Reverend Rocco

This one was made in 2001. Black with silver pickguard, open zebra HBs with the standard separate coil tap switches, an Eastpointe neck (the earlier Reverend neck profile, a little narrower than their current shape), Tele-style hardtail bridge. The neck and zebras make it a collector's item, but that's not why I bought it when I came across it, used, in a guitar shop. Read on.

I have two other USA Revs -- a Slingshot Custom, and another SSC that I converted to a Rocco with Reverend parts. I wanted a semi-hollow HB configuration, and even my homemade Rocco (with slightly different wiring from Reverend specs) is a wonderful piece, with 8 different pup configurations thanks to the switches. But this one is better. The uncovered zebras have a brighter, edgier sound. I can get Tele bite out of this axe, as well as Paul-ish crunch and growl, and a 335 kind of thickness and whoosh. The sound with slide, my mainstay, is precise, fat and greasy -- a very tough combination to achieve. You can hear all the notes in barred slide chords, including the bass notes, which tend to disappear on most guitars. The high end has a wide but cutting envelope. Whatever you do on this piece is heard.

I changed setup for my style, which involves Landreth-style fretting in front of the slide, partial and barred chords, and regular slide technique. I keep it in open D tuning, Willie McTell's favorite slide tuning, which allows easy transition to straight tuning. I had to adjust the neck, which straightened out fine to my preferred relief. Hasn't budged since. Tuners are standard gotoh-style, work fine. Electronics work fine. I personally think the issue isn't whether a guitar arrives perfectly set up, but whether you can adjust it without things falling apart. Joe Naylor's guitars are built to be maintained, and the maintenance is easy. Of course it's a gorgeous piece if you like the USA Reverend look.

I baby my USA Reverends, probably too much. They've become collector pieces, and that makes me a little nervous. I've seen one on Ebay that was just smashed, holes all over the body, and one in a store where the back was cracked by some jerk who rammed it onto a stand. It's a semi-hollow, and and semi can get hurt. I prefer to gig with my Reverend Jetstream 390, a guitar you could throw down the stairs, pick up and play. But I have played out with this instrument, without a backup beyond spare strings and cables. Soundwise it's the only guitar I need for a night. Since I usually play solo, there isn't an army of people running around the stage. I make sure it goes in a case between sets, and I don't lean it against my amp or a chair. If you take care of these pieces, they should last longer than you. I'm taking off a point only because it's not a solid body.

Matchless. Joe Naylor, Steve Yankee and Ken Haas at Reverend take care of every customer like he or she was Eric Clapton.

This guitar cost me $650 used with a cheap gig bag and tax. It's worth more than I paid for it, partly because Reverend ain't making any more, Eastpointe necks make it rare, so do the zebra pups. But the musical value is off the chart. I'm playing this through portable gear, because I travel light -- Kustom Tube 12A amp (see my review, great value for a practice/stage preamp rig), Zoom G2.1u modeller (battery-powered, put it down, plug into the system or someone else's amp and there's your sound), Crate Powerblock with the G2.1u. It sounds great with this cheap gear. It plays great. It's part of a stable that of high-end guitars that I acquired at low cost after careful searching -- a Washburn SS80 I modded, a Curlee I modded with Reverend P90s, two other Reverends USAs and the Jetstream. I make myself wait before I buy guitars, and when I bought this one I was looking for a conventional semi-hollow, without finding one that suited me. I snatched this Rocco as soon as I saw it -- in keeping with my review below, where I said that if you see one under $800, grab it. I won't buy another because I don't need three of the same model. Believe me, I'm very thankful I own two. It's a shame Joe Naylor couldn't keep Reverend alive with the USA series. Guitar players are very conservative, and not enough of them appreciated the innovation built in to these instruments. To me they're an astonishing piece of guitar history that comes alive every time you play. If this were stolen I'd weep, and I am not sentimental about wood and wires. If I found the thief I'd break his legs, and that's not a metaphor. If you use this axe right it will contribute to your rep as a player. At least, that's my experience.

This was one of the last American Rev's made, Coil Taps and 3 way swtich, Older rev's used Rio Grande pickups, but these newer ones are good enough... But I have Put in string savers and new tuners (old ones were Crap)and lots of stickers.... oh yeah and new knobs and straplocks and all the stuff a gigging guitar needs.

