GASing hard for a Reverend Charger HB

[JagFan]

I know there's a thread on the go about the 290 model but rather than hijack that I thought I'd start a topic specifically regarding the humbucker model.

I currently play an MIJ Jaguar (with amazing Creamery Alt88 pickups) in my band which covers me for pop and more alternative songs. We also play Kings of Leon, Foo Fighters etc covers and I'm missing that humbucker sound. I love an offset guitar and have only heard amazing things about Reverends in general.

They're difficult to get hold of/ try over here in the UK so I was wondering if anyone here had experience of the Charger HB? What (more well known) guitar would you compare it to? What's the neck like?

Thanks!

 

[strumnhum]

A dealer near me carries Reverend. While I didn't try out a Charger HB, I did play a Double Agent. Very well made and sounding guitar. I'm terrible at describing necks, but was comfortable to me-not baseball bat but not skinny either. Perhaps someone at the Reverend forum could offer more insight and a more accurate description: http://forum.reverendguitars.com/forums.html Then there's always Youtube for examples (realize it's not the best, but better than nothing). Don't think you could go wrong with a Reverend, but that's just one person's opinion.

 

[JagFan]

A dealer near me carries Reverend. While I didn't try out a Charger HB, I did play a Double Agent. Very well made and sounding guitar. I'm terrible at describing necks, but was comfortable to me-not baseball bat but not skinny either. Perhaps someone at the Reverend forum could offer more insight and a more accurate description: http://forum.reverendguitars.com/forums.html Then there's always Youtube for examples (realize it's not the best, but better than nothing). Don't think you could go wrong with a Reverend, but that's just one person's opinion.

Thanks very much The description of the neck really helps. I like what I suppose you could call "medium" necks which this sounds like it is.

I've had a look at youtube but there's surprisingly little on there of any quality. I hadn't spotted the Reverend forum though, I shall have a look this evening.

Thanks!

 

[LordByron]

+1 on the comments from @strumnhum. I've got a Double Agent (among several other Reverends) and it is a great guitar. The HB in the Bridge is very good, and with the Bass Contour control, it can go from full-throated HB territory to a more P-90 tone. Great tonal reach! I would echo that I consider the neck to be a mid-size neck. Definitely not baseball bat, not really skinny, but maybe slightly to the thinner side of midsize is my take.

These are really great guitars and they punch WAY above their weight class in terms of bang for your buck.

 

[Beakertwang]

The neck is called "medium oval". Thickness is in the .85"-.90" range. In my opinion, they have a bit more shoulder than a Fender C. I love them. All their necks are basically the same, so if you can get your hands on any Reverend bolt-on, you'll basically know what the neck feels like.

I like the Reverend HBs, and the bass contour gives you a lot of tonal options.

 

[JagFan]

Thanks guys. That's really useful information.

Sounds like the neck will be right up my street (as long as I can get used to the 12" radius as opposed to my 7.25" Jag)

From what I can find online the humbuckers are voiced relatively bright even without the Bass Contour. Does anyone who has had experience of the Reverend HBs agree with that? I think it would be a good thing for me as I'm definitely a single-coil guy at heart and find most humbuckers to lack too much clarity for my taste.

 

[sanrico]

I had a Jetstream HB. I really liked the guitar. It was very comfortable, although a bit heavy. My only nit-pick was that I found the pickups to be lacking clarity. They were a little muddy for my taste. I sold the guitar, but should have replaced the pickups.

 

[JagFan]

I had a Jetstream HB. I really liked the guitar. It was very comfortable, although a bit heavy. My only nit-pick was that I found the pickups to be lacking clarity. They were a little muddy for my taste. I sold the guitar, but should have replaced the pickups.

That's interesting. I'd rather not replace the pickups in a brand new guitar but it may make it worth it if the playability is good enough.

Out of curiosity, what amp were you playing through when you found them to be muddy?

 

[Help!I'maRock!]

Dial back the muddiness in the humbuckers with the bass contour. It works very well.

 

[Jonny G]

Dont know where you are in the UK but there's a place in Oxfordshire that carries Reverends - generally has a pretty good range in and has a charger 290 in stock right now - see below. I went there last year, tried a bunch, including a Charger and ended up with a Manta Ray 290. Didnt try their humbuckers as my LP deals with that and i was looking for P90 guitars. Reverends are certainly interesting. My honey moon is now over and fair to say that Ive probably decided its not for me due to the neck being too thick and the action a bit too high (maybe a general semi acoustic thing) for my tastes. I frankly find it harder to play than my LP, strat or tele (all with relatively slim necks and very low action). You may have different preferences so definitley need to try them out.

