vignmachine
Member
I haven't seen many reviews for any recent Halo guitars builds, so I decided to post my review here.
I ordered a Halo Morbus 7 (now called the Merus) in December of 2012. I received the product in June 2013. As such, I have had ample time to review the guitar in a post-"new guitar day euphoria" setting, where I can hopefully form a more unbiased opinion.
Features:
5/5
It's difficult for me to comment on the features of this guitar for two reasons: One; it's a custom guitar, so you choose your features, really. Two; I like simplistic guitars, so rating the features isn't really fair.
In any case, this guitar has a barebones set up: TOM bridge, mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, dimarzio crunchlab and liquifire pickups, baritone scale length (27').
Sound:
I love the sound of this guitar. The baritone scale length really gives it a ton of clarity, and obviously the Dimarzio Crunchlab and Liquifire set up are outstanding. I also maintain that mahogany bodies offer the "fullest" sound you can get, and this guitar really does not disappoint. This is by far the strongest aspect of the guitar.
Action, Fit and Finish:
3/5
The action on this guitar is good. Honestly, it's hard to screw up a TOM bridge set up, but credit to Halo, the guitar came in really well set up and intonated. With that being said, the fit and finish is really a point requiring improvement on the part of Halo. I've noticed that the neck and body were painted seemingly two different colours, or the paint on the neck is discoloured. The are also areas where the paint has seemingly "run" a bit. I really think a stronger QC department would have prevented this issue. With that being said, Halo was quick to rectify the issue with a slight refund. The frets are all level, there were no sharp frets, and the neck is straight.
Reliability
5/5
I can pick this guitar up any time of day anywhere and it'll be fine. Again, the simplistic set up really helps the reliability factor, though everything is installed very well to mitigate any potential mishaps.
Customer Support
5/5
Jeff and Bruce Lee (yes, THAT Bruce Lee) will respond to any e-mails or concerns usually very quickly. They really do try to go over and above to satisfy their customer and stand behind their product.
Overall Rating
4/5
This guitar is not perfect. Close, but not quite. I really wish the paint flaws had been caught and mitigated. Furthermore, I'll also note that one of the tuning pegs came loose and had to reinstall it...but that's a very minor and nitpicky gripe.
Overall, I'm happy with the guitar; it's a well-playing, good-looking, and generally well-crafted instrument.
I ordered a Halo Morbus 7 (now called the Merus) in December of 2012. I received the product in June 2013. As such, I have had ample time to review the guitar in a post-"new guitar day euphoria" setting, where I can hopefully form a more unbiased opinion.
Features:
5/5
It's difficult for me to comment on the features of this guitar for two reasons: One; it's a custom guitar, so you choose your features, really. Two; I like simplistic guitars, so rating the features isn't really fair.
In any case, this guitar has a barebones set up: TOM bridge, mahogany body, mahogany neck, rosewood fretboard, dimarzio crunchlab and liquifire pickups, baritone scale length (27').
Sound:
I love the sound of this guitar. The baritone scale length really gives it a ton of clarity, and obviously the Dimarzio Crunchlab and Liquifire set up are outstanding. I also maintain that mahogany bodies offer the "fullest" sound you can get, and this guitar really does not disappoint. This is by far the strongest aspect of the guitar.
Action, Fit and Finish:
3/5
The action on this guitar is good. Honestly, it's hard to screw up a TOM bridge set up, but credit to Halo, the guitar came in really well set up and intonated. With that being said, the fit and finish is really a point requiring improvement on the part of Halo. I've noticed that the neck and body were painted seemingly two different colours, or the paint on the neck is discoloured. The are also areas where the paint has seemingly "run" a bit. I really think a stronger QC department would have prevented this issue. With that being said, Halo was quick to rectify the issue with a slight refund. The frets are all level, there were no sharp frets, and the neck is straight.
Reliability
5/5
I can pick this guitar up any time of day anywhere and it'll be fine. Again, the simplistic set up really helps the reliability factor, though everything is installed very well to mitigate any potential mishaps.
Customer Support
5/5
Jeff and Bruce Lee (yes, THAT Bruce Lee) will respond to any e-mails or concerns usually very quickly. They really do try to go over and above to satisfy their customer and stand behind their product.
Overall Rating
4/5
This guitar is not perfect. Close, but not quite. I really wish the paint flaws had been caught and mitigated. Furthermore, I'll also note that one of the tuning pegs came loose and had to reinstall it...but that's a very minor and nitpicky gripe.
Overall, I'm happy with the guitar; it's a well-playing, good-looking, and generally well-crafted instrument.
