Reverend Rocco

i love the feel of this guitar. i've played all the goodies too (and lots of them), just like everyone else--the paul's, the strat's, the tele's, and i think this tops 'em all.

the versatility of this guitar (even if some "purists" disagree) is astonishing. *no, i do not work for reverend. it just really is. when i purchased mine, i was still a little leary about one sound from the pick-up sounding better than the other (i had previously played a friend's slingshot and been sold on the design overall, and i hadn't had time listening to a rocco in months), but gosh... i plugged it into my friend's line6 ax2 (a pretty good modeling amp if you know how to use it), and it sounded ALIVE, but then i plugged it into a true tester: the vox ac-30tb (with greenbacks)... wow... it lit up that amp like nothing i've heard before. the bridge single-coil setting sounded better than what my friend was using (his vintage tele), but then we switched it over to the bridge humbucker... yeah... WOW. joe naylor just knows his stuff, and he must have some amazing people working for him to get it all to function so well together. needless to say... i'm very impressed.

i think i already described the sound of it. let me just tip this off too... my friend has a gibson les paul studio, and he has tweaked his baby to the max. he used my rocco for about 5 songs in a set we recently did in greensville, nc, and he kept turning around the whole time and just going "wow" with his mouth. he'd be grinding in some beef with the humbucker, and then he'd switch to the single-coil for a more cutting solo... it's weird that one can do that.

the other thing that is pretty strange about reverend guitars is their ability to sustain. i've never played ANY other electric (be it solid or hollow) that sustains so well... it must be that metal beam that they put inside of it or something, but whatever it is, it sure is nice to be able to hold onto a chord or note for so long... majorly smooth, rev.

as for these... it was set up PERFECTLY, and even after a friend of mine flew it down (from michigan to florida), the action and set-up was still flawless. instant playability and satisfaction to the fingers. again... this company does things the right way.

it has so far. i've talked to the few other people that i know who have them, and one guy says, "it's the most forgiving guitar that i own." it's not all made out of wood, and it's super light (only 6.5 lbs), so it's durable--as far as i've known and heard so far.

hey... these are professional people (from the two that i've talked to), but they are also cordial and concerned that their company keeps a good name. maybe it's good that they're not very big yet. my only hope is that they can keep up the great work because dang... i'm sold on this company as a whole.

listen. i'll be square with you. i got sponsored by this company (by reverend) to get my rocco, but my terms with her are already being met... it's getting used at our shows.

there are no other specified terms about me advertising for this company. i was already talking about reverend guitars for months before i got mine.

the story is--literally, i went home to michigan, got hired to sit in at a show, but all my personal equipment was in california. a friend of mine (who is in inthehuddle.net) lent me his slingshot, and i pretty much loved it as soon as i touched it. then i played it and heard it out of a mesa-boogie nomad 45, and even out of a mesa (which, in my opinion is pretty much a high gain amp), it sounded amazing. thanks, nolan, for letting me borrow that one!

i kept asking him questions about reverend, and he showed me the site. from then on, i set out on my mission to acquire one.

so in closing, i HIGHLY recommend this guitar to anyone. if i could have one electric in the entire world--regardless of cost or expediency--it'd be the reverend rocco (and the slingshot would come close in line with a few others). the fact is, it plays awesome, sounds unbelieveable (but hearing is believing, in this case), is exTREMEly versatile, and is rock-solid.

it's about all i could want in a guitar... except, maybe reverend could design some sort of fiberoptic-holographic-design, where you can program even the look of your guitar depending on what you want?

haha. whatever. rock on rocco.

and if anyone wants to check out my band, it's right here:

www.micahtawlksband.com

2003 Guitar Show Demo. Beyond the standard specs (2 humbuckers, coil taps, Sperzel locking tuners, etc.), "flame maple" finish and Bigsby trem.

