Reverend Musical Instruments, commonly known as Reverend Guitars, is an American manufacturer of

electric guitar An electric guitar is a guitar that requires external amplification in order to be heard at typical performance volumes, unlike a standard acoustic guitar (however combinations of the two - a semi-acoustic guitar and an electric acoustic gui ...

s and

basses Bass or Basses may refer to: Fish * Bass (fish), various saltwater and freshwater species Music * Bass (sound), describing low-frequency sound or one of several instruments in the bass range: ** Bass (instrument), including: ** Acoustic bass ...

. The company was established in 1997 in

Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

Michigan Michigan () is a state in the Great Lakes region of the upper Midwestern United States. With a population of nearly 10.12 million and an area of nearly , Michigan is the 10th-largest state by population, the 11th-largest by area, and the ...

by noted guitar and amplifier technician Joe Naylor, a graduate of the

Roberto-Venn School {{Infobox university , name = Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery , established = 1975 , type = Private , city = Phoenix , state = Arizona , country = United States , website www.roberto-venn.com} The Roberto-Venn School of Luthiery is a priv ...

Luthiery A luthier ( ; AmE also ) is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of ...

. Reverend guitars are known for their combination of unorthodox construction methods,

retro Retro style is imitative or consciously derivative of lifestyles, trends, or art forms from history, including in music, modes, fashions, or attitudes. In popular culture, the "nostalgia cycle" is typically for the two decades that begin 20–30 ...

design, playability and affordable price.

History

The original Reverend models had distinctive body shape made from non-traditional materials. Inspired by semi-hollow designs produced by Silvertone as well as the venerable

Gibson ES-335 The Gibson ES-335 is the world's first commercial semi-hollowbody electric guitar, sometimes known as semi-acoustic. Released by the Gibson Guitar Corporation as part of its ES (Electric Spanish) series in 1958, it is neither fully hollow nor ful ...

, the original Reverend models were constructed using a core of solid mahogany surrounded by acoustic chambers. A strip of molded plastic provided the frame while the front and back of the guitar was constructed of phenolic laminate sheets in a variety of colors and finishes. All American-built Reverends were identical in body shape, with various models set apart by their pickup choices and tremolos. Although Reverend guitars were initially sold in large guitar stores around the country, Joe Naylor eventually made the decision to sell all of his guitars direct through an internet website for a short time. This move was one of many major changes instituted by Naylor over the years, as Naylor tried to adapt to the changing market. A short-lived line of bass-guitars, called the Rumblefish, received excellent reviews from critics but were eventually discontinued. In 2006, all USA Reverends were to be discontinued in favor of an imported line constructed in

Korea Korea ( ko, 한국, or , ) is a peninsular region in East Asia. Since 1945, it has been divided at or near the 38th parallel, with North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) comprising its northern half and South Korea (Republic o ...

. These guitars, known initially as the Stage King series and now known as Reverend Guitars, featured solid wood bodies and a variety of shapes. The new Reverend models have been highly regarded by players for their overall quality, affordable price, and distinctive appearance. In 2007, Naylor announced that guitars formerly made of mahogany would in the future be made of korina (

Terminalia superba ''Terminalia superba'', the superb terminalia, limba, or afara (UK), korina (US), frake (Africa), African limba wood, ofram (Ghana), is a large tree in the family Combretaceae, native to tropical western Africa. It grows up to 60 m tall, with a ...

, also known as African limba) wood instead. Naylor cited more consistent guitar weight and excellent resonance as the reason for the change, which came into effect with guitars over serial number 07468. The company was bought by Ken and Penny Haas in 2010, and Joe Naylor retained his role as the designer and technical advisor. Under this arrangement, the Reverend Guitars line expanded to over 50 guitar models and more than 10 bass models. The company moved to Sylvania Township, Ohio, in 2015. Reverend Guitars bought Joe Naylor's pickup company, Railhammer Pickups, in 2017 under the same arrangement as Reverend Guitars. Railhammer Pickups holds a patent for their design: US Patent No. D737891. Reverend Guitars signature models have been created with several notable artists, including Billy Corgan, Reeves Gabrels, and Mike Watt.

