The Kramer Lzzy Hale Voyager marks the first Kramer signature guitar created for a female artist and the fifth collaboration between Lzzy and Gibson Brands’ luthiers overall. Lzzy was heavily involved in the design of the guitar which started with a pointy version of the classic Kramer Voyager body style. The guitar is finished in an attention-grabbing Black Diamond Holographic Sparkle finish that looks incredible on stage. The Lzzy Hale Voyager is a single-bridge position Kramer 85-T humbucker and a single Volume control along with a Floyd Rose 1000 Series tremolo and R2 Locking Nut for rock-solid tuning stability. The three-piece maple neck has an ebony fretboard with lightning bolt inlays, a satin finish for speed, and a Slim “C” profile for comfort. Only a limited run of 300 Kramer Lzzy Hale Voyagers will be made, and a Kramer hardshell case is also included in the package.
“Come meet this bonafide rockstar from outer space! I’m proud to introduce the most out of this world guitar I’ve ever had in my arsenal. Straight from my inner child, my signature Kramer Voyager is a tribute to my ferocity. Horns high, and sharp as lightning. This little alien creature dreams and screams big. She’s love at first flight…and you’ll never find another like her!”
Lzzy Hale, who co-founded the GRAMMY-winning hard rock band Halestorm, released their fifth and most recent full-length studio album, Back From The Dead, HERE. Produced by Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Mastodon, Alice in Chains) with co-production by Scott Stevens (Shinedown, Daughtry, New Years Day), the band began writing the album pre-pandemic and continued throughout lockdown, and the result “is the story of me carving myself out of that abyss,” says Lzzy Hale. “It is a journey of navigating mental health, debauchery, survival, redemption, rediscovery, and still maintaining faith in humanity.”
Fronted by the incomparable Lzzy Hale--whom Revolver named “one of the most charismatic, powerful, and captivating vocalists of our time”--with drummer Arejay Hale, guitarist Joe Hottinger, and bass player Josh Smith, Halestorm has earned a reputation as a powerful live music force, headlining sold-out shows, topping festival bills around the world, and sharing the stage with icons including Heaven & Hell, Alice Cooper, and Joan Jett. One of the most celebrated rock bands of the last two decades, Halestorm’s music has surpassed a billion streams worldwide and earned them two GRAMMY Award nominations and one win for “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance.”
Lzzy Hale Signature Voyager
The Kramer Lzzy Hale Voyager is now available worldwide at all authorized Kramer dealers and on www.KramerGuitars.com.
Photo by Chris Kies
During the late ’80s and early ’90s, the focus of the music industry shifted towards Seattle and the grunge movement. Gone were the big-hair bands, their spandex and pointy- headstock guitars swept away by groups offering a more blue-collar approach to rock. One of the biggest bands to emerge out of this scene was Alice in Chains. Formed by guitarist Jerry Cantrell, vocalist Layne Staley, drummer Sean Kinney, and bassist Mike Starr, the group had a different sound from other alt-rock bands that emerged from the Emerald City. AIC was much heavier, yet also featured rich vocal harmonies, and even folk and acoustic elements.
Their debut album, Facelift, spawned “Man in a Box,” which was in heavy rotation on MTV. Dirt, the band’s multi-platinum second album, proved to be their most successful with “Would?” gaining traction on the soundtrack to the movie Singles. Sadly, Staley and Starr (who left the band in 1993 and was replaced by Mike Inez) died from drug-related incidents. In 2006, William Duvall stepped in as vocalist and contributed to the two most recent albums, Black Gives Way to Blue and The Devil Put DinosaursHere.
Some of those instruments have since developed cult followings, though. And one of the biggest fans of the Rampage was—and is—Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell, who purchased his first one while working at a music store when the guitar was new. Its simple design and rock-solid reliability soon made it Cantrell's go-to guitar. Eventually, G&L and Cantrell would team up to release his own signature Rampage model, and more recently, a Superhawk reissue built in his honor. Cantrell's new Superhawk Deluxe has the same dual-humbucker setup as the original Superhawk, but a slightly different bridge configuration, a subdued flamed-maple top (available in transparent blueburst and blackburst finishes), and an even simpler control layout.
