mondomg
Well-Known Member
Skervesen H8 Chocolate
I know some of you like Polish guitar manufacturers like Mayones or RAN, so I thought Id show you a younger company based in Gdańsk, founded by a former Mayones employee, Jarek Konkol aka Commelina
Specs:
- mahogany neck
- ebony fingerboard
- mahogany Sapele one-piece body
- two DiMarzio D Activator pickups
- 27″ scale
- ABM bridge
- locked Schaller tuners
- volume pot with a push-pull option for coil splitting
- 3-way pickup switch
- ivory saddle
Quality of Build
Im trying to find a dent or some other flaw in the finish or wood itself but I honestly cant find any. The gloss is really nicely done, the neck is oil-finished and very pleasant to touch. In all fairness, it may be one of the most beautiful eight strings Ive ever seen. The only thing I dont like are the bushings from the bolt-on but Jarek told me the bigger ones were delayed and they were impatient to finish the guitar so they stuck to those smaller ones where you can see wood from underneath of it. Its not a big issue but worth mentioning. In his other projects, the bushings match the holes. Anyway, the quality of the craftsmanship is top notch and this comes from a Music Man JP7 owner
Comfort of Playing
For me, the ergonomy and comfort of playing is the most important aspect of any guitar, so I dedicate a separate paragraph for just that. A lot of people asked my how does this Skervesen compare to the RAN Crusher 8 Ive previously owned (RAN Crusher 8 « mondomg blog) and for me the Chocolate wins in terms of convenience of playing. First of all, the neck is thin and rounded, definitely better shaped for me as I dont experience any wrist pain after playing even for four or five hours straight. The scale was never a problem for me and I think 27″ is the most universal choice anyway. Another thing is the mental comfort the body is finished in high gloss, arguably less pleasant to touch but more stable and resistant. Apart from that? ABM bridge, locked Schallers whats not to love? One volume with a push-pull simple and clear. Good jack output, straplocks and nothing to worry about. There is only one crucial question remaining
But can it djent?!
As a happy BKP user, I was very surprised with the quality of the D Activators. Only until recently, they reminded me of thin-sounding Ibanezs six and seven strings, but apparently the eight string version is somehow different. The guitar has a very powerful, compressed sound, with a lot of meat but at the same time with a very distinct attack. At first, it seems to be well suited for the heavier genres and styles of playing but after a while it proves to be quite flexible. The clean channel sounds very deep and piano-like and if you want to, youd easily play jazz, blues or hard rock on it. It responds to articulation details extremely well, very much like the EMG 808 X pickups from Crusher. You can easily play anything from Tosin through Whitechapel to Obscure Sphinx (Obscure Sphinx - Nastiez - YouTube). I was very curious with how would it sound with BKPs but after playing it for a couple of days I cannot imagine the better sound than it already is
Conclusion
If someone told me to choose between the Chocolate and any other eight string, Id send my cat after him. Skervesen is not only excellently crafted but also inspires me to play things Ive never played before, which is a vital factor for me when choosing a new instrument. If you are looking for a custom-built guitar, feel free to contact Jarek while hes still available and not charging a soul for his builds (Skervesen Guitars - Kontakt)
Id also like to thank Jarek and Skervesen Guitars for letting me review this remarkable guitar!
TL;DR? Feel free to just listen to a demo Ive made with this guitar and tell me what you think
Mondomg - Skervesen H8 Chocolate Test by mondomg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
You can also find the full gallery of photos in high resolution here: https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/3132322/1/Skervesen H8ocaster?h=4cbbda
I know some of you like Polish guitar manufacturers like Mayones or RAN, so I thought Id show you a younger company based in Gdańsk, founded by a former Mayones employee, Jarek Konkol aka Commelina
Specs:
- mahogany neck
- ebony fingerboard
- mahogany Sapele one-piece body
- two DiMarzio D Activator pickups
- 27″ scale
- ABM bridge
- locked Schaller tuners
- volume pot with a push-pull option for coil splitting
- 3-way pickup switch
- ivory saddle
Quality of Build
Im trying to find a dent or some other flaw in the finish or wood itself but I honestly cant find any. The gloss is really nicely done, the neck is oil-finished and very pleasant to touch. In all fairness, it may be one of the most beautiful eight strings Ive ever seen. The only thing I dont like are the bushings from the bolt-on but Jarek told me the bigger ones were delayed and they were impatient to finish the guitar so they stuck to those smaller ones where you can see wood from underneath of it. Its not a big issue but worth mentioning. In his other projects, the bushings match the holes. Anyway, the quality of the craftsmanship is top notch and this comes from a Music Man JP7 owner
Comfort of Playing
For me, the ergonomy and comfort of playing is the most important aspect of any guitar, so I dedicate a separate paragraph for just that. A lot of people asked my how does this Skervesen compare to the RAN Crusher 8 Ive previously owned (RAN Crusher 8 « mondomg blog) and for me the Chocolate wins in terms of convenience of playing. First of all, the neck is thin and rounded, definitely better shaped for me as I dont experience any wrist pain after playing even for four or five hours straight. The scale was never a problem for me and I think 27″ is the most universal choice anyway. Another thing is the mental comfort the body is finished in high gloss, arguably less pleasant to touch but more stable and resistant. Apart from that? ABM bridge, locked Schallers whats not to love? One volume with a push-pull simple and clear. Good jack output, straplocks and nothing to worry about. There is only one crucial question remaining
But can it djent?!
As a happy BKP user, I was very surprised with the quality of the D Activators. Only until recently, they reminded me of thin-sounding Ibanezs six and seven strings, but apparently the eight string version is somehow different. The guitar has a very powerful, compressed sound, with a lot of meat but at the same time with a very distinct attack. At first, it seems to be well suited for the heavier genres and styles of playing but after a while it proves to be quite flexible. The clean channel sounds very deep and piano-like and if you want to, youd easily play jazz, blues or hard rock on it. It responds to articulation details extremely well, very much like the EMG 808 X pickups from Crusher. You can easily play anything from Tosin through Whitechapel to Obscure Sphinx (Obscure Sphinx - Nastiez - YouTube). I was very curious with how would it sound with BKPs but after playing it for a couple of days I cannot imagine the better sound than it already is
Conclusion
If someone told me to choose between the Chocolate and any other eight string, Id send my cat after him. Skervesen is not only excellently crafted but also inspires me to play things Ive never played before, which is a vital factor for me when choosing a new instrument. If you are looking for a custom-built guitar, feel free to contact Jarek while hes still available and not charging a soul for his builds
(Skervesen Guitars - Kontakt) Id also like to thank Jarek and Skervesen Guitars for letting me review this remarkable guitar!
TL;DR? Feel free to just listen to a demo Ive made with this guitar and tell me what you think
Mondomg - Skervesen H8 Chocolate Test by mondomg on SoundCloud - Create, record and share your sounds for free
You can also find the full gallery of photos in high resolution here: https://www.dropbox.com/gallery/3132322/1/Skervesen H8ocaster?h=4cbbda
:blush: If only I had known, I would put more attention to the details and do something decent with it 
