Blade Guitars RH-2 Classic

A (slightly) more stripped-down version of the gorgeous RH-4 Classic, this beautiful guitar can absolutely hold its own. It has:

* A swamp ash body

* A hard rock maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard and 22 jumbo frets

* Blade locking tuners and FT-3 tremolo with roller saddles and a graphite nut

* Two Blade VS-1 single coils and a Blade LH-55 humbucker

* One volume and one tone control, the latter with a push - push split for the humbucker

* VSC active preamp with boost control for high, mid and low, controlled with a mini switch

* A black, 3 ply pickguard

My RH-2 has a beautiful "Misty Violet" finish that turned out to be darker than I thought. It looks really classy, giving a hint of the body's beautiful grain.

The H-S-S configuration (combined with the splittable humbucker) gives a lot of versatility, and with the VSC on top of that, any tone is possible!!!

For those familiar with the Texas - series, the RH-2s neck is slightly bigger, and with a slightly more satined feel. Personally I find it extremely comfortable! All neck adjustments are easy with the E-Z Access system. The string tree (tension guide) is also adjustable.

The tremolo works very well! It's basically an upgraded vintage-style tremolo, obviously not satisfying for die-hard Steve Vai fans, but if you want a vintage feel but would like to still keep your guitar in tune, this should be perfect!

Basically, this is a de luxe S-type guitar, all upgrades are based on functionality. Metal/ shred players will probably not fall in love with it (but give it a try if you can!), but for anyone else it's a must-try!

Without the VSC, it sounds great! The clean tones are just ... beautiful! Classic S - sounds just rolls out of the guitar, and the humbucker (sounding a lot like a PAF) and the split function makes it extremely versatile. This is probably the best sounding "modern" S-type guitar that I've ever tried! The only thing it doesn't do 100% well is standard hollowbody jazz sounds and all-out metal.

With the VSC, it's hard to imagine what this guitar CAN'T sound like! Need to do a Benson like solo? No problem! Want to sound like Jimmy Page? Go right ahead! Need more highs? Couldn't be easier! Need some tele sounds? Your wish is granted! Who needs a Variax? Of course, a bolt-on guitar with a swamp ash body can't sound 100% like a set-neck mahogany body guitar, but the RH-2 can definitely get you in the right ballpark! And of course, if you already have some noise from your computer screen, lights or whatever, the VSC will most likely boost it.

But if you can't make this guitar work for you, you should definitely get your hearing checked ;-)

The guitar played nicely right out of the box! Intonation and action was perfect, and the neck is just wonderful to play! Finish is flawless, everything works as it should. Nothing to complain about here, I could have played it live the same day I received it!

Everything seems nice and solid, time will tell of course, but I have nothing to complain about so far.

The guys at Blade guitars in Switzerland are great! Friendly, helpful, and with a good knowledge of what they're doing, and most important: They take their clients seriously! I've got nothing but the best things to say about them!

I'm 35, and I've been playing since I was twelve. I own/ have owned Fenders, Gibsons, Ibanez, Charvels, B.C. Rich, Michael Kelly and Yamaha guitars. Some of the marks probably gives away the fact that I started in the mid - eighties... and yes, I've had long hair, but not any more ;-) I work as a full time guitar teacher, I've played in several bands, and I've also worked a bit as a stage technician and a guitar salesman. I'm not an expert, but I dare say I know my stuff. I've got another Blade, a Texas Standard Pro, with Blade VS-3 noiseless pickups that sounds and works fantastic! So when I decided that I needed a more "modern" S - type guitar, the choice was easy!

What's important for me is versatility, and here the Blades are fantastic! The necks are also lovely, so for the moment all of my other guitars are just collecting dust. Adding the fact that they look great (even if they had to change the headstock design) I've got everything I need in my two Blades!

I first heard about Blade during the late eighties, but at that time I was more interested in double locking shred machines, so I just noticed that they received great reviews, but I never thought of them as something I should buy. Now, two decades later, Blade has become my favorite mark! The quality is great, the price is very nice, they look good and give you endless possibilities! I recommend everyone to check out Blade guitars!