This guitar can produce many diverse sounds. No, the humbucker positions are not as full as a Les Paul, but that has to be expected due to the materials of construction. Single coil sounds most closely resemble a telecaster, but again with its own voice. Mixed positions give very cool tones. Overall, the sound is very vibrant, bright when you desire, highly unique yet familiar. Joe (Naylor) knows TONE!

Factory set action was great (outfitted with 10s). Bigsby is silky smooth. Guitar is very light and well balanced. No flaws at all! The neck is nice and fast, about the perfect size for my hand. Feels much like my dad's old 64 strat. The teardrop case is pretty sweet as well.

When you order a Reverend, you're getting a custom guitar and that includes string size and set up to your specs. Amazing that they can do this, with quality instruments, for the price.

Guitar construction is very solid (despite being chambered). I tend to wear the chome or gold finishes off guitar parts very quickly, but these still look brand new. Seems highly dependable, although I'll give it minus one simply for having a chambered body.

Reverend customer support is by far the best out of any guitar companies I've talked to. They are always very helpful with any questions about their products, and will steer you in the right direction for your desired tone. How often do you get to talk with the owner of a guitar company?

I've been playing for about 11 years, mainly playing blues and alt-country. This is my first Reverend guitar (I also have their Hellhound Amplifier, which has just been discontinued in favor of an ever cooler sounding amp, the Kingsnake), and hopefully it won't be my last. I have many different guitars, most are hollowbodies since I like a full, rich sound. This guitar can do just about anything, and well! It has great tone and playability! Highly recommended for ANY style (well, maybe not death metal, I'm not sure the pickups would have a high enough output for that style)!

Custom made (2004) in the U.S.
Specs:

- 22 Jumbo frets
- Rosewood neck, 25 1/2 scale
- 2 humbucker pickups with coil taps and a phase switch
- Volume and tone knob
- Double cut away body made from polymers and laminates
- Fixed bridge with Graph Tech saddles
- Graphite nut
- Sperzel locking tuning

This guitar has pretty much every bell and whistle I can imagine (except a trem system). One nice thing is that it's only 6 1/2 pounds. It's balanced nicely though, so on a strap it sits just right. The neck is like a thinner strat. In my opinion it's absolutely pertect, like a strat but more nimble, yet with enough substance to feel right. The satin finish prevents your hand from sticking when you sweat.

I play through I Blues Jr. and a Twin Reverb, for distortion/overdrive I use a Barber SS, and a Tech 21 GT2. I play mostly hard rock, but also a bit of blues, jazz, and reggae. My other guitars are a mid 90s Strat Plus, a 78 Ibanez Artist, and an old Ibanez RG 540 Radius (my first guitar).

This guitar sounds wonderful, forget any concerns about polymers/laminates etc. This guitar resonates very nicely. All of the pickup combinations yield usable tones. The sould is unique, sort in between my Strat and Artist (which is very Les-Paul esq.) I would say it's a bright sounding guitar overall. This makes the neck pickup very usable since it tends to be less dark than my other guitars. The tone is clean with good definition and sparkle. The pickups handle a heavily overdriven tone nicely, but it doesn't sound like a "shredder". There is more "ring" in chords. Basically it's nice and full and chimey in all the right places. The coil taps sould nice as well. I've read that many times coil taps sound weak and are thus useless. Not the case here. Taping the coils really does give you a whole new set of usable sounds. There is however a slight volume reduction. This has become my new main guitar. I still love my other guitars for their own unique sounds but this guitar fills a middle ground that touches enough of the Strat/Les Paul nuaces to give it more utility and any one of my other guitars.

This guitar is beautifully made. Attention has been given to every detail. Everything is so clean! I wasn't able to find even the smallest flaw anywhere. I got the Flame Maple (laminate) option, It doesn't really look like Flame Maple since there isn't any depth, but it does look nice. The action was a little low for my taste but the intonation is flawless. With the Graph Tech saddles, graphite nut, and locking tuners this guitar will not go out of tune. Even the case is a standout.

