Peavey hp signature series EXP and USA custom.(GEAR)(Product/Service Evaluation)

Hartley Peavey's decades of guitar-building experience have recently culminated in a new Signature Series of instruments, which are available in both U.S.--and Korean-made versions. While these guitars share such features as mahogany bodies and set necks, dual humbuckers, sunken Tune-o-matic-style bridges, and Dual Compression tailpieces with through-body stringing, they are quite different animals in terms of construction and, of course, price.

HP SIGNATURE SERIES EXP

The Korean-made EXP is a lovely looking guitar with its gorgeous quilted-maple top and matching symmetrical headstock--which is trimmed in gold paint, and bears a distinctive notch at the tip. The fancy woods are only thin veneers, but they certainly make the EXP look like it ought to cost a lot more than it does. Price not withstanding, the construction of this guitar is exemplary. The bindings on the top and neck are flawless. the hardware is super solid, and the high-gloss polyurethane finish is smooth as glass. I like the reddish-colored vintage-style knobs, which nicely complement the top, and the controls are arranged so that the bridge-pickup Volume knob is closest to the bridge a placement that allows you to do pinky swells with the greatest of ease. The wiring is neatly arranged in the nickel-paint-shielded compartment, and the output jack is secured with a large metal mounting plate.

The satin-finished frets are evenly set and well shaped and trimmed, and the fretboard inlays are cleanly set with no trace of excess glue. The nut looks quite blocky, but it's accurately slotted to provide minimal string clearance over the first fret with zero buzz. Now, if only its ends were blended in better and the sharp corners removed.

The EXP's neck (which appears to be comprised of three pieces on this particular instrument) is fairly wide and flat, with a medium profile and a rather broad back. If you're used to "C" or "V" shape necks, the EXP's more "U" profile may take some getting used to. Nonetheless, with its low action and light strings, this guitar plays quite well, and its intonation is such that you can grab a chord in just about any position without worrying about sour notes.

Acoustically, the EXP offers the kind of balance and sustain you'd expect from a pro-grade guitar. I found myself picking it up a lot when practicing some jazz standards, because it just sounded cool in a quiet setting. Plugged into a couple of our standard test amps (a '64 Fender Super Reverb and a mid-'70s 50-watt Marshall), the EXP displayed its happening sonic qualities across the board in very clean to very overdriven configurations. Its strong bottom end is paired with a crisp set of highs, and the midrange focus really asserts itself when you bang it hard with some grind dialed in. You can turn down the Volume controls without losing highs, and the Tone control is well voiced for eliciting darker tones that retain plenty of detail. The pickups have the familiar push of vintage Gibson humbuckers--they're gutsy enough to drive an old Marshall into full-tilt boogie--and the twin Volume controls allow you to milk a lot of subtle colors when in dual-pickup mode.

Overall, the EXP is an excellent choice for anyone who wants a sharp-looking humbucker guitar, and whether your style hits on blues, rock, country, or fusion, you'll find it to be a very accommodating choice. This is an honest guitar for a fair price, and it's very much in keeping with the quality and real-world gig worthiness that has made Peavey such a hugely successful company.