Edwards E-AL-128 Scythe

Edwards is an offshoot of ESP guitars. They are a Japan only maker and their guitars fall inbetween ESP and LTD models. They are mostly assembled in China then finished off in Japan. This model is pretty much identical to the ESP model. It is the Edwards version of the Alexi Laiho signature ESP guitar. It is white with the double black pinstripes down the side. It has an alder body in the offset V shape. It has a maple neck with neck through construction and an ebony fretboard. The fretboard has 24 jumbo frets with the cool Scythe inlays that carry on the Bodom theme. It has a locking nut up top and a Gotoh Floyd Rose down at the bottom. The electronics are sadly typical too. It has a single passive EMG H4 pickup with a single volume control. The fit and finish on these Edwards guitars are typically good since all the final finishing is done in Japan.

UTILIZATION

The offset V shape usually lends itself to good upper fret access but since the V shape on this guitar is so broad they had to add an extra cutaway for you to reach the upper frets on the smooth ebony fretboard. The shape balances well and makes itself very comfortable when you play it. The back of the neck is unfinished so it feels nice like a bolt on guitar but since it is neck through it has no heel. This no heel helps a bit because the upper frets are kind of hard to reach.

SOUNDS

The pickup is the weakest part of any Alexi Laiho guitar. I think his ears are broken or something because he uses the EMG HZ passive pickups. This is supposedly the passive version of the EMG 81 but it has none of the balls the 81 has. Its just a little fuzz box in your guitar. He might like this since he uses a ton of high end in his sound but for everyone else it sounds like junk. These are the same pickups you get in like 200 dollar budget ESP guitars and Epiphone Zakk Wylde models. These are not the kind of pickups that should come in a big signature model.

OVERALL OPINION

ESP makes guitars with the same shape but come with 2 active EMG pickups that sound great. If you are just looking for the cool Alexi shape I would recommend getting one of those SV models. With this guitar you are sacrificing sound for having Alexis name on the guitar and I dont think it is worth it. This is an Edwards model that they should have not copied so exactly.

BODY : Alder
Made in Japan. Edwards electric based off the alexi laiho V.

NECK : Hard Maple 3P
FINGERBOARD : Ebony, 24frets w/White Binding
INLAY : Scythe
SCALE : 25.5 inch (648mm)
NUT (width) : Lock Nut (42mm/R2)
JOINT : Neck-thru-body
TUNER : GOTOH SG360-07
BRIDGE : Floyd Rose (FRT-1000)
PICKUPS : EMG HZ-H4
CONTROL : Volume
COLOR : White with Black Pin Stripe


UTILIZATION

Flying Vs are an acquired taste. They look great on stage but can be difficult to some players to play when sitting down. You have to have it at the 'classical' position to get anywhere with it, which some players just simply can't get used to doing all the time. Though aside from that, the rest of the guitar is great.

The 24 frets are easily accessible with the neck through construction. The trem is a high quality original floyd rose and I've even noticed that the floyd route is deeper than most, allowing you to pull up VERY high. I've been able to get it to pull up about 2 whole tones! Even most Charvels or Jackson floyd routes aren't so deep! I know, I've owned a few jackson RRs.

Otherwise it's easy to use, one pickup one volume. No fuss. Very clean look.

SOUNDS

The sound itself is the biggest downfall. I never really understood how alexi put up with a pickup like this. It doesn't sound good to me at all. The EMG HZ has got to be one of the worst guitar pickups in its series. It's a passive 'version' of the EMG 81 supposedly but sounds nothing like it of course. It's shrill and fuzzy, doesn't have a good clean and isn't high gain on it's own without a boost pedal or a very high gain setting on your amp.

For a guitar with one pickup, I figure it should be a versatile pickup. This one is not. I tried my best to put up with it before changing it, I did everything I can and plugged it in through many different amps, boosted it etc etc and was almost never happy with the sound. I know this is a straight forward metal guitar and I dig that, but the pickup needs to be changed in order to get any decent metal sounds. This pickup just sounds as bad as a stock pickup on a $200 guitar.

OVERALL OPINION

Good metal guitar but it needs a better pickup! Even if it is a straight forward, one trick pony it should do that trick REALLY WELL. In which case it does not with this pickup. I've changed it out a few times and experimented with a handful of different pickups over the span of a few months and decided to restore it back to original specs and restore it. It's alexi laiho's guitar and that's the pickup that he used at the time so it is of somewhat, significant importance to keep the model stock.

Anyhow, minus the pickup change the guitar is great! Edwards guitars have always been amazing, the fretwork is great, the necks are great! I actually prefer them over ESP simply because they don't have the hugely annoying ESP logo at the 12th fret of EVERY MODEL. I figure, any guitar I pay over a grand for, I don't want anymore advertisements on the friggin thing except the headstock.

So unfortunately, I want to say that the guitar is awesome. And it really is, but you need to change the pickup. Which, in my opinion is fine if the guitar was under $500. but it's not, new, it's just over a grand, and for that price one should get a guitar that is ready to go and sounds great from the beginning without needing to change pickups. So this opinion has been judged on this review as so.

Made in Japan by the makers of the series standard ESP, we have a guitar of the same quality as a standard Eclipse or Horizon. Handle thin u like all ESP, 24 frets, EMG-HZ a micro-H4, a Floyd Rose 1000 series, one volume.

The side of the wood was painted through a maple neck, an ebony fingerboard and an alder body

UTILIZATION

The handle is a highway, access to acute nickel is more than thanks to the cutaway. The guitar does not involve looking up (a rare enough to be stressed V) and is sold as standard with Schaller Straplock. Involved sitting is like any other V, once you have found the position is good!

No scratches with this complication, one branch, you turn the volume we play!

SOUNDS

This guitar comprising a micro-EMG HZ-H4 in the bridge position, it is not at all versatile and can do nothing other than metal. And it necessarily obvious she excels in this area, with a sound that is clear, sharp, but still low, and finally a small round.

Played on Line6 SpiderValve 112, it's all good!

We know why you buy the scratch, so the coup no surprises in sound, even if an EMG 81 would have been welcome

OVERALL OPINION

I use it since I received it in October (because of problems in Japan, Thomann has been extremely late). Before buying, I tried an ESP SV, which is exactly the same for € 700 less, just a microphone and less! I absolutely love her look, her sound, and playability!

With experience, I would do this choice of ESP that I was still not disappointed!