B.C. Rich, Blakhart, EVH, and PRS prove you can get heavy—and surprisingly refined—on a budget.
Click on the guitar you want to read more about.
The realm of heavy guitar that includes shred and the many mutations of metal is a beast of countless shapes. The considerable differences between the guitars reviewed here highlight the depth and breadth of metal’s many subgenres. From the fluid, EMG-propelled muscularity of the Blakhart HX FM or 7-string thunder of the B.C. Rich Warlock Lucky 7, to the re-imagined classicism of the EVH Wolfgang Standard and PRS SE Zach Meyers, these guitars provide numerous ways to probe the darkest depths of heaviness.
But what’s most remarkable about these instruments is that each can be had for 750 bucks or less. And if you’re a devotee of the guitar’s darker side who’s also on a budget, here’s something to celebrate: Each instrument provides an impressive heap of brutishness while, in many cases, offering a refined side too.
Click through to read each review or pick the axe you want to learn more about below:
PRS SE Zach Myers
EVH Wolfgang Standard
Blakhart HEX FM Philip Fasciana Signature
B.C. Rich Warlock Lucky 7
PRS SE Zach Myers
The newest PRS SE Zach Myers signature model is a complete overhaul of the previous PRS to bear his name. Where the first was a single-cut with three humbuckers, this version is a semi-hollow single-cut with dual humbuckers. A semi-hollowbody might not be the first guitar design you associate with heavier styles, but the Zach Myers is an extremely capable axe that can cover both a broad range of hard rock and music that falls well outside that genre.
Sexy Semi-Hollow
If you’re a fan of PRS styling, it’s hard not to be taken aback by this instrument’s beauty. The Trampas Green flame-maple veneer top, single f-hole, vintage-inspired tuners with tulip-shaped tuning pegs, zebra pickups, mahogany neck, and rosewood fretboard with bird inlays all exude that distinctly PRS sense of bling that define the company’s more expensive handcrafted instruments. Two other finishes—Spalted Santana Yellow and Vintage Sunburst Quilt—will soon be available.
Even before I plugged it in, I was impressed by the guitar’s resonance and lively sound. Through the rhythm and lead channels of my Mesa/Boogie Mark IV, the SE245 low-to-medium output humbuckers delivered a vintage sound that’s excellent for hard rock rhythm and modern, drop-tuned metal riffs. And it was easy to coax a killer lead tone, rich with sustain, that made playing leads feel effortless.
Ratings
Pros:
Excellent sounds and breathtaking looks.
Cons:
Signature-model stigma might limit the audience for this versatile instrument.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$679
PRS SE Zach Myers
prsguitars.com
One of the coolest things about the Zach Meyers is feeling and hearing how lively the chambered body is at high volume, and getting a sense for how that liveliness translates to a more expansive tone palette. Through my amp’s clean channel, the guitar could sound powerfully jangly with an almost acoustic-like airiness when I rolled its volume knob back a bit. To my surprise, feedback was not an issue.
The neck pickup generates warm and syrupy tones perfect for sludgy, low-down riffs. Better still, warmth doesn’t come at the expense of attack. Even with the tone knob backed all the way off, notes remained crisp and articulate. Pick response is excellent, and my sweep-picked arpeggios and alternate-picked sequences made notes pop like a machine gun.
The bridge humbucker has a slightly attenuated treble response not often associated with bridge pickups, and this translated into snappy single notes that didn’t sound brash. I found the bridge humbucker’s combination of fast response and warmth made it ideal for three-notes-per-string legato runs. Hammer-ons and pull-offs had a pronounced attack, which meant I could pick less (and less forcefully) and still generate articulate-sounding phrases.
The Zach Myers’ 22-fret, 24.5"-scale neck sports PRS’ wide-fat profile. If, like me, you’re coming from a world of thin-neck shred machines, a bigger neck profile might be a concern. Yet with its satin finish, this neck feels slimmer than it is, and this made everything from big chords to speedy licks feel natural.
The Verdict
The PRS SE Zach Myers is a well-realized and well-built instrument that, quite honestly, can stand toe-to-toe with semi-hollows that cost four times its price. But beyond its obvious hard-rock pedigree, it’s a very versatile instrument that can handle most any genre of music. In fact, the SE Zach Myers is a top-notch axe capable of so much that it almost seems criminally underpriced.
