Question AL HH & Reflex (25th) Comparison?

[mb99zz]

OK, the one place I was going to visit which had both an AL HH and a Reflex near me just sold the Reflex. I really wanted to A/B test them. So now I have two stores about 30 minutes away from each other -- one with a 25th and the other with an AL HH.

I will be trying them soon, but was hoping for some forum advice/comments from anyone that owns both guitars or have played them back-to-back. I'm pretty sure both guitars use the same pickups and they have the same 5-way switch configuration (putting aside the parrallel/series switch for now). So, the differences appear to be wood types used on the two guitars and of course the chambering on the Reflex/25th.

Taking the series/parrallel capability of the 25th/Reflex out of this discussion, how do the two compare in terms of tones? I'm assuming the AL HH is a bit darker, but I may be way wrong.

 

[Roubster]

I dont own either, but I have played both on numerous occupations at GC. From my experience, the AL is fatter sounding and a bit darker and I would say the from memory that the low end is a bit tighter also. The 25th has similar qualities, but it seems to be a bit more airy sounding if that makes any sense but very resonant and immediate. This is from memory, and I personally like the HH AL more for the nice fat clear tone.

You know, you could always add a series/parallel switch to the HH AL. That's the beauty of having a guitar with a pickguard .

 

[Jack FFR1846]

I think that these 2 guitars are soooo different that you won't need to play them back to back. I've played them back to back and even ignoring the sound, the feel to them are on opposite ends of the field. Personally, I thought the reflex had the easiest neck to play and felt better than anything I've ever played. The body of the AL is my personal favorite. I favor the AL overall myself, but have considered maybe trading one of my Axis guitars in on a reflex/25th to change things up.

 

[beej]

I've got both.

They definitely feel different, though they share pickups and the basic switching (with the 25th/Reflex obviously having more options). The 25th is brighter and more resonant, the AL has a real growl with more mids going on.

 

[Eilif]

I think Beej hit the nail on the head with regards to the difference in tones. A local store has both, so I've been able to play both--and the 25th there also happens to have a rosewood neck, very tempting.

Of the two, I prefer the AL. It sounds great--even acoustically--and is just more pleasing to my ears. There is something about the 25th that doesn't quite do it for me--the chambering maybe? But to each his own; you may find that you prefer the sound of the 25th.

If you've played an Axis, you will find the 25th INCREDIBLY comfortable. It is light and has a fantastic balance.

The necks on both are superb.

I've got both.

They definitely feel different, though they share pickups and the basic switching (with the 25th/Reflex obviously having more options). The 25th is brighter and more resonant, the AL has a real growl with more mids going on.

 

[ScoobySteve]

Also make sure you also play in all configurations on the 25th WHILE playing with the tone knob. Some or my key tones on the 25th are pos 2 and 4 in parallel and pos 3 in series with the tone rolled back from 20-40%.

I've never played an Al HH so thats my 25th advice.

 

[mb99zz]

Thanks for the input guys. I had a chance to play a Reflex today for quite some time. I really loved the sound, loved the neck, and dug the SP switching. Oh yeah, it's a beautiful guitar to boot. After about 5 minutes I was thinking "Oh crap, I'm going to walk out of here today with this guitar. Start thinking of excuses for the wife..."

Unfortunatley, after about 15 minutes of playing the Reflex my forearm started to hurt a bit -- and then a bit more. I used to own an Axis SS which was my first MM guitar and was nearly perfect for me. I sadly had to part with that A.S.S. because I found it uncomfortable to play for an extended period of time. Long story short, the forearm contour on the Reflex made it more comfortable than the Axis SS but not comfortable enough for me to buy one. I started getting the same pain in my forearm that I did with the Axis SS. Ahhh....I was sad to leave that guitar at the store. What a dream machine.

The good news is that the AL body shape works well -- not as good as the Silhouette I plan to get on an AL HH later this week.

 

[Eilif]

Ah, that's too bad about your forearm. I thought the 25th was incredibly comfortable, perhaps even more so than my Silo.

Well, I guess that settles the question for you.