RandomRob_311
SS.org Regular
Hey guys,
This will be a pretty long review so I put the conclusion up front
Conclusion: do you ever had a guitar that got you on first sight? The first time I saw this beauty I knew "this is your guitar!"
For a overall price of 1500€ i would rate this guitar a 8,5 out of 10. There are some minor issues that need to be fixed, but again: this is one if his first guitars ever made and considering this fact I am really impressed with what Chris created.
The communication with Chris was really awesome. He was kind, transparent and very open minded and that is imo a important part for a company in general.
So hell to the yeah! I am very happy I pulled the trigger on this thing and I expecting big things from Chris!
So i encourage you to get in touch with Chris and see for yourself what he is up to
But Chris has got this on his radar and is transparent about it during communication and keeps refining details to improve his work.
XTN Guitars in general:
Recently I came across a small ad from a company called XTN Guitars.
I saw the guitars and I went totally crazy about the designs they have.
As someone who is into heavy style guitars as well as Strandbergs and headless models in general this brand seems like a blessing. I especially dig his approach to the Strandberg style.
So I wrote him a message to get in touch with him. Chris (the owner and builder of XTN) told me about the thought process behind his brand and I really love his ideas.
Keyword: Upcycling
Chris's approach to this term is really interesting. He builds his instruments out of old closets, stairs etc. Not to be confused with the cheap furniture we get nowadays I mean.. We are talking about pretty old mahogany, and pine parts, too.
He also has his own hardware design wich I find rather interesting because especially the hardware on headless instruments can be a bit tricky sometimes.
But he does also builds guitars and basses out of "traditional" wood. He just wants to break with the industrial standards and emphasise on alternative materials. In my opinion this is a really great idea!
Also I like the overall look of the finishes of his guitars. Especially the one on the "Hägglemoo"-Model (pictures below)
Personally I love the clean and earthy looks His instruments have.
He told me that his Guitars are just some of his first prototypes so there will be some things that aren't as smooth as they will be at the end.
Long story short. I bought the 7 string Hägglemoo from him because he had this one on the shelf and I am really curious how this brand compares to other German company's like Claas Guitars and Hapas! Especially the shape of that guitar got me on first sight!
Note: for this being a prototype Chris offered me to upgrade the hardware and electronic (if I want to) once his design is fully fleshed out ✌completely for free of course
Also note: Chris directly asked me to do an unbiased review on this guitar because he really wants feedback to make his guitars the best he can.
I really like this man and his whole concept very much and I want to support him so here we go:
The Specs:
-2 piece Swamp ash body
-5 piece Wenge/maple neck
-27"-25,5" scale length
-Ebony fretboard with ring inlays
-24 stainless steel frets with the parallel fret being the 12th
-Bareknuckle Aftermath Set
-Volume knob (push/pull for split Coil)
-3 mini switch
-XTN Hardware
this is my favourite combination of woods period and in combination with the BKP Aftermaths you can't go any wrong imo.
The only downside to this combination is that it tends to be a bit neck heavy because of the light ash body and the pretty hefty Wenge. But thank God this guitar is headless *tadaa*
Look and feel:
The neck and body have a oil finish Wich I really like it
The neck has a really slim profile. More like a very thin C shape and it is really smooth and even especially for a 100% handcrafted guitar!
The x style body is of course not everybody’s cup of tea but I always was a huge fan of these body shapes.
The hardware has no finish and is made out of really sturdy aluminium and is of Chris's own design. As I mentioned earlier this is not the finished hardware and Chris will upgrade it in the very near future. it has some visual issues but more on that later on.
The finish on the body is imo phenomenal. No blemishes and the Grey and black staining is very well made.
Another sign of good Craftsmanship is the placement of the Pickups. The pole-pieces are exactly underneath the strings wich I find very pleasing to behold.
Fretboard and fretwork:
The fretboard has a 20" radius and the fretwork is good nothing superior but solid. I couldn’t find any sharp edges for example But on some spots the levelling and fret-ends could be a bit better, though. But again nothing major!
I would wish Chris would go for rounded fret ends that would make the overall feel a little bit nicer.
The fretboard has some tiny marks here a there but Chris told me about that. Also Chris told me that he has improved his work flow to prevent that from happening.