EVH Wolfgang Standard
The Wolfgang Standard may be the most affordable EVH yet. But it sacrifices surprisingly little of the magic and utility that makes its more expensive cousins objects of desire among Eddie heads. The Standard is loud, responsive, and feels fantastic—everything a serious player could want at a fraction of the price.Wolfgang Standards are offered in relatively understated trans black, trans red, and gloss black finishes like the EVH models Van Halen himself uses onstage these days. My Indonesian-built test model looked sharp: Its gloss black basswood body and black hardware makes a bold contrast to its bone-hued maple neck. The guitar sports a pair of high-output, Savage EVH humbuckers that are direct mounted for better sustain.
As with all EVH guitars, the 3-way pickup selector switch is wired backwards—the up position activates the bridge pickup and the down position activates the neck. This is a functional, Eddie-specific design feature: His right hand often accidentally knocks the switch when he’s playing hard, and this reversed configuration keeps him at the bridge by default. It’s counterintuitive in some respects, but I had no problems with the setup in practice.
The domed and textured volume and tone knobs have indentations that make volume swell-intensive figures like “Cathedral” easier—especially if you use a thumb and index finger combination. However, if you control the volume knob with your pinky, it’s not quite as comfortable. Because the volume knob’s placement is fairly close, height-wise, to the bridge, there isn’t much clearance between the knob and the whammy bar. So the bar insert screw will inadvertently press into the back of your pinky.
Savage Sonics
I tested the Wolfgang Standard through a Fender Super-Sonic combo with a Mad Professor 1 pedal for extra dirt. Loud and bold, the Savage EVH pickups offer the brilliance and bombast you’d expect from a Van Halen-designed guitar. When I played triad-based rhythm figures, like the intro to “Runnin’ with the Devil” and “Panama,” the Standard delivered cutting tones that were glassy but never piercing, and at times, even quite warm. That same responsiveness came to the fore in lead situations: Whether I was tapping or tremolo-picking, single notes felt and sounded explosive, and it was easy to coax pinch harmonics from the strings.
Ratings
Pros:
A rich and loud rock machine. Silky playability.
Cons:
Tremolo system doesn’t maintain tuning stability as well as it should.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$549
EVH Wolfgang Standard
evhgear.com
The Wolfgang Standard has a commanding voice that would kill in any hard rock setting. No matter how I adjusted the controls, the guitar maintained great presence and clarity. Even when I engaged the neck pickup and rolled the tone knob way down, the guitar stayed dynamic and clear. I could play the deep, low inversions of the intro to “The Best of Both Worlds” and get perfect note separation.
Given its Sunset Strip roots, it’s little surprise that the Wolfgang Standard can conquer any hard rock or classic metal riff I threw its way. What’s less unexpected is how well it functions in a modern metal environment. The guitar’s tight, focused sound allowed me to play rhythmic djent riffs with surgical precision.
Eddie Van Halen launched the shred movement almost singlehandedly, so you’d expect that any Eddie-associated axe would be built for speed and maximum playability. With a 25.5" scale and 12"-16" compound-radius fretboard, the bolt-on, graphite-reinforced neck delivers big time in this respect. Boasting rolled edges, the 22 frets add to the fast and silky feel.
While I was really enamored with the Wolfgang Standard’s fabulous neck, I have to mention that I had a tough time keeping the guitar in tune if I used the EVH Floyd Rose Special aggressively. It seemed as if only a couple of dive bombs would quickly knock the tuning out of whack.
The Verdict
If you’ve always wanted a Wolfgang but have limited funds, the Wolfgang Standard is a dream. It gives you all the key ingredients of the Van Halen flavor—high-output pickups, compound radius fretboard, locking tremolo system—at a price that’s hard to beat. Even if you’re not aiming to religiously replicate Eddie Van Halen’s sonic stylings, the Wolfgang Standard is a top-notch rock ’n’ roll axe that will shine in almost any musical situation.
