Aristides Guitars

[Fred the Shred]

Well, they are acoustically quite loud (the R's even more so), and the major perk to me is that they're all like that, as there's no risk of a dead plank; as Flappydoodle rightly pointed, it's the combination of how lively and how they sound on a consistent basis that's so reassuring to me. Sometimes, people do exaggerate a fair bit when it comes to the acoustic properties, to be honest - they are the loudest from my high end stuff in that regard, but the difference is not such that I can almost hop on stage without an amp, that's for sure!

 

[Flappydoodle]

Well, they are acoustically quite loud (the R's even more so), and the major perk to me is that they're all like that, as there's no risk of a dead plank; as Flappydoodle rightly pointed, it's the combination of how lively and how they sound on a consistent basis that's so reassuring to me. Sometimes, people do exaggerate a fair bit when it comes to the acoustic properties, to be honest - they are the loudest from my high end stuff in that regard, but the difference is not such that I can almost hop on stage without an amp, that's for sure!

And with all that said, I don't really think acoustic loudness particularly affects how a guitar sounds when plugged in.

My ESP Horizon is pretty "dead" sounding when you strum it, but it sounds fucking amazing through an amp. And I had a Jericho which was super loud and bright and resonant acoustically, but sounded shrill and horrible through an amp.

(Also, sorry, didn't get a chance to take any photos today)

 

[GXPO]

Honestly most tempting r series photos I've seen.

Yeah, I'm not really sure why. It looks reassuringly real.

 

[Fred the Shred]

And with all that said, I don't really think acoustic loudness particularly affects how a guitar sounds when plugged in.

My ESP Horizon is pretty "dead" sounding when you strum it, but it sounds fucking amazing through an amp. And I had a Jericho which was super loud and bright and resonant acoustically, but sounded shrill and horrible through an amp.

(Also, sorry, didn't get a chance to take any photos today)

I find the acoustic tone more of an indicator of natural sustain and what the pickups will end up working with in terms of what kind of freqs are prevalent, which in turn plays a big role on what I choose to load it with, and depending on what one prefers you have some electronics that squash stuff so hard that a lot of the virtues or lack thereof lose importance dramatically. Given how electric guitars are always this sum of a bazillion factors, while I do find natural loudness and sustain a great indicator (I never had a case where I was happy with the plugged in sound of a muffled, "dead" guitar, but horses for courses and all that), I don't find it sensible to isolate that as some infallible sign of greatness.

 

[narad]

Yeah, I'm not really sure why. It looks reassuringly real.

It doesn't look plasticy like the pink/orange ones do and I realized after posting it has the new black logo plate to match.

Regarding things being loud, plenty of metal (literally metal) guitars out there that will ping louder than just about any wood guitar. Doesn't translate into anything special plugged in. Some of those BC Rich acrylic guitars were very loud acoustically also. Different materials are just going to naturally react differently. Might as well knock on your guitar and score it by how good of a drum it is.

Sustain I'll buy. PRS himself says sustain is his measuring stick when assessing 2 guitar. But that's not what the usual arium addicts are going mental about.

 

[ikarus]

Couple iPhone photos I took after unboxing. It's night time here, so tomorrow I'll take some good ones with the dSLR in natural light, with calibrated white balance so you can get a better idea of the colour. It looks blue-grey in some light, green-light in others.

Photos here:
https://imgur.com/a/7ZyHq4I

So is this the grey R series or some kind of matte black?

 

[xzacx]

Sustain I'll buy. PRS himself says sustain is his measuring stick when assessing 2 guitar. But that's not what the usual arium addicts are going mental about.

I always think sustain is important to me and then I remember that I've spent my whole guitar-playing life trying to play as fast as humanly possible and with enough gain that it would never actually matter. But it still seems like a good idea.

 

[Avedas]

It doesn't look plasticy like the pink/orange ones do and I realized after posting it has the new black logo plate to match.

Some of the pics of the royal red color look really dark and awesome, and others look like a plastic toy as well. I guess it's all in the lighting. Anthracite looks great every time though.

 

[Flappydoodle]

Ok, high resolution photos here:

https://www.dropbox.com/sh/v401x0vct2h79vy/AAAbO0dHnCqk3QQ4iAN8bXHCa?dl=0

They are taken with a Nikon D800. Just to reiterate, the guitar is the 060R in anthracite (grey)

1. I used a colour calibration device to get the colour of the guitar exactly right. So that colour is exactly how the guitar appeared in real life.

