REVIEW > Mario GUitars
Rating:
With just a little bit of reverb from an
outboard Fender Reverb unit, the little
Mario conveys a spaciousness that belies
its dimensions and heft (if you could call
it that) and makes a simple, 1st position C
arpeggio sound more like a cathedral choir.
Through a smaller Fender piggyback the guitar sounds no less spacious.
But exploring the jazzy potential of the
Power’Tron in the neck position becomes
doubly inviting. Here again, the lively
resonance of the paulownia body seems to
work with the Power’Tron’s hot, but balanced output and the warm, round glow
of 6L6s to create an uncommonly wide
palette of neck pickup tones.
Even with the Serpentine 2’s tone knob
rolled back significantly, the guitar still
communicates a subtle high- and high-mid
detail you won’t hear from most humbuck-
ers. At the same time, it delivers more girth
than you’ll get from a typical single-coil
used in that context. Crank the tone back
up on neck or dual-pickup settings and the
Serpentine 2 becomes a Texas sidewinder
capable of bite and a sweetly detailed, dirty
overdrive that works with everything from
Marshalls to tweeds.
the Verdict
The amazingly chameleonic Serpentine 2
is capable of serving the Nashville twang
dealer, uptown jazz cat, rowdy roadhouse
rumbler, or folk-rock jangler. The union
of paulownia and Power’Trons is a potent
one we expect to see more of in the wake
of this axe. And that such versatility comes
from a body and scale configuration that’s
typically been regarded as an also-ran
among traditional Fender-style templates
makes this beautifully built Mario a true
wolf in sheep’s clothing. The $2,699
price may put a hitch in the get-along of
anyone who’s challenged to look past the
Telecaster or Stratocaster. For those who
have the courage—and the coin—to venture beyond, however, the sonic rewards
are substantial.
Buy If...
you’re eager to move past standard
Fender-style templates, are unafraid
of a short scale, and have wondered
about the potential of Filter’Tron-style
pickups in a solidbody.
Skip If...
short-scale necks feel like
toys to you, or you prefer
more traditional designs.
Mario Guitars
Street $1,999
guitarmill.com/custom
or use a mobile device to hear
audio clips of the guitar at
CLICKHere…
premierguitar.com/feb2012
154 PREMIER GUITAR FEBRUARY 2012
premierguitar.com