For what its worth , i did try a charger and think the neck might have been a bit thinner than the Manta Ray - personally I didnt like the zero fret on it which i kept catching my fretting hand with but YMMV.

On the plus side, i can confirm they are very nicely made and finished for the price, the P90s are excellent and the BCC control is nothing short of brilliant - particulalry with P90's, though suspect you'll get a similar "light single coid" to "full fat humbucker" tone range as well.

Good luck with it

https://www.vintageandmodernguitars.co.uk/product/reverend-charger-290-tobacco-sunburst/

 

[c_mac]

Dont know where you are in the UK but there's a place in Oxfordshire that carries Reverends - generally has a pretty good range in and has a charger 290 in stock right now - see below. I went there last year, tried a bunch, including a Charger and ended up with a Manta Ray 290. Didnt try their humbuckers as my LP deals with that and i was looking for P90 guitars. Reverends are certainly interesting. My honey moon is now over and fair to say that Ive probably decided its not for me due to the neck being too thick and the action a bit too high (maybe a general semi acoustic thing) for my tastes. I frankly find it harder to play than my LP, strat or tele (all with relatively slim necks and very low action). You may have different preferences so definitley need to try them out.

For what its worth , i did try a charger and think the neck might have been a bit thinner than the Manta Ray - personally I didnt like the zero fret on it which i kept catching my fretting hand with but YMMV.

On the plus side, i can confirm they are very nicely made and finished for the price, the P90s are excellent and the BCC control is nothing short of brilliant - particulalry with P90's, though suspect you'll get a similar "light single coid" to "full fat humbucker" tone range as well.

Good luck with it

https://www.vintageandmodernguitars.co.uk/product/reverend-charger-290-tobacco-sunburst/

Reverends have never been made with zero frets.

 

[mdrake34]

Sounds like the consensus is Rev HB's are a bit muddy, while the p90's are great.

 

[Multicellular]

I had a Jetstream HB. I really liked the guitar. It was very comfortable, although a bit heavy. My only nit-pick was that I found the pickups to be lacking clarity. They were a little muddy for my taste. I sold the guitar, but should have replaced the pickups.

I wouldn't call the pickups particularly muddy for humbuckers, (or maybe it would be as good to say, there are many stock Gibsons, Fenders, Epis, etc. that are worse in that regard) but I have to chime in to say how much I love the Reverend models with the Railhammers. e.g. a Kingbolt RA.

They really do what they say they do with the lows not being muddy and the highs having a lot of fullness. They are the most perfectly EQd pickups I've come across and I'm a total slut for swapping pickups.

Almost everything here is a Reverend Sensei. http://foglings.bandcamp.com

However, if you say you've usually been a single coil guy, but need something beefier like a humbucker, the Reverend p90s are quite a bit more like HBs than typical p90s. Higher output, lots of lows. You more or less need to roll off the bass knob to get into more expected p90 territory. Which works fine for me. I have the Warhawk 390 as well and it may be my most versatile guitar.

 

[Jonny G]

Reverends have never been made with zero frets.

Correction the nut - its just positioned a little oddly - where you may find a zero fret on guitars with that kind of thing. My bad

 

[sanrico]

That's interesting. I'd rather not replace the pickups in a brand new guitar but it may make it worth it if the playability is good enough.

Out of curiosity, what amp were you playing through when you found them to be muddy?

DRRI.

Results may vary. I am a stickler for clarity in pickups.

 

[shakeshakeshake]

I have a Double Agent OG, I bought it without trying it (mail order). I like it a lot, one of the better over the internet guitar purchases I've made.
I'd describe the neck kind of skinny/medium C I guess. I believe reverend says they describe them as 'medium C.' There is wood there but its not particularly chunky. It feels slim compared to my TVL Jazzmaster. It's a very comfortable neck, I do prefer kind of thicker necks but this is ok. Other stuff I like: frets, large, no sharpness, well done. Bass contour- more useful than a normal tone control to me. Graphite nut and locking tuners- this guitar is very stable in tuning with the Bigsby I added. Stock P90 is very nice. Over all everything seems to be made with a high degree of quality, more so than some other guitars I've had in that price range. Only thing I did not like was the stock bridge humbucker. It was very honky and midrange heavy. It sounded like I was playing through a cocked wah all the time with it. I swapped out the P90 and humbucker for some GFS ones, the surf 90 is still in it, I've since put the stock P90 back in.

 

[geodr]

I like the design of the older ones with the BCC control down next to the volume and tone