Price paid: C$ 570
Purchased from: Long & McQuade
Features: My Triumph was built in Canada and assembled in the USA in 2008. It comes equiped with a 22 fret Indian Rosewood on Rock Maple neck and Silver Leaf Maple center with poplar wings on the body. It is finished in a gorgeous blue sparkle (other colours include Red, White, and natural mahogany).
The body style is a single cut with a fantastically comfortable contour. It hugs you and balances perfectly over the leg. It features a string through body bridge that really brings out the sustain.
The three pick-ups are Godin low-noise single coils. They are a lipstick style pick-up with a lot of volume with no annoying Strat-like hum. A 5-way selector enables you to get a variety of sounds (see below). It has a single volume and a single tone control.
It came with a lovely soft shell gig bag with lots of pockets and storage spaces. // 8
Sound: I play styles ranging from pop-rock to hard-rock and prog-rock. This guitar lets me get an incredible range of sounds, from classic Beatles Rickenbacker to Carlos Santana PRS to Adrian Belew to Mike Oldfield. It also lets me have a unique sound that is somewhere between a Tele and a Les Paul and a Rickenbacker. It has flavours of all those guitars, but its sound is its own.
The guitar is very quiet, even at full volume. The rear pick-up is nice and bright, the center is strong and powerful, and the bridge is clear and full. // 9
Action, Fit & Finish: The action was perfect except for the low E which was set a little low. A little tweak with the supplied tools was all that was needed to stop the string from hitting the last few frets. I did not discover any flaws in the guitar in terms of finish, set up, alignment, cut, or fit. No tightening was required for any parts. The selector and nobs were clean and noise free.
The quality of the finish is outstanding. It is truly a beautifully made guitar. // 9
Reliability & Durability: I do not play Live so I cannot comment on the durability of the guitar. I play and record strictly at home with friends. The finish is nice and thick. It seems quite rock solid all the way around. I have chatted with other Triumph players on MySpace, and they do find the guitar reliable in Live and studio situations. // 8
Impression: This guitar is a great match for someone who plays a lot of different styles. It has a nice jazzy sound that is perfect for pop, hard rock, and prog. It is not an aggressive guitar though. I would not recommend it for metal, very hard rock, or Alt Rock. The guitar is too subtle and complex to really Shine in those situations. For those styles I would choose a heavier Godin like the Summit CT or the LG HB. // 9
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