Warrior Guardian

As far as I can tell, the Guardian appears to have been the forerunner of what is now called the "Warrior Signature". For a while they called Guardians with flame tops "Signature Guardian". Then the Guardian name was dropped and Signature became the new model. This one was made in late 99. It is one of the last to have the tone bar through the body. Carved flame walnut top (Sound familiar? It should - it's the same guitar that an earlier reviewer was waiting for when he submitted his review for a maple top in '99). Two Seymour Duncan Humbuckings. LR Baggs acoustic pickup in a recessed, Tune-O-Matic type bridge. The recess allows for a very small neck angle. Ebony fretboard, aged mahogany back and sides, purple heart tone bar through the neck and body, 24 jumbo stainless steel frets, abalone inlays, 6.5 lbs total weight, full array of controls for split coil, combination, and blending the acoustic pickup with the magnetic pickups. Gold hardware. Sprezel locking tuners. Strap locks. The neck profile is fairly wide and flat. The finish is clear, high gloss, and flawless. The attention to detail is unsurpassed.

This thing drips tone. It is, without doubt, the most flexible instrument I have played. Effects are completely optional with this baby. The acoustic pickup sparkles without being thin or boomy. There's no need for a notch filter, as seen on most of the Fishman pickups. The response is even and well balanced throughout the entire range. The amount of detail is a little difficult to get used to at first - it reveals every nuance, and I mean ALL of it. If your technique isn't precise, it will become quite evident. This will either help you improve or frustrate you, depending on your level of commitment. On the magnetic side, the range of tonality is quite diverse. You can get everything from a deep, jazz tone to a screaming tone that's similar to the bridge pickup on a '63 335, or any number of unique and beautiful tones from using the split-coil configurations. THE AMOUNT OF NATURAL SUSTAIN IS BEYOND DESCRIPTION! It reminds me of a harp. Even at minimal volume levels, notes just seem to ring on and on. In fairness, this instrument has it's
own signature sound. It's not quite like anything I've heard. It's better.

The setup seems to be perfect for my taste and playing style. The action is evenly low throughout the entire range. The frets are so big and smooth that playing becomes effortless. I'm really a big fan of jumbo frets, and these stainless steel frets are SMOOTH.

The pickups were adjusted appropriately for the action. The routing is precise, and the finish is flawless save for a very minor imperfection in the control cover on the back side of the body. That's another thing - the cover for the controls is made of 1/4" solid, flame walnut. Nice and thick, and the screws that hold the panel in place are machine screws with metal anchors - not the typical cheap wood screws found on other instruments. The knobs are gold with burl walnut caps. The bridge is a masterpiece - perfectly set in a nicely routed recess, with stainless steel saddles that are rounded at the point of contact with each string. That probably accounts for the seemingly endless sustain. The mounting rings for the humbuckers are made of gold plated die-cast metal, not the typical plastic ones found everywhere else. The wood that Warrior uses is the finest aged wood available, and this is evidenced by the perfectly bookmatched flame top. This is really a stunning instrument.

The manufacturer in this case accepted absolutely no compromise - no matter how slight.

Durability? Well, let's just say that if you read anything prior to this point, you see that it's pointless to ask.

I called Warrior and J.D. Lewis himself called me back promptly. He is the person who founded the company, and he's quite committed to his work, to his employees and to his customers. He was very helpful, and answered many questions.

I was about to order a new Warrior when this one came along, and it had all the features I was looking for, as well as some features that are no longer offered - like the tone bar through the body and the 5-way rotary switch - which I personally prefer.

Still, new or used, these are among the best instruments made anywhere, at any price. If something were to happen to this one, I would RUN, not walk to Rossville and have Warrior make me another one just like it. If you have the opportunity to own one of these instruments - JUST DO IT, you won't be sorry.

I've been playing for over 30 years, and I own many fine instruments including a '69 Byrdland, an ES-335, SG/Les Paul Custom, Les Paul Standard, EDS-1275, a Taylor acoustic and three guitars made by the famous luthier John Buscarino. If I could only keep one guitar, I would tear my heart out. If I could keep two, I would retain my Buscarino Mira and my Warrior guitar.

This is a follow up to an earlier review. It will focus on my dealings with the company only.

