiled.
  
  -Top notch ergonomics and body contour (heel carved for easy access to the upper frets, tummy and forearm cut).
  
  -1 piece bolt on Padauk neck with two carbon fiber rods, two way adjustable trussrod, volute reinforcement. The padauk PM picked has dried for more than 20 years!
  
  - Oiled neck: ultra comfortable, nothing can compare to the outstanding feel of the wood.
  
  -Thick ebony board, round fretboard end.
  
  -Scale 25''1 / 2.
  
  - Electronics back cover in mahogany, closing with magnets: farewell screwdriver to change batteries!
  
  -Medium jumbo frets with hidden feet (that's attention to details!).
  
  -Grover 406BC locking tuners.
  
  -Fixed Hipshot.125 string through bridge.
  
  -EMG 81 bridge and 60A neck, wired in 18v.
  
  -One volume knob ,one 3 way toggle switch, placed further away from the bridge.
  
  -Flushmount Dunlop Straplok and output jack.
  
  -Metal pickup rings.
  
  -Graphtech Tusq nut.
  
  -Luminlay side dots (it's cool, it glows in the dark).
  
  -"JG666"carved at the back of the headstock, and filled with ebony, the little goodie PM made!
  
  
  
  At the beginning, I was gob smacked by the body shape, but I wasn't crazy about the headstock. I wanted an angled headstock with a scarf joint, like any Jackson USA.
  
  In the end, I find that this headstock is great and is a good match, the overall look is great!
  
  
  
  One piece neck, with the usual (at PMC at least!) carbon reinforcements along the trussrod: the neck is as stiff as a very stiff neck indeed! You can use any string gauge without any fear of warping it.
  
  
  
  I let PM decide what shape he would do for the neck. He knows me by heart, and I do not regret it a second!
  
  
  
  The woods are outstanding. The feel is incredible, you feel the wood living and vibrating. To be honest, we're light years away from mass production of guitars that really feel like cheap plastic compared to this guitar.
  
  
  
  That is pure excellence!

  Utilization

  The neck is to die for: immediate handling, no adaptation in sight. That's superb job. Flat without excess, neither too thick nor too flat.
  
  
  
  An incredible compromise, far from the Ibanez Wizard ruler, far from Gibson's log. A bit like my good old Lag (I can blame them for a few things, still the comfort of their necks is exceptional),Washburn N4, or USA Jackson (not the horrible MIJ rulers like the DK2).
  
  
  
  The ergonomics are flawless: between the bevels, contours, the flat bridge, knobs are not stupidly too close to the bridge, there's no mistake here.
  
  
  
  The guitar is well balanced, with a rather small body (a bit like the Washburn N4, the ESP Horizon). But rather thick (that's for the good vibes!)
  
  
  
  In short, well balanced, flawless ergonomics, incredible woods, you literally become one with the guitar, I had not felt this way since ... wow ... in fact, I never felt that with a guitar!
  
  
  
  That's it, I'm just über satisfied and happy with my Blast! I dig my Blast!

  Sounds

  It's not a scoop, I'm not into fancy music. Definitely not.
  
  The pickups I chose prove it :o).
  
  
  
  Currently, I play on a Fractal Audio Axe Fx Ultra (which replaces with no regrets a Engl E570 and a floor full of pedals), either straight into Fostex PM-0.5 mkII monitors or plugged into a VHT / Fryette 2/50/2 and a VHT / Fryette Fat Bottom 2x12. Holly cow, what a sound!
  
  
  
  Again, the EMGs are not as extreme as stubbornly believed.
  
  The 81,is very precise, a bit compressed. The mount 18v gives more grain a bit more of an organic feel, less compression, without changing it into a passive Duncan pickup though.
  
  Distortion is its domain. There it just does an excellent job.
  
  It is not so ridiculous with clean sounds, its output level is way less radical than a lot of passive ceramic pickups (think Duncan SH6, SH13, SH8 Invader rubbish, DiMarzio X2N, Super Distortion, Evolution, Drop Sonic etc to name a few).
  
  
  
  The 60A, wow ... is to my ears the best EMG neck humbucker. An attack closer to the SA than the 85, still with a certain roundness common to AlNiCo humbuckers.
  
  Some very interesting cleans, crunch to die for, and far from being ridiculous in high gain.
  
