HP Single Cut SC-1 & SC-3 - Peavey

eviewElectric Guitar£265FACTFILEPeaveySC-3The SC-3’s mahogany body and neck, asopposed to the SC-1’s basswood’n’mapleDescription:Solidbodyelectric guitar. Made inChinaPrice:£265Build:Mahogany body withcream binding, mahoganyneck, rosewood fingerboard,22-medium jumbo frets,tunomatic style bridge andtailpiece, three-a-sideKeystone style tunersElectrics:Three Peaveyhumbuckers, twin masterand volume controls,three-way selector switchLeft-Handers:NoFinish:Gloss white (asreviewed), gloss blackScale length:629mm/24.75"Neck width:Nut 43mm12th fret 53mmDepth of neck:First fret 23mm12th fret 26mmString spacing:Nut 35mmBridge 53mmAction as supplied:12th fret treble 2.5mm12th fret bass 3.5mmWeight:3.6kg/8lbsA push-pull potswitches themiddle pickupon and offSame keystone tuners asthe SC-3, but gold-platedContact: Peavey Europe01536 461234www.peavey-eu.comLike this?Try this...VintageV99Excellent LP-style guitarfrom one of the best budgetbrands aroundRRP: £249PRSSE SinglecutIt’s a bit more pricey thanthe Peavey, but if you wanta top quality singlecut thenthis is a very fine exampleRRP: £679EpiphoneLes PaulBlack Beauty 3Triple humbuckeredfanciness from Gibson’sown more affordable stableRRP: £549FenderJohn 5 Triple DeluxeGuitars with threehumbuckers are a bit thinon the ground but this lairychrome/back beast is afirm favourite of oursRRP: £994.80The SC-3 has more roundness and yetmore bite and an immediacy that makesit an interesting and addictive guitarSoundsTwo ’buckers, add dirt, away you go.The SC-1 is a what-it-says-on-the-tinsort of guitar. The neck is warm oncleans, slightly dark when mixed withoverdrive, and the right choice forlegato runs and mournful solos whenthe gain goes up high. Slamming on thebridge pickup opens out the aggressionand delivers plenty of attitude and rockflavour for both modern and classictastes. There’s no surprises and nodisappointments, just usable tonesthat’ll get you in the right zones for theplayers you want to emulate.SC-3If the SC-1 is camped out in the wideopen plains of LP-Studioland then astagecoach from there might bringyou to the more metropolitan area ofLP-CustomVille and the SC-3. Gone isthe rustic simplicity, replaced by muchfinery and ostentatious displays ofwealth that would have El Indio andhis band of desperadoes riding intotown, guns blazing, just to carry it awayto their villainous lair and await theinevitable battle with Clint Eastwoodand Lee Van Cleef (apologies; we reallyshouldn’t watch Sergio Leone filmsbefore writing reviews).Cheroots and spurs not withstanding,the SC-3 is a different beast. For thebody mahogany is preferred to thebasswood used on the SC-1, and theedges feature a faded vintage-lookcream binding. This continues on theedge of the fingerboard although whenit reaches the nut the finishing gets abit scrappy, with bits of sealant and aslight misalignment of the nut spoilingthe effect. The other differences on thismodel are the gold hardware and centrepickup, all in classic Custom fashion.SoundsThe wood choices seem to have had aneffect as the SC-3 offers a deeper, morerounded sound than its sibling, but italso has a touch more bite. Both neckand bridge pickups are a tad edgier,with the centre pickup displaying agreat mixture of sizzle and tone whichkept tempting us to experiment withjazzier voicings, cleaner blues riffs,and even acoustic-style fingerpicking.There’s an immediacy that make it aninteresting and addictive guitar to play,with that ‘Ooo, what if I try this?’ air.VerdictThe SC-1 is a stripped-down workhorsethat will earn its keep in any blues, rockor metal band. It’s solidly built, easy toplay, and would make an excellent firstguitar. The more ornate SC-3 serves theexact same purpose but perhaps has alittle more hiding under the hoodtone-wise. The SC range has goodperformance, styling and tones forprices that most of us can actuallyafford. We like the sound of that.final scorePEAVEY SC-3Build Quality 15 / 20Playability 17 / 20Sound 18 / 20Value for money 17 / 20Looks 17 / 20total 84%66 Guitar & Bass JULY 2011