Hey guys, got this beauty last friday-lets get cracking with some pics!
Specs:
Wraith HB-102 Custom
25.5" scale
16" radius
Korina body
Spalted Maple top
5 piece Maple/Walnut neck
Maple binding with black fibre strip (neck only)
Ebony fretboard
'Tumi' Inlay
EMG Hetset
Hannes Bridge
Gotoh Mini tuners
D'Addario 10-52 strings
So its been almost a year since I first tried out the guitars Chris at Sabre has been churning out. Needless to say I was blown away by the Wraith model, everything about it appealed to me,. I had been aware of Sabre for 2 years (i think) prior to that, but i always believe in trying before buying if possible. Once i played them i knew i had to sell my guitars to fund one!
I have always been a fan of spalted maple tops but i have always hated that glossy finish that a lot of them have, so I specified to Chris that I wanted a matte finish-hence keeping it as natural looking as possible. I was blown away when I first opened the case at just how beautiful it looks in person, the wood just looks amazing, and the guitar is so light and resonant. The Wraith model has all these incredible curves and contours, lots of small details that make the whole package even more awesome. I cant stress what a beautiful instrument she is!!!
I deliberated as to what pickups to go with, originally i was going to go with BKP Blackhawks but quite late in the process had a change of heart and went with the EMG Hetset. Its taken me a session or 2 to marriage my amp to the pickups successfully; i didnt expect them to be so hot! But after some tweaking (lowering gain, presence and treble) they sound fantastic, like a passive on steroids but still retaining the EMG cut and punch-it has more bass than the 81 and less harshness. Im very happy at how it performs in a band scenario, which is important to me.
The build quality of the whole guitar is absolutely incredible, from the neck binding to the headstock, it just screams class. Chris has been very patient and communicative throughout the process, so much more than any other luthier I have heard of. The build started in May, so my order was completed in just under 9 months, which i think is very reasonable.
The action on arrival was very playable but a tad high for my tastes so im in the process of adjusting that. However having the truss rod access at the end of the neck (by the pickups) makes adjustments of that kind very easy indeed.
The idea for the inlay came from me wanting the guitar to be meaningful to me. I have peruvian and british heritage so as the guitar was made in Cambridge I wanted something to represent the peruvian side. And what better than a 'Tumi' - its a sacrificial knife that was used by the Incas. This specific design was done by Christian Aliaga, a peruvian part-time graphic artist who resides in Sweden. He granted me full permission to use his design and I think Chris nailed it with the execution. We were possibly going to go with a bare fingerboard and just the inlay, but i rely on markers way too much, hence we kept the standard Sabre fret markers but with the added inclusion of the 'Tumi'.
Played my first gig with the guitar yesterday also, and received compliments not only on the looks but also on the sound. I will be doing lots of recording and gigging with her this year and I just cant wait!!
Anyhow, I have probably written enough-hope you guys enjoy the pics, may upload some outside shots when it stops raining! :shock:
If you are looking for beautiful and highly crafted guitars that deliver on all fronts, check Sabre out, Chris is very down to earth and accommodating-i certainly am not disappointed! 8)