2. There's a crop of the headstock to show the new black logo in detail. There's a small ding just next to the logo, which I didn't spot until I took the photos

3. There's a crop showing the texture of the guitar. It isn't plastic-feeling at all. You can see that it has been sanded, with the grain flowing in particular directions. It feels really, really nice. Matte. Low friction.

4. There's a crop around the picking area. You can see that there are already tiny marks in the finish where I bump the guitar with my pick. All my guitars have this, whether glossy, natural finish or painted. So this R finish certainly isn't indestructible.

5. The fretboard, in case people aren't familiar. It's my first time using a synthetic fretboard. Feels and looks like wood to me - like highly polished ebony. It looks quite shiny but the texture is matte - not sticky at all.

 

[Snarpaasi]

Is the Aristides initial attack similar to a neck-through let's say Horizon, or more towards a bolt-on construction? This is a topic which can be continued to eternity but I find NT construction to have more compressed and dull attack. Maybe it's not present on loud volumes but certainly heard acoustically.

 

[narad]

Is the Aristides initial attack similar to a neck-through let's say Horizon, or more towards a bolt-on construction? This is a topic which can be continued to eternity but I find NT construction to have more compressed and dull attack. Maybe it's not present on loud volumes but certainly heard acoustically.

Probably closer to the Horizon.

 

[Flappydoodle]

Is the Aristides initial attack similar to a neck-through let's say Horizon, or more towards a bolt-on construction? This is a topic which can be continued to eternity but I find NT construction to have more compressed and dull attack. Maybe it's not present on loud volumes but certainly heard acoustically.

How could I measure or quantify this for you? I have the Aristides and a NT Eii Horizon right here. Totally agree that the Horizon sounds dull acoustically. The Aristides is super bright acoustically.

 

[Snarpaasi]

How could I measure or quantify this for you? I have the Aristides and a NT Eii Horizon right here. Totally agree that the Horizon sounds dull acoustically. The Aristides is super bright acoustically.

Thanks this is good, just wondering how the magical aerium sounds. Definitely would be interested to test one but they're so damn rare. I've also been downshifting after a Skerv and BFR towards cheaper partscasters which are cool, so buying dry an Aristides isn't gonna happen anytime soon

 

[Flappydoodle]

Thanks this is good, just wondering how the magical aerium sounds. Definitely would be interested to test one but they're so damn rare. I've also been downshifting after a Skerv and BFR towards cheaper partscasters which are cool, so buying dry an Aristides isn't gonna happen anytime soon

What would you like me to test?

I can record a video of the two guitars strummed acoustically

Or you want DI tracks? (though pickups are very different in the two guitars)

 

[Snarpaasi]

What would you like me to test?

I can record a video of the two guitars strummed acoustically

Or you want DI tracks? (though pickups are very different in the two guitars)

Well, thanks why not? Sure an acoustic strumming test comparison would be interesting to see. I was hesitant to ask since at the next second a wild purist appears shooting down the whole idea... Wait and see!

 

[Flappydoodle]

Well, thanks why not? Sure an acoustic strumming test comparison would be interesting to see. I was hesitant to ask since at the next second a wild purist appears shooting down the whole idea... Wait and see!

Ok, I'll sort it out soon. Need to put new strings on the Horizon.

 

[diagrammatiks]

Was hoping the r was going to be a bit cheaper. But it’s not that much cheaper. Still doable though.

 

[Avedas]

Was hoping the r was going to be a bit cheaper. But it’s not that much cheaper. Still doable though.

Are there prices posted somewhere?

 

[ikarus]

Are there prices posted somewhere?

I hope the R series goes up on the website soon...

 

[SnowfaLL]

interesting development with my Arctic Sunset Sparkle - mine should be ready within like the 4th/5th month timeframe, rather than the 7/8 months! Just happened to line up with some pickup delays on other builds, and since I'm putting Duncan APS-2's in there for now, it progressed pretty fast. Was hoping something else would sell before I had to pay for it, but can't be mad when your guitar is finished 3 months early lol. Coincides with a surgery im having where I have 3 weeks off work, so I might even have a week off when it arrives to play it lots! That'd be nice. Videos need to be made!