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MGR/John Sawyer « Peavey Raptor EXP Plus »
Published on 12/31/02 at 15:00Ever since I was a little kid, I've aspired to become a world famous rock guitarist. Doesn't everyone? Recently, I formed a band with three friends of mine, and I realized that I'd need a guitar before I could play. After months of pestering my parents, they finally took me to Select Guitars, an awesome shop in Norwalk, Connecticut, to buy a guitar. And so, on August 10th, 2002, I became the proud owner of this Peavey guitar, after my parents forked over $150 for it, with an aditional $150 paying for a Peavey amp, amp lead, and Korg tuner. At first, I was disappointed with my purchase (I'd wanted either a Strat or a Les Paul), but after a while I grew quite attached to it. By the way, if you're ever in Norwalk, CT, be sure to visit Select Guitars. The staff is quite helpful, their merchandise is top notch, and their Peavey guitars are inexpensive.
Where would you like me to begin? First, the neck is incredibly thin, which, in case you didn't know, is good for fast playing and fretboard pyrotechnics. Speaking of the fretboard, fret access on this guitar is easier than on a Stratocaster. This guitar has a humbucker in the bridge position, which produces riffs that sound good beyond words. The headstock looks cool, resembling the Strat's peghead, but with an 'arrowhead' shape instead of a circle. The upper cutaway is longer than the Strat's, which looks much cooler than it does on the Strat. Fender employees, take that as a hint. The tremolo sounds much better than the Strat's, and sounds remarkably like an original Floyd Rose unit. Basically, anything the Strat can do, the Raptor can do better
...and the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, the tremolo is unstable-if you 'divebomb' like Eddie Van Halen, you'll need to retune as soon as possible. Also, the shiny finish is so reflective, it's prone to smudging at the slightest touch (if you don't like smearing your fingerprints all over your instrument, you'll need to polish this guitar almost constantly). However, similar problems plague the Strat, so this problem isn't that big a deal.
Picture a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge position, a slightly different headstock design, a shiny-looking sunburst finish, only one tone control, a longer upper cutaway, a more rounded pickguard, and a different, more versatile, sound, like nothing you've ever heard. When I bought the Peavey, it was absolute mint condition. It looked like it had never been touched without rubber gloves or the like. Whereas this design may have been merely an echo of Leo Fender's original design, the Peavey corporation has done here what Fender failed to do.
To make a long story short, whether pop, metal, rock, country, or any other sound for that matter, is what you crave, the Peavey Raptor Plus EXP will give you any sound you can think of (and some that you couldn't). On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, the Peavey scores a twelve in my book!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com
Where would you like me to begin? First, the neck is incredibly thin, which, in case you didn't know, is good for fast playing and fretboard pyrotechnics. Speaking of the fretboard, fret access on this guitar is easier than on a Stratocaster. This guitar has a humbucker in the bridge position, which produces riffs that sound good beyond words. The headstock looks cool, resembling the Strat's peghead, but with an 'arrowhead' shape instead of a circle. The upper cutaway is longer than the Strat's, which looks much cooler than it does on the Strat. Fender employees, take that as a hint. The tremolo sounds much better than the Strat's, and sounds remarkably like an original Floyd Rose unit. Basically, anything the Strat can do, the Raptor can do better
...and the list goes on and on.
Unfortunately, the tremolo is unstable-if you 'divebomb' like Eddie Van Halen, you'll need to retune as soon as possible. Also, the shiny finish is so reflective, it's prone to smudging at the slightest touch (if you don't like smearing your fingerprints all over your instrument, you'll need to polish this guitar almost constantly). However, similar problems plague the Strat, so this problem isn't that big a deal.
Picture a Strat with a humbucker in the bridge position, a slightly different headstock design, a shiny-looking sunburst finish, only one tone control, a longer upper cutaway, a more rounded pickguard, and a different, more versatile, sound, like nothing you've ever heard. When I bought the Peavey, it was absolute mint condition. It looked like it had never been touched without rubber gloves or the like. Whereas this design may have been merely an echo of Leo Fender's original design, the Peavey corporation has done here what Fender failed to do.
To make a long story short, whether pop, metal, rock, country, or any other sound for that matter, is what you crave, the Peavey Raptor Plus EXP will give you any sound you can think of (and some that you couldn't). On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the best, the Peavey scores a twelve in my book!
This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com