I will start out by saying I still think they are the best guitar I have ever played. In the last year, I have bought 3 of them. I became aware of a used Guardian that was traded in. I spoke to the guy who traded it in, and found out he was given $1970 for it. So I contacted the company, and asked for a price. I couldn't believe it when I was told it was $2900. I pointed out to them that I can buy a new one for $2900, and that I have bought 3 in the last year, I have taken the time to submit a user review, etc. IMO, new is new and used is used. I also explained that I know they only have $1970 into it. I expressed I'm not looking for something for nothing, just a fair deal, I mean I bought 3 in the last year! I figured being a new company that claims to be "more than just about business", would at least come down a little...anything. The response? We feel $2900 is a fair price, and would be willing to build you a new one for $2900. I guess it is only about business. My point is, if you don't care about what they tried to do to a loyal customer who supported and promoted them every chance I had, feel free to buy a Warrior. If however, you want your hard earned cash to be appreciated, and more so if you come back for another, stay away. Just figured this was worth sharing. Time to look elsewhere. I am very disappointed.

I recently purchased a 1999 Warrior Guardian 24 fret model. These guitars are hand made right here in the USA! Mine has the purple tone bar thru the neck and body. The Warrior neck really allows me comfortable access to all 24 frets. The body and neck are of made of aged mahogany and the top is quilted maple. I would compare the neck on my Warrior to the PRS Wide Fat neck. The finish and design of the guitar?s body are meticulous. I have discovered that the design of the Warriors? guitar body allows me to easily angle the guitar with my right thigh for full viewing of the frets during a solo. I have been a PRS player for quite a while now. I own 4 - Paul Reed Smith guitars at the present time. A 1991 Custom 24, 1997 Custom 24, 1988 CE 24 and 1989 CE 24. All of my PRS guitars are great! They all have a little different sound and feel. The Warrior, I believe has much better overall neck action than my PRS guitars. The 91 PRS Custom, I feel has the best action and sound of all my PRS guitars, but I feel the Warrior is better! The resonances of the woods on the Warrior are very good also. I have compared the sounds of all my guitars unplugged, so I could listen to the different tones and resonance of each. I feel the Warrior also has an overall superior resonance to my PRS guitars. In my opinion the Warrior had better sustain and a brighter tone. The Warrior features a 5-way rotary switch like the PRS, but has opposite positions. This is something I can adjust to however. The only down side of my Warrior was the pickups. It came with a Dimarzio DP-161 on the bridge and a Dimarzio DP-193 on the neck. The DP-193 is okay I guess, but I did not care for the sound of the DP-161 at all! I plan to
replace the DP-161 with either a PRS Deep Dish or a Seymour Duncan ?Trembucker?. I am going to try each of these pickups to see which one better delivers my desired sound. I have a Deep Dish in my 1991 PRS and I like the sound it produces. So I thought I would try this type of pickup first. My thoughts are, if I can get a sound similar to my 91 PRS along with the sustain and action of the Warrior, I will have a great guitar!

I play through Mesa Boogie amps. Either a Mark III or a "Son of Boogie". The pickups that came in the guitar did'nt satisfy my desired sound. I play classic rock and like a fat and sustaining sound. The guitar came with a Dimarzio DP-161 on the bridge and a Dimarzio DP-193 on the neck. The DP-193 is okay I guess, but I did not care for the sound of the DP-161 at all! It was too clean and thin sounding for my taste. I plan to replace the DP-161 with either a PRS Deep Dish or a Seymour Duncan ?Trembucker?. I am going to try each of these pickups to see which one better delivers my desired sound.

I didn't care for the way the guitar was setup, so I lowered the strings. The intination was right on, however. I also set the guitar up for 10s. I use Fender 250 strings, which has 10-38 gauge.

I haven't really had it long enough to truly say how it will stand up to long term playing, but it seems to be a quality instrument. So I expect it to hold up at least as well as my PRS guitars.

Haven't utilized the service yet. I hope I don't have to.

As indicated during my other ratings, I compared the Warrior to my PRS guitars. It this guitar were lost or stolen, I suspect I would replace it with another Warrior. My favorite aspects of the guitar are the design of the neck and body. As I stated eariler, I did not like the bridge pickup that came with the guitar.

1999 Warrior Guardian. Serial # 0024. I am lucky to have one of the first ones made, as mine has the purple tone bar thru the body, as well as the neck. The newer ones lack the purple tone bar thru the body. 24 fret model, 3 piece body and neck (Mahogany, Purple tone bar, Mahogany), Flame Maple top in translucent black, Seymore Duncan Non-Discloser pickups, G-Factor strings thru body, Gold hardware, 5 way switch like PRS, Pearl Dot inlays with Pearl sword inlay on 12th fret,Pearl Warrior logo inlayed on headstock, Locking Spertzel tuners, and a fixed bridge. The body style is similar to a PRS, but has its own look. The quality of this guitar is amazing. Having owned a ton of quality guitars, including a few PRS Custom 22's, 24's, as well as a Custom shop Fender strat and a few top end Les Pauls, I can honestly say IMO, this is the best built guitar I have ever played. I believe it has a tone all it's own, growls and sings, and generally inspires me to play better. The fret work is excellent. If you get a chance to play one, you owe it to your self to check it out.

