SWAMP ASH BODY “ Good swamp ash is both light and resonant , and generally carries a broad grain that looks great under a translucent finish . The swampash sound is twangy , airy , and sweet . It offers firm lows , pleasant highs , a slightly scooped midrange , and good sustain .” - Google
Google ’ s take on swamp ash rings especially true when it comes to this Amaryllis ( translucent red ) finish that is on the review instrument I got to put to the test . While looks are arguably the last reason you should buy a guitar , they are a key attractor . I really love the way the grain on the review guitar poked through the finish , creating a super classy look .
With that out of the way , this guitar sounds great both acoustically and at various drive settings , and the body is a key part of that . The scooped cutaway on the front lower bout makes it easy to get to bends at the top of the neck without skipping a beat ! Visually speaking , I appreciate that someone thought to add the scoop onto the upper bout . Unless you ’ re a lefty , this won ’ t add to the playability , but it does add to the visual continuity of the instrument in a way that is both subtle and pleasing to the eye .
ELECTRONICS The 5-blade pickup selector enables you to toggle between the Fiore-H ( humbucker ) that sits in the bridge position , and the pair of Fiore-S ( single coil ) pickups that sit in the middle and neck positions respectively . Pushpull functions on the two tone pots allow for further tone sculpting .
The Fiore-H harkened back to some of my favorite PAF-inspired pickups , giving you what you need when it ’ s time to step on the proverbial gas . That said , the Fiore-S pickups kind of steal the show . In the neck position the guitar delivers a tone that is more rich than fat . The same translates to the middle position , delivering the kind of girth that makes the position very usable , as well as the blends thereof .