Hell Guitar No.2 - New Guitar Day

[Robert]

I am excited to tell you I have a Hell Guitar (http://www.hellguitars.com) No.2!

This all came about after I met Syo at NAMM in January. After he told me about what he's trying to do, I felt I wanted to try and help in some way. He sent me a guitar and I just received it 3 days ago. The truth is I have been playing it non-stop ever since.

So, how is the guitar in general? Well, I must say I am surprised. I knew he didn't work for Fender Custom Shop for 20 years before he started this endeavor, so to be honest, I just expected maybe an "okay" guitar. Well, it turns out it is so much more than that.

The sound of this Tele-style guitar makes me smile. It sounds extremely good. I took it to band practice and they guys said the same thing. I demoed it for a student, comparing with a Squier, and same reaction.

Here is a short high gain clip I recorded last night with this guitar and the loops in Logic for bass and drums. I used Pod Farm 2 for the guitar tones - the lead guitar is a variac'd Plexi with a Rat pedal.

-> http://www.box.net/shared/static/slpyq5i5at.mp3

Here is a short clip where I miced my Mack Heatseeker (http://www.mackamps.com/products-Heatseeker-HS18/) - no pedals used, just a bit of reverb added in Logic.
-> http://www.box.net/shared/static/u5dd25iq9h.mp3

Photos here - https://picasaweb.google.com/DolphinstreetGuitar/HellGuitar?pli=1&gsessionid=Mzcdgzk8bWv8g7BYbKkGqw#

All 3 positions sound very good, and the bridge pickup is fat but not harsh. I think what I am still amazed by is the clarity of each note as you play chords. It just rings in a way few of my other guitars can do. I still don't understand how and why. It's very exciting for me to play it.

It's easy to play, has a fairly flat neck with frets that look like they received a lot of tender attention.

Syo is on to something fantastic here, as far as I am concerned. If the other models are as good as this one, then I think it would be a crime if this guitar business doesn't take off for him.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPC3CplRWTE

[Katastrophe]

You lucky dog! Please post pics!

[duhvoodooman]

Until you post photos, we'll assume that you're just making this all up, RR.... :poke

[Monkus]

Syo is a guitfiddlebuilder????!!! Please post the thread that I missed....:thwap

[MAXIFUNK]

Sweet way to go syo!!!!!!!

[FrankenFretter]

Very cool, Robert. But, as DVM says, at this point it is just a theoretical guitar. Pics, or it didn't happen! ;)

[Spudman]

Ya, pictures or it's a Squier.:poke

[kidsmoke]

Robert, Robert, Robert.....
Frankly, I'm shocked, and disappointed.

http://i93.photobucket.com/albums/l58/tiokimo/ThisThreadIsWorthless.jpg

[Robert]

As soon as I locate the battery for my camera, I'll have you believe! BELIEVE!

[tjcurtin1]

Now yer talkin! Wait till Robert gets some vids out there, Syo....

[marnold]

Or perhaps Syo should send No. 3 to, say, the clergyman of his choice to atone for calling the line "Hell." I hear tell he's going to have "ck" stickers to put over the double-hockey-sticks :)

Of course, he most assuredly would not want me to post clips. My abject lack of mad skillz would kill off the line before it got off the ground!

[bcdon]

You lucky dog! I can't wait to get my hands on one of those famous Hell guilars! :dude

[syo]

Or perhaps Syo should send No. 3 to, say, the clergyman of his choice to atone for calling the line "Hell." I hear tell he's going to have "ck" stickers to put over the double-hockey-sticks :)

Actually Reverend, I joked in the past about offering a mod kit which includes a decal of the letter "o". Turn your, oh too edgy, "Hell" into a friendlier "Hello". Considering the size of the worship market, maybe I should...
Regarding "Hell"... We do not support, endorse or otherwise condone the activities of The Prince of Darkness, his minions or affiliates. Our first choice was actually "Reverend" however Joe Naylor beat us to it. :D


I did ask my nephew, who is in a fast rising Christian band, if he would take a free guitar for a little promotion in return. He said "uhhh...maybe"... Maybe?! To a free guitar?!! Must say, I don't understand the youth of today. Actually he's a talented (if overly principled) fellow. He's a multi-instrumentalist and I believe he recorded, mixed and engineered their latest some of which you can listen to here:
http://www.myspace.com/mydoublemybrother
(End of shameless uncle plug)

[mrmudcat]

Pics please ya killing me down here big chief..............(Did I just say that):thwap

Must be the pups!!!

[Robert]

It's a Hell of a guitar, boys... video coming soon.

Just to prove it's in my custody, here's my famous veins on display as proof.

I haven't found my battery for my camera, so I used my iPhone (excuse the shoddy quality).

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kmpRYJWvkw0/TahOvwpZpKI/AAAAAAAACwk/crrQcPgrETE/s576/IMG_0102.JPGhttps://lh3.googleusercontent.com/_kmpRYJWvkw0/TahOwGFSh6I/AAAAAAAACwo/YGHoUSpRqos/s576/IMG_0103.JPGhttps://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kmpRYJWvkw0/TahOwlZqrRI/AAAAAAAACws/CFpKvyUfCIE/s576/IMG_0104.JPG

[Spudman]

Cool. I like it when Tele style guitars make it possible to adjust the neck pickup height without taking the guitar apart.

So where do we get these Hell guitars?

[Robert]

Video demo available!


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPC3CplRWTE

[Spudman]

Unfair. Your Marshall, and you, make every guitar sound great.

Okay, I'm in. What's the neck radius? Body wood?