I play mostly rock, classic to Metallica, and this guitar does it all. For a live rig, I used a POD run into a Crate half stack for juice. No problems with noise. When I first got it, it felt like the neck was too fat by the headstock, compared to my PRS Custom 22. NOw I don't notice it.

When I got the guitar, it wasn't set up at all. The dealer offered to set it up, however after driving 2 hours to get there, and spending 3 hours trying a ton of guitars, I just wanted to hit the road. As this was #24, I'll cut the company some slack in this area.

THis guitar is a blast, but no matter how reliable a guitar is, if you play the shit out of it live, you'll break strings. IMO, always have a backup. Finish is nice.

No dealings with the company.

I have been playing for 15+ years. What I love, is that it is a hand produced guitar, not mass produced. If it was stolen, I would buy again. I compared it to my PRS, and in my opinion, it is a better guitar. But they are different. Its all a matter of personal taste. Do yourself a favor and check out Ed Romans website. Even if your not looking for a guitar, the pictures alone are worth the look. Peace.

This is a set neck 25 inch scale beauty, hand made in the US by Warrior Instruments who have been making mainly basses but began making guitars a few years ago. The body and neck are made of "vintage" mahogany, at least 200 years old. It has a hand carved maple top which thus far I have not seen the equal of. Incredibly uniform, tight quilt, which is consistant on the entire top. The finish is approx 9 coats of hand rubbed oil. The fingerboard is Gaboon ebony with Mother of Pearl inlays and the characteristic 12th fret sword inlay. Two Rio Grande humbuckers, and a L.R. Baggs Piezo tune-o-matic bridge specially developed for Warrior. Controls are volume, tone, stereo/mono, blend, and toggle switch for the piezo.

I am using a Bogner Ecstacy with a Bogner 4X12 cab and a Trace Elliot 60CR acoustic amp. First and foremost I have to say this is the most involving and true piezo acoustic sound I have ever heard. Period. I have an Anderson with the X-Bridge and a Parker fly which both sound great but the Warrior is so rich, lush, and authentic, you have to hear it to believe it. Even without plugging the guitar in and just strumming it, you can tell this guitar is something special. The wood just sings. Fortunately, plugged in it gets even better. The electic sound is really great for rock. This guitar just does not sound thin at any setting. The Rio Grands really wail when you crank it. Sustain is awsome. Even though you can split both pickups, the sound is more gibson to old PRS than Fender.

This catagory is what sets the Warrior apart from anything I have played before. I own 2 Anderson Drop Tops (one hollow Koa top), custom made Suhr, Brian Moore C90 Custom, Parker Fly, EB Axis, Robin Medley costom. All are great and I love em. The Warrior has a quality that differs from all of them. The quality of construction is a good as the others but the Warrior has almost an organic feel to it. You can appreciate that this guitar took a long time to make. The oil finish is incredible; the quilt practically glows. The neck feel is orgasmic. The action, intonation, set up were perfect, as they should be for this kind of money. A very nice touch is the quilted maple cover plate for the electonics.

This thing feels like a tank, but does it withought weighing a ton. The finish seems quite durable and since it is more of a satin type finish, you cannot easily get the small scrathes common on laquer finishes. J.D. Lewis sent me 2 nice bottles of his special recipe Anointing Oil which should be lightly applied about one a month to maintain the finish as new.

Another catagory where Warrior has completly exceeded my expectations. J.D. Lewis, the president has spent quite a while talking to me on the phone. He even gave me his personal pager number should I need to reach him at any time. He personally thanked me for the purchase, always promptly answered my emails. Even though he souds like a very busy guy, he always made you feel important. The only problem is when he brings up the details on some of the current guitars he is working on (Koa top, spalted maple, etc). You can go broke in a hurry if you dont watch yourself!

I have been playing for 17 years and have played just about everything. This guitar has a special intangible quality that sets it apart from all my other guitars. Mine is #109 and I expect that Warrior is a company that will become more well known in the future. I am so taken with it that my second Warrior, a killer figured Walnut top, should be arriving any day now. My feeling is that these early serial #'s are going to be collector items although its a crime not to play them. J.D. and Warrior are truly a class act second to none; from the guitar to the laminated, hand signed color certificate of authenticity and warm personal service. You owe it to yourself to check out Warrior. Http://www.warriorinstruments.com