Blade Guitars RH-4 Classic

The features can be found on the Blade website. My RH-4 is misty violet and looks great. These guitars are made in Japan. Soft case included.

Very versatile superstrat. Don't expect to get real strat sounds because of the stacked humbuckers and the active electronics, it's got a sound of its own. Sounds are really great with the active electronics on, they are very powerful and cutting through. Treble+bass and mid boost give different sounds, all very usable. The Falcon tremolo is not that great for dive bombings, I don't use it.

Great, the guitar was ready to go out of the box.

Looks really solid like all strat designs. The paint seems a bit fragile but that gives a better sound (it's not thick).

Fantastic support, I mailed many times with the guys in Switzerland and always got an answer.

Great guitar for the price. I would consider this one instead of many others which cost twice as much but still need improvements. Maybe a more conventional tremolo would have been better, the falcon is too stiff. But the rest is great! I absolutely recommend it.

Bought in 2008, misty violet colour. 22 jumbo (wide and low) frets, ebony 12.5" fingerboard, Sperzel locking tuners, graphite nut, sen ash light and comfortable body, HSS (actually 3 HB's) configuration with split for the HB on the tone pot, 5 way switch for pickup selection. Active electronics (3 way switch), Falcon tremolo (which is pretty stiff and I don't use because of this; makes a great tone and sustain though when locked down).

Sounds great. The tonal variety is really big because of the active electronics and cuts through for live playing. Goes from Metallica to Randy Rhoads when distorted (bass+high or mid boost). Clean is very snappy when the bass+high boost is engaged. Sounds are not 100% strat but huge and very professional and solid. HB is great, good piece of work. Artificial harmonics jump out when needed. The 2 "single coils" are stacked HB's but sound very convincing. When the active electronics are not engaged the sound is a bit sterile, but I guess almost nobody is going to use this setting.

Almost 100% ok, but nothing is perfect. Do not believe people who say they bought a 100% perfect guitar, they don't exist. Action was very good, I only raised the pickups a bit, changed strings to D'Addario 009-042 (Elixir were on from factory), tightened the bridge a bit to always stay flush with the body. The frets and fretboard are very good, low action and smooth playing thanks to the 12.5" radius. Frets are wide and low, not like Ibanez jumbo frets which are way too high. Feels like a hot-rod vintage design with modern wide fretboard. Ebony fretboard is the most comfortable to play.

Feels reliable, components are top shelf, construction is very precise. Will last a long time, I hope.

Very very good. Support guys in Switzerland are very helpful and fast. Every question gets an answer. I mailed them a couple of times for technical details and got an answer the next day.

This guitar is a keeper. Not a 100% strat but it's not strat! The falcon tremolo makes a big sound but is not very smooth. When locked down (I use 3 springs) it's very stable and sounds very solid. With this guitar you will not go wrong. It's not cheap but is really worth it in terms of playability, comfort and sound. Tremolo could be better, but probably only a floyd rose is good enough for dive bombings and such. This bridge is very good for tone.
My advice is try one if these guitars and be surprised! A regular strat will feel very antique.

I have a 1992 type. With active EMG and schaller tuners.
It's incredible how the guitar stays tuned after hours of rough heavy metal!I can't compare with other guitars, i owned a Steve Vai Ibanez but this guitar is awesome.

It's better than a Fender, surely! It's not my kind of guitar, i prefer Gibson, but i have played some Fenders and the Blade kicks the world ass.

It's all perfect. Only the Fender custom shop is nearly to Blade.

It's from the 90's but looks like a new guitar, very rare.

Well...this guitar is a dream, but it's not for me. I bought it because i was just curious. Fender maniacs maybe will love this baby.
I prefer Gibson guitars but i am 100% but also a Gibson can be compared to a Blade (especially the neck, fretboard and the tuners!).

I have decided to sell it, i can't handle so much guitars, but surely i'll miss the Blade!!!

