Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 01:03 PM
Pulled the trigger on a Reverend Charger 290. I've been looking for a versatile guitar for use with other projects since I sold my Strat. I'll be utilizing this guitar for other than Surf as I dabble in other genres from time to time, ..providing it pans out. I demoed a Reverend Charger way back and was pretty impressed, but haven't played this exact model so I kind of went out on a limb.
Got it for $649 out the door from an eBay dealer (brand new, no case). I'll try and post a review once I put it through it's paces.
Reverend Charger 290
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
Last edited: Jan 16, 2013 13:06:27
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 02:17 PM
Congrats!
I like Reverend guitars a lot, the ones I played with (Six Gun and another one) had great QC and were very light and comfortable. Cool, versatile and fun guitars.
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 02:38 PM
Thanks! While I won't be using this particular guitar for Surf check out this model they make.
Flatroc w/Bigsby
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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Surf_Skater
Joined: Sep 06, 2012
Posts: 1300
Lawrenceville , GA
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 02:53 PM
That Flatroc looks like the love child of a gretsch and a tele 
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2389
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 03:28 PM
Reverend makes great guitars. You'll be very happy with the Charger. I'm the proud owner of a couple of the original American models, a Spy w/ bigsby (3 lipstick pickups), and a Rocco (2 HB's).
— Bob
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Dec 31 2012 06:33 PM
Surf_Skater wrote:
That Flatroc looks like the love child of a gretsch and a tele
Doesn't it though!
Possibly my next purchase....huuumm...?
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 01:06 PM
Thought I'd follow-up with a quick review.
No stage time, this is basically a home review after fiddling with it for about a week.
Pro:
- Fit & finish is great.
- Nice satin neck with nicely polished frets.
- Good looking ax with nice maple top.
- Set-up great out of the box. Intonated perfect.
Con:
- The overall tone is kind of muddy or muffled sounding (all pickup combos).
- Clean tone is thin sounding compared to decent single-coil pickups.
I hate to say it but this one will most likely be up for sale soon. I just can't justify spending money to upgrade the pickups and pots in hopes of correcting the tone issues. Even with everything wide open the guitar sounds almost muffled, like there's a blanket over the amp. I tried it through multiple amps btw.
I did call Reverend and checked a few things as they suggested but in the end I "believe" there's something up with the way it's wired. Not necessarily wrong, just a design flaw imho. What's perplexing is unamplified the guitar sounds very snappy and lively with a nice ring to it and good sustain. New pickups and tone pots could probably open her up, but that's kind of a gamble for me and there's just not a lot of info and history there for a educated decision so...? 
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
Last edited: Jan 16, 2013 13:07:33
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imafunkyman
Joined: Sep 16, 2007
Posts: 548
Utah
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 01:59 PM
Bummer man! Nice looking guitar. Sorry it's not working out for you.
— Either you surf, or you fight.
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JetBlue
Joined: May 30, 2006
Posts: 746
Cool, CA
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 02:13 PM
I have the same complaint about the Jetstream390 I bought several years ago. I suspect the bass contour control is the cause but have never tried bypassing/removing it. It might be worth trying before you give up on your new guitar.
I don't think the American models included the bass contour control.
— Don
Last edited: Jan 16, 2013 14:17:33
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2389
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 02:43 PM
Late American models had the bass contour control. Everybody was raving about them at the time. The two American models that I have do not have the bass contour control, and they sound great.
Las Barracudas, I'm sorry that your Charger is not working out. You may want to check with Reverend expert/fanatic Daktari, either through a private message here, or through his website. http://www.revfan.com/index.html Although he is more into the American models, if there have been problems with the offshore models and/or the bass contour pot, he may be aware, and might be able to offer some input.
— Bob
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 03:01 PM
Thanks! I may do that? Listed it on cl so will see if it hangs around long.
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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JetBlue
Joined: May 30, 2006
Posts: 746
Cool, CA
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 04:27 PM
RobbieReverb wrote:
Late American models had the bass contour control. Everybody was raving about them at the time.