Fairly quiet, ,cleans up good and still gets out the punk/metal/thrash on command, plastic hollow bodies sound awesome.

This was a demo workhorse and was set up for everyone, so I've had to tweak it to my tastes (Raised the action, changed strings etc).
The finish is Phenelonic and Orange so what could go wrong???? Neck is tight in its pocket (I love Reverend Necks Eastpoint or otherwise.
and had just the right amount of relief for me.

People Bitch that Rev's are weak but I swear I have abused this little bastard and it won't die. I mean I've dropped it kicked it and dinged the hell out of the fretboard, I can't see it failing on stage, no backup necassary, Its a damn shame they don't make guitars/amps any more.

I have spoken with Joe on the phone and he and his crew are awesome, I repeat It is a damn shame that he went the outsource route So I can never buy another new reverend ( I don't shop at Wal-Mart Either)

Reverend used to make these great little light, well balanced, affordable guitars but then the bottom line attacked and fucked everything up like it always does in this money hungry out of control country. Rest In peace Reverend we miss you.....

Originallly a Slingshot Custom, bought used (mint) in 2005, converted to a Rocco using Reverend parts from reverendguitars.com. Specs are the same as for all the guitars below. Key feature is separate coil taps for erach pup. I kept the stock Reverend tuners and hardtail Tele-style bridge.

The first reviews on the Rocco were a very mixed bag -- people found them too bright, too dull, not like a Les Paul, or got ecsatic about them. I own both single coil (Reverend P90) and HB guitars (Washburn with trembuckers, Curlee with Dimarzio Super Distortion, Turser JT 134), and I have no hesitation in saying the Rocco is the best thought-out and best-sounding HB config I've ever owned. Leaving the pups in mid position gives four combinations using coil taps, and I do hear them all distinctly, if subtly. The semi-hollow construction is a great plus; I find that to get the most from it, as with a resophonic, you have to play hard. When you do, the bass and rhythmic drive out of this piece is astonishing. My main repertoire is Delta style, thumbpicked bass with partials and slide on material from Handy to the Police. The precision the Rocco delivers across the fretboard on polyphonic lines, typical of Reverends, is something you'd expect from a much more expensive axe.

I set this one up myself. It gets a 9 from modesty.

I do play live with it, never a problem. And never a backup. I'm a solo player and I travel light. The 10 takes into account that it's a semi hopllow -- don't step on it, OK?

The best. I have had contact with Reverend for advice and to buy parts and guitars and have never gotten anything but swift and competent service.

I've been playing over 40 years, live, on the road, in studios, mainly as a part-timer (the kind who gets paid). In France, where I live, I havce a rep as a hot slide player with a very good sound, and that rep took a large step forward in the three years since Reverends became my main axes. The prices of the USA Reverends are exploding now; I bought my second as soon as I knew they were going to an import line and haven't regretted it. If you can find one in good condition for under $800, and you are a gigging or recording musician, jump on it. If you are a collector who puts it in a box, may your dreams be filled with monsters.

two hums with coil split switches for each, very GOOD vibrato (so good that i can imitate a leslie....your milage may vary). vintage neck. critique on hums and neck below.

sounds nice and hollow. the best setting for me is neck split, back full on. i get kind of a pat metheny-ish sound like that. but guess what? that phenlic or whatever they're using sounds just like that: phenolic or what ever the hell they're using. it's good but i can hear where wood would be better.

action is a big problem for me. i CANNOT play anything but 7.5 radius and this one is like 16 inches i believe. the whole thing about flatter radiuses being easier to play is marketing bullshit. 7.5 is THE MOST NATURAL CURVE FOR THE HAND. it is ergonomic. you can bend better on a 7.5 too. vintage neck back is too big for my little hands. spending MEGA MONEY to get the damn thing re radiused plus the back of the neck thinned.

it will last thru a regular gig. i play jazz so i won't be setting it on fire anytime soon.

haven't had it long enough. all i can say is reverend have gone apostate. their rep as an all american company is officially toilet fodder. where are they made now? oh yeah korea.i got this guitar (american made)because one was sitting in a window here. reverend in their infinite wisdom doesn't take AMEX.

