25th Anniversary guitar. Was it just a bunch of blind alleys?

**roburado** · 03-02-2021, 05:58 AM

OK. Look. I love the 25th Anniversary. Some of that is sentimental. (My wife and I love Joe Bonamassa's "Mountain Time" especially the version from his original "Live at Royal Albert Hall." "Mountain Time" is our song.)

Some of my love for the 25th was how alive it sounded to me. I attributed that to the whole thing with the different tone woods, the chambering, etc.

The chambering didn't live on in other EBMM guitars for very long, did it? Basically, just the Reflex/Gamechanger, right?

Mahogany tone block? What ever happened to that? Do any current EBMMs still have it?

Did demand just never justify continuing to do that stuff?

**DrKev** · 03-02-2021, 07:21 AM

Yeah, the "tonewood cocktail" (alder, maple top, and mahogany toneblock) stayed on the Reflex and Gamechanger guitars and pretty much all the original run of BFR guitars I think, until about when they started the PDN runs. They were all unchambered. The JPX had it and was chambered, the JPXI and JP13 had the block and were not chambered, and block is still used on the current figured top JP guitars.

**Smellybum** · 03-02-2021, 07:34 AM

I think the 25th had wisdom beyond its years. I remember BP sharing all the variations they had tried with the tone chamber. I still have mine - I had it up for sale more times than I can count but can never bring myself to let it go. The combo of woods works so well from a resonance perspective and the series and parallel switch for me was a clever move too - 10 settings - what's not to like! But like all things I don't think the masses took to it - (was this not also the year we went to big neck dots?) - the smaller neck dots are sexy as hell..... Yeah I am middle-aged I find neck dots sexy

I think I bought my 25th because I felt like I had been part of seeing it built, I guess the wider market never got to see that.... their loss

**tbonesullivan** · 03-02-2021, 09:17 AM

Doesn't BP call the 25th Anniversary / Reflex his favorite mistake? It's an incredible guitar, but I think it was just not different enough from other guitars, particularly the Axis.

**fogman** · 03-02-2021, 10:24 AM

I absolutely love the 25th!!! It's my no.1 and is without a doubt the best guitar I've ever owned.
Like BP, to this day I'm still scratching my head why it never took off. In my opinion, people really missed the boat on this one. I was sad when it was all cancelled as I was hoping to see it in more colours and wanting to see more evolution with it.
I'm glad I have mine. I really don't see me ever selling it.

p.s. I'm with Smelly on the tiny dots. Love them. I know non-EBMM owners complained about them when they'd try various models. I wish all the models had the tiny dots. I'm not a fan of the larger ones.

**beej** · 03-02-2021, 10:53 AM

There's so much to love about that guitar, definitely.

I still feel like the Reflex would have been a bigger seller if it had fancy tops like the 25th, but I have no real data to back that up. It could be that the similarity to the Axis or unusual switching scheme held it back.

**roburado** · 03-02-2021, 12:12 PM

Thanks for your thoughts. In considering selling off some of my guitars, I thought about letting one of my 25th Anniversary guitars go. Not sure I am ready.

**Astrofreq** · 03-02-2021, 01:50 PM

I friggin' LOVE my Reflex. It may have the same pickups as the Axis, but the chambered body, tone block and series/parallel switch just gives the guitar a completely different personality.

**Slick64** · 03-02-2021, 02:16 PM

Post up some pics of these!

**roburado** · 03-02-2021, 02:55 PM

Originally Posted by Slick64

Post up some pics of these!

Setting up to take some pics of some guitars that I plan to sell. Maybe, while I have everything set up, I can do some nice ones. Probably won't get to it until this weekend, though.

**Slick64** · 03-02-2021, 03:23 PM

I'd be interested in that 25th anniversary. Pm sent

**dave1812** · 03-02-2021, 03:44 PM

I tried the Gamechanger Reflex back in 2012 and loved it! But i never got a GC or regular Reflex because it was never really offered in any other Color than Black or White. I know there was a Tobacco Burst Limited Edition don't remember if there were any other Colors offered.
For some Reason the GC Reflex, JPX to JP15 and back then the Armada, were never available on the PDN Runs for some Reason iirc.
a Neptune Blue PDN Reflex with Roasted Maple Neck and Fretboard would probably look really sick!

**Sweat** · 03-02-2021, 05:32 PM

The 25th was a fine guitar, I like I did back then just wanted to try something else so one in one out.

I agree with Beej that the plain tops may have had something to do with popular lack of interest.

They did do those limited editions for GC quite awhile back.

**Smellybum** · 03-03-2021, 01:19 AM

Well since nobody else is posting pics....

The first is the demo guitar from the LIMS show, - first time I saw that I could see the work that had gone into making it - it wasn't just slapping some nice tops on a new body shape.

2nd one is mine, I was late to the 25th Party (And the Dargie party... in fact my time keeping sucks)
But anyway Blindlemon had one in storage and I managed to bag this one.... it's so flame.... HOT HOT HOT

**banjoplayer** · 03-03-2021, 04:24 AM

Originally Posted by dave1812

I tried the Gamechanger Reflex back in 2012 and loved it! But i never got a GC or regular Reflex because it was never really offered in any other Color than Black or White.

I have a really beautiful Vintage Gold reflex but I don´t know if it was a regular colour