A stripped-down, solid workhorse for those about to rock.
Simple, comfortable-feeling and well-built guitar that looks, plays, and sounds damn fine.
Neck pickup loyalists—you’re outta luck!
$1,799
Dunable Cyclops
dunableguitars.com
[Updated 12/19/22]
The prophet Dirty Harry Callahan once said, “A man’s gotta know his limitations.” The same can be said for some guitars. But sometimes design limitations define a guitar’s purpose—or at least suggest the best sonic or stylistic routes to travel.
The Dunable Cyclops is such a guitar—it’s a one-pickup model that borrows the name of the single-eyed giants from Greek mythology. Like those giants, this instrument is a simple creature that nonetheless merits serious reckoning. And as a steak-and-‘taters road or studio machine, the Cyclops measures up.
- First section, tone pot full up; second section, tone pot half back. Carr Vincent amp: volume at 2; treble, mid, and bass at noon; reverb at 3; drive at 3.5.
- Starts with tone put rolled full back and sweeps up to full on. Carr Vincent amp: volume at 5; treble at 10, mid boost on at 10, bass at noon; reverb at 3; drive at 10. Origin Effect Cali76 compressor.
Beautifully Basic
Our test guitar is as solid and handsome as it is basic, clocking in at about 8 pounds with a mahogany body (swamp ash is also available), a 22-fret, African mahogany 25.5”-scale set neck, and an ebony fretboard (also available in rosewood or maple). The bound neck has a comfortable and fast C-profile, and the jumbo Jescar frets are as smooth as a shaved baby goat. The 18:1 Grover Sta-Tite tuners feel solid and turn evenly. A Schaller Tune-o-matic bridge and trapeze tailpiece—chosen, presumably, to get the most natural string tone—hold things down at the aft end of the instrument.
The Cyclops’ headstock has a smartly angled cut with a mid-peak and a volute where it joins the neck to strengthen that vulnerable spot. The controls are simple: a volume dial and a tone dial that would look comfortable on an old toaster oven. The white-black-white-trimmed black pickguard lends a simple elegance. And the body—with a beveled lower cutaway providing easy access to all the frets—has a cool, raw look. The surface is sanded just enough to leave an almost topographical texture, which is sealed by a thin satin-poly topcoat. And oh yeah! The guitar arrived in an Access hardshell case with a set of Schaller strap lock pegs tucked inside. Bonus!
Hold-the-Phone Tone
Even before plugging in, the Cyclops got on my good side thanks to its solid feel and flawless setup. Action is low and comfy—no fret buzz or ill-defined notes. Bending notes and shaking chords is easy. The tone and volume pots feel slick and are easy to adjust on the fly. And once plugged in, tones are crisp and arresting across the board, and not at all piercing, even with the tone pot turned full up. All guitars should come out of the box this ready to gig.
Dunable’s own Slugwolf bridge humbucker is a beast with just the right amount of hair. At 13.8k, the Slugwolf’s output is hot but not uncontrollable. This single hummer has excellent dynamic response and it’s easy to roll back the howl—or bump it up—with the volume pot. According to Dunable, the alnico 5-style pickup uses 43-gauge wire to allow more turns on the double slug bobbins to increase the magnetic field, resulting in slightly thicker mids and treble response that steers clear of shrillness. Those qualities were audible, whether I played through a vintage Supro combo, an old 50-watt Marshall Super Lead, or a Carr Vincent.
For pure, warm, and edgy rock tone, the Cyclops is extremely satisfying. Even with the tone pot rolled back, there’s plenty of articulation in notes and chords. It lived up to my expectations at a rehearsal, cutting through in the small space like a samurai sword. Looking for a dirty slide tone with lots of sustain, I stomped on my Archer overdrive and rolled the tone pot to about midway, then trimmed the guitar volume with another slight pot adjustment. Notes hung in the air with minimal coaxing, ripe with gritty character. And let’s face it: with only two controls onboard, there’s not a lot of ways to go wrong if you buy into this Dunable’s sound and playability—which I do.
The Verdict
Look—I’m usually a neck pickup guy, but I definitely see eye-to-eye with this Cyclops. (Sorry, I couldn’t resist.) I’d happily invite this monocular monster to any rock, blues, or improv performance—mellow or aggro. It’s not cheap at $1,799 for a guitar with just a bridge humbucker, but it sounds great, feels durable and comfortable, is well constructed, plays like buttah, and looks stripped-down cool. That’s a lot to love.
