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The Reb Beach Model is a custom Standard built to Reb's specifications. Its striking feature is premium oil-finished Koa boby and Pau Ferro neck, two woods that are becoming increasingly scarce. Reb chose these woods for their aesthetics as well as for their tonal qualities: warm yet tight and punchy. Koa is an extremely rare wood from Hawaii sought for its unmatched natural beauty and unique tonal characteristics. Pau Ferro is sometimes referred to as Bolivian Rosewood and has been used on high-end guitars and basses for over two decades for its stability, looks, luxurious feel, and versatile sonic quality. Both the Koa body and the Pau Ferro neck are finished in hand-rubbed oil, so you can really feel the woods underneath your hands as you play this guitar. You will feel its amazing liveliness and acoustic resonance that is unique to this model. It is a guitar that begs to be picked up and played
Tonally, Koa can be compared to Mahogany but has more high-midrange emphasis and is tighter in its tactile response. It has warm punchy midrange and a tight low-end with sweet highs, making it ideal for high-gain overdriven sounds. Pau Ferro is an excellent complement to Koa due to its strength and similar tonal characteristics that fill in the "gaps" in the sonic spectrum of the instrument. In looks and in sound, the Koa-Pau Ferro combination is a perfect match for exactly what Reb needs for his sound and for playing big shows in large auditoriums and stadiums around the world. The sound is tight, punchy, defined and articulate while maintaining exceptional warmth in the critical midrange.
The Pau Ferro neck on the RB Model has the Even C RB .800-.850 neck shape that is very similar to the popular Even C Slim .800-.880 shape but it tapers more gradually up the neck, making it very comfortable for quickly shifting positions on the fingerboard. Reb's style of playing requires playing horizontally across the fretboard - power chords shifting quickly up and down the neck and a lot of legato tapping from the high register on down to the low register for his soloing work. The Even C RB shape is one of the most comfortable shapes we offer - fast but not thin-flat whatsoever on the back, which gives you hours of playing time without any hand fatigue.
The active EMG pickups (www.emginc.com) in single-single-hum configuration offer excellent versatility and dead-quiet operation with the most highly-overdriven amp tones. EMG pickups have a unique sound of their own that cannot be achieved with traditional passive pickups. For that modern effects-laden crystal clear clean tone for power pop ballads, the EMG SA single-coil pickups are a standard that other active pickups strive to match. For a big and clear yet evenly balanced high-gain distorted tones, the EMG 85 is the benchmark active humbucker that works great with modern effects processors to cut through the mix. We proudly offer the EMG pickups as an option for those seeking that modern active electronics sound and the Reb Beach Signature Model is the perfect showcase for this distinctive and popular sound.
The RB Model also comes stock with the Gotoh double-locking tremolo system which we believe is the best of its kind - both in its functionality and in tonal aspects. The construction quality is superb and its arm mechanism is unmatched in its smooth and tight operation - no more wobbly arms with this tremolo, even after extended dive-bombing and squealing pull-ups! All of Reb's earlier guitars have been retrofitted with the new Gotoh trem and he absolutely vouches for its overall quality. John Suhr has always liked the tonal quality of the double-locking trem system. There is a myth that these types of trems aren't as fat sounding as the non-locking types, but simply isn't true. That probably had a lot more to do with the guitars that those bridges were mounted on or the quality of the various licensed bridges. It's just a different sound. Also, if tuning stability is an absolute must, there is still nothing that quite stays in tune like the double-locking tremolo system. It remains one of the great inventions of modern guitar technology.
Balancing aesthetics that feature the beauty of exotic woods with modern guitar technology and electronics, the Reb Beach Signature Model pays tribute to one of the great rock guitar players to emerge from the 80's. From heavy 80's metal and shred tones to crystal clear yet warm clean sounds, the RB Model covers 'em all with authority and gusto. It is no wonder that the Suhr Reb Beach Signature Model has become one of the most distinctively identifiable Suhr guitars around.
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