NGD: Game Changer

[jones4tone]

Picked this up last night. I still have a long way to go to understand all the tonal possibilities, but I think it's going to be very useful for me. It definitely has the chunkiest neck of any EBMM I've played, and it's not close. (Anyone who could contrast the Reflex/25th neck shape with an Armada?)

The piezo sound is great, and the single tones are very good, as well. I'm still working at figuring out how to get what I want from the humbuckers (and pondering what Transitions sans-covers would be like in this guitar? ) but I have only had a brief time to mess with it so far, and much of that was spent figuring out the web app.

I'll get some better pics soon. (I have no idea where the purple band came from in the attached image. Some kind of artifact from the phone camera, I guess.)

 

[edhalen]

The swiss army knife of the EBMM line up! Congrats!

 

[johnnyboogie]

Congratulations and happy playing!! It should give an amazing feeling of accessibility =)

 

[banjoplayer]

congrats, I wish my reflex would have a chunkyneck. out of my AL/Morse/SUB-gang it has the slimmest

 

[jones4tone]

congrats, I wish my reflex would have a chunkyneck. out of my AL/Morse/SUB-gang it has the slimmest

That's really interesting. I don't have an AL or Morse, so I can't directly compare to that, but it feels much like my son's early 2000s AmStd Strat.

 

[Wahoonc]

Congrats. The GC neck isn't as chunky as an AL, but it is a bit chunkier than the ASS--just slightly to my feel.

 

[mikeller]

Congrats!!!! Its a beauty!!!

OK as far as the chunky discussion - I had a 25th Ann and the neck on mine was the chunkiest of any EBMM I have ever owned, definately chunkier than my AL (SSS and HH when I had one) or the Y2D I had.

 

[Ishmun]

I agree on the neck size...more depth than my Albert Lee, Sil Special and JP (of course) - but doesn't feel like a 'chunky' neck. My fave neck shape that's for sure

 

[agt]

Congrats on your new GC!

(Anyone who could contrast the Reflex/25th neck shape with an Armada?)

In my experience, the 25th/Reflex is similar to the Silhouette or AL necks ... chunkier than the Luke, Axis, Morse (standard, not Dark Lord) JP, but by no means chunky with a capital C. Just perfect.

The Armada, on the other hand, is the Ch-Ch-Ch-Chunkiest guitar neck I own or have ever played. Chunkier than any of my EBMMs and chunkier than my late 90s PRS McCarty. 50's LP territory. The Armada is not my everyday go-to, but it is perfect when that is the feel (and tone) I am after.

 

[jones4tone]

I don't want to leave the impression that I was hating on the neck profile by calling it chunky. It's just substantially more beefy than any of my prior EBMMs. Of the ones I've had, it's most similar to the 20th Anniv. Silhouette, but has a good bit more depth than that one. I guess my impression of it is closer to what mikeller said above.

The Reflex and I are still getting to know each other, and I'm looking forward to playing it a good bit more in the next few days.

Thanks all for the neck comparisons.

 

[banjoplayer]

I don't want to leave the impression that I was hating on the neck profile by calling it chunky.

Not at all! I like chunky necks and I wish my reflex´neck would be more chunky

Finally all necks are sanded by hand and may differ from each other on the same model. Otherwise we couldn´t explain all the different descriptions here. And another thing I find interesting: a few years ago we had a thread were some of us measured and profiled their necks. And for example my guitars at that time (Morse/AL/Silhouette) looked very similar when profiled but felt clearly different - not in shape but in size. So the look/description of a neck and how it feels can be differ enormously

 

[BUC]

I have an Armada, Y2D, GC and 25th. The GC has the slimmest neck profile of all of mine. That being said, and maybe I'm the weirdo here, I don't really notice the difference in my playing. I notice the difference in the placement of straplocks and how the guitar hangs on your body way more than the neck profile. I gig with a 25th and a GC as my primaries and switch between the two.

The GC is a way underappreciated axe. It might take you a couple of months to figure out exactly how you want it to be set up but that's the beauty of it. If you don't like something about it, changing it is a piece of cake.

A lot of guys are kind of meh about the color choice, but I usually find that gigging with a really bling axe almost detracts from you as a performer unless you're really going for bling. So the simple black with the classy binding has really grown on me. Really an awesome workman's tool.

The piezo is one of the best things about it. I run my piezo output through an IR of Taylor and it has completely replaced the acoustic for my rock gigs. One less guitar to bring and it honestly sounds as good through the PA as a lot of acoustics. I've seriously considered buying a second one because I only have one guitar with a piezo and I'm worried about having a backup.

Good to see some more GC love!