Metal’s visibility among the wider
record-buying public ebbs and
flows. To many, it probably seemed like
metal’s torch was extinguished right
around the time that spandex sales bit the
dust. But the explosion in metal’s popularity
in the last few years can’t be denied—
even if it’s no longer an MTV-fueled
phenomenon. And the hard-hitting tones
that are the signatures of thrash doom and
gloom drive not just a flourishing metal
underground, but a thriving segment of
the gear industry that serves the players
behind it. Fernandes is among the guitar
builders the new metal guard favors. And
the new V-Hawk Deluxe reviewed here is
built to give metal players aggressive tones,
fast playability, and radical styling in a
quality package that won’t break the bank.
Talons of Tone
Although the Snow White-finished, all-mahogany
V-Hawk is so light that it makes
the neck feel a little heavy when worn with
a strap, the guitar feels amazing played sitting
down in a quasi-classical position—fast,
legato-style runs were a breeze! Whether
you’re sitting or standing, the neck-through
construction and 14"-radius ebony fretboard
feel fantastic, with a near-perfect setup and
a combination of mass and thin profiling
that begs for shredding. All 24 jumbo frets
are carefully dressed and highly polished,
and the ebony fretboard is encased in white
binding. I couldn’t find a single buzzy spot
on the neck, and the extended cutaway on
the lower bout of the neck gave me unhindered
access to the guitar’s upper registers.
The body is home to two EMG humbuckers—an 81 in the bridge position and
an 85 in the neck—which suits the guitar’s
thrash-metal mission. Output is controlled
by Volume and Tone knobs, and a 3-way
selector. A tried-and-true Tune-o-matic-style
bridge and stopbar tailpiece round
out the hardware complement.
White Hawk Cries
As you’d expect, the V-Hawk is a metal
machine first and foremost. And through
a Mesa/Boogie Multiwatt Dual Rectifier
and an Emperor 4x12 cab, it pounded out
incredibly mean and percussive rhythm
tones. The EMGs—which proved their
worth in the metal world ages ago—were
smooth and balanced, with a tendency
toward scooped mids, a tight low end, and
a razor-sharp top end that sliced through
like an indomitable battle ax. Further, the
EMGs hi-fi efficiency and power enabled
the V-Hawk to retain high-end sting even
when using a long cable.
If you’re looking for a metal weapon
that also has a warm, soft side, however,
the V-Hawk may not be your implement
of choice. Even when using very different
settings on the Mesa, the V-Hawk emphasized
mids and treble frequencies, which
tended to sound a bit one-dimensional
when I tried to play more sensitive licks.
There wasn’t much tonal “give” or sag to
extend the expressiveness of the instrument
beyond a tighter-than-a-drum onslaught
of overdrive. Granted, the V-Hawk isn’t
designed for classic rock and jazz, but it
was difficult at times to exploit the natural
advantages of a neck-through-body design
in non-bludgeoning, take-no-prisoners
contexts. Though the acoustic resonance
of the body and neck made me think that
digging into string bends at the right gain
levels would produce a pleasing, overtonerich
bloom, the pickups consistently
imparted the indelible sonic fingerprint
their known for. Even with the gain turned
down to moderate levels, the tone was
a little too flat to play more nuanced or
bluesy licks or melodies. Plugging into a
1981 Marshall JCM800 half-stack added
some detail to the midrange guts, yielding
a tone perfect for thrashy mayhem. But,
again, it was difficult to summon tones
well suited to subtlety. To be certain, this
guitar wants to go full bore!
The Verdict
For those who need to lead their metal
forces into battle on a budget, the
Fernandes V-Hawk Deluxe is an excellent
choice—particularly given the top-notch
construction. The guitar is a straight-up
fire-breather, with a comfortable, well-contoured
neck that’s one of the best I’ve
seen in its price range if you’re looking to
scorch eardrums. If your metal preferences
lean more toward late-’70s and early-’80s
metal in the fashion of, say, Judas Priest,
you might find the guitar’s tone a little too
modern and focused. But if you need the
tight, raging tones that define mid-’80s to
mid-’90s thrash, the V-Hawk Deluxe is a
superior choice.
Watch the video review:
Buy if...
you’re on a budget and need
an aggressive, modern-voiced
metal weapon.
Skip if...
you need to occasionally chill your
molten metal tones down to warm,
classic-metal levels.
Rating...
