Warrior Dran Michael Signature

~ Anointed oil finish, Buckeye Burl top, Aged Mahogany (130+ years) double-cut signiture body, Custom Buckeye Burl knobs, Custom Buckeye Burl pickup covers, Custom Buckeye Burl headstock overlay, Abalone WARRIOR logo inlay on headstock, tone-pros bridge, USA sperzel locking tuners.
~ Super fast Multi-laminated neck (mahogany/flamed maple/purple heart/zebra wood). Ebony fretboard 25" scale, Abalone triangle inlays, WARRIOR sword @ 12th fret, 24 stainless steel frets.
~ 2 Dimarzio X2N humbuckers (shrouded in Buckeye), 5-way blade selector Single coil or humbucker, (1) volume knob + (1) tone knob.
~ Counter-sunk Dunlop strap locks, Crocodile Print Hard case, polish, cloth, leather strap.

As a session player I have to ready to crank out everything from Hip-Hop and Blues to Jazz and Death Metal at the drop of a hat. The need for a versatile instrument is paramount! This guitar covers all my bases.
I play this instrument exclusively though VHT Amps and Cabs along with TC Electronics Processing.
The pickups are Super Quiet which was kind of a shock considering their output. I can only attribute this to the superior electronics from WARRIOR.
This Guitar has a unique timbre, Creamy/bell-like tones and clear harmonics with an aggressive attack and sustain for days.

This Guitar played well from the factory.

This guitar will withstand live playing. For as pretty as it looks- the thing is built like a tank! The hardware is first class. I NEVER GIG WITHOUT A BACKUP. However, I do not expect this guitar to fail. This is an heirloom quality instrument.

I have dealt extensively with the WARRIOR team and have made a trip to their shop. They really are Top Notch! I have had less than stellar experiences with other custom shops and other manufacturers. This is my second WARRIOR instrument and I can honestly say that no other company provides the support and personal attention that WARRIOR does.

I have been playing for almost 20 years. I own several other USA custom shop guitars from various manufacturers. If it were lost or stolen I would buy another to replace it. The features of this guitar are breathtaking. The tone is sick and the playability is fast and fluid. This is by far my favorite guitar!

I dont know where to begin! AAAAA maple that has been SPALTED ( think 10 top PRS and letting your 3 year old take a sharpie to it, but this is 100% mother nature), coming from the same tree on the top and back,then laminated to purple heart and vintage mahogany ( maple/PH/mahog/PH/maple). ebony fingerboard with eagles and the warrior sword inlays, with GOLD talons, bills, and "eagle" banner. truly a work of art. STEREO, 24 frets, the new "warrior" pickups and L.R. Baggs piezo system in the bridge. 5-way switch, piezo/mag/blend switch, volume, tone, and blend knobs topped in some extremely high coloration abalone. no strap buttons, but recessed original straploks in the guitar. nothing to mess up the sleek lines. think $60.00 is a bit much for a guitar strap? not a warrior strap, it is like using a pillow. i have a '99 guardian and there is NO COMPARISON whatsoever in the two. this one has lower wide frets and a nice chunky feeling neck. the guardian had a shredder neck, but you can get "under" the note with the DM and let the good times roll. looks like the bastard child of a strat and a PRS after a LSD-induced love-in, for lack of a better description. Mine was a NAMM guitar and i reserved it right there at the show. certainly one of the belles of the ball too. i know they say no glowing reviews, but a $7700.00 guitar had better be great, and this one is, and i have had some killer guitars in my day and still have a nice collection, i get "anal" over this thing quicker than any of my vintage stuff or high-end Gibsons or PRS, because one of these days, it is going to be worth a mint, when word gets out and the boys in Rossville GA have to go into "production" to meet the demands. they are already backed up beyond belief and are getting more heavyweight endorsements every month. One look into the immaculately wired control cavity will let you know that every guitar they build at this point is a labor of love. the cheapest warrior is a high-end guitar.... the Dran is the Cream of the Crop, as far as anything you would ever actually play. they have the $250,000.00 Holy Grail Series and stuff, and the $20,000.00 Archangel, but i doubt those ever get played, just admired.