The hardware is solid, nice chrome knobs and bridge. The three-way pickup selector is crisp (not mushy like my Strat). Strap buttons are solid. I haven't owned it long enough to know for sure, but it gives every impression of quality.

Very responsive and matter of fact. I think the difference between a company like Fender and Reverend is that Reverend is still building it's reputation with every guitar they sell. They really care if you are satisfied with your guitar.

I love this guitar. It makes me want to play more that any other guitar I've ever owned. I consider myself pretty picky. I sat in a Guitar Center and played a dozen or so Les Pauls, Paul Reed Smiths, Gretchs, etc. and couldn't find one that was just right. My next guitar will probably be another Reverend in a different configuration. I consider this guitar a great value because it's custom made in the US for less than $1000. Who else has that kind of deal? I'd get exactly the same one if it were stolen.

2003 black demo w/very minor blemishes. 2 hums/3-way pu selector/coil switches. Nice vintage-like maple neck. Hipshot trem, long whammy bar, Sperzel Tuners, 25 1/2 inch scale, extended cutaway. All the right parts with all the right improvements over vintage designs.

Quiet electronics, great sounds from strat to tele, humbuckers have nice tone but no one will ever say this guitar sounds like a LP. I'm using a Reverend Hellhound head and 2 Reverend 1x12 cabs. All sounds are sweet and useful.

Great set-up first time out of the case. Put together extremely well!

The Rocco should hold up OK as long as I don't swing it around like Pete Townsend. A hollow body will never be as stout as a solid body with good wood. I never play without a backup but this guitar is assembled tight and clean, really nice build quality.

One year warranty. Very hepful, down to earth service. No BS.

I've been playing since 1972. The last 5 years my main guitar has been a 68 Les Paul with torch/crown inlay in headstock, P90s and wraparound bridge converted to humbuckers, tunamatic and stop tailpiece(it was like this when I bought it!) Have gone through various fender and G&L guitars and I'm hoping the Rocco will finally be the right goto guitar for Fullerton/Gretsch sounds. I really like all the modern upgrades (locking tuners, light weight, nice whammy system, expanded electronics, quiet sound, comfortable neck and cool looks. If I could get it to sound like a Les Paul it would be the only axe needed for all the sounds that I use.

The guitar reviewed here is a 2003 Rocco. One cool thing about Reverend is that when your order your guitar it is actually made to order. You specify the specs to it. Reverend e-mailed me after I placed my order and asked how I wanted the guitar set up, floating or non-floating trem, sting gauge, string height, tuning (standard or open). Pretty cool huh? Also when you order it you specify extra features to add like Graphtech saddles, out of phase switching, or various finish options. You are basically getting a custom built guitar. I think that is an excellent feature of Reverend as a company in general. Where else are you gonna get that for the price you pay for a Reverend? Anyway my guitar had the following:

Standard:
Semi hollow light weight body construction, mahogany center block
2 humbuckers with coil taps
locking tuners
22 jumbo frets
Optional:
graphtech string saver saddles
faux mahogany finish
trem with push in arm

This is a very versitile guitar. There is not much more to ask for here so I give it a 10.