i've been playing 30 years. just waiting for guitar companies to realize that 9, 12, 16 inches are NOT ergonomic shapes. why do you think cellos have such an arched radius? because it's ERGONOMIC.
all in all i bought this guitar for the light body. everything else can be switched including the neck. kind of a waste huh? reverend had a good thing going, but they succumbed to the mass market and all the money that OEM manufacturing is tempting people with. the totally said fuck it to their loyal customer base. yes i say all the words they don't print in Guitar Player (yuppie mag). reverend is the jimmy swaggart of american music manufacturers. they fell. and i don't believe for a minute that they couldn't have kept up operations in the States. hell i could copy their guitars in my garage.

Finish= Engine Turned Alum.
Made in the good ol' USA.
Eastpointe Neck maple/rosewood fretboard
Dual Reverend Humbuckers/coil tap mini-switches
One vol. One tone.
Fixed strat style bridge
Three-way p'up selector.

This guitar is great if you play blues/rock/jazz/country. You could probably pull of some metal with it too.
It's got a really unique percussive attack to it due to the construction. Kinda like one of those laminate constructed Danelectros but with a great neck and top notch electronics.
The sound is full and open with lots of natural harmonics.
If you're looking for a Les Paul sound...this is not for you.
It's kinda like a strat on steroids with a fuller sound...kinda hard to describe. Overall a really versatile guitar.
The p'ups sound great split as well
One gripe.....I would rather have a bass contour control like the new Reverends instead of the switches. Other than that....Great.

I found this guitar in a local music shop. It was brand new even though the USA stuff has been discontinued for a while now. The fit and finish are the usual top quality Reverend stuff.Beautiful Engine Turned aluminum finish. No complaints. Pickups, action, neck were all adjusted perfectly(to my taste anyway). The only problem was that the volume control didn't work....it was ON all the time no matter how you turned the knob. No big deal, the guy that owned the shop swapped in a new pot for me on the spot, and then I took it home. I put on some new strings since the ones that were on it were probably the originals(but it still sounded good).

The only concern I have is the durability of the guitar. I'm always extra careful playing it and carrying it around. I don't want to scratch up the aluminum finish. But I'm that way about my wood Reverends as well....
Everything seems really solid...you could kinda think it was extra delicate because of the weight(or lack there of).
I wouldn't go to a gig with just one guitar....but I don't think it would be a problem any way. These are top quality axes...they've earned my confidence.

Never had any issues but every time I've contacted Reverend, they've been more than helpful and willing to deal with you.

I've been playing 20 years +
If it was lost or stolen ...I'd go on a personal manhunt to find it.
It doesn't really compare with any of my other guitars...even my other Korean made Reverends. It's very versatile. I love the neck and the percussive sound quality....the pickups sound great and the finish is awesome! I originally bought it as an investment...since Reverends are selling at around the same as they cost new....some even more. This was a rare finish from what I understand...but having played it now for a while...I wouldn't sell it unless I got enough cash to buy two more! There are only two things I would change...1. I'd like a tremelo of some sort.ie..bigsby etc. and 2. I'd rather have the Bass Countour Control instead of the split coil switches...you can dial in a wider variety of sounds with that.
These USA made Reverends are great...and so are the new Korean made guitars...even though they are different(a more traditional solid body design). I own a Jetsream HB, a Warhawk HB, a Rocco, and I just ordered a Volcano (Revs new flying V). I haven't found anything I'd rather play.

maple necked, dual humbuckers, volume and tone knobs, pickup selector switch, coil tap switch, in-out of phase switch, fixed strat-style bridge w/ individual adjustable saddles, string-through-body, locking sperzel tuners.

basically, it's LOADED! i got it with the gig bag and have had it a few months. it's very well-balanced and light. there's a banjo-style guard on the body, and the only gripe i have - and it's a super minor one - is that the edge on the chrome guard is sharp. it can catch you if you get carrying away, flailing a-la-peter townsend, so beware!

i use it with my Marshall (4- 12" cab) and with my Fender Bassman reissue. with all the switches and pickup combinations, the rocco is very very versatile. i'd say it tends to favor dark tones, like a les paul maybe. but it has much more range. you can play anything on it, but i think it sounds best playing the blues.

action, frets, neck were all set up perfectly - extremely cool for a guitar that you order online.

the people at reverend are really supportive. it's a small american company and they go out of their way to please.

i like the rocco, and if i had any more $$$$ i'd buy all the other models that reverend makes. it's that good. the price for what you get is unbelievably cheap. i tried out a ton of guitars - strats, teles, les pauls, yamaha, etc. - this one was the best.