Models

Reverend has over 30 models, including 10 Signature Models. The guitars are made at Mirr Music in

South Korea South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...

. Every guitar is inspected and set up at the

Toledo, Ohio Toledo ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Lucas County, Ohio, United States. A major Midwestern United States port city, Toledo is the fourth-most populous city in the state of Ohio, after Columbus, Cleveland, and Cincinnati, and according ...

headquarters. Reverend uses their own custom pickups on each model. All of the guitars feature Reverend's distinctive and highly lauded Bass Contour Control (BCC), a knob allowing the player to control tone more finely than conventional bass/treble knobs (which Reverend guitars also include). The BCC allows the player to add more bass for a fuller, richer sound, or to subtract it, allowing for twangier tones that approximate those of vintage single-coil pickups. Bolt-on neck series * The Buckshot, features a Telecaster-style single-coil pickup at the bridge and, for added versatility in tone, a Revtron mini-humbucker pickup at the neck. The Buckshot is an extraordinarily versatile guitar noted for its ability to produce not only

Telecaster The Fender Telecaster, colloquially known as the Tele , is an electric guitar produced by Fender. Together with its sister model the Esquire, it is the world's first mass-produced, commercially successful Les Paul had built a prototype solid bod ...

-style twang, but also fuller, warmer tones, making it particularly suitable for country, rock, and punk music. * The Charger - a retro-styled but distinctive-looking guitar suitable for country, blues, and rock, with either clean or distorted tones. The Charger 290, featuring two Reverend P90 pickups, was a ''

Guitar Player ''Guitar Player'' is an American popular magazine for guitarists, founded in 1967 in San Jose, California. It contains articles, interviews, reviews and lessons of an eclectic collection of artists, genres and products. It has been in print si ...

'' magazine 'Editor's Pick', noted for its versatility and snappy attack. The Charger HB has two Reverend humbucker pickups. * The Club King, a semi-hollow guitar prized particularly for rockabilly and jazz, is available in an RT model, model with two Reverend "Revtron" mini-humbucker pickups, and a 290 model, with two Reverend P90s. * The Double Agent has a Reverend humbucker in the bridge position and P90 in the neck position, offering a unique combination of tones. * The Flatroc has two Revtron mini-humbuckers, making it particularly suitable for rockabilly. * The Jetstream, prized primarily by rock players for its big tone, is available in a 390 model, with three Reverend P90 pickups, and the HB model, with two Reverend humbuckers. For Reverend's tenth anniversary in 2007, a special Jetstream model was released in a sparkling silver finish. *The Descent baritone guitar * The Six-Gun 3 has 3 single-coil pickups, the Reverend Salnico single-coils featuring alnico 5 rod magnets, on a sleek body with a traditional tone. * The Kingbolt is the newest Reverend Bolt-on. It has a hot-rodded body with a Wilkinson Trem. It comes with either two Special-H Zebra Humbuckers, or Joe Naylor's Railhammer pickups. *In 2019, Reverend introduced the Trickshot—a single-cut guitar with T-style pickups. Set-Neck Series * The Warhawk 3 has a thicker raised center section increases body mass, while the thinner wings increase resonance. It is available in an HB or a 390 version. * The

Sensei Sensei, Seonsaeng, Tiên sinh or Xiansheng, corresponding to Chinese characters , is an East Asian honorific term shared in Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese and Chinese; it is literally translated as "person born before another" or "one who comes ...

series are all classic double-cutaway models. Each have a pair of Reverend pickups, in a choice of Humbuckers (HB), Revtrons (Reverend's mini-Humbuckers RT), Railhammers (RA), or P-90's (290). * Reverend's vintage V shaped guitar is called the

Volcano A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are ...