-22 frets
-Ebony fingerboard
-Sperzel locking tuners
-Levinson pickups (humbucker, single, single)
-Falcon tremolo
-Active preamp in back
-Beautiful ocean blue finish

Basically everything a versatile guitarist would need or dream of.

This is truely an amazing guitar. One of the best kept secrets in the world of electrics. This guitar can sound like anything. Rock, blues, jazz, country, it's all available. I can even get a good metal sound out of thing thing with the right amp. It's sound is very clear and evenly balanced. It can sound fat or thin, like EMGs or passive, whatever you want basically. The only downside is that the humbucker is noisy when set on single coil mode. Other than that, it's dead quiet. I don't recommend this guitar if you want the best metal guitar available, but it's certainly capable of producing warm metal tones.

Mine came with perfect action. The finish is beautiful. The only thing I'd like to change is the pickguard which is a brown mirror color. I'll eventually replace it with black as that would make the guitar look perfect. I give it a 9 because I'd prefer a black pickguard like they do make on this model sometimes.

I've had mine for about 4 years with no problems. The finish is a little fragile so you don't want to be tossing this guitar up in the air. The wood can be easily damaged, but if you take care of it, it will be fine.

Blade seems to be extinct in the USA now. If I had a problem I'd have to go to a local guitar store. It's going to suck if I need a replacement part because I don't know if there's anymore true Blade dealers in the US anymore. Mine hasn't given me any problems yet so I can't really judge the customer support.

I've been playing over 12 years now and this is my favorite guitar. It's great for someone looking to cover a lot of ground and still get quality sounds. Session players will love this gem.

This guitar also has the best tremolo system on any guitar in the world. I've played every other custom guitar out there and this whammy bar is the best without question. It stays flat on the guitar while being able to up-trem or dive bomb without ever going out of tune. It's a shame this tremolo is patented because Fender and every other company would love this thing. I wish my strat could have one of the falcons installed on it.

This is an update of a review I sent in several years ago which has mysteriously disappeared from the site. Anyway, all of the specs for this guitar are well documented, no need to recap.

This is a great guitar for rock, blues, and jazz. The first time I saw this guitar being played was in a bar in Rotterdam where Luther and Bernard Allison were playing. Their sound was spectacular.

So I managed to find a new one from the USA distributor at the time who was closing out inventory for $600. It needed a full setup, but otherwise, great guitar.

But around the same time, I found a 72 LP Deluxe in 9/10 condition (cheap) and used that as my main guitar for the past 6 years and the Blade was sitting in its case. So recently I brought the Blade out and to SF Guitar Works (they're very good) to get a setup. He told me that compared to others they have worked on, its a great guitar, and that when you get your tube amp just to the level where it starts to get that smooth bluesy distortion/sustain, that's where this guitar opens up and really becomes something special.

So after turning all the trim pots up full like Luther used to do (thank you Blade HQ)and following the SFGW's advice, Now I won't use my other guitars on stage. This one is so versatile and sensitive, that it's the only guitar you really need, and has a wide sonic palette.

From the vendor, terrible. But they paid for a free pro setup because they acknowledged it was as soon as I asked them to pay for it. Othewise it rarely needs to be adjusted.

If you were to be allowed just one guitar to play through at a gig, this one so versatile, you don't need another.

Gary levinson's a bit hard to get hold of but his staff are very helpful

Been playing a long time. Have the following -

69 Tele Thinline reissue with Torres p/u's and wiring harness
72 Les Paul Deluxe with mini's in 9/10 condition
Ibanez RSII
Chinese copy of what appears to be a Gibson Las Vegas/similar. Great woodwork, bad parts. That's the next project.
Have owned other Fenders and Gibsons over the years. But between these 3 main axes, have all the basic guitar food groups covered.

But the Blade is the best for all around playing, especially for blues and rock. It's also got a pretty great twang if need be.

If I lost this one, would get another without question now that I know how to get the best sound out of it.

