A Guide to Reverend GuitarsBuying Guide

What were once retro-inspired oddities with an unrecognizable headstock are now becoming some of the most popular electric guitars and basses outside of the world of Gibson, Fender, and PRS. Reverend Guitars was founded in 1997 by Joe Naylor who, drawing on his experience studying Industrial Design and Luthiery as well as repairing vintage guitars, set out to create instruments that boasted incredible attention to detail, superb playability, stunning looks, and a great sound.

Fast-forward to today and Reverend Guitars, while still not a huge operation, are putting instruments in the hands of players in bedrooms and stadiums alike, all over the world. The quality of tones and build mean that they’re a great choice for experienced and pro players who want something a little different, and their comparatively modest price point makes them accessible to those just starting out that want a reliable, high-quality guitar.

The fact Rerevend is not an enormous company actually gives them a lot of their charm. For example, every single guitar is signed on the back of the headstock, by hand, by the person who checked it (and that’s only going to be one of a couple of workers). There’s genuine passion that goes into every piece. Now, all Reverend guitars and basses are made in Korea to an incredibly high standard (though you can find some early models made in the US). They’re then shipped to America where they’re individually set up and checked.

Though prices of Reverend guitars and basses do vary a lot here on Reverb, the average price for most models is around $1,000-1,500, sometimes less. For guitars with a good amount of "boutique feel" about them, that’s a great price. You get a lot for your money—they’re incredibly well crafted, with tight neck pockets, good paint jobs, superb set ups, and decent quality hardware (including locking tuners). Plus, most of the models offer a different look to your classic Les Paul, Strat, and Tele models.

In recent years, more and more pros are looking to Reverend. Billy Corgan of The Smashing Pumpkins has been using them over the last 20 years, and recently worked with them to create a signature model, as did guitarists’ favorite Greg Koch. They can also be seen on stage with the likes of The Cure, Dan Auerbach, Pete Anderson, and many more.

Many Reverend guitars feature Railhammer pickups, but at the helm of this pickup company is none other than Joe Naylor himself. Not only are the guitars designed by Joe, but many of the pickups are too. A lot of them take inspiration from classic pickups, but each one has something a little different about it, helping Reverend guitars really stand out. You’ll also find a lot of korina being used for the body material too. Reverend have embraced this wood for its resonance, consistency, durability, and tonal qualities.

Unlike many other guitar brands, Reverend don’t have a "student" or "core" line. They can loosely be separated into bolt-on and set necks, plus there’s the artist signature models. One of the main defining features of Reverend guitars is their unique, retro-style body shapes, so we can look at them this way.

We’ll start with an easy one. No prizes for guessing the inspiration behind this body shape. Both models with this body shape are signature models—the Greg Koch Gristlemaster and Gristle 90, and the Pete Anderson Eastsider.

This bolt-on guitar has a body a bit like some kind of squat, offset Telecaster. It’s got the offset angles that are perhaps a little more rounded, but it doesn’t feel too big—though there’s still plenty of korina there to get you plenty of sustain and a deep, rich tone. There are a few different models with this body shape, some of which feature some classic tried and tested pickup configurations and others with more unique combos.

Most guitars with this body shape are fitted with a pickup selector and a volume and tone knob where you’d expect. There’s also a bass contour knob on the upper horn.

Probably the most offset body shape that Reverend offers. Fairly similar to a Jazzmaster, but different enough to be recognized as its own thing, this body shape offers a fair amount of body mass to provide a ton of resonance and sustain. They’re really comfortable to play, whether you’re sitting or standing, and despite being one of the bigger Reverend styles, aren’t terrifically heavy. You’ll find this body shape with both set necks and bolt-ons, as well as a variety of different pickup configurations to suit your needs.

There are a number of signature Reverend guitars, all with different body shapes, specs and pickup configurations. It’s reassuring to know that many of these players could have chosen pretty much any guitar brand or model in the world, but they’ve gone with Reverend; so much so that they’ve trusted them enough to create their signature models. Praise indeed.

Made to cater for the needs of American blues/jazz guitarist Gil Parris, the Reverend Gil Parris GPS is Reverend’s only Strat-shaped guitar and also features three S-style single-coil pickups. However, in typical Reverend fashion, this isn’t just a copy of a classic guitar—it’s a reworked version. The pickups are Fishman’s active Fluence Single Width noiseless pickups, so you don’t get unwanted hum. You’ve also got two voices to choose from—old-school vintage warmth, or hotter, overwound ‘Texas’-style bite, making for a really cool and really versatile instrument.

The basses feature everything we love about the guitars—they’re well made, they play and sound incredible, and plus they provide a really good alternative to the bigger bass brands out there. They’re unique and they stand out, without being wacky or over the top.

There’s a good range of basses to choose from, all featuring useful pickup configurations to cater for any style of bassist. Korina is used for the body throughout the bass series too, plus the use of Hipshot Ultralight tuners means that your bass stays in tune really well and has a great weight balance when you’re standing up with it.