Blakhart HEX FM Philip Fasciana Signature
Blakhart Guitars founder Chad Petit is an unapologetically dedicated metal maniac. His company exclusively works with metal- and shred-oriented designs, and Petit is a metal musician himself with decades of playing under his belt. His experiences as a player inform his designs in a big way, and as the company’s artist roster suggests, he’s gotten the formula right for some of metal’s biggest names.The Korean-made HEX FM reviewed here is a signature model designed for Philip Fasciana of Malevolent Creation. It’s built around a mahogany body, but the HEX FM’s olive-green, flame-maple cap, and the stealthy shark fin inlays that adorn its fretboard communicate a dark and mysterious metal vibe. And though there are hints of a Gibson Explorer and Ibanez Destroyer in the silhouette, the guitar is peppered with unique design twists.
Though the HEX FM’s body might appear hard to balance when playing seated, its right-side wing sits naturally and comfortably on the thigh. The guitar’s lower-left wing, however, is really big and getting my forearm over the corner wasn’t easy. Not surprisingly, playing with the guitar strapped low and the headstock tilted up at an angle is how this guitar feels most ergonomically at home.
The HEX FM is built with true neck-through construction, which enhances stability and sustain. The ebony fretboard feels sleek, and the guitar’s deep cutaway improves upper-fret access, making it easy to hit those wailing, two-octaves-up, dog-whistle bends. The neck offers a comfortable all-around profile that should appeal to both rhythm and lead players.
Metal Monster
I tested the Blakhart HEX FM through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV amp. The guitar features the tried-and-true metal pickup configuration of an EMG 81 in the bridge and EMG 85 in the neck. It’s a perfect fit for this shred machine, although for some reason, the neck pickup was noticeably louder than the bridge, even though the bridge pickup was set physically higher. That said, the difference in pickup volumes wasn’t as great with a ton of gain on top.
That sonic oddity aside, the Blakhart makes extracting heavy-hitting metal moves very intuitive. It’s easy to dial in tight sounds for palm-muted, low-E chugging by engaging the bridge pickup and maxing the tone control. But even when I rolled the tone knob all the way back, notes still had crisp definition. At this setting, most rhythm guitar figures (excluding ultra-tight, palm-muted riffs) still sound tough and cutting, and no matter where you set the tone knob, the guitar has a beefy bottom end that feels like a punch in the gut.
Ratings
Pros:
Great sounding metal axe with killer looks. Excellent tuning stability. Quality construction.
Cons:
Slightly uncomfortable to play when seated.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$750
Blakhart HEX FM Philip Fasciana Signature
blakhartguitars.com
The HEX FM has a compressed quality that generates copious sustain for lead playing. For solos, I liked using the bridge pickup with the tone knob turned down to around 4 to take some edge off the attack. Rounding off the front end of the notes made shredding feel a tiny bit easier, particularly when I was relying on legato moves to build speed.
The neck pickup offers a slightly more limber feel and a softer attack without getting woofy. It worked well for fast runs, especially when I wanted to hear the individual notes ring through the sonic blur of sweep-picked arpeggios.
I was also able to get many variations of clean sounds for everything from modern extended-range, prog stylings to classic metal moves. With the bridge pickup engaged and the tone knob rolled down to about 6, Animals as Leaders-inspired, hybrid-picked, open-voiced triads had a modern, bell-like resonance. Using the neck pickup with the tone knob all the way up, individual notes in arpeggiated, open-string chords had a crisp attack that at times almost sounded like an acoustic guitar. But you can dirty things up fast if you get aggressive with your pick attack.
The Floyd Rose tremolo is set up for big, dive-bombing pitch bends, but the recessed cavity assures that it can be adjusted to pitch up as well. Grover Mini Rotomatics make tuning stability excellent. In fact the guitar was very close to pitch when I removed it from the case—after a long trip on the FedEx truck—and it remained close to pitch no matter how savagely I pummeled the vibrato arm.
The Verdict
At 750 bucks, the HEX FM is impressively outfitted. EMGs, an original Floyd Rose, and neck-through-body construction are pro-level features that we’re used to seeing on much more expensive instruments. It’s also a very solidly built guitar with a high-quality feel that belies its price. The Blakhart HEX FM is a killer metal axe and it’s worth considering no matter what your metal needs are.