Black with the metal/diamond patern front. Rosewood fb. About a 12" radius, med jumbo frets. String thru. 2 HB's with taps. 2001 model.

I play clean, fingerstlye---alot in the Tele tradition.
Notes are distinct--treble isn't too shrill.
However there is no real bass/ strong mids. Saw no reason to tweak with new pups, etc. (Then bought a plywood $100.00 beater Tele copy and its front sc pup had much more depth...)
Had a friend sell it on Ebay.

EXCELLENT workmanship!!! For a mid-priced guitar one of the best engineered and set-up guitars!!

With the phenolic top/front...probably not real durable---but so isn't a $40,000 jazz box either!!!

Called once about a bridge question---appreciate the response.
They have a great custome service.

Played 35+ yrs. For my ears I know what is good. I should have been more careful re: the lack of bass/ depth.
On the Reverend site they now have sound samples...and whatever you can discern from mini speakers, etc---their other guitars in clean settings also sound lacking some.
IF I could play one in person---I still would be open to trying one of their other guitars. A good co.

2004 Rocco. Jet black, 22 frets. made in USA, phenolic body with maple neck and rosewood fingerboard. Controls: one volume and tone, two coil taps and five way strat style switch. Two humbuckers. Grover tuners.

When I first got my Rocco I wasn't very impressed with the sound, but after I replaced the stock strings (SIT) with Elixir's 10-46 the guitar came alive and now I love it! The Rocco is the first guitar with coil taps that really work! I've had several PRS's and I've never liked the sound of the single coil setting, the volume always dropped way down and they sounded nasal. The Rocco has a great single coil sound and the different combinations are all useable. The sound is more like a ES-335 than a Les Paul. The front pickup is very sweet sounding and the bridge pickup loves overdrive pedals. The sustain is very nice and the neck is easy to play. I like this guitar!

The action, fit, and finish were all first class and better than some of my Gibson custom shop guitars. No flaws!

It is new so I can't really comment on durability, but is clearlt a well made instrument.

Reverend has one of the best support systems in the business!

I've been playing for >20 years and have several fenders and gibsons, but I have to say that the Rocco is one of the best guitars I have ever owned. The quality is on the level of a $2000 instrument, this is probably the best bang for the buck in guitars on the planet, and maybe the solar system!

two Humbuckers with coli taps and phase switch. bigsby trem, locking tuners, gold aluminum top, roland GK-3 pickup.

Roland GR-20 -> Fulltone Clyde Delux -> Ernie Ball Vol ->Rev Drive Train -> Rev DriveTrian II -> FoxRox CaptainCoconunt2 -> Voodoo Labs SuperFuzz ->Line6 Modulation -> Line6 Delay -> Rocktron Banshee -> Rev HellHound

everything smooth, tight and tuned

this guiter is all the great things people say it is, but this is where i want to comment. i beat the hell out of this thing. its only 9 month old and when i sent it in for a set up, the guys at the factory thought it was much older from all the dents and scratches. literally, at the end of every show i do a Who sort of thing - everthing shy of breaking the neck off - and it is extremely durable. alos, the Bigsby tremelo is exceptional. it it the superior trem when used with locking tuners, a graphite nut, and roller bridge which is how they come. Joe Naylor said he has them on all his guitars. i even had him shave the lock off so i can bring it around a full 360 degrees and then shim it up so i could do more "dive bomb" style trem work. i can push it and pull it and it only goes out of tune when i'm extreme with it - which is only noticable on chords. this is THE trem to get.

the very best customer support i've ever recieved. no question. these guys all play in bands and understand musician's needs. they treat you like they want to be treated.

i've played a few of these and they all sound the same. that is, the base guitar sounds the same. so, when you pick the pick ups, you really change the sound a lot. so, you can get a huge variety of of sound by choosing the pick ups or switching between pickups. the nice thing to know is that unlike other certain large manufacturers, you are no going to get a lemon. alos, they are so acoustic that i often practice without plugging into an amp. i put 13 guage flat wounds on it and had the best sounding jazz guitar ever. i say that because with all the pick up config of the Rocco ( i think i counted 13 ) and the fact that the tone knob actually does something ( without effecting volume ). i sold my '74 Strat to get it. an even trade money wise. i've never looked back...