Hawk Rawk
The basic building blocks of the 25 1/2"-scale Superhawk Deluxe don't deviate much from the Rampage’s. The body is built from soft maple, which is dense enough to make it heavier than, say, a Stratocaster, but not as massive as something like a Norlin-era Les Paul. Its beefy hard-rock maple neck is bolted to the body and sports a 22-fret ebony fingerboard with Plek-dressed medium-jumbo fretwire.
Our review model arrived with an eye-catching blueburst finish. While the darker areas around the burst and the back of the guitar look jet black from a distance, shining a light on them reveals deep purple shades. Close inspection of the fit, finish, and build quality revealed no construction flaws or cut corners.
Cantrell has never been into guitars with excessive frills, so it makes sense that the Superhawk Deluxe's hardware and pickups follow a no-nonsense approach: The floating Kahler bridge that used to be a mainstay on the Rampage has been replaced with G&L's non-floating Saddle Lock bridge, which enhances sustain by locking the saddles against each other, eliminating undesirable vibration and making the unit resonate more like a one-piece saddle.
A Seymour Duncan JB, long a favorite of Cantrell's, sits in the bridge position, and a lower-output '59 model is situated in the neck position. Both are controlled with a volume knob, a tone knob, and a 3-way switch. This setup works wonderfully for players who share Cantrell's penchant for a straightforward controls, but it limits those who like to use independent tone controls to move from treble-heavy to bassier, rolled-off tones with a simple flip of a switch.
Predatory Tone
Judging by the Superhawk Deluxe's lively unplugged resonance, G&L put a lot of thought and effort into making the guitar sustain as much as possible. And as I tuned the guitar, I noticed an impressive amount of vibration transferring to my body—and that’s usually the sign of well-built instrument. Even so, the resonance of the Superhawk Deluxe was extra remarkable.
Combined with a Bogner Ecstasy Red preamp pedal running into the power amp of a Mesa/Boogie Dual Rectifier, the Superhawk Deluxe unleashed mammoth rhythm tones rich with lows and detailed mids. The guitar's maple body and neck seem to give the output a bright edge and quick attack, which goes well with amps that have darker voicings. The 25 1/2" scale also brings out the presence and a snappy attack, which is especially noticeable when you flip to the bridge pickup. Even with tons of gain, the guitar demonstrates impressive note-to-note separation. And if the attack is too strong, dropping the tone control to about a third pulls back the intensity without losing the bubbly midrange and expansive lows. With the right amp settings and a controlled picking hand, the output takes on a feel, sound, and vibe eerily similar to Cantrell's.
Ratings
Pros: Superb build quality, resonance, and sustain. Simple, intuitive controls. Handles clean, gritty, and high-gain tones with aplomb.
Cons: Bridge pickup can sound harsh with brighter amps. Simple control set limits switching versatility.
Tones:
Playability:
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Value:
Street: $1,999
glguitars.com
Playing overdriven leads on the Superhawk Deluxe is also a treat. It's pretty easy to dial in a tone that slices right through the mix. The Duncan JB is well known for its ability to cover a lot of tonal ground, and depending on your amp rig and settings, the Superhawk's bridge pickup can easily cover everything from treble-heavy shred to burly, Kyuss-like single-note melodies. Too much treble can make the JB a bit fatiguing to the ear, so you may have to watch for that with high-end-emphasizing rigs.
Given that Cantrell's style has strong southern rock roots, it makes sense that the guitar also handles clean, low-gain tones with aplomb. Arpeggiated clean passages played in the lower registers with the '59 neck pickup ring out with surprisingly effervescent highs and sustain. Country leads played above the 12th fret kick with a snappy, stinging attack. The '59's legendary sensitivity and dynamic range naturally work well with lower gain settings and varied picking intensity. And when you use the JB and '59 together, mid-gain tones take on a very Jimmy Page-like vibe with a rubbery low end and slightly hollowed mids that growl harder when you really dig in.
The Verdict
If you're one of the many players obsessed with capturing Jerry Cantrell's wailing guitar tones, the new signature Superhawk Deluxe might be right up your alley. Its resonance and build quality are excellent, the simple controls and stable tuning make it satisfying to play, and the versatile pickup set can cover hard rock, metal, classic rock, country, and blues. And while fans of the original Superhawk might scoff at the absence of separate tone controls and floating Kahler bridge, the Superhawk Deluxe is bound to impress most heavy rock players—especially those looking to get a taste of the tones that made Jerry Cantrell a living legend.