PRODUCT REVIEW
bridge pickup, the neck P- 90 chimed like the
bells in the Leaning Tower of Pisa.
Shifting Into Overdrive
Through the Egnater’s overdrive channel or
the Orange with its gain up, the T- 90 offered
up another set of cool sounds. The P- 90
provided some different blues tones—not
SRV-ish Strat sounds or searing PAF tones,
but more like the funkier tones of a National
or Kay driving a Supro amp to the brink of
destruction. I grew to love this sound, finding it perfect for slide. With a little more
gain, the P- 90’s sustain went on forever in a
Big Muff sort of way.
Both pickups together yielded a 335-type
tone, with the bridge pickup adding definition
to the P- 90’s girth. This sound was ideal for
B.B. King blues or Larry Carlton-esque fusion.
By itself, the bridge pickup proved power-
ful enough to drive both the Egnater lead
channel and the Tiny Terror like a humbucker,
yet it offered enough bite for easy pinched
harmonics. For extra sustain, I kicked in a
Fuchs Plush Pure Gain pedal and served up
some major Zeppelin raunch.
Rolling back the tone knob introduced a
throaty “woman tone” roar in all positions,
but turning down the volume knob dimin-
ished the highs way more than I would have
liked—especially in an instrument this bassy
to begin with.
The Final Mojo
The Firenze sounds as unique as it looks.
The pickups unite with the maple cap to
create a dark tone with a very quick attack.
The guitar blends the outline of a funky
pawnshop prize with the figured top and
finish work of an instrument costing well
over twice as much. Hanson has leapt into a
crowded market and rapidly made its mark.
If you’re looking to make yours, this might
be the guitar to help you do it.
Rating:
Hanson Guitars
Street $599
hansonguitars.com
you want a distinctive, quality-built
instrument at a killer price.
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you want your guitar to look and sound
like what the other kids play.
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PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2010 157