. It has a raised center ridge for increased body mass and sustain. The Volcano comes with a pair of Special-H Zebra Humbuckers. There is also a flat, flame-maple version called the Volcano RA-FM. * The full-sized semi-hollow in the line is the

Manta Ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...

. It has a 1-3/4" thick body with a solid maple flat top. It comes with a pair of Humbuckers (HB) or P-90s (290). * The Tricky Gomez is based on the Manta Ray platform, but it has mini-Humbuckers, called Revtrons, a 6-in-line headstock, and a Bigsby. The name was based on the myth of a guitar virtuoso who lived in obscurity and could never quite get his career off the ground. * The Bayonet is Reverend's newest set-neck guitar. A modernized body design that is loaded with Railhammer pickups, a pickup designed by Joe Naylor. It comes in hardtail or with a Wilkinson Trem. Signature Series *

Pete Anderson Pete Anderson is an American guitarist, music producer, arranger and songwriter. Anderson is most known for his guitar work with, and critically acclaimed production of, country music star Dwight Yoakam from 1984 through 2002, a partnership th ...

has a series of signature models with

Reverend Guitars Reverend Musical Instruments, commonly known as Reverend Guitars, is an American manufacturer of electric guitars and basses. The company was established in 1997 in Detroit, Michigan by noted guitar and amplifier technician Joe Naylor, a graduate ...

. The PA-1 is a large hollow-body that has been improved with the Uni-Brace system to address the feedback issue common with hollow-body guitars. It has 2 dog-eared p-90 pickups. The PA-1 RT is the same guitar, but with Reverend's proprietary Revtron mini-HUmbucker pickups. The Eastsider is on a vintage-T platform that has been chambered around the neck joint. It has a compound radious (10-14) neck. The Eastsider-T has two single-coils and a push-pull phase switch, and the Eastsider-S has three single-coils and a push-pull studio switch to achieve all the pickup combinations. * The

Reeves Gabrels Reeves Gabrels (born June 4, 1956) is an American guitarist, songwriter and record producer. A member and guitarist of British band the Cure since 2012, Gabrels worked with David Bowie from 1987 to 1999, and was a member of the band Tin Machine. ...

Signature Model 2 is loaded with Railhammers and has many features, including a push-pull phase switch. * The

Gil Parris Gil Parris is an American Grammy-nominated rock, blues, jazz and pop guitarist. He graduated from Ardsley High School. After briefly attending the Berklee School of Music, Parris left to tour Europe as part of a musical troupe performing '' J ...

Signature 2 has the Humbucker-Single Coil-Humbucker pickup configuration. With the Bass Contour Control, the guitar is extremely versatile. *

Rick Vito Richard Francis (Rick) Vito (born October 13, 1949, in Darby, Pennsylvania, United States) is an American guitarist and singer. He was part of Fleetwood Mac between 1987 and 1991. Vito took over as lead guitarist after Lindsey Buckingham left t ...

's Signature is an Art Deco masterpiece with ebony fretboard, stairstep tuner buttons, pickup pan knob, and included two-tone tapered case. It has a Dual-Pro pickup, hot single coil with a second blade polepiece in addition to the standard screw polepieces in a standard Humbucker cover. * The Reverend

Ron Asheton Ronald Franklin Asheton (July 17, 1948 – c. January 6, 2009) was an American musician , who was best known as the guitarist, bassist, and co-songwriter for the rock band the Stooges. He formed the Stooges along with Iggy Pop and his brother, ...

Signature Model is based on Reverend's vintage v -- the Volcano. It has 3 P-90s, and features three lightning bolts in the upper horn. Since Asheton's passing in 2009, proceeds of the sale of this model go to the Ron Asheton Foundation. *

Mike Watt Michael David Watt (born December 20, 1957) is an American bassist, vocalist and songwriter. Watt co-founded and played bass guitar for the rock bands Minutemen (1980–1985), Dos (1985–present), and Firehose (1986–1994). He began a solo ...

