good to see I could get people talking about the RY! lol!
Looking foward to a full review ;)
lemme see what I can lay down after about 30-45 min of playing.
this one went in the mahogany Hamer Centaura with the Hamer-branded made in Germany Schaller double-locking trem with a brass block and a few other secret weapons. this guitar has had a variety of pickups in it over the years, mainly a JB, with a bit of time with another Duncan bridge model and then some time with a DMT Baker Act (which is like a product-improved JB to my ears). I played about 10-15 minutes recording a few tracks through POD Farm to compare with a few other pickups also previously recorded. that's where I noticed how much the guitar needed a setup. lol!
after the set up, I came back to the ADA MP-1 for about 20-30 minutes of big-rig playing, jamming to some 80s tunes and giving it a run down with the tapped and pinched harmonics.
my first impression is that a lot of it seems like the JB in this guitar. that's not to say that you are gonna get a the same tone out of a JB. but many of the characteristics in the rhythm playing reminded me of a JB. however, the dynamics and voicing are more open. there is more clarity throughout the range, although it's a more raw tone than the Holy Diver. if the HD is going to ask you to buckle up before it takes you for a ride in an European sportster, the RY won't care if you buckle up or not when you get into an American muscle car.
it rolled back better than I am used to with other brands going through my MP-1 rig (which is not known for cleaning up well), but I think the HD and VHII both cleaned up a little better.
after a few weeks with the Holy Diver and the VHII, I think my ears have tuned in to the BKP character a bit more and the RY wasn't as much as a culture shock. they are all different tools that get the job done in different ways, but they all come out as very suited to my rig and my playing style.
now I'll re-visit it over the course of a few days and tinker with height adjustments to see how things dial in.