Review Demo - Dunable Cyclops
Stompboxtober Day 29 is live! Enter today to win a pedal from StewMac—more chances to win tomorrow!
StewMac International House of Overdrive Pedal Kit, With Bare Enclosure
The IHOO is based on the Crowther Hot Cake, an overdrive that became available around 1976. It was one of the earliest hand-made boutique effects pedals available. The circuit was designed to be what is now referred to as a “transparent” overdrive. An effect that enhances the player's sound while keeping the original tone intact.
This circuit has undergone many changes since its inception, and we have further expanded on the design by returning to an earlier version most revered by players and removing the buffer, which resulted in a reworked circuit that is true bypass but still retains the charm of the design.
We also include the original LM741 IC chip found in the originals, as well as the TL071 that is found in later versions so you can experiment with which IC best suits your playing style.
A 1000-watt speaker cabinet crafted for musicians who demand power and precision. Sunn Amps intends to reinvent the standard 4x12 configuration with the introduction of this new cabinet.
The Sunn Amps DoomBox is built to accommodate both guitar and bass, offering an impressive 1000-watt handling capacity—making it the first commercially available 4x12 cabinet with such high power handling. With four specially designed 12” drivers rated at 250 watts each, this cabinet provides clean, unrestrained sound levels that can maintain power integrity across all frequencies, ideal for high-volume performances.
Inspired and developed using feedback from artists and bands who rely on the depth of lower tunings and high volume genres, the DoomBox was engineered to meet the unique demands of professional musicians looking for a robust, high-efficiency cab that can translate the raw power of their sound without compromise.
Premium Craftsmanship and Materials
The Doom Box cabinet is crafted from solid finger-jointed Baltic Birch plywood, ensuring both durability and tonal clarity. Each cabinet is constructed by hand in the U.S.A. using original 1930s machinery, the DoomBox reflects Sunn’s historic commitment to quality, contrasting with some of the mass-produced, MDF-based cabinets on the market today. The cabinet’s aluminum basket, ferrite magnet, and custom Sunn weave Tolex with a custom grill design complete its professional-grade build.
Technical Specifications:
• Power Handling: 1000W
• Inputs: 1 x ¼”
• Impedance: 8 Ohm
• Drivers: 4 x Sunn 12S250
• Construction: Marine Grade Baltic Birch
• Dimensions: 29.25” X 30” X 14”
• Weight: 107 lbs
• Price: $2399.00
With clear low-end punch, even sound response, and ample air movement, the Doom Box ensures that every note reaches the audience with clarity and power. This cabinet is a game-changer for musicians who need high-performance, road-ready equipment that enhances their unique sound.
Does the guitar’s design encourage sonic exploration more than sight reading?
A popular song between 1910 and 1920 would usually sell millions of copies of sheet music annually. The world population was roughly 25 percent of what it is today, so imagine those sales would be four or five times larger in an alternate-reality 2024. My father is 88, but even with his generation, friends and family would routinely gather around a piano and play and sing their way through a stack of songbooks. (This still happens at my dad’s house every time I’m there.)
Back in their day, recordings of music were a way to promote sheet music. Labels released recordings only after sheet-music sales slowed down on a particular song. That means that until recently, a large section of society not only knew how to read music well, but they did it often—not as often as we stare at our phones, but it was a primary part of home entertainment. By today’s standards, written music feels like a dead language. Music is probably the most common language on Earth, yet I bet it has the highest illiteracy rate.
Developed specifically for Tyler Bryant, the Black Magick Reverb TB is the high-power version of Supro's flagship 1x12 combo amplifier.
At the heart of this all-tube amp is a matched pair of military-grade Sovtek 5881 power tubes configured to deliver 35-Watts of pure Class A power. In addition to the upgraded power section, the Black Magick Reverb TB also features a “bright cap” modification on Channel 1, providing extra sparkle and added versatility when blended with the original Black Magick preamp on Channel 2.
The two complementary channels are summed in parallel and fed into a 2-band EQ followed by tube-driven spring reverb and tremolo effects plus a master volume to tame the output as needed. This unique, signature variant of the Black Magick Reverb is dressed in elegant Black Scandia tolex and comes loaded with a custom-built Supro BD12 speaker made by Celestion.
Price: $1,699.