I I know so many people love this guitar and I have seen great reviews here and in magazines but I have to be honest and say I don't like the Rocco's sound. I wanted to love it so bad but to be honest I don't. (It will be on eBay soon) I read some early reviews complaining about how Reverends are too bright. I wasn't too worried because I like a bright sound. But when I plugged that guitar in I heard the darkest sounding guitar I ever played. I've owned and American Strat, a Mexican Strat, a Dean (HSS guitar with trem), an Epiphone Casino, De Armond (P-90 style pups) and a Gibson Les Paul. I changed the strings on it but it was still dark. I played the Rocco through my Reverend Hellhound (with a Fulltone Fulldrive 2 for some grind when the amp was set clean) and I also played trough my Line6 PODxt (I played the Rocco with tons of different setting on each). On the Reverend I turned the highs all the way up (the presence too) and I was still wondering why it sounded kind of dark. The tone in general was too round around the edges for my tastes. I missed that bite that I get from my Les Paul. At one point while I was playing I went to switch to the bridge pup thinking I was on the neck but to my surprise I was on the bridge! The bridge sounds more like the middle pickup on a three pickup guitar to me. In time I got used to how dark it was (I played it a lot trying to convince myself that I loved it). But last night I picked up my Les Paul I forgot how great that guitar sounded and how much more I preferred it to the Rocco. To me the Rocco sounds too dark, too mellow, and too soft in the attack. It just always sounds muffled to me. I've read Reverend describe the sound as having just enough bite to cut through the mix. I guess that?s their way of saying they like a dark sound. The Rocco doesn?t sound terrible, its just not my bag. There were some times that I was impressed with it but it didn't really suit my tastes. The pups on the Rocco sound very unique to me. They actually twang somewhat (in single coil mode you get a lot more twang as you should). They don?t really do the big fat Gibson thing. The Rocco has some fatness just not Gibson style. Single coil mode isn?t really Fender either. If you like your sound very smooth, mellow and warm without much bite this is a guitar for you. Think of an amp with the highs set no higher than 12 o?clock and the presence all the way down. To the guitar?s credit it is a very versatile instrument. The coil taps sounded very good. The bridge coil tap was not overtly trebly like some Fenders can be. The three way pickup selector and the two coil tap switches make for 8 tonal possibilities. The guitar cleans up just great when rolling the volume back and the tone control is uniquely voiced and useful. It almost has a wah like sweep to it. To sum it up: For me that guitar is just too damned dark! My first thought when I heard it was that it lacked character. I think it has to do a lot with its construction. With a fresh set of strings on both my Les Paul and the Rocco, acoustically the Les Paul is much snappier and brighter than the Rocco. And by the way it is a semi hollow design and I?ve heard people all amazed at how it resonates and how loud it is acoustically. Don?t believe the hype. It does resonate very well?no doubt about that but my solid body Gibson is still louder acoustically. Great resonance on the Reverend but its not AMAZING like some people say. Sorry all you Reverend lovers but I have to give this guitar low marks on tone.

Even if I didn't like the tone I'd be crazy to deny how well crafted this guitar is. Don't be fooled by the relatively low cost and the platic outer rim of the guitar. This guitar is built like a champ. I've heard people say it plays like a guitar twice its price. Believe that hype. It's true! The guitar is so light and the neck it a dream to play. You'll be hard pressed to find a better playing guitar than a Reverend. The finish was flawless (and by the way I think it's a dynamite looling axe). The factory set up was just great. I really can't say anything bad here.

The unique body construction made me wonder about its durability. The top and back are a phelolic material (similar to formica) and the outer rim is plastic. The center block is mahogany. It may be duarble but since I'm going to sell it I can't really put it through the test of time. The finish looks like it will last forever. That is don't worry about the coating/stain coming off the wood. There aint none! I just wonder about the semi hollow construcion and phenolic top and back. Is it fragile? I wont rate it here because I just don't know.

Reverend gives a year limited warranty against defective workmanship or materials. I called the factory with a question once. I asked why the bridge pup was backwards to common convention (the pole pieces towards the neck instead of the bridge) I thought this may have been the source of the guitar?s dark tone. They explained to me why it was designed that way. They weren't really friendly but they certainly weren?t rude either. They just gave me a 'matter of fact answer' and I was on my way. No complaints here. Just plain old customer support.

