Issue 66 on sale now
Electro Acoustics
A carbon composite guitar – with no heel join? Surely it must appeal to only very acquired tastes? Or is it, in fact, more accessible?
The GX model is the most popular in the range of new composite acoustics produced by the self-titled company now distributed here in the UK by Peavey. There are several variations on the theme offered, and the radical design concepts and highly engineered form factor make for a huge departure from traditional methods; but what we want to know is, is it any good? What does it feel and sound like, and does this black bombshell have any other secret weapons up its sleeve? One is the claim that it has a lower carbon footprint in its production than a wooden guitar...
Build Quality
This guitar is indisputably well made and very well represented, and the ‘HG’ denotes a high-gloss finish. The wow factor which leaps out at me is the highly innovative heelless neck join, and how comfortable this feels, despite looking so unconventional. It really is very cool indeed. Even though there is no material here where you would expect a conventional wooden instrument to have its heel block, you don’t find yourself compromised in either poise with the guitar or in playing up and down the reinforced polymer fretboard. Quite the opposite is true – it’s particularly brilliant for access to the high frets and perhaps the ultimate design solution to achieve this goal. It could perhaps benefit a little further if the action were lowered a fractional amount. The C-profiled neck itself flows into the body at the 14th fret and is available in two widths: both 1.75” at the nut and 1.69” as a narrow-neck-feel option. This one on review is the first version and runs at a 25.5” scale length and 14” radius and is superbly playable, even if the bridge pins do sit a little proud.
All the proportions of the GX body shape, headstock and carbon-fibre bridge look completely balanced and well thought out, and this includes the very tasteful abalone inlaid soundhole detail and headstock and body binding effect. This effect has been cleverly produced by leaving the edges uncovered and contrasted with a black headstock plate (which has been sprayed on), thus revealing its attractively woven pattern. The same technique has been used to create the body binding and burst effect on the sound table. The whole neck and body have been made from one rigid piece of composite, and as such, no truss rod is required thanks to this rigidity. Goodbye neck relief problems once and for all.
The internal bracing is similarly made from lightweight carbon fibre, also contributing to incredible strength and light construction for maximum volume and structural integrity, and it works well for the volume from this bespoke acoustically tailored composite material.
Sound Quality
It has to be said that the sound of the guitar is typical of carbon fibre. Although it sounds like an obvious thing to say, carbon composites often have a tone of their own which acoustically is quite mellow, smooth and a little lacking in vibrancy and top-end detail. For this reason this guitar has been equipped sensibly with phosphor bronze strings and an LR Baggs iMix pickup system to enhance the treble definition, and this does work a little as far as the strings go, but much more so when plugged in.
Acoustically, the bass response is quite full and has a good tightness to it, and overall there is a real overriding quality of very compressed and subdued dynamics. This in its own right could be very well suited to some studio recording situations if you were to get your primary tones from mic’ing up the GX. If, however, you are looking for the complexity of mahogany or plum richness of Brazilian rosewood, then this is not the guitar for you. Having said that, because of the compressed tonal nature of this guitar it lends itself to hard and aggressively punctuated rhythm attack very well, and perhaps this matches its more heavy metal looks and rock nature with suitable synergy. This aspect of playing the guitar is immense fun and encourages more bounce in your attack, palm-muting and reverb-deadening playing, but it’s also great fun to play because of the excellent neck profile. There are harmonics to be enjoyed too, but more from playing them directly rather than saturated within chord work. Amplified, you enter the other side of the guitar’s personality and awaken the treble with the I-Beam. When blended in, this transforms the somewhat flattish piezo sound with prescribed top-end clarity, and as you boost the bass and treble sliders more, so you will likely need to use the phase switch to kill feedback, and this works with Eurofighter-like precision. The Baggs works well to embellish the carbon characteristics and does as much as is probably possible to round out its sonic spectrum. If you are an avid fingerpicker you may find you only really play this plugged in, and yet there is a compelling momentum to the carbon tone quality which makes you tighten up your clawing and technique in a disciplined way.
Conclusion
This is a very consistent and tolerant guitar which plays well and is incredibly low maintenance. It may not make you think on first play that it’s the holy grail of all tone, but it is stable, reliable and dependably will be so in many years from now. You won’t have to worry about leaving it in your car boot in summer or out in the conservatory in winter (do watch out for condensation, though), and you can even take it on holiday – on safari or to the Namib or out on your yacht – and know that what you see is what you get: something that will not readily be subject to variations in climate and humidity. It is superb fun to play, with perfect upper-fret access, and it looks a million dollars. Out in the field this guitar will take some serious beating. Try it.
Russell Welton
Share this post