B.C. Rich Warlock Lucky 7
B.C. Rich guitars inhabit our collective psyche as one of the great totems of glam metal. But for all the potentially nostalgic baggage, the 7-string Warlock has the stuff to tempt a very modern generation of low-tuned headbangers.There’s no mistaking the Lucky 7’s intended purpose: It’s a hardcore metal machine. The guitar’s mahogany body is carved into that classic, menacing Warlock shape, and finished in gloss black with all black hardware, pickups, tuners, knobs, and bridge. Made in Indonesia, the Lucky 7 sports excellent workmanship for an entry-level import model. Binding is all but flawless and the fretwork is perfect.
Gettin’ Lucky
If you’ve never rocked a Warlock, you might assume it would be uncomfortable to play sitting down. That’s not the case. The corner horn fits perfectly into the knee area and its sharper angle actually makes the guitar feel more stable than many more gently contoured solidbodies.
Electronics include Duncan Design versions of the popular Seymour Duncan Blackout active pickups. OEM pickups can be hit or miss, but these sound amazing. They deliver authority and power in spades, and have a pleasingly aggressive growl. In many respects, I actually liked them better than some of the other more renowned active pickups out there.
definition remained excellent.
The bolt-on, 25.5" scale, mahogany neck has a 12" radius fingerboard with jumbo frets and a graphite nut. The absence of fretboard position markers adds to the sinister look of the guitar. Don’t worry about losing your way though, there are dots on the binding. I found the flat neck very comfortable. Some 7-string necks feel big, but the Lucky 7’s fit the curvature of my hand very well and the string spacing felt just right. Walking-bass lines with chord stabs (hardly a classic metal move, but with a low B at my disposal, I couldn’t resist) felt surprisingly natural. For quick licks, the neck feels extremely fast, particularly if you keep your fretting-hand thumb behind the neck. The back of the neck has a nice satin finish to enhance the fast feel.
Played through a Mesa/Boogie Mark IV amp, the Lucky 7 sounded bright with a tight attack—even when bathed in gobs of gain. Serpentine, hyper-speed, chromatic, single-note riffs played down low—the type of riffs that can render a 7-string flubby and bassoon-like—cut through with razor-sharp definition. You might expect a guitar with this much high-end clarity to get shrill high up on the neck, but the Lucky 7’s tone is even and balanced all across the guitar. Even with the guitar’s tone control all the way up and amp treble up high, the sound is never piercing.
The Lucky 7’s ample sustain is tailor-made for shredding. However, the guitar’s very immediate attack can feel unforgiving. This could be a blessing or a curse, depending on the state of your chops. You can hear the notes of an alternate-picked passage loud and strong, but you’ll have to work for it a little. And the Lucky 7 doesn’t have that loose, spongy feel that makes you believe you can wiggle your fingers and have notes magically fly forth. But if you have serious lightning chops, people will take notice.
Ratings
Pros:
Killer sounds with great playability at a bargain price.
Cons:
Looks lock you into a stylistic bind.
Tones:
Playability:
Build/Design:
Value:
Street:
$399
B.C. Rich Lucky 7
bcrich.com
The Lucky 7’s knack for communicating detail extends beyond single-note riffs. It sounds just as colorful when playing the lowest, detuned chords. With the bridge pickup engaged and tone control wide open, I dropped the 7th string to A, and struck a massive A chord. And through this mammoth wall of sound, single-note definition remained excellent. I expected muddiness to creep in when I switched to the neck pickup and rolled the tone knob all the way off. But while there was less bite, each note sounded clear and full. Each pickup has its own volume control, situated on either side of the 3-way pickup selector switch, and I took advantage of the layout to craft kill switch-inspired, machine gun sputters and ghost textures as these big chords rang out.
The Lucky 7 is very sensitive and has a wide dynamic range, which was especially evident when I switched to the amp’s clean channel. If I picked lightly, I could make the guitar whisper quiet. When I hit really hard, I got a huge and startling jump in volume. But regardless of my attack, each note had a robust quality. The pickups are also very clean for how loud they can be—cleaner even than some active pickup-equipped guitars under similar playing conditions. The clean output enhances sonic differences between the two pickups. I definitely preferred the neck pickup, which is livelier and has more depth than the bridge pickup, which is weaker sounding in general.
The Verdict
If you’re a metal guitarist who has always wanted to explore the realm of the 7-string, but weren’t sure enough to commit to buying one—or if you’ve wanted to occasionally add the 7-string sound into your repertoire—the B.C. Rich Lucky 7 is a more-than-solid and very affordable option. And with 24 frets and seven strings, there is a lot of sonic territory to explore.