Strat style body, honeyburst finish, sepia-mirror pickguard.
Sperzel locking tuners, VSC active electronics. S/S/H Pickup configuration. Made by Gary Levinson (Switzerland)
Controls: volume + tone
Ebony fingerboard, sen-ash body

I was looking for a guitar with lots of sounds, and between the various combinations of single-coil and humbucker pickups and the active electronics settings, this one filled the bill. I have never played a gig where someone hasn't commented on the great tone of this guitar. Mostly, I have used it for blues or groove-styled playing, usually pretty clean with a compressor and a little edge from a Keeley-modded blues driver. But it doesn't need anything. The humbucker is a little noisy, but the single coils are nice and quiet.

I bought the guitar new, and it was well set up. The finish is great--I haven't dinged it yet, and I am pretty hard on guitars. It plays very easily, although I've had some work done on the frets.

My only complaint is that the high E string is too close the edge of the neck. I have gotten used to it over time, however, and it is no longer a problem.

it seems pretty solid, and I would use it without a backup.

I never had a problem with the guitar, so I have no opinion about this.

I have been playing for over 40 years in jazz and blues contexts. I have a Gibson ES 175 hollow body, an acoustic archtop built by Denny Stevens, the Blade, and am in the process of buying a Grosh solid body set neck. I would take the Blade over any Fender guitar that I have ever played, and most Gibsons. It is not quite up to the level of the Grosh, but I will continue to use it for some gigs and recordings because of its versatility. I have never understood why these guitars are not more widely seen in the United States.

Strat style body, honeyburst finisch, sepia-mirror pickguard.
Sperzel locking tuners, VSC active electronics. S/S/H Pickup configuration. Made by Gary Levinson (Switzerland)
Controls: volume + tone
Ebony fingerboard, sen-ash body

This guitar can do it all. It's perfect to play the blues but you also can rock the neigbourhood. Metal freaks better look for more balls. The RH4-classic has a Phd in civilized tunes but when the going gets funky is will not disappoint you at all. My guitar has been a brother in arms for more than 10 years. I can keep on rocking till the cows come home.

I bought it second hand and the action was a little too low. (using 011-strings) A check-up at the luthier solved the problem. I still can't find any flaws.

I think that my grandchildren will be waiting 'till granddad's fingers are too stiff to play. Sorry to the offspring, but even if i only can hit one string, sitting in my rocking chair, I'll keep it with both hands. This guitar defintly will last longer dan I do. It is build like a rock, the finish looks better through the years (I don't). A backup? Never thought of using one.

I mailed the company to send me the blade style sampler demo.
In a week it was dropped into my mailbox.

I've been playing for 30 years. I own a es 335.
If the Blade were stolen or lost, I'd hire the A-team, the KGB or a SEAL-team to get it back.

honey burst blade rh4 with vintage maple neck and fretboard.
features all the hardware and spec for a rh4 provided by www.bladeguitars.com

awsome tone on the guitar, far exceeds any strat ive played or heared.just about any sound you want from this guitar and its there, no matter what your style of play.takes some tweaking though on the vsc and this is where you can make the guitar sound like your own.no complaints what so ever on tone, just magic.

ok, i had this guitar after it was 3 months old from new.as i traded my washburn n4 for it.the guy who owned it before me hadnt touched the setup on the guitar since new.when it came in to my hands id say the setup was pretty poor.badly cut nut,intonation was all over the place and neck adjustment was needed.im no guitar tech but when i took it for a pro set up to a top luthier this is what he told me.so on his advise the setup was poor.anyhow after #50 spent on a (real) setup the guitar is absolutley superb.now the action basically can go as low as you need it.
finish on the guitar is aswome, 1 piece sen-ash body with a lovely see through honey gloss finish.the only reason im giving this a 7/10 is because of the factory setup.maybe someone had a bad day when they done this guitar. ha ha ha

this is my main guitar now as it just does everything i need,havent had no problems with it what so ever.guitar feels strong and the hardware is all top class, although gold hardware tends to fade overtime.

