Reverend Manta Ray HB-FM
Guitar One Magazine
Affordable Semi-Hollow Guitars
By Chris Gill
If you’ve never experienced the sensation of playing a semi-hollow
electric guitar, two new high-quality, low-cost models from Reverend
and PRS should inspire you to consider adding one of these versatile
instruments to your collection. A semi-hollow guitar provides
the perfect balance between the fat, resonant tone and sustain
of a hollowbody and the brilliant attack and punch of a
solidbody, making it ideal for playing any style of music from
jazz, blues, and country to hard rock and even shred. Both of
these guitars sell for well under $1,000, bringing guitarists
the semi-hollow experience without breaking the bank.
Reverend Manta Ray HB-FM
The Manta Ray HB is part of Reverend’s new set-neck series
guitars introduced earlier this year, which, like Reverend’s
bolt-on series models, offer exceptional value for the money.
The Manta Ray boasts a distinctive body shape with similar dimensions
to a 335, sharp cutaway horns similar to a Gibson Trini Lopez,
a single “shooting star” f-hole (which looks like a
gang member teardrop tattoo to us), and three control knobs arranged
in a straight line similar to a Strat. We checked out an HB-FM
model, which features dual humbuckers and a stunning flame maple
veneer covering the flat maple top.
CONSTRUCTION With its maple top and solid mahogany back,
sides, center block, and neck, the Manta Ray offers the classic
semi-hollow tonewood combination. The fingerboard is crafted
from tight-grained rosewood and features 22 silky-smooth feeling
medium jumbo frets, a relatively flat 12-inch radius, and
a 24 3/4-inch scale. A dual-action truss rod allows you to adjust
both backbow and forward bow, making it easy to adjust the neck’s
curvature to your preference. The Manta Ray’s setup and attention
to detail is excellent for a guitar in any price range, but for
a guitar that sells for a street price around $600 it’s a
rare luxury.
SOUND Instead of slapping generic pickups in the guitar,
Reverend designed their own custom models that are wound and individually
voiced specifically for bridge and neck placement. The bridge
pickup is hotter than the neck pickup, and it can easily drive
a tube amp into harmonically rich overdrive when you bear down
on the strings. Its sharp attack and pronounced midrange cuts
with an aggressiveness that’s perfect for rock or blues.
The neck pickup delivers fat, smooth tones with ample warmth and
sustain that allows the guitar to sing whether your amp’s
setting is crystal clean or as dirty as a ditch digger’s
sweat rag. In addition to master volume and tone controls, the
Manta Ray features a useful bass contour control that lets you
dial in the roundness and warmth of an archtop jazz box.
IS IT FOR YOU? The Reverend Manta Ray HB-FM is a great
choice if you want the tones and feel of a classic semi-hollow
electric but you’d like a guitar with looks that stands out
from the crowd. Like the creature that it's named for, this Manta
Ray is positively lethal, with looks that stun and chest-thumping
tone that will bring you to your knees. At least it won’t
sting you where it matters most—in the wallet.
FEATURES
Reverend Manta Ray HB-FM
Maple top with flamed veneer, mahogany back and sides
Two individually voiced Reverend humbuckers
Tuneomatic-style bridge and stop tailpiece
Single “shooting star” f-hole
Dual-action truss rod
Price $840