Owners will often swap out the pickups and hardware on entry-level guitars, but there’s little need to do this with the Warlock. This guitar is good to go right out of the box, and at just $399, that’s a whole lot of bang for the buck.
This legendary vintage rack unit will inspire you to think about effects with a new perspective.
When guitarists think of effects, we usually jump straight to stompboxes—they’re part of the culture! And besides, footswitches have real benefits when your hands are otherwise occupied. But real-time toggling isn’t always important. In the recording studio, where we’re often crafting sounds for each section of a song individually, there’s little reason to avoid rack gear and its possibilities. Enter the iconic Eventide H3000 (and its massive creative potential).
When it debuted in 1987, the H3000 was marketed as an “intelligent pitch-changer” that could generate stereo harmonies in a user-specified key. This was heady stuff in the ’80s! But while diatonic harmonizing grabbed the headlines, subtler uses of this pitch-shifter cemented its legacy. Patch 231 MICROPITCHSHIFT, for example, is a big reason the H3000 persists in racks everywhere. It’s essentially a pair of very short, single-repeat delays: The left side is pitched slightly up while the right side is pitched slightly down (default is ±9 cents). The resulting tripling/thickening effect has long been a mix-engineer staple for pop vocals, and it’s also my first call when I want a stereo chorus for guitar.
The second-gen H3000S, introduced the following year, cemented the device’s guitar bona fides. Early-adopter Steve Vai was such a proponent of the first edition that Eventide asked him to contribute 48 signature sounds for the new model (patches 700-747). Still-later revisions like the H3000B and H3000D/SE added even more functionality, but these days it’s not too important which model you have. Comprehensive EPROM chips containing every patch from all generations of H3000 (plus the later H3500) are readily available for a modest cost, and are a fairly straightforward install.
In addition to pitch-shifting, there are excellent modulation effects and reverbs (like patch 211 CANYON), plus presets inspired by other classic Eventide boxes, like the patch 513 INSTANT PHASER. A comprehensive accounting of the H3000’s capabilities would be tedious, but suffice to say that even the stock presets get deliciously far afield. There are pitch-shifting reverbs that sound like fever-dream ancestors of Strymon’s “shimmer” effect. There are backwards-guitar simulators, multiple extraterrestrial voices, peculiar foreshadows of the EarthQuaker Devices Arpanoid and Rainbow Machine (check out patch 208 BIZARRMONIZER), and even button-triggered Foley effects that require no input signal (including a siren, helicopter, tank, submarine, ocean waves, thunder, and wind). If you’re ever without your deck of Oblique Strategies cards, the H3000’s singular knob makes a pretty good substitute. (Spin the big wheel and find out what you’ve won!)
“If you’re ever without your deck of Oblique Strategies cards, the H3000’s singular knob makes a pretty good substitute.”
But there’s another, more pedestrian reason I tend to reach for the H3000 and its rackmount relatives in the studio: I like to do certain types of processing after the mic. It’s easy to overlook, but guitar speakers are signal processors in their own right. They roll off high and low end, they distort when pushed, and the cabinets in which they’re mounted introduce resonances. While this type of de facto processing often flatters the guitar itself, it isn’t always advantageous for effects.
Effects loops allow time-based effects to be placed after preamp distortion, but I like to go one further. By miking the amp first and then sending signal to effects in parallel, I can get full bandwidth from the airy reverbs and radical pitched-up effects the H3000 can offer—and I can get it in stereo, printed to its own track, allowing the wet/dry balance to be revisited later, if needed. If a sound needs to be reproduced live, that’s a problem for later. (Something evocative enough can usually be extracted from a pedal-form descendant like the Eventide H90.)
Like most vintage gear, the H3000 has some endearing quirks. Even as it knowingly preserves glitches from earlier Eventide harmonizers (patch 217 DUAL H910s), it betrays its age with a few idiosyncrasies of its own. Extreme pitch-shifting exhibits a lot of aliasing (think: bit-crusher sounds), and the analog Murata filter modules impart a hint of warmth that many plug-in versions don’t quite capture. (They also have a habit of leaking black goo all over the motherboard!) It’s all part of the charm of the unit, beloved by its adherents. (Well, maybe not the leaking goo!)