Didn't know that. The bass contour is cool and provides a huge tonal adjustment. I'm only guessing it's the culprit because the muddiness or nasaliness (new word) improves some as the control is rolled off. Maybe it's a P90 thing? It's really just a tonal thing that I probably wouldn't notice if I wasn't comparing it to Fender single-coils...not even in the ballpark in terms of clarity.
— Don
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RobbieReverb
Joined: Feb 28, 2006
Posts: 2389
San Jose, Ca.
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 04:54 PM
Bummer, Don! I've been thinking about getting one of their P-90 offshore axes, but I'm obviously going to rethink it.
Although it's expensive, I had been kinda intrigued by the Rick Vito signature model with a P90 for the neck pickup, and a Supro steel guitar style pickup in the bridge position. Instead of a pickup selector switch, it has a "blend" pot to get all those in-between shades of gray. It has the bass contour pot on it, as well.
I think Joe Naylor is one of the most brilliant designers out there: not just his guitars, but his (discontinued) amps and pedals, as well. I'm shocked to hear that you guys are having these problems, and that Reverend can't offer any solutions. I'm gonna go to the Reverend Forum and look for more instances of similar issues. I've heard a number of people who haven't liked Reverend guitars because they are so different (particularly the US models), but I had never heard of design flaws before.
— Bob
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fenderfan
Joined: Jul 13, 2008
Posts: 783
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 05:21 PM
I'll just mention that the Pete Anderson Reverend Eastsider S instantly became my Number One guitar - Telecaster in general style, with three outstanding pickups and a great Wilkinson vibrato bar that is smooth and silky, and that stays where you put it. And, the guitar's locking tuners keep everything stable. The compound neck makes soloing high up on the neck very comfortable, and you can get the neck pickup in combination with any other pickups, for fine tone options. It even comes in my favorite cosmetic appearance - sunburst, with white binding. Truly outstanding guitar - I haven't looked forward this much to picking up my guitar everyday since I bought a new ES335 when I was a freshman in college (long ago).
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Jan 16 2013 05:55 PM
The real pisser is I ordered the guitar instead of a Texotica Reverb unit.....uugh!
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
Last edited: Jan 16, 2013 17:55:55
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Ariel
Joined: Aug 29, 2009
Posts: 1556
Israel
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Posted on Jan 19 2013 02:02 PM
Las_Barracudas wrote:
I'll be utilizing this guitar for other than Surf as I dabble in other genres from time to time...
If that still holds true, and the guitar feels and rings great unplugged, and you like it otherwise, A P/U replacement and some tinkering with wiring will most likely be a huge improvement.
You have a well constructed guitar, just load it with something nice, there must be tons of options.
OTH, yeah, that's a lot of money to put on something you're not 100% satisfied with.
Hope it works out for you.
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Noel
Joined: Mar 15, 2011
Posts: 8528
Back in Piitsburgh, Pennsylvania, where I grew up.
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Posted on Jan 19 2013 02:33 PM
Las_Barracudas wrote:
The real pisser is I ordered the guitar instead of a Texotica Reverb unit.....uugh!
Live and learn. Lots of my mistakes seemed like good ideas at the time. You'll figure out what to do with this guitar and eventually get the Texotica too.
— This is Noel. Reverb's at maximum an' I'm givin' 'er all she's got.
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Las_Barracudas
Joined: Apr 24, 2011
Posts: 1087
Surf City, NC
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Posted on Jan 19 2013 06:19 PM
Yeh, I have it up for sale allready. If it doesn't move relatively quickly I may consider some mods (new pickups, tone pot, disconnect the BCC)?
Based on how lively it sounds acoustically, I'll bet with a little work it would sound great. That said, I'd really hate to throw good money after bad though so we'll see.
— METEOR IV on reverbnation
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AgentCooper
Joined: Jan 16, 2013
Posts: 30
Michigan
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Posted on Jan 19 2013 08:59 PM
I had a few of the American Reverends, the neck didn't work out for me so I ended up selling them. I should have waited a couple of years though, I could have made a 3x the money off them.
This one was my favorite:
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