I've been playing for about 6 years. I listed a bunch of guitars that I have owned above in the sound section. If the Rocco was lost or stolen I'd be pissed because I wouldn't be able to sell it. And sell it is exactly what I'm going to do. I thought it would replace my Les Paul but it just didn't. It's a shame too because there were many things I really loved about that guitar: it's light weight body, it's fantastic playability, it's veratility, trem system with push in arm, coil taps, volume control right where it should be, locking tuners and great looks. I just wish it sounded more like my Gibson. If there was a guitar out there with all the features of the Rocco but the tone of a Gibson Les Paul that would be the end all be all of guitars for me. It's not a bad guitar but it's tone was just not for me. Mud to my ears. Revernd make a great amp though ;-)

Bought this guitar cheap a year ago, on a Musicians Friend Closeout, then sent it to Reverend to exchange its twin P-90's for twin humbuckers, making it a Rocco. Total cost, just under $500--for a top-line guitar. The humbuckers are split coil and it also has the phase switch. Eastpointe(old style)neck, baby blue phenolic top and back, old-style non-locking tuners. It has everything I need.

I already had a guitar with three P-90's, which is why I had this one switched to humbuckers. I expected to use it as a backup--but when I played it, tried the different combinations, it was so versatile--and each combinations sounded so yummy, it became my #1 axe within just a few days. Now when playing electric, I use it about 75% of the time. The bridge humbucker is ballsy, with just a hint of twang, and if you use the split switch, you get a nice, single coil sound--great twang for country. The neck humbucker is warm, sweet, and both of them take overdrive really well--very thick, creamy sound with a lot of texture.

One thing I haven't seen mentioned on this guitar, is the consistency and predictability of tone along the whole fretboard. I have guitars by other manufacturers in the same price range, and often as you work your way up the neck, the actual nature of the sound changes, you get a different texture, so that you need different settings. Not with this magic child--there's a very steady increase in brightness and cut, so that you can be playing open chords--which I like to do a lot--and then jump up to the twelfth or fifteenth fret, and the sound is very complementary. I've found that to be a very refined quality, and I use it a lot playing blues, either using the neck pickup or both pickups.

The out-of-phase sound is truly nasty, unlike I've ever heard. I don't use it for much--"Smokestack Lightnin'" is pretty close to it. But it's a wonderfully cranky, obnoxious sound. There is a bit of volume loss, but it's easily compensated for.

The sound of this guitar is so refined--you can get B.B. King really easily, or jazz sounds when you want them, or punch it up with overdrive, and the tones are bouncing off the walls. The only limitation is if you want something really raw. Except for the out-of-phase sound, the sounds are so tonally complex, raw is hard to get. In other words, there are some numbers where you'd like to get a kind of "cheap guitar" sound. This thing sounds like a two thousand dollar axe, period. It doesn't know how to sound like a three hundred dollar Ibanez. When I want that, I switch guitars. Which is sort of like faulting filet mignon because it doesn't taste like a hot dog--if you want the hot dog, buy a hot dog. So I'm not knocking off for that.

Same as you've heard before--the action is great, the neck is smoothe, finished like a custom-built G&L, frets smoothe and--and I love this--big enough, it's easy to grab a string for some serious bending. I don't have the tremelo, and never felt like I needed one. You can crank 'em till your fingers bleed, and stays right in tune--so I think the tremelo would be no problem if you wanted to use one.

My only knock--and this is just personal--is that I have rather short, stubby fingers, so the 25.5", Fender scale length is a hard stretch for me. And it's also a bit narrow for me. But that's just personal to me--I don't have real "guitar player's hands." I do have a backup with a 24"(!) scale length, just so I can do some things I can't do with this guitar.

But everyone I've let touch this guitar, the first thing they say is, "Wo, nice neck." Need I say more?

As to finish, the phenolic is practically indestructible--looks good, and is practically immune from scratches or buckle rash. I do think they should have the white plastic edge piece available in black, though, to match the black pickguard. Black with light blue is a killer color combination.

I've gigged with this guitar quite a bit, and play it most every day. It's been hit a couple of times, by accident, and doesn't even go out of tune. Allowing for the semi-hollow body and really light, it really seems like a tank. Any knock on durability is strictly bogus, this has held up to everything I've done to it, and it still looks brand-new, except for some pick scratches on the pickguard.

