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Guitar Shop Aural
Exams The Fury Fireball The Sound and the Fury Guitar Magazine (May 1999) Reviewed by E.D. Menasche One of the coolest things about toiling in Guitardoms editorial ivory tower is that you occasionally find a guitar youve never heard of before thrust into your hands, accompanied by strict orders from above: Play this thing and let us know what you think. Though Fury has been building solidbody guitars since the early 60s, I have never heard of the Saskatchewan, Canada-based company before my experience with the Fireball, which is the latest incarnation of the original guitar designed by Glenn McDougall. What I discovered was an instrument that offered a rare blend of classic design and innovative look, feel, and tone. Among the Furys unique features are its bridge, nut, string-tree, and pickups, all of which contribute directly to the guitars powerful tone. The High-Mass Bridge/Tailpiece, machined from solid brass, is unlike any Ive ever seen. Strings run through the body all the way to the underside of the tailpiece, quite a departure from conventional string-thru designs, which hold the strings closer to the back of the guitar. The tall, blocky saddles, adjustment screws, and tailpiece have a solid, industrial appearance, and should stand years of hard use. The Fireball played in tune right out of the case, and stayed that way even after hours of heavy bending and other abuse. The ZP humbucking pickups are distinctive in both look and functionality. Unlike conventional pickups with solid magnets, the ZP uses a tubular design, which puts the magnetic field around, rather than directly under the string. The design is meant to lessen the magnetic pull on the string, thereby increasing sustain and output. Mated to a three-way switch, individual coil-split switches, and a single volume control, the pickups yielded a surprising array of tones. In humbucking mode, the bridge pickup offered hot output with buzzy, honking midrange - not unlike the tone of a Seymour Duncan JB. It sounded very good clean, and even better handling distortion, where its fat, yet articulate, tone (with ample harmonics) offered just the right kick for power chords and singing leads, but was aggressive for blues and rock soloing. The neck pickup sounded round and balanced without being overly mellow. The Fury offered impressive sustain. Some players who tried the Fury bemoaned the absence of a tone control, but I found I was able to attain most of the sounds I wanted without one. The volume control had an exceptionally smooth taper. Coil-split humbuckers have their uses, but usually sound pretty weak in comparison to legitimate single coil pickups. Not this time. In fact, the quality of the split sounds - both individually and in combination - is among Furys most appealing assets. Rare indeed is the split-coil that has enough gusto to carry a guitar solo without extra processing. Its interesting to note that the Fireballs pickups are in an unusual position, closer to the bridge than many other designs. In fact, the rear coil of the neck pickup is similar to the position of the middle pickup in a traditional three-pickup configuration. The Furys playing surface takes full advantage of its sonic potential. The relatively narrow and rounded neck reminds me of my late 70s Strat, though the Fireballs large and well-filed frets offer a much speedier feel. If youre into deep, Tele-style bends, the Fireball - as tested in the hardtail version and strung from the factory with .010s - will accommodate you smartly, even with the test guitars low and buzz-free action. Comfort isnt restricted to the neck, either. The Fireballs body is faintly reminiscent of a Jazzmaster, with contours front and rear to accommodate your physique. The neck joint is a smaller version of a conventional blocky bolt-on; it allows easy access to the 22nd fret on the upper strings, and reasonable though slightly restricted access on the lower ones. Fit and finish were excellent. We noticed visible gaps under the fret wire, but Furys Stan Garchinski reports that these gaps are intentionally cut deep to improve neck stability during extreme climate changes. All hardware offered the rugged, solid feel of careful engineering, contributing to the Furys overall bearing of quality and musician-friendly professionalism. I spent quite a bit of time playing the Fireball - much more, truth be told, than required for this review- and the thing that stood out most was the guitars sports car-like tossability, its ability to respond to aggressive changes in musical direction and follow me anywhere I wanted to go.
Guitar Shop Aural Exams |