  
  
  All the notes sound, precise, sharp, the harmonics are here, albeit a tad less rich with ... SP Custom Handwound Pickups! Yes, see my opinion on the PMC Blast Black Maple, which is equipped with these).
  
  
  
  In short, the Blast blasts!!!

  Overall Opinion

  I was thinking about a guitar with these specifications for a while now... since 2005!
  
  I looked,tried, bought standard series guitars in shops: going to a luthier is more involving, more ... risky ... than picking any mass production guitar. And also I always said that given my pathetic level, I did not deserve a luthier's guitar.
  
  
  
  All in all, I do not regret my choice one second. I've had quite a bunch of guitars, lots, theoretically, could suit me. In fact, I've never been completely stick to a guitar for ten years. I always found something wrong, whether ergonomics (for example, I don’t feel that comfortable with a Tune O'Matic), or whatever ... sound (eg, my slight disappointment with my ESP Horizon NT2, not as exceptional as expected).
  
  
  
  The Blast is one damn great guitar!
  
  
  
  I forgot: the little details that kill.
  
  The inlay at the back of the headstock of the 666 was made with ebony taken from my Blast 667.
  
  The inlay at the back of the headstock of the 667 was made with Padauk taken from my Blast 666.
  
  The neck and body planks come from the same timber as the neck and body of the Blast made for Scarve's guitarist, Patrick, my idol and a cool mate!
  
  
  
  I chose most of the wood directly in PM's stock, looking at all planks and timber!
  
  The "JG 666" inlay was not planned at all, it was big surprise when I went to pick my guitars!
  
  It's spoiling his customers, isn't it? I like that :o)
  Did you find this review helpful?yesno
• 07/08/10

  kinder_guano's review

  Characteristics

  Note: This is a test of the prototype of the first series of PMC Blast guitars.
  
  
  
  I do not own this guitar. I tested the prototype a full morning with a mate who has ears, hands, and a damn good experience, Patrick, rhythm guitars in the band Scarve.
  
  I know writing a review without using an instrument long enough is BAD.
  
  
  
  Oh well.
  
  
  
  PMC Guitar Blast, handcrafted in France, in the lovely surrounding of Montpellier, by Mr. PM.
  
  
  
  The specs:
  
  
  
  -1 piece African mahogany body, with a rather very cool shape, sizing roughly like a Washburn N4.
  
  -Top notch ergonomics and body contour (heel carved for easy access to the upper frets, tummy and forearm cut).
  
  -1 piece bolt on Padauk neck with two carbon fiber rods, two way adjustable trussrod, volute reinforcement.
  
  -Electronics back cover in mahogany (no plastics here!).
  
  -Black finish-dyed and oiled.
  
  -Thick ebony board, round fretboard end.
  
  -Scale 25''1 / 2.
  
  -Medium jumbo frets.
  
  -Grover 406BC tuners.
  
  -Hipshot fixed brass bridge, with strings through the body.
  
  -EMG 81 bridge and neck 60A, wired in 9v.
  
  -Oiled neck.
  
  -One volume knob ,one 3 way toggle switch, placed further away from the bidge.
  
  -Flushmount Dunlop Straplok and output jack.
  
  -Metal pickup rings.
  
  -Graphtech Tusq nut.
  
  
  
  Many pretty smart details (the controls layout, for instance) making life easier :o)
  
  
  
  I would have preferred the EMGs to be wired in 18v for less less compression, more clarity in the sound though.
  
  
  
  This guitar has killer looks! PM sent me on a regular basis pictures of its construction, except for the final stages, to have the surprise when seeing her in real life.
  
  I was not a fan of the headstock, but eventually it really matches the rest of the guitar!
  
  
  
  Rather simple but definitely classy, the wood breathes, the wood grain flatters the eye,and all in all top quality gear and woods (it is light years away from ESP, Ibanez, etc..).

  Utilization

  This guitar is straight forward, no nonsense you feel immediately at home with it.
  
  
  
  Lightweight, thoughtful ergonomics, well balanced, everything falls in hand. I loved the controls layout (for fans of violing, PM can place the volume closer to the bridge, that's the cool thing with a guitar that can be tailored for you!).
  
  
  
  The neck is relatively flat, very easy and comfortable ease. As good as my good old Lag guitars , or a Jackson Dinky USA.
  