I dealt with Joe Naylor quite a bit while getting this thing changed over. They don't get any better. Period.

I've been playing about 35 years, but the first 33 was strictly acoustic. This guitar has been ideal for helping me make the switch to electric, first because it's so versatile; second because *all* the pickup/coil/phase combinations are predictable and *really* sound good; third because it takes heavier-guage strings really well (sometimes the locking tuners won't take .11's,); fourth because the electronics are really steady.

Mostly I play blues on it, with a little country and classic rock thrown into the mix. This guitar plays all of them as though it was custom made for that genre alone. And it plays B.B. King-style blues just as easily as Albert King, just as easily as Buddy Guy (I was particularly looking for a guitar that could give me that nasty ryhthmn sound off Buddy Guy's "Sweet Tea" album.) It's exactly the guitar I was looking for when I made the switch from my Martin.

I don't even want to think about this guitar being stolen--shut your mouth.

One particular thing I noticed early, was that it plays better through a cheap amp than my Reverend with three P-90's (slingshot custom) did. When I got a better amp, the P-90's blew me away. But the Rocco sounded great through both of them.

I ordered mine direct in 2002. It is a dragonfly green metal top (very cool color) with a pseudo-Bigsby (I guess they now come with honest-to-goodness Bigsbys). Sperzel locking tuners, graphite nut, and wicked cool case. Beyond that, it's the same as the other reviews.

I play a lot of classic rock and blues. What can I say? I love the tone of this guitar. I got rid of my fingernails on a chalkboard Parker and took a chance on this and boy am I happy. The pickups are quiet as can be. There isn't too much of a drop off in volume when using the coil tap. All of the pickup settings are useful. Dialing off the volume doesn't result in muddy sound. This guitar can't approximate the full low-end sound of Gibson humbuckers, but the guitar just plain sounds great.

I ordered this guitar over the phone and they asked me how I wanted the instrument set up and by golly that's how it came. I checked the entire thing over for some sort of flaw, but the guitar is perfect. The top was properly bookmatched (okay, just kidding). The neck is exquisite (I like it almost as much as my old Parker and those are the nicest necks in the world). Frets are perfect. Action is perfect. The thing is just plain perfect.

The guitar has withstood live playing so far (but I'm not hard on my guitars) and I don't see why it wouldn't hold up for a long time. I haven't noticed that the metal top is easy to dent or scratch. The strap buttons seem solid. I always take a backup, but that's not because I don't trust the guitar. But you never know.

Placing the order was painless and they were always helpful when I checked on the progress of my order.

I've been playing over 30 years, but only seriously for the past 3 years when I started playing live. I also have a Reverend Slingshot Custom that I found used and I'm thinking about ordering an Avenger TL. I also have an 80s Japanese made Tele that's pretty nice tone wise but the neck is shot. I would definitely buy another Rocco if this were lost or stolen. I love the light weight of the thing, the neck length is perfect for my body. Over the past two years, I've bought and sold about 10 electric guitars (I'm hard to please) and this is one of the few I've really fallen in love with. The neck plays very comfortably and it's just well-balanced. And it sounds great. (And I think it looks very cool)

My Rocco was probably made in 2000-2001. Purchased from Musicians Friend. It has a turquoise body with a gray pick guard. This model has the exposed black/white coil p/u's. Hard tail bridge. The other features have been covered in other reviews. I do have one gripe, features wise, about my Rocco. The volume and tone controls are not damped. So the lightest bump or accidental brush will turn the volume control drastically. I've been a strat player for years and am used to playing with my pinky wrapped around the volume control. I can't do this with my Rocco, because it's to easy to accidently roll the volume off. The non damped control, also makes it harder to make slight volume adjustments while playing. I usually touch it and roll the volume off to much. The tone control knob was loose and feel off after a few weeks. These controls are split shaft and the chrome knob doesn't fit snugly over it with out the screw being tightened. No big deal on this. Features wise, this guitar does have them, with both coils being splitable via the mini switches. Other than that it's a no frills guitar.