any questions ive needed to ask they have always been answered the same day.thats direct to the company though.never tried my uk distributors, wouldnt like to either from what ive heard.but blade direct are swift in answering any problems etc

been playing semi pro for 15 years, never have i heard a guitar that can do so much on its own.the guitar breathes quality in every area.if this where to be stolen then id have to send a search party out to catch the filthy swine.dont really dislike anything about the guitar.to be honest anyone who plays them will tell you the same.not sure about the r1 r2 etc lower madels as never tried them.anybody whos searching for a guitar endlessly looking for the right feel or tone and walking in and out of endless music stores and my opinion would be dont waste your time..if you want a guitar that does it all then look no further than one of these.for this price you wont by a better guitar.

Honeyburst with Sepia Pickguard, H/S/S, Falcon Trem, usual Blade features with VSC etc

This is where this guitar really shines through. I play through a Boogie and this guitar suits it well. Also have some other high end guitars (Musicman, Gibson, Fender, /gretsch) and the Blade has now become my main guitar 10++++

Guitar needed pro set-up to sort it out - nut was badly cut, Truss Rod needed about 15/16 turns before it started to tighten!! - may have been fiddled with at the shop?

Most guitars I have bought need to be set-up before they plsy the way I like.

The action will now go very very low - I had to raise it a bit

Will withstand anything now - read comments in next category

This is where things go horribly wrong!! The UK distributors are crap! - never any parts in stock, impossible to reach by phone/e-mail/fax, will not answer emails/voicemail - very very shoddy

Needed new switch and pickup for guitar, took nearly 4 weeks as I ended up dealing with Switzerland direct - not Switzerlands fault as parts were held up at customs. Christian Hatstatt at Blade very very helpful.

I am going to have to mark this section down because of shoddy UK distributor

Played for 20 years, semi pro for the last 6. One of the best guitars I have ever owned. Its a shame they are let down in the UK by crap distributors.

Would buy another one anytime (as long as I can deal with Switzerland!!!)

This Beauty was made in my Homecountry Switzerland and i am very proud we do have such good instrument producers like Gary Levinson. My Blade actually is a R-4 and i guess most of these reviews are made by mistake with the description RH-4. The RH version features a Humbucker and the R-4 is made with 3 Single Coils.The single Coil Version is out of production. Mine Blade has got a Beautiful Body Style with a Strat like Body and a Tom Anderson style of Head. The Guitars color is DarkRed Sunburst ,the Sunburst is where i fell in love with this Guitar. It is not going to be Black at the Edges, it is going from a See thru wood color to a complete Red Color. Unbelievable Beauty!! Dark Ebony Neck Wood. The Body is made of Sen Ash. All The parts like knobs,tuners ect. are Black. Some have Gold parts and they ,for my taste, look ugly.
The Mirror Pickguard fits perfectly to the color of the Guitar.The Back of the Neck is in DarkRed too.
Here comes the Rest of the Parts built in this guitar:
Tuners: Sperzel Trimlocks
Tremolo: Falcon
Pickups: 3 V-3 Stacked Coils,
Electronics: Variable Spectrum Control (VSC)

Sound!!!this is where this Baby shines. I used to play Fender and always thought, this is it! When i heard for the very first time a Blade compared to my Fender my face started to fade. So much more Versatile then Fender and such a better Tone all the way. Even the playability..Perfect. I always thought Fender does a good job and they do ,but Gary..my oh my..better..perfect..Blade. I play all the way from Jazz,Blues,Rock,Swing and on and on. This Baby does it all. My Drummer did not notice when i came across with this new Guitar but when i started playing i had his attention right away.
Anyway try one if you can or you are going to miss something.

Extra Low Action!! Remember i was playing Fender and i was used to have low Action. There are no more words to say...Perfect sorry i mean Blade :-))

Like most guitar players some dents are unavoidable.With Fender the color went off and the plain wood came out even with slight hits. Not with this Guitar. The Color remains.

Never had to deal with ,thats more important then a better service isn`t it.

BLADE!!