Wattplower is a

short-scale The long and short scales are two of several naming systems for integer powers of ten which use some of the same terms for different magnitudes. For whole numbers smaller than 1,000,000,000 (109), such as one thousand or one million, the ...

bass guitar The bass guitar, electric bass or simply bass (), is the lowest-pitched member of the string family. It is a plucked string instrument similar in appearance and construction to an electric or an acoustic guitar, but with a longer neck and ...

Minutemen Minutemen were members of the organized New England colonial militia companies trained in weaponry, tactics, and military strategies during the American Revolutionary War. They were known for being ready at a minute's notice, hence the name. Mi ...

) and a decal of a California map with a star on San Pedro on the headstock's rear.

Artists

Reverend guitars have been endorsed by several high-profile musicians over the years. Blucifer

Kid Rock Robert James Ritchie (born January 17, 1971), known professionally as Kid Rock (also known as Bobby Shazam), is an American singer, songwriter and rapper. His style alternates between rock, hip hop, country, and metal. A self-taught musician, ...

was one of the first major-label artists to be associated with Reverends, after being photographed with a Reverend for the cover of '' The History of Rock'' (2000). *

Billy Corgan William Patrick Corgan Jr. (born March 17, 1967) is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and professional wrestling promoter. He is best known as the lead singer, primary songwriter, guitarist, and only permanent member of the rock band the ...

has used Reverends on studio recordings as far back as 2000 and has been seen playing Reverends during television appearances. Corgan used Reverends exclusively on the tour supporting his solo album,

theFutureEmbrace ''TheFutureEmbrace'' is the debut solo album by American musician Billy Corgan, frontman of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins. Released in June 2005, the album's sound was markedly different from most of Corgan's earlier work, eschew ...

Nicole Fiorentino Nicole Margaret Fiorentino (born April 7, 1979) is an American bass guitarist. Originally a touring member of the alternative rock band The Smashing Pumpkins (replacing Ginger Pooley and her temporary replacement Mark Tulin),

, former Smashing Pumpkins bassist, used Reverend basses during her time with the band (though not exclusively). * Prior to his untimely death,

of seminal band

The Stooges The Stooges, originally billed as the Psychedelic Stooges, also known as Iggy and the Stooges, was an American rock band formed in Ann Arbor, Michigan, in 1967 by singer Iggy Pop, guitarist Ron Asheton, drummer Scott Asheton, and bassist Dave ...

used Reverends on stage for current reunion shows with the group, notable for launching the career of

Iggy Pop James Newell Osterberg Jr. (born April 21, 1947), known professionally as Iggy Pop, is an American singer, musician, songwriter and actor. Called the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Godfather of Punk", he was the vocalist and lyricist of ...

. Reverend sells a Ron Asheton signature guitar built to his specifications. * Bassist

plays a signature "Wattplower" bass by Reverend. * Guitarist

is among the Reverend Signature Model honorees. *

Jason Isbell Michael Jason Isbell (; born February 1, 1979) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. He is known for his solo career, his work with the band The 400 Unit, and as a member of Drive-By Truckers for six years, from 2001 to 2007. Isbell h ...

, formerly of Drive By Truckers fame, often plays Reverend Guitars. *

Bob Balch Fu Manchu is an American stoner rock band, formed in Southern California in 1985, and long-associated with the Palm Desert Scene. History Fu Manchu originally formed in 1985 as a hardcore punk band called Virulence. The lineup was vocalist Ke ...

, of

Stoner Rock Stoner rock, also known as stoner metal or stoner doom, is a rock music fusion genre that combines elements of doom metal with psychedelic rock and acid rock. The genre emerged during the early 1990s and was pioneered foremost by Kyuss and Sleep. ...

band

Fu Manchu Dr. Fu Manchu () is a supervillain who was introduced in a series of novels by the English author Sax Rohmer beginning shortly before World War I and continuing for another forty years. The character featured in cinema, television, radio, comic ...

