Reverend Musical Instruments
Reverend is the brainchild of Joe Naylor, a tireless tone fanatic with years of design, repair, and vintage experience. A 1987 graduate of Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery, Joe states, "Our mission is to produce affordable pro-quality instruments with character, that offer performance which will satisfy the most discriminating players."

USA Retro Pro Series
The USA Retro Pro guitars are built by a small crew in our Detroit area shop. The attention to detail and level of quality control are simply unmatched in this price range. This series represent years of evolutionary development beginning with the first Reverend guitar in 1996. These are fine tuned, tried-and-true tools of the trade, and unique works of art.

The High Resonance Body
This patented* design is the key feature of the USA Retro Pro Series guitars. It consists of a phenolic laminate top and back (made from wood fibers and phenolic resin) laminated to a six inch wide white mahogany center block, to which a small steel sustain bar is embedded. Now you have the attack and sustain of a solid-body, plus the acoustic richness of semi-hollow construction (without the feedback problems). Our instruments are very resonant, they even sound good unplugged.

Reverend Pickups
To make a great sounding guitar, the pickups need to sonically compliment the instrument. That's why we use Reverend pickups designed by Joe Naylor. In fact, each pickup is wound differently for each position --bridge pickups are slightly hotter, and neck (and middle) pickups are cleaner. The result is perfectly balanced output and tone. Not sold separately.

The Reverend Tone
What really sets Reverend apart is consistently great tone. Rich and full with depth, detail and clarity. Chords shimmer with harmonic overtones, single notes sing with long sustain and bell-like treble. Very even, lively, and touch sensitive. And you don't have to "pick out a good one" because the custom designed pickups and High Resonance Body guarantee that all USA Retro Pro Series guitars possess these qualities.

The Reverend Neck
The medium profile and rolled edges are comfortable like a vintage Strat*. But the flatter 12" radius fingerboard and jumbo frets are similar to a Les Paul*, which allows you to fret easy and bend without worrying about the note choking out. And the satin finish doesn't stick to your thumb. It's no wonder players rave about the feel of Reverend necks!

We also use a Dual Action Truss Rod in all our necks. This feature is commonly found on high-end and custom guitars. A standard truss rod only adjusts in one direction -- when tightened it pulls the neck into backbow, when loosened it relies on string tension and neck shape to produce forward bow. Our dual action rod adjusts in both directions, pulling the neck into backbow or pushing it into forward bow. This assures correct adjustment range is possible regardless of string tension, extreme climate conditions, or change of neck shape due to long term aging and/or extreme conditions

Other Features
Chrome Plated Armrest - allows forearm to glide over body edge.
Full Access Neck Joint - for easier access to the high notes.
Stainless Steel Neck Screws - necks mounted to body using 4 stainless steel screws with stainless steel cup washers.
Graphite Nut - low friction for better tuning stability.
Low Friction String Trees - low friction for better tuning stability.
String-Thru-Body Bridge - maximizes sustain.
Tone Preserving Volume Control - does not lose treble when turned down.
Custom Tone Control - trims off only the highest frequencies without severly cutting volume.
Bass Contour Control - custom designed, passive bass reduction control allows you to re-voice the pickups. Roll back just a little to tighten up the low end. Or roll back further for a cleaner, percussive sound. Makes a humbucker sound like a single-coil, or gives P-90's a Fender* like twang. Variable pickup voicing at your fingertips!
Sperzel Locking Tuning Keys - thumbscrew on bottom of tuner locks string for maximum tuning stability and ease of string changing.
Ultimate Bigsby Option - Bigsby brand tremolo with precision roller bridge. We modify the arm assembly for zero arm freeplay. Combined with the Sperzel locking tuners and graphite nut, you have the best Bigsby system available. Great sustain, and tuning stability that rivals or surpasses any non-locking tremolo system we know of.

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