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Hatsubai « Caparison's take on the Soloist »
Published on 03/17/11 at 08:39TAT stands for "Through and Through." Every TAT is a neck-thru guitar, which is how it got its name. Caparison uses Schaller floyds on their guitars, and on their floyd route, it's actually similar as if you'd route a flush mounted floyd. Basically, the bridge is higher on every Caparison, and you can pull up higher. Generally, that requires the neck to be shimmed, but the TAT is different. Caparison actually angled the body instead of angling the neck. This allows easier access for playing up in the higher frets. The older models have a fairly thin, soft D shape neck, and the newer models have a fairly thick, hard D shape. The finish on the older ones is also different than the newer ones. Personally, I prefer the older finish to the newer ones.
UTILIZATION
The neck-thru guitar allows for awesome access in the higher frets. The electronics aren't too terrible, but I prefer replacing them with American parts as they tend to last longer. This model has a maple neck, alder wings and an ebony fretboard. The famous clock inlays are equipped on this model, and the entire neck is completely bound in cream binding. Like nearly every Caparison, the neck is a compound radius which allows for easier chording at the lower frets and extreme bending at the higher frets. One thing that's a bit hard to get used to for me was that the bridge is physically higher on the guitar. It feels more like a Les Paul than a Strat because of the placement of the strings in relation to the body. Some people like this, some people don't.
SOUNDS
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of neck-thru guitars. They tend to sound bright, yet lack that "snap" that bolt-ons have. The ebony also gives it some additional presence, which I'm not a big fan of. The original came stock with two singles (I think VS-Is) and a PH-R. The PH-R is a pickup that quite a few people love. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of it as I feel there are better pickups out there. The guitar feels great, though. The thinner FD finish allows for more low mids to resonate through and thicken up the sound.
OVERALL OPINION
Caparison is a small company that only makes a few hundred models a year, and the lineup is constantly changing. The TAT is a great take on the Jackson Soloist with some of Caparison's own unique features. If you don't mind the headstock, these guitars should definitely be on your list to check out. The older ones also usually the cheapest on the used market for whatever reason.
UTILIZATION
The neck-thru guitar allows for awesome access in the higher frets. The electronics aren't too terrible, but I prefer replacing them with American parts as they tend to last longer. This model has a maple neck, alder wings and an ebony fretboard. The famous clock inlays are equipped on this model, and the entire neck is completely bound in cream binding. Like nearly every Caparison, the neck is a compound radius which allows for easier chording at the lower frets and extreme bending at the higher frets. One thing that's a bit hard to get used to for me was that the bridge is physically higher on the guitar. It feels more like a Les Paul than a Strat because of the placement of the strings in relation to the body. Some people like this, some people don't.
SOUNDS
To be honest, I'm not a huge fan of neck-thru guitars. They tend to sound bright, yet lack that "snap" that bolt-ons have. The ebony also gives it some additional presence, which I'm not a big fan of. The original came stock with two singles (I think VS-Is) and a PH-R. The PH-R is a pickup that quite a few people love. Personally, I'm not the biggest fan of it as I feel there are better pickups out there. The guitar feels great, though. The thinner FD finish allows for more low mids to resonate through and thicken up the sound.
OVERALL OPINION
Caparison is a small company that only makes a few hundred models a year, and the lineup is constantly changing. The TAT is a great take on the Jackson Soloist with some of Caparison's own unique features. If you don't mind the headstock, these guitars should definitely be on your list to check out. The older ones also usually the cheapest on the used market for whatever reason.