, Played Reverends on the recording of the two latest albums, ''

We Must Obey ''We Must Obey'' is the ninth studio album by the southern California stoner rock band Fu Manchu (band), Fu Manchu. It was released on February 19, 2007, and features a cover of the Cars' "Moving in Stereo." Track listing Personnel *Scott Hil ...

'' and '' Signs of Infinite Power''. *

has a series of Signature Reverends, including the PA-1, the PA-1 RT, and the Eastsider. * Guitarist for

The Cure The Cure are an English Rock music, rock band formed in 1978 in Crawley, Crawley, West Sussex. Throughout numerous lineup changes since the band's formation, guitarist, lead vocalist, and songwriter Robert Smith (musician), Robert Smith has re ...

, has a Signature Reverend. *

Dan Auerbach Daniel Quine Auerbach (; born May 14, 1979) is an American musician, singer-songwriter, and record producer, best known as the guitarist and vocalist of The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. As a member of the group, Auerbach has ...

owns a few Reverends. * Bass endorsers include:

Meshell Ndegeocello Michelle Lynn Johnson, better known as Meshell Ndegeocello (; born August 29, 1968), is a German-born American singer-songwriter, rapper, and bassist. She has gone by the name Meshell Suhaila Bashir-Shakur which is used as a writing credit on so ...

and

. * Robert “Bucket” Hingley, lead singer and guitarist of the

ska Ska (; ) is a music genre that originated in Jamaica in the late 1950s and was the precursor to rocksteady and reggae. It combined elements of Caribbean mento and calypso with American jazz and rhythm and blues. Ska is characterized by a walki ...

band

The Toasters The Toasters are one of the original American second wave of ska bands. Founded in New York City in 1981, the band has released nine studio albums, primarily through Moon Ska Records. History Englishman Robert "Bucket" Hingley relocated to New Y ...

plays a Reverend Club King hollow body. *

Greg Koch Greg Koch (born June 14, 1955) is a former American football tackle and guard who played eleven seasons in the National Football League, mainly with the Green Bay Packers. In 2010, Koch was inducted into the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame. Koc ...

of The

Koch Marshall Trio Koch Marshall Trio is a three piece band which formed in 2017 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin. The band consists of a guitar player, a drummer and a Hammond organ, B3 organ player. The guitar player is Greg Koch (musician), Greg Koch who grew up in the Mi ...

has a new signature guitar by Reverend Guitars. The Gristlemaster. * Geordie Greep of

Black Midi Black MIDI is a music genre consisting of compositions that use MIDI files to create a song or a remix containing a large number of notes. People who make black MIDIs are known as blackers. However, there are no specific criteria of what is cons ...

uses a

Baritone A baritone is a type of classical male singing voice whose vocal range lies between the bass and the tenor voice-types. The term originates from the Greek (), meaning "heavy sounding". Composers typically write music for this voice in the r ...