I bought this guitar hoping it would lean towards a 335 type sound. In other words, lively an fat. I was somewhat disappointed. It felt like the guitar was shipped with 9's strings, which I quickly changed to a 10-46 set. It still sounded plinky on the high strings and a little bright over all. On my strat type guitars I use a 11-48 set to get a little more bite out of the high (skinny) strings.. I haven't tried that on this Rocco. Overall I like the guitar's sound when in humbucker mode, however, I thing the guitar really thins out when shifted into any of the single coil only settings. To my ear the volume drops about 30% and it doesn't sound like a strat at all. When I gig with this guitar I leave it in HB mode all the time. I play this guitar through: Allen Old Flame (2x10), Deluxe Reverbs and at times through a Line 6 Flextone. The guitar is not at all noisy, even in single coil mode. I also own a Guild CE-100 and a Dearmond Jetstar with Goldtones in it. My Rocco's output is about 80-90$ of both of my other humbucker equipped guitars, so I'd say the output of these p/u's is less than a PAF style p/u. Likes/dislikes: I do and I don't. When I'm playing a Strat type song.. this Rocco gets me closer to that sound with the advantage of h/b's and a little more umph hitting that first preamp tube. But when I play a h/b/fat toned type song it just doesn't pull it off like my solid bodies and 335 type guitars do. I usually have to kick in an OD pedal.

The guitar came set-up with low action and was innotated. I play blues and swing type music, so the strings were to light and low for my tastes. I'm sure it would be perfect for the speed demon rock player. The necks and frets on Reverend guitars are really great. I love the frets, they're just right. It's a breeze to play. No flaws that I could see. I'll take off a few points for the NON-damped vol/tone controls and the tone knob that fell off.

This guitar is solid nothing to criticize here, except for the vol and tone controls.

I have also purchased a Rev Spy guitar and a Rev Hellhound amp. You used to be able to e-mail Reverend and get quick polite answers. It seems now that they've started their own mail order they no loger even advertise a contact email address on their web site. If you want support you have to call them on your dime. This is disappointing, the personal service/(email responses) was one of the reasons I purchased my 2nd and 3rd Reverend products. I wanted to replace the vol/tone controls in this Rocco with a damped type pot, but didn't want to have to take the strings & pic guard off to see the value of the pots. I went to the Rev. web site and low and behold.. they don't take emails anymore. -5 , shame on you guys!

Overall, I honestly have neutral feelings for this guitar. It's a professional, good playing piece of laminate and wood and I'll gig with it in certian situations in the future. While it's very unique looking, I don't find the tone to be anything overly exceptional. I really like the tones I get out of my Rev. Spy, I would categorize it as a unique Strat ++. Maybe I should have gotten the P-90 equipped Rev. guitar. I also own the following guitars: 62' Strat Reissue, DeArmond M75-T & Jetstar, (Rev. Spy), Michael Kelly Duce Coupe (335 type, way cool for the money!) and a 78 Guild CE-100 (sweet & fat!). If this was lost or stolen, I'd get something else. I do wish it had chrome p/u covers.. it would look much more sharp, in my opinion.

This is the now-discontinued basic Rocco with zebra pickups and non-locking tuners; two humbuckers with 3-way switch,two coil taps, 1 each of volume and tone controls. Composite wood/ resin top and back with solid mahogany center block and steel sustain bar. Body style is unique but somewhat similar a smaller strat with shortened 'horns'. Neck is very like a vintage strat with a rosewood fingerboard. Classy-looking & slightly retro, with nice subtle details like the chrome armrest and jagged pickguard making a very individual look.