the sound is "brilliant" in the purest sense of the word. hard to describe. i dont guess i use the right electric amp to run the guitar mono with the piezo, because i dont care for that tone, but run this puppy stereo through an acoustic amp like an swr california blonde and your regular rig and this guitar is an all-nighter. KILLS all of my PRS across the boards, with the exception of my Rosewood McCarty, which has more "meat and taters" for the blues-rock thing. but only for blues-rock. the RW Mac has more USEABLE meat and taters for my style than any les paul i have ever played too.world's biggest strat would be one way to describe the sound, tele tones are coerced easily enough, so is that warren haynes allman bros era LP/PRS tone. NO MUD IN HERE FOLKS, but rolling of the tone will give you sme quack.the piezo, is great, just not mono and sometimes i dont have time on a gig to get full-bown stereo. on those nights, i choose my tune selection wisely. did a studio gig with it two days after i picked it up at the factory, and the transition was painless and i used the guitar through the entire CD. the only guitar i used! sure, i had about 4 other "old faithfuls", but the DM was all i needed.time is money in the studio and if you get to playing with the goodies, the client gets riled. he was astounded by the tones i was pulling out of one guitar, as was the engineer. resonant beyond belief. NOTE: these are custom guitars and are available with many different pickup configurations and options. remember, mine is two HBs and the Baggs. my road rig consists or any amps from a seymour duncan 84-50 to a 61 tremolux with 12" baffled cab, 66 super reverb, peavey 5150 hs, mesa maverick, or a marshall MKII lead hs. pedals, wah(sometimes), menatone red snapper, menatone king of the britains, orig ts-9, klon centaur ( yeah, i like my numerous gain stages) boss dc-2. sometimes a boss rv-3 for gigs leaning heavily towards country.

perfect, perfect, perfect. but i picked it up at the "factory" ( i.e. small metal building right across the state line.... rock throwing distance.... from chattanooga)and they set it up to my exact specifications on the spot. HA! even fitted me for the strap as though it were my wedding tuxedo. these guys have the most novel idea in the industry today. THEY CARE. real christian outfit too. not that they cram it down your throat, but that is almost the entire premise, in the way the make guitars and the way they conduct business. go to www.warriorinstruments.com and check them out. there are daily bible verses and everything. to JD, Barb, Mark, and the guys, Warrior is a way of life. one imperfection; in the G-Factor ( yes, G is for the big man upstairs) string load, one of the doo-dads is a little "off". only noticeable flaw in the guitar, but it is handmade, and Ed Roman ( I know, I know! but dont discredit the man, he knows his stuff, he is just a jerk)once told me that was the most desirable thing in a guitar. that is the "proof" so to speak. you want to buy them up when they are "almost" perfect, but not "too" perfect. i'll knock a point off for that even though it doesnt deserve it, so this review wont be an out-and-out Warrior commercial.

no strap buttons, so that is taken care of. hardware seems solid as a mack truck. the finish looks like it is 10 feet deep. i think it will last.one look at the wiring and you'll know it is built for pro pickers on the quest,and this thing isnt going to lie to you in the middle of a performance. Brad Gillis just jumped on board, and they are making them with Floyds now. my NEXT Warrior! the guitar will withstand live playing, but i only take it on gigs with a big stage... because when this baby meets it's first cymbal in the middle of the night, it is going to be a sad day in Mudville. i even ordered bodi-guards to keep it from getting so much as a button swirl on the back

unbelievably good and seemingly sincere. slow to return any emails, but call them up and the phone, and it is a done deal. i also purchased the "warrior care" service contract, where you send them the guitar once a year at your convenience and they give it a "check-up". cool huh? they are family business too. the lady that answers the phone. that is J.D.'s wife! after i reserved the guitar at NAMM, they mailed me a very personal greeting card welcoming me aboard the warrior wagon. can you believe it?

the best guitar that i have ever or will ever own. about the warrior wagon, i am on it, now being the proud parent of two. i cant wait until they come up with a 22 fretter! a soldier with a floyd will be my next, that should hold me over until they get a 22 off of the boards and into my hands. the new isabella is a beauty too. not a bargain basement guitar, but compare it to ANYTHING, especially a Gibson Custom/Art/Historic, and there is no comparison whatsoever in value for the guitar/art dollar. you better get a Dran Michael while you still can for under $10K. i have already seen guardians and soldiers take a drastic price hike ( but they have improved those guitars too these are perfect right out of the chute), the good stuff is next, take my word.