t h e ga s station Affordable speed machines Words Jonathan Horsley / Photography Olly Curtis With slim necks to match slim pocketbooks and double-locking vibratos as standard, these electrics are built to rock fast and hard Total Guitar june 2018 TGR306.gear_test.
the tg test 99 Y ou want it fast. You want it cheap. In this day and age, who doesn’t? But how realistic is it to rock up at your local guitar emporium and walk off with a shred-ready electric for around 500 bucks? Well, as this month’s round-up proves, it’s more than feasible. We could have extended this test to models from Schecter, Jackson and LTD, too, and hardly covered all the bases.
t h e ga s station eVH WoLFGaNG StaNdaRd IBaNeZ JeMJR SteVe VaI SIGNatURe £455 Steady like Eddie £449 The jewel in the crown Wait, is this an EVH signature model for less than £500? Is this to Vai’s fans what the Wolfgang is to Eddie’s? Yes, it is. There are, of course, a few concessions on the spec when compared with the US models; there is no D-Tuna, for instance.
the tg test SQUIeR CoNteMPoRaRY £420 KRaMeR aCtIVe StRatoCaSteR tHe 84 £569 A bargain-buy Superstrat For the discerning Atomic Punk What’s the deal with the active pickups? Did Eddie Van Halen play this one, too? Well, they’re there to serve a purpose, and that purpose is highoutput with zero hum, and these Squier humbuckers are a hugely impressive budget alternative to the more celebrated EMGs you might find on a pro-spec instrument.
the tg test Head to head The iconic monkey grip on the Steve Vai signature Enjoy an adrenaline rush with the speed freaks G 102 iven that Eddie Van Halen did as much as anybody to advance the popularity of shred guitar, not to mention the pioneering of the souped-up S-style electrics on which it was perfected, we should start with the Wolfgang and the Kramer. It’s fascinating seeing them side-by-side.
t h e ga s station FINaL VeRdICt Which shred machine is the right one for you? o verall, the JEM Junior is hard to beat. Your ocular nerves won’t thank us for such a recommendation – because, seriously, that pink finish could be seen from space – but its combination of authentic Vai touches, like the Tree of Life inlay and sonic versatility, could, and maybe should, give it the edge. But the Squier is a clear winner for anyone who values a high-gain voice over all else.