Excelent sound all the way; so many possibilities to try out I still haven't even explored...I play anything from Van Morrison to Robert Johnson to the Ramones to Hank Williams Sr. to Dinosaur Jr. to Stevie Wonder to Portishead to Jon Spencer to Leo Kottke....ok, that's enough. A wide range of interests. The Rocco can cope with just about anything; much more flexible than your basic Strat or Les Paul, for instance, and to my ears sounds better than either. Quieter in single-coil mode than my strat (no out-of phase position, unfortnately) and more definition in humbucker than the Paul. It does exceptional in-between sounds, too- the reviews below have already touched on the sweet single/ hum combinations. The volume and tone controls add soooo much variety to the sound- maybe Reverend should rename them so they wont be confused with the almost useless controls on most guitars. If you want a heavy distorted sound and the humbucker sounds a little too full-bodied but the single is too thin, just roll off the volume a little bit and suddenly it bites without bludgeoning. Perfect! I could go on and on about the different sounds, but take my word- there's almost anything you want in there, and many things you didn't know you wanted until you hear them.

I purchsed this used, the noisy tone control probably can't be blamed on production. Besides that, as far as I can tell, it is extremely well-made and set-up. From what I've heard, Mr. Naylor goes well out of his way to correct any such problems. It might not be the perfect guitar for the light-gauge, low-action string playing guys out there.

Super-light but seems sturdy; It makes me a little nervous because I can be kinda hard on my gear, but I feel less need to baby this one than I do my Les Paul, which is the exact opposite: heavy and fragile (one might say cheap). I feel I can depend on it through normal playing, and I don't think I need a backup- although that is pretty much what it has turned my other guitars into.

No company contact yet- purchased used- but from what I've head, J. N. is the top of the heap for customer satisfaction.

Honestly, no hype or anything, this is the best guitar I've ever played and I have played a few! I always preferred the Start neck but was disappointed by the sound of all but the extremely expensive models. Mine has a Lace Sensor in the bridge and two Texas Specials and it still sounds weak compared to the Rocco. I do miss the out-of phase positions, but the Rocco more than makes up for it with many other configurations. I won't even compare it with the Les Paul, which is a guitar I got a great deal on and ended up still feeling cheated. The Rocco cost me a little less than my Strat, about a third of my Paul, and I'd easily give both of the others up. I'd have no hesitation recommending the Rocco to anybody who likes to play on a strat neck, and as a gigging instrument, the light weight and flexibility make it an excellent choice. BTW, any of you POD owners might like to play around with it set to the "POD layer" setting... you can get a better almost-acoustic sound than many piezo-equipped guitars I've heard.

This is a demo model Rocco with the engine-turn finish(no longer
offered on website). It is a hard-tail, two humbuckers w/coil splitting, locking pegs, 1 vol.,1 tone, 3 position selector,
rosewood fingerboard. Great features.

The sound is very flexible. I play mainly blues and rock. The Rocco
handles these very well. It goes from full crunch rock to smooth
jazz. I use a Reverend Hellhound 40/60 combo. My effects are a
vox Clyde Wah, Visual Sound Jeckyl & Hyde, Voodoo Lab Sparkle Drive,
Boss BF 2 Flanger, and Visual Sound H20. The guitar is dead quiet in
the humbucker mode. There is some noise when the coils are split.

The setup was a little high for my tastes, but the pickups were set
perfect for the string height. I lowered the strings and pickups
and replaced the original .009's with .010's. This guitar looked
brand new. I can't believe it was sold as a demo. No Flaws.

Built very sturdy. It is a semi-hollow body, so you can't throw it
around. I feel like it will last a long time.

Best customer service I have ever dealt with. It makes me never want
to go to another music store again. Always very helpful.

I have been playing for 25 yrs. I also own a Reverend Avenger TL,
a Godin LG SP90, and a few different Epiphones. I will soon be
selling most of my other guitars. I'll stick to Reverend from now
on.