In 2025, many guitarists won’t be eager to care for what is essentially an expensive, cranky, decades-old computer. Even the excitement of occasional tantalum capacitor explosions is unlikely to win them over! Fortunately, some great software emulations exist—Eventide’s own plugin even models the behavior of the Murata filters. But hardware offers the full hands-on experience, so next time you spot an old H3000 in a rack somewhere—and you’ve got the time—fire it up, wait for the distinctive “click” of its relays, spin the knob, and start digging.
6V6 and EL84 power sections deliver a one-two punch in a super-versatile, top-quality, low-wattage combo.
Extremely dynamic. Sounds fantastic in both EL84 and 6V6 settings. Excellent build quality.
Heavy for a 9-to-15-watt combo. Expensive.
$3,549
Divided by 13 CCC 9/15
The announcement in January 2024 that Two-Rock had acquired Divided by 13 Amplifiers (D13) was big news in the amp world. It was also good news for anyone who’d enjoyed rocking D13’s original, hand-made creations and hoped to see the brand live on. From the start of D13’s operations in the early ’90s, founder and main-man Fred Taccone did things a little differently. He eschewed existing designs, made his amps simple and tone-centric, and kept the company itself simple and small. And if that approach didn’t necessarily make him rich, it did earn him a stellar reputation for top-flight tube amps and boatloads of star endorsements.
D13’s history is not unlike Two-Rock’s. But the two companies are known for very different sounding amplifiers and very different designs. As it happens, the contrast makes the current Two-Rock company—itself purchased by long-time team members Eli Lester and Mac Skinner in 2016—a complementary new home for D13. The revived CCC 9/15 model, tested here, is from the smaller end of the reanimated range. Although, as we’ll discover, there’s little that’s truly “small” about any amp wearing the D13 badge—at least sound-wise.
Double Duty
Based on Taccone’s acclaimed dual-output-stage design, the CCC 9/15 delivers around 9 watts from a pair of 6V6GT tubes in class A mode, or 15 watts from a pair of EL84s in class AB1 mode (both configurations are cathode-biased). It’s all housed in a stylishly appointed cabinet covered in two-tone burgundy and ivory—together in perfect harmony—with the traditional D13 “widow’s peak” on a top-front panel framing an illuminated “÷13” logo plate. Measuring 22" x 211/4" x 10.5" and weighing 48 pounds, it’s chunky for a 1x12 combo of relatively diminutive wattage. But as Taccone would say, “There’s no big tone from small cabs,” and the bigging-up continues right through the rest of the design.
With a preamp stage that’s kin to the D13 CJ11, the front end of the CCC 9/15 is a little like a modified tweed Fender design. Driven by two 12AX7 twin triodes, it’s not a mile from the hallowed 5E3 Fender Deluxe, but with an EQ stage expanded to independent bass and treble knobs. Apart from those, there are volume and master volume controls with a push-pull gain/mid boost function on the former. In addition to the power and standby switches, there’s a third toggle to select between EL84 and 6V6 output, with high and low inputs at the other end of the panel. Along with two fuse sockets and an IEC power-cord receptacle, the panel on the underside of the chassis is home to four speaker-output jacks—one each for 4 ohms and 16 ohms and two for 8 ohms—plus a switch for the internal fan, acknowledging that all those output tubes can get a little toasty after a while.
“Set to 6V6 mode, the CCC 9/15 exudes ’50s-era tweed warmth and richness, with juicy compression that feels delightful under the fingertips.”
The combo cabinet is ruggedly built from Baltic birch ply and houses a Celestion G12H Creamback speaker. Construction inside is just as top notch, employing high-quality components hand-soldered into position and custom-made transformers designed to alternately handle the needs of two different sets of output tubes. In a conversation I had with Taccone several years ago discussing the original design, he noted that by supplying both sets of tubes with identical B+ levels of around 300 volts DC (courtesy of a 5AR4/GZ34 tube rectifier), the EL84s ran right in their wheelhouse—producing around 15 watts, and probably more, in cathode-biased class AB1. The 6V6s operate less efficiently, however, and can be biased hot to true class A levels, yielding just 9 to 11 watts.