Custom made Rocco 2003/2004 USA
22 Fret Rosewood Neck.
2 Humbuckers with coil taps for each.
Volume and tone control.
Graphite nut and bridge saddles.
Sperzel locking machineheads.
Semi hollow laminate and polymer body with a block of white mahogany for resonance set in the middle (and boy does it work!)

These guitars have every feature you could possibly want on any high end instrument. The neck has a really sweet vintage strat finish to it, so its really fast and comfortable to play on, probably the nicest neck i have ever played. Just as good to play if not more comfortable than any Parker or PRS.

I play through a rack mount Mesa Rectifier, TC Electronic G - major, with a Samson Compressor just to take off any excessive peaks. This guitar plays like a dream, do NOT let the radical design put you off! just because its made of laminates and polymers does not mean it sounds lifeless! in fact this guitar has more life and bite in it BEFORE you plug it in than a LOT of guitars. The sustain is incredible! Although despite using a high gain amp and being a semo hollow body i have to MAKE this guitar feedback! The guitar has a sound all of its own. Its hard to describe, somewhere between a strat, a 335 and les paul.

With clean sounds all the notes seem to stand out in the right places, a very bell-like chime to them. Its rather bright as guitars go, but thats what i like my guitars to sound like. The coil taps dont sound as dull as they have on other guitars i've played, they really do give you a LOT more options with sound.
With my heavier sounds this guitar can hammer through pretty much anything, the notes sustain forever. The pick ups arent too bass-y although they do have a hell of a lot of punch to them without getting muddy.

I can honestly say that with the right amp, this guitar would suit ANY style you could consider playing!

When you order one of these guitars - they ask you EVERYTHING about the set up, action, string gauge, tuning etc. The intonation was damn near perfect, and considering it had to fly from the US to the UK that is a testament to how these guitars are built! The finish i chose was brushed silver aluminium - which i was told they no longer use, and definately dont have on the website. The neck had been fretted immaculately - it had an ever-so slightly worn in feel. There is absolutely NOTHING i could fault this guitar on.

I've done a small tour with this guitar, and i'm currently in the studio on my bands 2nd EP with it. It is the ONLY guitar i use live or for recording. My band goes from pretty heavy tracks (almost like from autumn to ashes, deftones, faith no more) to very mellow (portishead, massive attack). I can swing this guitar around as much as i like in the heavier tracks, and you can gaurantee it wont need tuning before i go into the softer stuff! i have played this guitar many times without back up, id only need a back up for changing to if i broke any strings. It feels VERY solidly built, but it only weight about 6.5lbs... which makes me think it must be a little fragile, and couldnt take the kind of punishment you could get away with on a les paul. Still, i dont know anyone who buys guitars to drop them or bounce them off things!

Customer support is incredible! calling Reverend is like phoning an old friend you havent spoken to in a while. They REALLY care about their customers! They were fantastic and helpful to the Nth degree when i ordered my guitar, and answered all my questions objectively and in clear terms. I emailed them regularly during the build process, as i knew the guitar had to come a long way and i needed someone to be home to accept it. They replied to every single email i sent them within 48 hours! This company have the best customer service i have EVER encountered. They genuinely care that you are happy with your guitar.

I first fell in love with these when my friend came back home off tour in the US with one, procaliming it was the best guitar he'd ever touched! He let me play on it or about 30 minutes and i was instantly sold! Its taken me 3 years to get myself this guitar and if anything ever happened to it i would be crushed! If it were stolen id order another straight away!
Ive been playing guitar for 6 years. Ive owned Gibsons, Fenders, an ESP (everyone makes mistakes hehe), a Patrick Eggle and a Parker. This guitar blows them ALL away for the fact that
a)its got a beautiful and uniquie tone, and
b)it plays a mile better than many guitars costing twice as much!
Bottom line. Best money i ever spent!