  Again, one can choose the neck shape he wants!
  
  
  
  Everything is smooth and cool on this guitar. Low fixed bridge, far more enjoyable than a Tune O'Matic, as comfortable and low as a Floyd Rose, without the nuisance of an OFR! The neck is  smooth, comfortable, without the tons of sticky varnish with plastic feel that slow down your left hand. Etc..
  
  
  
  Upper frets access is pretty good for a bolt-on neck guitar, the heel is smartly carved, the lower horn might be a more sculpted for access to the 26th fret. Aaaah, there's only 24 frets!

  Sounds

  Tested an entire morning in a very nice amp, a Bogner Ecstasy Classic in a 2x12 VHT (Fryette) Deliverance cab.
  
  
  
  It could have been worse as a test amp!
  
  This amp I start to know it well, I've played it already a lot with my Gibson Les Paul, my ESP Horizon, even my old Lag!
  
  
  
  Unplugged, the Blast already has punch and rejoicing dynamics!
  
  
  
  With the 1 piece padauk ultra rigid neck, ebony fingerboard, string through construction, the Blast deserves its name! The mahogany adds a good dose of low mids. The sustain is not bad at all!
  
  
  
  Let's plug the Blast now the tubes are warm enough.
  
  
  
  Ok EMG haters. I see you coming!
  
  Now just plug an axe loaded with EMGs in an amp that’s worth it, with a damn good guitarist (not me, but Scarve's axeman!). Bang!
  
  
  
  The EMGs are more versatile than you could expect! At least, they can make things do in any style, and most of the time they're rather outstanding. Yip!
  
  
  
  Yep, they are ok with funk groove, bluesgrass, blues, good old rock n roll, and big rock wearing shorts crawling on the floor with a SG, all goes rather well with the 81.
  
  The 60A is again a good surprise : certainly the best EMG neck pickup imho. It does not fear jazzy, bluesy crunch leads, and in clean it is pretty cool.
  
  
  
  Obviously, as soon as you roll the gain up,  you enter the lands of metal, Iron Maiden to Slayer and Scarve!
  
  There, the guitar breathes, the sound is big, accurate. In your face.

  Overall Opinion

  Absolutely fantastic, absolutely no way to resist the appeal of the Blast!
  
  
  
  Oh well, the damage is done, I ordered one and I think there will be a PMC in Scarve's arsenal pretty soon!
  Did you find this review helpful?yesno

• 06/06/11

  Xavman's review ( translated ) Improve this translation " Blast It!"

  Characteristics

  French-made craft by luthier Pierre Marie Chateauneuf, is the second guitar that I always order this incredible quality and choice of wood finishes ... The bridge is a through-string with Hipshot, accuracy and sustain insured ... The handle is screwed padauk, 24 frets, EMG 60 81 config ideal for "blaster" and also "jazz" ... no tone control (frankly it's already served someone a tone control ???). I'm just asking a volume knob with a history of Shadow Kill Pot master the tremolo on his finger ...

  Utilization

  Perfectly pleasant place to handle the shredders, Radius 12 '- Diapason 25'5.
  
  The weight is perfect although the Rosewood is not carbon, but it's still quite tolerable long hours on the back ...
  
  Easy access to acute ... His "in your face" and live as much finesse through micro serious EMG 60.

  Sounds

  Ideal for styles that I practice, progressive metal, new age, rock and sometimes jazz intrumental rock ...
  
  I play on a head ENGL Invader 100, is simply the ultimate ...
  
  The sound of crystal clear sound micro serious closely resembles my Steinberger, a very good sign ...

  Overall Opinion

  I use it for 3 months, but happiness!
  
  Incredible value for money, it was a guitar "made in France" with a choice of wood finishes and exceptional personalization is no great brand can do except Custom Shop for a price usually multiplied by 3 or 4!
  
  I encourage all guitarists who want to play on instruments not conform to turn to this type of violin for the price and the experience of buying high-end custom and for listening shown by Pierre Marie Chateauneuf at each stage of construction of the instrument.
  
  I would do this necessarily experience knowing that I do not think I buy a tool for big brands in the coming years, but I do make custom only PMC, I have a project with the lowest form of Blast and perhaps an acoustic guitar ...
  Did you find this review helpful?yesno