Svarez 520 J Strings

Quick Test
KEY INFO: HELLBENDER ❘ PRICE: £139 ❘ TYPE: ANALOGUE OVERDRIVE PEDAL ❘ WEB: WWW.ROTHWELLAUDIOPRODUCTS.CO.UK
Savarez 520 J Strings
£10.95
146 JUNE 2007
YOU MAY
remember the
Rothwell Audio
brand from issue 253’s
review of the Stompjuice
pedal supply, or issue 258
when we gave the Hot Little Knob Strat
tone circuit a Gold Award. The company
has been around for a while making hi-fi
products, but founder Andrew
Rothwell has guitar effects pedal
building experience stretching back
nearly 30 years.
Everything about the Hellbender
oozes boutique quality, from the hand-
polished and engraved housings to the
internal wiring. Components are
chassis mounted and hand-soldered via
fl ying leads to the main PCB to ensure
long term reliability, rather than
merely constructing pedals in the
most economically effi cient manner;
this methodology is a product of
Andrew Rothwell’s experience
working for British Aerospace: “In
the aerospace industry you don’t want
bits breaking off.” Quite.
SOUNDS: So often we see boutique
overdrives with volume, gain and tone
controls that are Tube Screamer clones,
so it’s a pleasant surprise when plugging
in the Hellbender to fi nd that it is
nothing of the sort. The range of the
gain control goes from a touch-sensitive
mild drive to a rich, full-bodied roar that
works equally well for riffs as it does
scorching lead runs. Clever design also
Need a set of classic-sounding nylon ropes? Savarez should be on you shortlist…
by Dave Burrluck
RATING
clear and smoother the bass strings are
still high tension but don’t feel quite as
‘tight’, by design, as the Traditionals.
Verdict
We’re not saying that these are ‘the
best’ nylon strings out there but in our
experiments, we’ve consistently gone
back to these strings. Certainly anyone
who’s nylon-string guitar feels and
sounds a little ‘fl oppy’ could do worse
than auditioning a set of the 520 Js.
They certainly produce a very
traditional sound but bring out a new
vibrancy and clarity to the instrument.
A new stompbox range hand-built to last in the UK… by Chris Vinnicombe
Rothwell Audio Hellbender £139
novices in this new and exciting parallel
guitar universe.
Savarez is a French brand that’s been
making strings since 1770 and is well
known in nylon circles (it actually has
just launched its fi rst steel-string
electric sets this year). The range is
wide from Traditional sets, like the
520, to more modern Corum
Alliance that use composite
fi bre top strings and Corum
bass strings.
IN USE: We’re now on our
10th set of Traditional 520
J ‘yellow card’ high-tension
strings. They differ from many
with their ‘rectifi ed’ nylon top strings
that have a slight texture, less slippery
than the clear nylon treble strings. The
extra tension, especially for plectrum
players, gives a little more fi ght and to
our ears more power – as if the string is
making the soundboard work harder.
We’ve also tried the more modern
Corum 500 CJs, which are again high
tension, and although the trebles are
LAST YEAR WE RAN A SERIES OF
features on nylon string guitars and all
their subtleties but realised that, while
we may be seasoned hacks when it
comes to steel strings, we were relative
RATING
means that the circuit’s two gain stages
interact in such a way that eliminates
bottom end fl abbiness and keeps
proceedings satisfyingly taut.
Verdict
£139 for an overdrive pedal may seem
excessive to some in these days of £15
Chinese dirtboxes, but rest assured
that the Hellbender is built with
meticulous attention to detail and will
withstand years of heavy gigging.
HELLBENDER TEST RESULTS
Build quality
Features
Sound
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Superb build quality;
great sounds
■ WE DISLIKED May seem expensive to
some, but you are paying for real quality
SAVAREZ 520 J TEST RESULTS
Build quality
In use
Value for money
■ WE LIKED Traditional sound from a range
with numerous tension and style options
■ WE DISLIKED Nearly double the price of
a steel-string set!
Hellbender: much
more than a Tube
Screamer clone
Savarez strings:
they’re pricey but
worth it
KEY INFO ❘ SAVAREZ 520 J & 500 CJ STRINGS ❘ PRICE: £10.95 PER SET ❘ TYPE: NYLON STRINGS ❘ WEB: WWW.STRINGSANDTHINGS.CO.UK
GIT290.rev_quick 146 23/4/07 8:59:27 am