PRODUCT REVIEW
REVEREND
Ron Asheton Signature Guitar
BY ADAM MOORE For musicians,
there’s a bevy of quantifiable ways to
gauge one’s popularity and influence
on the musical world – the number of
records you’ve sold, how many clubs
you’ve packed and all of the magazine
covers you’ve graced. But for guitarists,
there can’t be a much greater sign that
you’ve arrived than receiving your own
signature model guitar from a popular
builder. While the signature model has
traditionally been reserved for mainstream figures, the recent spate of cool
signature models, ranging from David
Grissom’s new PRS to Pete Shelley’s
half-a-Starway guitar from Eastwood,
indicates that companies are finally recognizing guitar players instead of guitar
celebrities.
Ron Asheton has recently been added to
that list – the proto-punk who began his
career playing with the always slippery
Iggy Pop and the Stooges before moving
on to the equally raucous band,
Destroy All Monsters. Ron has
become the latest underappre-ciated recipient of a signature
model axe, courtesy of builder
Joe Naylor and the good people
at Reverend Guitars.
Shake Appeal
The Ron Asheton Signature is a direct
descendant of Reverend’s popular Volcano
model, which has impressed players and
critics alike with its combination of great
playability and middle-class affordability.
But while the Volcano took its inspiration
from the now-iconic Flying V, Reverend’s
Naylor has taken the opportunity to
expand upon the instrument’s heritage
and create a guitar that merges Asheton’s
past and present. Beginning with the
V platform, which Asheton played on
the Stooges’ eponymous debut, Naylor
swapped out the humbuckers for three
custom-wound P-90s
to provide the guitar
with added treble punch
– duties that Asheton had
previously relied on an old
Stratocaster for. Coupled
with the guitar’s innovative Bass
Contour control (more on this in a
bit), the final result is perhaps the best
conceived signature model to emerge
from this winter’s NAMM show.
There’s a definite psychological element
at play here – looking at this guitar will
stimulate your synapses and stir up long-forgotten memories of the days when rock
n’ roll was still dangerous. A big statement, sure, but the stunning Rock Orange
finish perfectly showcases the solid korina
body and signals to everyone within visible distance that you mean business.
The body also features a raised center
section, which primarily adds sustain and
clarity, but has the side effect of adding
126 PREMIER GUITAR MAY 2008