Reverend Descent RA

List of artists endorsed

*Andy Gill (Gang Of Four) *Mike Watt (Solo, fIREHOSE, Minutemen, Secondmen, The Stooges) *Shade Balderose (Code Orange) *Kyle Shutt (The Sword) *Reeves Gabrels (The Cure, David Bowie, Tin Machine, Reeves Gabrels and His Imaginary Friends) *Meshell Ndegeocello *Pete Anderson *Rick Vito (Solo, Mick Fleetwood's Blues Band, Fleetwood Mac, Bob Seger, Jackson Browne" *Gil Parris *Ron Asheton (The Stooges) *Bob Balch (Fu Manchu) *Billy Corgan (The Smashing Pumpkins) *Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Flock of Dimes) *Aden Bubeck (Miranda Lambert) *Alex Stern (Big D and the Kids Table) *Amit Peled (Ramzailech, Les Rhinoceros) *Andrew Shack (Pravada) *Andy Patalan (Sponge) *Arthur Zubkov (Mi Gang) *Audley Freed (Black Crows, Cry of Love, Sheryl Crow) *Benjamin Williams (The Indigo Girls) *Bernie Williams *Bo Ramsey *Bobby Calabrese (Calabrese) *Boris Pelekh (Gogol Bordello, Hey Guy) *Brad Houser (Edie Brickell & the New Bohemians, Critter's Buggin', The Dead Kenny G's) *Brian Dowling (Crash The Calm) *Brian Rivers *Brook Graeff (Good Graeff) *Browan Lollar (St. Paul and the Broken Bones) *Cathy Richardson (Jefferson Starship) *Chris Bruce (Seal) *Chris Funk (The Decemberists) *Chris Teti (The World is a Beautiful Place and I am no Longer Afraid to Die) *Christofer Drew (NeverShoutNever) *Chuck Ragan (Hot Water Music) *Connor Holzmann (Crash The Calm) *Curt Kirkwood (Meat Puppets) *Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys) *Dave Smalley (Down By Law, Dag Nasty) *Derrick Anderson (The Bangles) *Durl Purry (Thaylo Bleu) *Elvis Kuehn (Fidlar) *Emily Estefan *Gabe Simon (Kopecky) *Gary Hooker (Brad Paisley) *

of (The

) *Guy Fletcher (Dire Straits) *Halston Castro (Joy) *Hannah Rose *J Navarro (Suicide Machines, Break Anchor, Hellmouth, J Navarro and the Traitors) *Jackson Smith *Jake Bonham (Dangerkids) *Jake Woodruff (Defeater) *Jeff Adams (Starship) *Jeff Schroeder (The Smashing Pumpkins) *Jermaine Jackson (The Jacksons) *Jesse Phillips (St. Paul and the Broken Bones) *Josh Canode (Convictions) *Josh Childress (The Plot in You) *

Katie Harkin Katie Harkin (born 12 April 1986) is an English musician and songwriter, originally from Leeds, England. She was the vocalist and guitarist for Sky Larkin and a touring member with Courtney Barnett, Sleater-Kinney and Wild Beasts. She has since ...

(Sky Larkin, Sleater-Kinney, Flock of Dimes) *Keith Lowers (20 Dead Flower Children/Corporate Avenger) *Kenny Lewis (Brad Paisley) *Kevin Hornback (Reeves Gabrels and His Imaginary Friends) *Madison Velding-VanDam (BODEGA, The Wants) *Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits) *Matt West (Neck Deep) *Michael Krygier (Jessica Hernandez and the Deltas) *Mike Bray (Tenacious D) *Mike Poulin (Defeater) *Mitski *Neil Patterson (Downtown Brown) *Pat Smith (Crash The Calm) *Paul Cuddeford (Lisa Ronson, Holy Holy) *Paul Langlois (The Tragically Hip) *Richard Bennet (Mark Knopfler, Neil Diamond) *Rob Baker (The Tragically Hip) *Robert "Bucket" Hingley (The Toasters) *Rudy Boy (The Rudy Boy Experiment) *Russell Javors (Billy Joel) *Ryan Scott Graham (Speak Low, State Champs) *Ryan Sweeney (Crash The Calm) *Ryland Dehlers (Citizen) *Sam Williams(Down By Law) *Scottie Frier (The Travelin' Kine) *Semyon Bashmakov (Mi Gang) *Sergie Loobkoff (Samiam) *Steve Amaral (The Nickel Slots, Red Star Memorial, Popgun) *Thao Nguyen (Thao and the Get Down Stay Down) *Tim "Izo" Orindgreff (The Black Eyed Peas, Fergie) *Tim Langford (Too Slim and the Taildraggers) *Tim Palmer (The Polyphonic Spree) *Tito Jackson (The Jacksons) *Tommy Koffin (Koffin Kats) *Zach Myers (Shinedown) *Kevin “The Dood” Doud (Inner Temple)

References

External links

Official website
{{Guitar brands Guitar manufacturing companies of the United States 1997 establishments in the United States