[Robert]

I'll let Syo answer any technical questions that come up... he knows his guitars better than I do!

[kidsmoke]

Nice. Man o Man...dreams coming to fruition. very cool stuff.
Forget a Fender Highway One, the tele void may have just been filled.
Can't wait for these to actually get rolled out.

[Eric]

Looks pretty cool, Bobbo. I'll be interested to see how everyone likes them. Seems like Syo will have a bunch of pending orders pretty soon.

[Tig]

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/_kmpRYJWvkw0/TahOvwpZpKI/AAAAAAAACwk/crrQcPgrETE/s576/IMG_0102.JPG

Mandatory veins shot! :poke

Sounds beautiful, especially in Robert's hands.
Nice design, shape and features, Syo. Different enough to not be yet another T copy, yet familier enough to still have a big following (from peep's like me).

[kidsmoke]

Nice design, shape and features, Syo. Different enough to not be yet another T copy, yet familier enough to still have a big following (from peep's like me).

My thoughts precisely

[bcdon]

Great video, Robert! I'm really looking forward to seeing your next video when you add a little gain. :dude

[bcdon]

Syo is a guitfiddlebuilder????!!! Please post the thread that I missed....:thwap

You've been missing out, my friend! http://www.thefret.net/showthread.php/12941-Hell-Guitars

[MAXIFUNK]

Man after seeing the video 3 things come to mind:

1. Robert I would love to be a bass player in your band.
2. I want Robert to be my guitar teacher.
3. SYO, did his homework big time and came up with a very very good product. I hope it works out for him.

[Jimi75]

Very twangy gitah sound and man did you look satisfied when playing. Robert, this guitar is like made for you. I hope some of the Hell guitars will find their way also to Germany, so I can check them out and eventually buy one :-)

[deeaa]

... We do not support, endorse or otherwise condone the activities of The Prince of Darkness, his minions or affiliates.


Waat? You don't? Then I shall have nothing to do with your products! ;-)

[Robert]

Thanks guys. Yeah, I really like this guitar and I can't hide that feeling. :)

Here is a short high gain clip I recorded last night with this guitar and the loops in Logic for bass and drums. I used Pod Farm 2 for the guitar tones - the lead guitar is a variac'd Plexi with a Rat pedal.

-> http://www.box.net/shared/static/slpyq5i5at.mp3

Here is a short clip where I miced my Mack Heatseeker (http://www.mackamps.com/products-Heatseeker-HS18/) - no pedals used, just a bit of reverb added in Logic.
-> http://www.box.net/shared/static/u5dd25iq9h.mp3

[syo]

Waat? You don't? Then I shall have nothing to do with your products! ;-)

:rollover

Yes Dee, well both ends of the issue are sure to be disappointed. The Christian right will be put off by the satanic overtones that come with the name and the Black/Death Metal contingient will be disappointed to learn that I don't wear inverted crosses and flash devil horns in the office (I do wear black sometimes, but only cuz it makes me look slimmer...). I don't wish to offend anyone but I also won't pander to a particular group. All are welcome but hardly expected. This started out as a creative endeavour that is turning into a business but I value the creative part most. Hopefully, in the end people will see the brand as just a name, like Coca-Cola. ...Wait a minute...That was named after cocaine! AARRRRRGHHH...! :D

By the way, I have to say how honored and happy I am that Robert has been waving the Hell flag a bit for me. When we met at NAMM Robert said he would be happy to try out one of my guitars. He did say that if he didn't like it, he wouldn't do a review of it, which was fine by me as I didn't want our first review to be a bad one. Although I have gotten some good feedback from some players here in Japan, I was a bit apprehensive when I sent the guitar to Robert wondering if he would take to it or not.

Thanks so much Robert, for your support. After 2 years of developing these guitars, it is so gratifying to get such a positive reaction.

[Robert]

Well, Syo, I am enjoying playing the No.2 very much. You are onto something good here, and I'm only happy to help out in any way I can. I would never say a guitar is good if I didn't really think so. The gear I have tried over the years that I don't like, I leave out in my reviews and demos, because that seems most fair to everyone. If a product hardly has any one talking good about it, I think people can figure out why...

[marnold]

Brilliant marketing idea: call your guitar cases "handbaskets."

[Tig]

Brilliant marketing idea: call your guitar cases "handbaskets."

:applause

Reminds me of a line (forgot who said it),
"Where are we going, and what are we doing in this handbasket?"

[deeaa]

That's a basket case idea! :-)

[syo]

Brilliant marketing idea: call your guitar cases "handbaskets."

Terrific, Reverend! Perhaps you would be interested in joining the Hell Guitars team? You can be responsible to sales to the Worship market.
I'll tithe 10% of whatever is sold to the church of your choice. Which I think would be yours. :D

It's funny. The "Hell" name almost forces people to think of brimstone and eternal torment while, to me, it is all about Peace, Love and Understanding. This is actually the most fun and challenging part of this endeavour to me. To make a name like Hell Guitars mainstream. Like Virgin Records. I remember when they came out, some, especially in the US had a problem with the name. Now they fly on their airplanes.

Perhaps I should market them in a Daisy Rock theme to soften things up... :dude

[marnold]

It's funny. The "Hell" name almost forces people to think of brimstone and eternal torment while, to me, it is all about Peace, Love and Understanding.

I just pretend you're German and that you are advertising that all of your guitars are light-colored.

[tjcurtin1]

Wow! What great - and wildly different - sounds in those two clips, Robert! Nice work, SYO - sounds like you got a good thing going - congrats again.