R-457 Active SBK : Affordable, Heavy Chugging Riffage Covered

Yeah, it would be an easy assumption that this is being reviewed in the realm of one of those guys that likes to layer grotesque levels of distortion and gain, nearly making any notes being played as an aside to the general visceral assault on the listener's eardrums. But, I assure you that's but one mere facet of the capabilities that this well crafted guitar has to offer.

I honestly truly enjoy the feel of the slim neck and its comfortable fret board layout. I would say that for lead work it would require some rather dexterous & nimble tiny fingers, but I am a bass player with the opposite of the aforementioned phalanges. It does still feel rather comfortable to play on, unlike some other guitars that make me feel more like Tiny Tim rocking a ukulele.

The active pickups definitely give the edge to the tone which helps with the overall tonal definition when playing a dizzying flurry of notes, but it manages a nice level of sustain when more subtlety is called for.

The neck pick up selection brings a smooth warm tone which is surprisingly rich, yet not too domineering in the low-end spectrum, which too often tends to create a steaming pile of audio excrement when not put in check.

All in all, you simply cannot find anything at such a price that will give you as clear and nuanced of tones, well constructed & at a price that makes you second guess whether or not you are reading the numbers correctly.