Product: Onyx Forge DC Custom
Price Paid: $$$$
Submitted
06/12/2006
at
03:02pm
by
F Baker
Features
:
10
2006 USA, custom to order, LP DC style body shape, 24 Frets
Seymour Duncan Pearly Gates HBs, LR Baggs Piezo Tune-O-Matic, Stop bar
PU Blend, Vol, Tone, Piezo Blend, coil split, phase controls
AAAA carved quilttop, Mahogany back, Nitro finish, Flame Maple neck
Bolt on with unique hardware (no plate)
Ebony fingerboard with pearl/abalone inlays
Med Jumbo Stainless Steel Frets, Locking Grover Tuners
Composite Graphite/Brass nut
Dunlop strap locks, HS case.
Sound
:
10
This guitar is the finest I own including several customs and vintage instruments. The LR Baggs Piezo bridge blended with the Duncan Pearly gates neck PU produces an crystal tone with great high end as well as a full mellow bass. Sustain is awesome. Can do the Les Paul type tone (a bit brighter with these pickups) extremely well and nails the Dicky Betts, early Santana and Billy Gibbons tones well when using magnetic pickups only. Kicking in the Piezo bridge makes this the ultimate funk, country, or blues guitar depending on how you mix it with the two blend controls and phase switch. Also makes a great Jazz tone. Makes every sound I like for the most part except a true Strat tone. A lot of the tone from this guitar comes from the Pearly Gates pickups - they are great and have no lack of treble or bite, and for me - exactly enough gain. Very smooth and not harsh. Unlike a lot of LP style guitars, this one sounds really, really nice clean especially mixed with the piezo bridge. Tends toward bright (I like it) but easily and nicely rolled off with tone control without getting too muddy.
Action, Fit, & Finish
:
10
Exceptional quality and setup, .10 strings and action as requested.
Perfect action, setup, tone. Finish on the frets and fingerboard is like fine jewelery.
Reliability/Durability
:
10
Rock solid. Nitro finish is thick and should last a long, long time.
Stainless steel frets are going to last forever (relatively speaking).
Customer Support
:
10
10 year warranty.
Overall Rating
:
10
The workmanship on this guitar makes it a work of art. Have been playing 30+ years. Have Matchless, Marshall, Fender amps, various Fender, Gibson, Epi, misc custom guitars, many effects. This is a guitar that with extreme flexibility in producing many tones that surpass other guitars I own. Best dual HB pickup style guitar I have ever played and my personal favorite. This is the 2nd Onyx Forge guitar I own, as I liked my experience with the first.
Roy Bullis is a master builder who can put a dream guitar in your hands and will work with you to make it happen. As a one man shop however, be prepared to wait your turn. If this was stolen or lost I absolutely would replace it regardless of the wait. Price wise it was a bargain considering I was able to spec every detail.
(Note: I prefer a bolt on neck for tone and strength reasons, but Roy is happy to do it any way you like. Some people are a bit hung up on the set neck / bolt on thing but its really just a personal preference.)