Hardware:
The hardware is made by Chris himself and at the current state it is just a bare aluminum finish wich looks pretty goof quality wise but without any finish this doesn't look good tbo. But as I mentioned Chris offered me a free upgrade on the hardware once his design is finished. The only real flaw (all aesthetics aside) this design has is the fact that you have to screw down your bridge pickup in order to reach the intonation screws. For some this could be annoying but for me it's a minor flaw.
The tunings pegs are a little stiff compared to regular mechanics but for me its a fair trade off and I experienced this on many other headless Guitars.
But the only thing that matters to me is Tuning stability. And I admit it is pretty darn good on this hardware! During climate changes the tuning changes of course a little but that is something every guitar has to deal with.
Playability:
Everybody has its preferences and mine is clearly the playability and ergonomics.
Due to the shape of this guitar this is a dream to play! No matter where I put the guitar it feels very very comfortable.
And yes the tuners get in contact with your legs when you play it like a V and No it doesn't affect the tuning at all
The neck is smooth and multiscale adds to this perfectly.
The only downside is that is at least for me a bit difficult to reach the 24th fret. But that is due to the overall design. Again don't really bother me at all
The Sound:
Sooooo what else I could say except for:
I freaking love these Aftermaths!
The overall sound is very clear and has good chunk of mids in it.
The sound though was thinner than I expected and For some people this particular guitar wouldn't be punchy enough I guess (on Standart tuning) But for me the clarity and definition of this guitar compensates that fairly well. On the other hand if I tune down the Aftermaths really begin to shine! But that's what they made for I guess
Another benefit I noticed is when you play in a rehearsal environment this guitar is very dominant and even with high gain sounds it will not get muddy at all.
The split Coil sounds of the Aftermaths on the other hand are OK I would say. Nothing to fancy but nice to have for some clean tones.
P.S: Chris also recorded a track with the Hägglmoo and it really highlights the clarity of this instrument.
Final thoughts:
I terms of rating I would say this guitar is a
For a overall price of 1300€ i would rate this guitar a 8,5 out of 10. There are some minor issues that need to be fixed, but again: this is one if his first guitars ever made and considering this fact I am really impressed with what Chris created.
The communication with Chris was really awesome. He was kind, transparent and very open minded and that is imo a important part for a company in general.
So i encourage you to get in touch with Chris and see for yourself what he is up to
This will be a pretty long review so I put the conclusion up front
Conclusion: do you ever had a guitar that got you on first sight? The first time I saw this beauty I knew "this is your guitar!"
For a overall price of 1500€ i would rate this guitar a 8,5 out of 10. There are some minor issues that need to be fixed, but again: this is one if his first guitars ever made and considering this fact I am really impressed with what Chris created.
The communication with Chris was really awesome. He was kind, transparent and very open minded and that is imo a important part for a company in general.
So hell to the yeah! I am very happy I pulled the trigger on this thing and I expecting big things from Chris!
So i encourage you to get in touch with Chris and see for yourself what he is up to
But Chris has got this on his radar and is transparent about it during communication and keeps refining details to improve his work.
XTN Guitars in general:
Recently I came across a small ad from a company called XTN Guitars.
I saw the guitars and I went totally crazy about the designs they have.
As someone who is into heavy style guitars as well as Strandbergs and headless models in general this brand seems like a blessing. I especially dig his approach to the Strandberg style.
So I wrote him a message to get in touch with him. Chris (the owner and builder of XTN) told me about the thought process behind his brand and I really love his ideas.
Keyword: Upcycling
Chris's approach to this term is really interesting. He builds his instruments out of old closets, stairs etc. Not to be confused with the cheap furniture we get nowadays
I mean.. We are talking about pretty old mahogany, and pine parts, too.He also has his own hardware design wich I find rather interesting because especially the hardware on headless instruments can be a bit tricky sometimes.
But he does also builds guitars and basses out of "traditional" wood. He just wants to break with the industrial standards and emphasise on alternative materials. In my opinion this is a really great idea!
Also I like the overall look of the finishes of his guitars. Especially the one on the "Hägglemoo"-Model (pictures below)
Personally I love the clean and earthy looks His instruments have.
He told me that his Guitars are just some of his first prototypes so there will be some things that aren't as smooth as they will be at the end.
Long story short. I bought the 7 string Hägglemoo from him because he had this one on the shelf and I am really curious how this brand compares to other German company's like Claas Guitars and Hapas! Especially the shape of that guitar got me on first sight!
