« H6 - Stable, Stunning, Serious »

It's been a long time coming, and I feel I've had enough play time to finally write a full review on the H6 I ordered late 2014.

I have been checking out Patrick's past work for over a year - Looking through every page of his website, as well as his social media pages - trying to find out more about these amazing instruments. Approximately every 2 months, there would be an entire album of pictures uploaded for another build he had completed. Each one completely unique. I've been infatuated with the instruments he has been building. Each one hand crafted, and such artistry with every successive project.

Patrick has been an awesome person to deal with. Extremely intelligent, and there was plenty of friendly banter along the way. Was a nice touch compared to the mechanical, one way street kind of conversations I'm accustomed to in dealing with people where I live.

We worked out a few details and after the down payment was sent, he set to work building my H6. I received a constant stream of updates (as it would seem) and it was a very compelling story to tell - I haven't experienced in length the amount of work it takes to produce a guitar, and I'm sure I hadn't received all of the details, but there were an awful lot of them to see. Pictures throughout the build, as well as a few videos - The anticipation continued to grow, build, and become near unbearable as it neared completion. I'm almost certain he provides these updates to bring these feelings to the buyers - or maybe I'm just more susceptible to the updating process than others.

After final payment, the guitar was shipped out, and arrived 3 days later, in probably the safest packed box I have ever opened. Quite secure in it's mobile home before arriving at my door. Further inspection left me speechless. Extremely solid build. By far the sturdiest feeling guitar I've held in my own hands. The finish is gorgeous - clear satin over Mahogany/Walnut is a sure winner. Black hardware accenting a natural finish is simply stunning.

Everything about this guitar seems thought out to make it comfortable and effortless for the player. I haven't been a big fan of bolt-on or set-thru jointed guitars in the past, but Patrick has left my first impressions of bolt-on guitars in shambles. The rear of the guitar has a bevel around the entire body, making the upper fret access not only 100% available, but more comfortable than any other guitar I have played. This level of comfort doesn't just exist at the heel, either. The entire neck is shaped in such a fashion that you have the profile you need, where you need it. It's difficult to put into words just how it's shaped, but it transitions from a V style neck at the 1st fret, to a very shallow D, I would say, at the higher frets. From chords and fast paced rhythms right up to melodic leads and sweeping - There's absolutely nothing this neck will stop you from.

The pickups (hand wound by Kent Armstrong) are phenomenal - high output, articulate, and aggressive. Mid-High gain tones are huge, and a far cry from any other set of pickups I have ever tried to dial in on an amp. The frequency response range is massive - it took me a little while to find the right settings. It's pure joy once it has been dialed in. The wiring cavity is by far the cleanest I have ever laid eyes upon. The way the tone pot affects the sound is nothing short of inspiring. Just dial it back a short distance and the treble begins to dip and a whole other world of tone options is available to you. I've heard some comments about the placement of the volume pot, and how it may be in the way - I can assure you this is not a problem. It may be a bit closer to the strings, and I have managed to hit it a few times while playing through a few tunes, but you have to want to change the setting - the pots are at the perfect tension where a knock from your hand won't change their position, but they roll smoothly when you intend it. The Hipshot bridge and tuners are comfortable, stable, and not at all complicated. The placement of the tuners and the controls are very well thought out, precise, and ergonomic. I currently have the guitar tuned to Drop A# on 12-60 gauge strings, and it is holding like it was built for it.

I'm not sure I can say much else for this guitar that hasn't been said in another review I have read - Personally, it gets a 10 in every category. I can't say that it's perfect, but it's probably the closest to it that I'll ever see - unless say, I order another

I would like to thank you again Patrick - This is more than just an instrument to me. This guitar has shown me different ways of doing things I thought I fully understood. It is making me a better musician. It inspires me every time I pick it up, and you made that happen.

With love from Canada,

Andy