Ch0jin
February 29th, 2012, 03:47 AM
It was inevitable really.
So after spending time following the Hell guilars (sic) thread and hearing great reviews from a few of you guys, I kinda knew I was going to buy one quite a while back. I'd had my eye on the Bender, but had also been thinking a lot about getting a nice "strat style" guitar for a while (I have an '80's MiK Squier but it's just horrible.) I took a second look at the ZeroDot, and it really ticked a whole lot of boxes for me. It was different enough in every way, from type of woods to bolt on neck, to my Matons that I figured it warranted adding to my small collection. It had a number of things I desired in guitar too. A decent bridge humbucker, locking tuners, unfinished (if that's the term) neck and most importantly (OK well not MOST importantly, but up there), it had to have a story. I wanted something a little different. So 'tick tick boom' as the Hives would say.
So I got in touch with SYO, and after a couple of questions, I was ready to rock. I know the other guys who have dealt with him have already said it, but he's a really nice guy to deal with. Absolutely 10/10 for customer service.
In a matter of days a little piece of Hell made it from Japan to Australia, and I've been hanging out with it for the last couple of nights.
Frankly, I'm impressed! I spend most of my time playing my Maton's that both retail up in the several thou range. I'm not suggesting I'm worthy of them, but by default, they're my benchmark. Well those and my $100 Squier.
My first impressions were great. I have the Ivory, and I really dig the colour. It's a fair bit creamier than it looks in some photo's, something I was delighted to see. Fit and finish are spot on, everything feels quality, more so than I was expecting for the price if I'm honest. It's nicely resonant unplugged and those Bare Knuckle pickups are pretty much perfect for me. The bridge is nice and hot and the single coils in the other two spots absolutely deliver as well.
The first thing I noticed playing it, was the neck. Compared to the painted necks on all my other guitars, the ZeroDot feels amazingly slick. I don't know why they don't leave the back of the necks unfinished on all guitars. Super slidey! The neck profile is a little different to what I'm used to, I think it's a little flatter/slimmer perhaps, and surprisingly, I can actually feel the difference between jumbo and medium frets, the ZeroDot equipped with the latter. Both those things I take as pluses. As I mentioned, I wanted something different to what I have.
Looking closely you can see how much thought SYO has put into these guitars. From the knobs, the tuners (which, by the way, are as good as, if not better, than my pricey Spurzels.) and the cool plate where the neck joins the body. It's like I've bought a guitar with all the best mods done for me! In fact so far, after a couple of days, the only thing I'd consider changing might be the pick guard. I'm not a huge tortoise fan. Don't get me wrong, it matches the Ivory body perfectly, but I have a bit of an idea up my sleeve.
So there you have it. My first Impressions of perhaps the first ZeroDot in the country. I'm sure I'll end up waxing lyrical about it again after I've had more time to play with it, but for now, what more can I say other than I'm completely happy with my new guitar!
Oh yeah.
Pics or it didn't happen right?
Here's a couple of cheesy happy snaps for yaz. (I know, that tweed case looks b*tchin' right?)
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/B&WZero_web.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/ZeroDot%20in%20red_web.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/hell%20zerodot_web.jpg
So after spending time following the Hell guilars (sic) thread and hearing great reviews from a few of you guys, I kinda knew I was going to buy one quite a while back. I'd had my eye on the Bender, but had also been thinking a lot about getting a nice "strat style" guitar for a while (I have an '80's MiK Squier but it's just horrible.) I took a second look at the ZeroDot, and it really ticked a whole lot of boxes for me. It was different enough in every way, from type of woods to bolt on neck, to my Matons that I figured it warranted adding to my small collection. It had a number of things I desired in guitar too. A decent bridge humbucker, locking tuners, unfinished (if that's the term) neck and most importantly (OK well not MOST importantly, but up there), it had to have a story. I wanted something a little different. So 'tick tick boom' as the Hives would say.
So I got in touch with SYO, and after a couple of questions, I was ready to rock. I know the other guys who have dealt with him have already said it, but he's a really nice guy to deal with. Absolutely 10/10 for customer service.
In a matter of days a little piece of Hell made it from Japan to Australia, and I've been hanging out with it for the last couple of nights.
Frankly, I'm impressed! I spend most of my time playing my Maton's that both retail up in the several thou range. I'm not suggesting I'm worthy of them, but by default, they're my benchmark. Well those and my $100 Squier.
My first impressions were great. I have the Ivory, and I really dig the colour. It's a fair bit creamier than it looks in some photo's, something I was delighted to see. Fit and finish are spot on, everything feels quality, more so than I was expecting for the price if I'm honest. It's nicely resonant unplugged and those Bare Knuckle pickups are pretty much perfect for me. The bridge is nice and hot and the single coils in the other two spots absolutely deliver as well.
The first thing I noticed playing it, was the neck. Compared to the painted necks on all my other guitars, the ZeroDot feels amazingly slick. I don't know why they don't leave the back of the necks unfinished on all guitars. Super slidey! The neck profile is a little different to what I'm used to, I think it's a little flatter/slimmer perhaps, and surprisingly, I can actually feel the difference between jumbo and medium frets, the ZeroDot equipped with the latter. Both those things I take as pluses. As I mentioned, I wanted something different to what I have.
Looking closely you can see how much thought SYO has put into these guitars. From the knobs, the tuners (which, by the way, are as good as, if not better, than my pricey Spurzels.) and the cool plate where the neck joins the body. It's like I've bought a guitar with all the best mods done for me! In fact so far, after a couple of days, the only thing I'd consider changing might be the pick guard. I'm not a huge tortoise fan. Don't get me wrong, it matches the Ivory body perfectly, but I have a bit of an idea up my sleeve.
So there you have it. My first Impressions of perhaps the first ZeroDot in the country. I'm sure I'll end up waxing lyrical about it again after I've had more time to play with it, but for now, what more can I say other than I'm completely happy with my new guitar!
Oh yeah.
Pics or it didn't happen right?
Here's a couple of cheesy happy snaps for yaz. (I know, that tweed case looks b*tchin' right?)
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/B&WZero_web.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/ZeroDot%20in%20red_web.jpg
http://members.iinet.net.au/~ch0jin/stuff/hell%20zerodot_web.jpg