Transatlantic Tone Service
Tested with a Gibson ES-355 and a Fender Telecaster, the CCC 9/15 delivers many surprises in spite of its simple controls and is toothsome and dynamic throughout its range. Between the four knobs, push-pull boost function, and 6V6/EL84 switch, the CCC 9/15 range of clean-to-grind settings is impressive regardless of volume, short of truly bedroom levels, perhaps. It also has impressive headroom and a big, robust voice for a combo that maxes out at 15 watts. Leaving the boost switch off affords the most undistorted range from the amp in either output-tube mode, though the front end will still start to push things into sweet edge-of-breakup with the volume up around 1 or 2 o’clock. Pull up that knob and kick in the boost, though, and things get thick and gutsy pretty quick.
While the power disparity between the 6V6 and EL84 settings is noticeable in the amp’s perceived output, which enhances its usefulness in different performance settings, you can also think of the function as an “era and origins” switch. Set to 6V6 mode, the CCC 9/15 exudes ’50s-era tweed warmth and richness, with juicy compression that feels delightful under the fingertips. The EL84 setting, on the other hand, ushers in ’60s-influenced voices with familiar British chime, sparkle, and a little more punch and cutting power, too.
The Verdict
If the CCC 9/15 were split into different 6V6 and EL84 amps, I’d hate to have to choose between them. Both of the amp’s tube modes offer expressive dynamics and tasty tones that make it adaptable to all kinds of venues and recording situations. From the pure, multi-dimensional tone to the surprisingly versatile and simple control set to the top-flight build quality, the CCC 9/15 is a pro-grade combo that touch-conscious players will love. It’s heavy for an amp in its power range, and certainly expensive, but the sounds and craft involved will make the cost worth it for a lot of players interested in consolidating amp collections.
The luthier’s stash.
There is more to a guitar than just the details.
A guitar is not simply a collection of wood, wire, and metal—it is an act of faith. Faith that a slab of lumber can be coaxed to sing, and that magnets and copper wire can capture something as expansive as human emotion. While it’s comforting to think that tone can be calculated like a tax return, the truth is far messier. A guitar is a living argument between its components—an uneasy alliance of materials and craftsmanship. When it works, it’s glorious.
The Uncooperative Nature of Wood
For me it all starts with the wood. Not just the species, but the piece. Despite what spec sheets and tonewood debates would have you believe, no two boards are the same. One piece of ash might have a bright, airy ring, while another from the same tree might sound like it spent a hard winter in a muddy ditch.
Builders know this, which is why you’ll occasionally catch one tapping on a rough blank, head cocked like a bird listening. They’re not crazy. They’re hunting for a lively, responsive quality that makes the wood feel awake in your hands. But wood is less than half the battle. So many guitarists make the mistake of buying the lumber instead of the luthier.
Pickups: Magnetic Hopes and Dreams
The engine of the guitar, pickups are the part that allegedly defines the electric guitar’s voice. Sure, swapping pickups will alter the tonality, to use a color metaphor, but they can only translate what’s already there, and there’s little percentage in trying to wake the dead. Yet, pickups do matter. A PAF-style might offer more harmonic complexity, or an overwound single-coil may bring some extra snarl, but here’s the thing: Two pickups made to the same specs can still sound different. The wire tension, the winding pattern, or even the temperature on the assembly line that day all add tiny variables that the spec sheet doesn’t mention. Don’t even get me started about the unrepeatability of “hand-scatter winding,” unless you’re a compulsive gambler.
“One piece of ash might have a bright, airy ring, while another from the same tree might sound like it spent a hard winter in a muddy ditch.”
Wires, Caps, and Wishful Thinking
Inside the control cavity, the pots and capacitors await, quietly shaping your tone whether you notice them or not. A potentiometer swap can make your volume taper feel like an on/off switch or smooth as an aged Tennessee whiskey. A capacitor change can make or break the tone control’s usefulness. It’s subtle, but noticeable. The kind of detail that sends people down the rabbit hole of swapping $3 capacitors for $50 “vintage-spec” caps, just to see if they can “feel” the mojo of the 1950s.
Hardware: The Unsung Saboteur
Bridges, nuts, tuners, and tailpieces are occasionally credited for their sonic contributions, but they’re quietly running the show. A steel block reflects and resonates differently than a die-cast zinc or aluminum bridge. Sloppy threads on bridge studs can weigh in, just as plate-style bridges can couple firmly to the body. Tuning machines can influence not just tuning stability, but their weight can alter the way the headstock itself vibrates.