Note: for this being a prototype Chris offered me to upgrade the hardware and electronic (if I want to) once his design is fully fleshed out ✌completely for free of course
Also note: Chris directly asked me to do an unbiased review on this guitar because he really wants feedback to make his guitars the best he can.
I really like this man and his whole concept very much and I want to support him so here we go:
The Specs:
-2 piece Swamp ash body
-5 piece Wenge/maple neck
-27"-25,5" scale length
-Ebony fretboard with ring inlays
-24 stainless steel frets with the parallel fret being the 12th
-Bareknuckle Aftermath Set
-Volume knob (push/pull for split Coil)
-3 mini switch
-XTN Hardware
this is my favourite combination of woods period and in combination with the BKP Aftermaths you can't go any wrong imo.
The only downside to this combination is that it tends to be a bit neck heavy because of the light ash body and the pretty hefty Wenge. But thank God this guitar is headless *tadaa*
Look and feel:
The neck and body have a oil finish Wich I really like it
The neck has a really slim profile. More like a very thin C shape and it is really smooth and even especially for a 100% handcrafted guitar!
The x style body is of course not everybody’s cup of tea but I always was a huge fan of these body shapes.
The hardware has no finish and is made out of really sturdy aluminium and is of Chris's own design. As I mentioned earlier this is not the finished hardware and Chris will upgrade it in the very near future. it has some visual issues but more on that later on.
The finish on the body is imo phenomenal. No blemishes and the Grey and black staining is very well made.
Another sign of good Craftsmanship is the placement of the Pickups. The pole-pieces are exactly underneath the strings wich I find very pleasing to behold.
Fretboard and fretwork:
The fretboard has a 20" radius and the fretwork is good nothing superior but solid. I couldn’t find any sharp edges for example But on some spots the levelling and fret-ends could be a bit better, though. But again nothing major!
I would wish Chris would go for rounded fret ends that would make the overall feel a little bit nicer.
The fretboard has some tiny marks here a there but Chris told me about that. Also Chris told me that he has improved his work flow to prevent that from happening.
Hardware:
The hardware is made by Chris himself and at the current state it is just a bare aluminum finish wich looks pretty goof quality wise but without any finish this doesn't look good tbo. But as I mentioned Chris offered me a free upgrade on the hardware once his design is finished. The only real flaw (all aesthetics aside) this design has is the fact that you have to screw down your bridge pickup in order to reach the intonation screws. For some this could be annoying but for me it's a minor flaw.
The tunings pegs are a little stiff compared to regular mechanics but for me its a fair trade off and I experienced this on many other headless Guitars.
But the only thing that matters to me is Tuning stability. And I admit it is pretty darn good on this hardware! During climate changes the tuning changes of course a little but that is something every guitar has to deal with.
Playability:
Everybody has its preferences and mine is clearly the playability and ergonomics.
Due to the shape of this guitar this is a dream to play! No matter where I put the guitar it feels very very comfortable.
And yes the tuners get in contact with your legs when you play it like a V and No it doesn't affect the tuning at all
The neck is smooth and multiscale adds to this perfectly.
The only downside is that is at least for me a bit difficult to reach the 24th fret. But that is due to the overall design. Again don't really bother me at all
The Sound:
Sooooo what else I could say except for:
I freaking love these Aftermaths!
The overall sound is very clear and has good chunk of mids in it.
The sound though was thinner than I expected and For some people this particular guitar wouldn't be punchy enough I guess (on Standart tuning) But for me the clarity and definition of this guitar compensates that fairly well. On the other hand if I tune down the Aftermaths really begin to shine! But that's what they made for I guess
Another benefit I noticed is when you play in a rehearsal environment this guitar is very dominant and even with high gain sounds it will not get muddy at all.
The split Coil sounds of the Aftermaths on the other hand are OK I would say. Nothing to fancy but nice to have for some clean tones.
P.S: Chris also recorded a track with the Hägglmoo and it really highlights the clarity of this instrument.
Final thoughts:
I terms of rating I would say this guitar is a
For a overall price of 1300€ i would rate this guitar a 8,5 out of 10. There are some minor issues that need to be fixed, but again: this is one if his first guitars ever made and considering this fact I am really impressed with what Chris created.
The communication with Chris was really awesome. He was kind, transparent and very open minded and that is imo a important part for a company in general.
So i encourage you to get in touch with Chris and see for yourself what he is up to
