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Two B or not two B Paul Day fingers the Fury BBM, a newcomer electric to the UK that's all the rage in Canada. Is it a case of maple syrup? The brand name Fury means virtually zilch in the UK, but this Canadian company started life back in the early 60s and has been in the business of making electric guitars ever since. Success on home soil has obviously been considered sufficient for quite a while, but now Fury seems to be looking further afield. The marque made its NAMM show debut in January this year, where a selection of interesting electrics caught the eye of the Music Mart team.Arrangements were accordingly made to line up a review, but in the interim a UK distributor has been found and at long last these high-quality Canadians are now officially available here. McDougall flowers Glenn McDougall founded Fury in 1962, and his ideas reflect an on-going emphasis on original design, supported by the use of equally individual, own-manufacture components. Based on this ethic, Fury ploughs a singular furrow, seemingly unaffected by trends or changing fashions. The results represent a rare combination in the modern marketplace, where most makers exhibit the same obvious influences and employ equally similar sourcing - which is an easier and less-expensive route, but one that definitely dilutes essential character. On this level alone Fury guitars therefore have a lot to offer, and it's surprising to find such a high degree of own-brand involvement on a mass-production instrument. So much so, in fact, that it feels quite strange not being able to take most aspects for granted - but what a refreshing change! The headstock adopts a somewhat minimalist outline and dimensions, the tapering shape making just enough room for the Schaller-made tuners. These keep all strings travelling straight, with the top four of the latter passing through a chunky, downward tension-inducing guide. Although nicely engineered, this is a potential source of friction, especially on the vibrato-equipped alternative, and even here there's evidence that it promotes string sticking, not helped by machine heads which have been over-tightened and therefore feel far from smooth. The Fury BBM is a versatile, high-standard performer that's certainly equal to many and more than a cut above some." Screwed nut Secured by two screws, the large nut is an interesting piece of work, offering an unencumbered string-bearing surface, while a slightly raised rear section keeps all correctly aligned. But unfortunately most of the slots in the latter have been cut a mite too wide, causing unwanted lateral movement and some strings produce an annoying ping when bent. I mentioned this to the people at Peach, who immediately contacted Fury's Stan Garchinski, and he reports that the clicking has been an isolated problem. "It occurs only during the first one to two weeks of playing a new instrument until the string has had sufficient time to cut its own seat notch into the fulcrum point, and mainly on the plain G string, due to its lower tension. This can be easily rectified by having a good guitar technician file a very shallow notch of approximately .002 to .003in where the string crosses the unit," comments Stan. "The Fury factory is now developing a high-speed machine to pre-notch the fulcrum point and this will totally eliminate the break-in period. The tone balance and solid coupling factor outweigh this soon-to-be-rectified problem. This is not a design flaw but one of those tiny gremlins that occasionally sneak in to an engineering design," adds Stan. The gently-cambered Pau Ferro fingerboard is smooth and inviting, with consistently seated medium gauge frets. Their slots are visibly deeper than necessary, but overall finishing is fine and the results feel super slinky. Front position dots are offset over to the left and side repeaters of the same size afford ultra-easy visibility. The neck employs a shallow profile which is instantly appealing - somewhat reminiscent of a friendly Fender - and, bucking modern trends, the one-piece maple is gloss lacquered. Narrow-minded The slim body depth allows a shallow heel block, which is also slightly narrower than the neck, and this combination helps high-end access. The neckplate is correspondingly thinner than standard, but all is firmly anchored via a tight fit and the usual four screws. The BBM body styling is distinctively Fury's own and has been around for a while. A slim waist is slung low to make the bottom bouts more squat than those above, creating a somewhat top-heavy appearance when viewed vertical, but things look streamlined enough when the guitar is in playing position. The body employs a hard maple narrow centre section, flanked by wings of eastern soft maple, and here the latter have some nice figuring enhanced by the high-gloss amber coat also found on the headstock face. Contouring front and back keeps the comfort quota high, while good balance and overall feel makes the weight more than manageable. The single-layer black plastic scratchplate has curves which complement the body, and along with all the electrics, it also carries the access cover over the truss-rod adjuster. The company has long produced pickups, and here a pair of ZP-5S single-coils is partnered by a bridge position ZP-20 humbucker. These are two of Fury's special designs, incorporating features such as centre-less tubular polepieces and low resonance construction. Furious habits The bridge is another well-established example from the Fury factory, with twin height-adjustable studs carrying a chunky baseplate. This bears six tall saddles which offer more than enough intonation amendments, while their predetermined varying heights match strings to fingerboard curve. Recessed right behind, the tailpiece offers a mirror image of the bridge shape-wise. Strings anchor on the underside, having been threaded through the body via a slim plate obviously there to neaten up the necessary woodwork. Most metalwork is heavily chromed, including the control knobs and jackplate, which are again all-Fury fixtures and fittings. However, the strap buttons are satin-finished (with the lower one located well over to the left), and the only other notable exception is the washer under the mini-toggle coil switch, oddly left unplated and looking shabby in comparison. PERFORMANCE: All that maple makes for a toppy acoustic tonality, but it's backed up by a usefully resonant sustain, and the pickups do much to successfully convey this character in all positions, along with plenty of output. The neck pickup has bags of tubey twang, along with depth and snappy attack, while the centre single-coil has more of same but with the added brightness bestowed by its location. The bridge humbucker brings a darker texture to the table, along with extra level of course, but it still retains a healthy interest in clarity. The mini-switch sensibly knocks out the coil nearest the bridge, leaving the other to supply an authentically sweet-toned sparkle which nicely matches the other pickups, while the combined selections are suitably high on honk and percussive 'pluck' properties. Upping amp gain doesn't faze the Fury one jot - it stays equally firm-footed by maintaining excellent definition and an impressive disinclination towards feedback. The volume control offers most effect in the final twist, while the tone is much more useful than many, gently rolling off top but retaining almost acoustic-like dynamics until the last quarter turn, when all becomes as muffled as expected. CONCLUSION: For such a large country, Canada's contributions to the electric guitar arena are surprisingly scarce, with Godin offering the only obvious contenders. On the evidence of this example, the wait for the longer-established alternatives from Fury has been far too long but well worthwhile. Apart from a few minor quibbles, the BBM is an excellent-sounding electric which plays equally well. Quality of design is matched by that of construction, and hardware is up to similar standards. It has bags of character, but is far from quirky - a very valid distinction - although the fact that individuality is apparent in virtually every aspect will no doubt inhibit appeal in today's narrow-minded market. Hopefully some players will be aware enough to appreciate what this Canadian company has to offer, because the Fury BBM is a versatile, high-standard performer that's certainly equal to many and more than a cut above some. The Fury BBM stands out in any crowd, thanks to distinctive design and a high quota of own-made components. AxeFax
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