No one ever mistook Johnny
Ramone for Django
Reinhardt. But while Johnny
wasn’t the most technically
adroit guitarist ever, it
would be hard to overstate
his impact on popular
music. Along with three
fellow misfits from Forest
Hills, New York, who
became the Ramones in
1974, he shaped a mutant
rock sound—part dirt
bike, part machine gun,
part bubblegum pop—that
turned the music world on
its ear. The Ramones weren’t
the first band to do damage
with a distorted power chord,
but no one did it quite as raw or
fast. That unholy union of speed
and power made them the godfathers
of punk and the seed that spawned
everyone from the Sex Pistols and the
Clash to Black Flag and Nirvana.
Johnny’s guitar approach was dead
simple—fast sixteenth-note downstrokes
pumped through a cranked Marshall stack.
But the element of Johnny’s style that
most fans recognize (apart from his trademark
spread-eagle stance) is his mid-’60s
Mosrite Ventures IIs. Johnny later claimed
he bought his signature instrument (apparently
at Manny’s Music in New York City
for about $50) because it was the only guitar
he’d ever heard of that he could afford.
But with its thin and lightning-fast neck,
the Mosrite was the perfect vehicle for
Johnny’s Gatling-gun, modulating powerchord
approach.
Unfortunately for players aspiring to
Johnny Ramone-style tones, the Mosrite
Ventures II is an impossibly rare guitar
(purportedly only 25–30 originals were
made). Though future incarnations of the
Mosrite brand made versions of Johnny’s
guitar, they were far from punk-rock priced.
Hardcore Johnny fans need not despair
any longer, however, thanks to the revived
Hallmark Guitars company. In cooperation
with the Johnny Ramone estate, Hallmark
has created a loud and beautiful-playing
take on Johnny’s signature axe at a price
that real punks can afford.
Blitzkrieg Blue
While our gloss-blue test guitar has the
unmistakable elongated-lower-horn silhouette
of a Mosrite Ventures model, it’s
significantly different than the most famous
version of that guitar in many respects.
Johnny’s two original guitars were designed
by original Hallmark Guitars founder Joe
Hall while working at Mosrite in the mid
’60s. Hall’s intent was to create a more
affordable version of the more ornate
and upscale Ventures model. As such, the
Hallmark lacks the carved body, and instead
features a tapering contour on the sizable
bass bout and a one-ply pickguard that
looks like a cross between the one's you'll
find on a Mosrite and a Telecaster.
Other features will be familiar to any
Mosrite fan, and they’re executed faithfully
and lovingly. The beautiful, one-piece rock
maple neck is carved with an integrated
headstock that, while virtually parallel with
the fretboard, is about an inch lower—creating
both a better string-break angle and a
cool volute that strengthens the headstockneck
junction. The headstock has a delicate
hourglass taper and a unique “M” carved
along its top edge. Other Mosrite-esque
details include narrow vintage frets, a zero
fret, and a plated-brass string guide. The
solid milled-brass, chrome-plated roller
bridge is a thing of beauty, too: Though
it’s inspired by the original Mosrite units,
it features improvements like fixed saddles
that result in better intonation and facilitate
easier string bending.
Beat on the Brat
Once you strap on the Johnny Ramone,
it’s easy to see why Johnny dug such a
setup. It’s an exceptionally well-balanced
guitar that feels very sturdy. Hit a big, firstposition
E chord and lean on the neck for a
little modulation, and it stays right in tune.
So if you’re inclined to use it as a fast-chugging,
punk-rock battering ram, it’s likely to
withstand a heavy hand without flinching.
Holding a power chord and attacking
the guitar with fast downstrokes felt as
natural as you could imagine. It’s fantastically
easy to shift power chords
and more
complex shapes up and down the neck at a
CBGB-approved pace, thanks to the comfortable,
low-ish action and smaller frets.
All that said, the Johnny Ramone
doesn’t invite just punk-style attack. The
same smooth action that makes hardcore
riffing a snap invites languid blues bends
and Eastern-flavored legato work. And the
narrow, C-shaped neck feels enough like a
combination of an early-’60s Telecaster and
Jaguar to make twang and surf licks second
nature. That doesn’t necessarily mean the
Hallmark’s tone is akin to those Fenders’
treble sting: With the volume rolled off a
notch or two on the alnico-magnet bridge
single-coil, the Johnny Ramone has a darker
personality. It should come as no surprise,
however, that the guitar comes alive when
paired with a Marshall head and a 4x12.
With a 100-watt Super Lead at the other
end of the cable, the Hallmark delivered the
grinding, muscular tones we all associate
with the Ramones—but without the clanging,
spiky 2 kHz peaks you often get from
single-coils and a raging Marshall.
Lead lines sounded great, too, occasionally
taking on a snorkel-y, Peter Green-like
quality—particularly in the middle position.
It was hard to generate really biting
solo tones without the help of an overdrive
or fuzz, but,
man, did this thing sound
good when I employed one—they felt like
natural partners!
The Verdict
A spin with the Hallmark Guitars Johnny
Ramone offers a cool peek into the happy
accidents that can help a player craft a
signature sound. Even if the Hallmark
doesn’t nail every detail you’d find in a
vintage Ventures model, this guitar feels
unmistakably like a Mosrite in terms of
balance and playability. And given how
fast, light, and comfortable it is, you can
imagine why Johnny and his own Mosrites
were rarely apart. This is a
great guitar for
chugging punk, garage rock, and fuzzy
indie rock. It might lack the nuances or
classic voice of certain blues and heavy
rock guitar staples, but chances are you
wouldn’t be reading this if that were your
musical fixation. If you’re on the prowl
for a distinctly different flavor that really
rocks, the Hallmark Johnny Ramone is all
revved up and ready to go.
Buy if...
a comfortable, light, fast, growling
guitar with vintage-Mosrite style and
feel is your ticket to musical bliss.
Skip if...
you lament the day punk killed prog.
Rating...