It’s All Connected
Then there’s the neck joint—the place where sustain goes to die. A tight neck pocket allows the energy to transfer efficiently. A sloppy fit? Some credit it for creating the infamous cluck and twang of Fender guitars, so pick your poison. One of the most important specs is scale length. A longer scale not only creates more string tension, it also requires the frets to be further apart. This changes the feel and the sound. A shorter scale seems to diminish bright overtones, accentuating the lows and mids. Scale length has a definite effect on where the neck joins the body and the position of the bridge, where compromises must be made in a guitar’s overall design. There are so many choices, and just as many opportunities to miss the mark. It’s like driving without a map unless you’ve been there before.
Alchemy, Not Arithmetic
At the end of the day, a guitar’s greatness doesn’t come from its spec sheet. It’s not about the wood species or the coil-wire gauge. It’s about how it all conspires to either soar or sink. Two guitars, built to identical specs, can feel like long-lost soulmates or total strangers. All of these factors are why mix-and-match mods are a long game that can eventually pay off. But that’s the mystery of it. You can’t build magic from a parts list. You can’t buy mojo by the pound. A guitar is more than the sum of its parts—it’s a sometimes unpredictable collaboration of materials, choices, and human touch. And sometimes, whether in the hands of an experienced builder or a dedicated tinkerer, it just works.
Two Iconic Titans of Rock & Metal Join Forces for a Can’t-Miss North American Trek
Tickets Available Starting Wednesday, April 16 with Artist Presales
General On Sale Begins Friday, April 18 at 10AM Local on LiveNation.com
This fall, shock rock legend Alice Cooper and heavy metal trailblazers Judas Priest will share the stage for an epic co-headlining tour across North America. Produced by Live Nation, the 22-city run kicks off September 16 at Mississippi Coast Coliseum in Biloxi, MS, and stops in Toronto, Phoenix, Los Angeles, and more before wrapping October 26 at The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion in The Woodlands, TX.
Coming off the second leg of their Invincible Shield Tour and the release of their celebrated 19th studio album, Judas Priest remains a dominant force in metal. Meanwhile, Alice Cooper, the godfather of theatrical rock, wraps up his "Too Close For Comfort" tour this summer, promoting his most recent "Road" album, and will have an as-yet-unnamed all-new show for this tour. Corrosion of Conformity will join as support on select dates.
Tickets will be available starting Wednesday, April 16 at 10AM local time with Artist Presales. Additional presales will run throughout the week ahead of the general onsale beginning Friday, April 18 at 10AM local time at LiveNation.comTOUR DATES:
Tue Sep 16 – Biloxi, MS – Mississippi Coast Coliseum
Thu Sep 18 – Alpharetta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre*
Sat Sep 20 – Charlotte, NC – PNC Music Pavilion
Sun Sep 21 – Franklin, TN – FirstBank Amphitheater
Wed Sep 24 – Virginia Beach, VA – Veterans United Home Loans Amphitheater
Fri Sep 26 – Holmdel, NJ – PNC Bank Arts Center
Sat Sep 27 – Saratoga Springs, NY – Broadview Stage at SPAC
Mon Sep 29 – Toronto, ON – Budweiser Stage
Wed Oct 01 – Burgettstown, PA – The Pavilion at Star Lake
Thu Oct 02 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
Sat Oct 04 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
Sun Oct 05 – Tinley Park, IL – Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
Fri Oct 10 – Colorado Springs, CO – Broadmoor World Arena
Sun Oct 12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Utah First Credit Union Amphitheatre
Tue Oct 14 – Mountain View, CA – Shoreline Amphitheatre
Wed Oct 15 – Wheatland, CA – Toyota Amphitheatre
Sat Oct 18 – Chula Vista, CA – North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sun Oct 19 – Los Angeles, CA – Kia Forum
Wed Oct 22 – Phoenix, AZ – Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
Thu Oct 23 – Albuquerque, NM – Isleta Amphitheater
Sat Oct 25 – Austin, TX – Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Sun Oct 26 – Houston, TX – The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
*Without support from Corrosion of Conformity