Anthem PST20 Guitar: The Prized Mid-Range Option For Cary Judd
The Cary Judd Band just released their new record Goodnight Human on their own imprint, China Mountain Records. They may later release it as a co-imprint with a major label as well. The Ah-ha Song from this record is getting spins on on triple A radio stations nationwide and a few "HotAC" stations too.
Judd talks to Gearwire about his Anthem PST20 guitar.
Tell me about your PST20.
The PST20 is my favorite of the Anthem line, and the one I use. Aesthetically and tonally it is in the range of a Les Paul. I have two of them, but my number one go to has a transparent blue finish that shows off the maple top. The neck is nice and chubby which I love, and the jumbo frets play like a dream.
You say Anthem are a sort of midrange guitar (a la Epiphone) but with some quirkiness that appeals to you. What specific quirks do you dig?
The whole Anthem line falls in the same price range as Epiphone or Mexican made Fender. Their goal, and in my opinion they've achieved it, is to take a guitar in that lower price range and try to cram in as much quality as possible.
Some of the things they've done to stand out from other [midrange guitars] are quite impressive. Though they are assembled in China like most guitars in this price range, they hand pick the woods that they use, which are Canadian and American woods they ship to their shop in China rather than usingwhatever random piece of Chinese wood comes their way. Said shop isn't the big factory where most Chinese made guitars come from; it's a smaller shop that builds in smaller batches so there is more attention to detail.
They don't use zinc or other cheap metals in the tailpiece and the set up was great on mine right out of the box. The first thing I notice though which was really great, is that they use graphite nuts standard, rather than plastic. I've owned Epis in the past and I bought bone or graphite nuts the same day I bought the guitar. It's a small thing, but as most guitar players know has a significant effect on the tone. The stock pickups that they make themselves are tonally a notch above the other instruments in this range.
You mention the hardware being better than many mid-range guitars (and hardware is often the problem with such instruments). Tell me about why, aside from just materials, you feel this is true.
The materials aside, they intonate well and the action can be set to a comfortable level without any buzz, I've played several Anthems and this seems to be fairly consistent with each one that I've played.
You say they make their own electronics. This could be a good OR a BAD thing. . . how's the tone?
This is very true, it can be a bad thing. The pickups on the PST20 fall in the realm of a traditional PAF, but are a little more airy and forgiving than, say, a Gibson 57' classic or a Seymour Pearly Gates. They produce a great tone, but I did modify one of them with a vintage style PAF to have the tone option between the two guitars.
What is the best single feature of your PST20?
I think the quality of the wood is what impressed me the most when they approached me to be an endorsee, and maybe this is a combination that and the hardware, but the sustain on this model is to die for, I think one of my favorite quotes from Spinal Tap fits here: "you can go have a bite and you'll still be hearing that one."
Is there anything you would change? Anything you have changed?
Again, the pickups themselves aren't bad at all, but I did change out the pickups on one of them to Gibson 57' classics--they are less forgiving than the stock pickups but give one of the guitars an extra bite that is appropriate for some of my songs.
I had mentioned to my friends at Anthem that I was interested in a hollow body, so I'm also working with them on a hollow version of the PST20. . . no release date yet, but I'm really excited to see how giving it a hollow chamber will effect the tone. I'm extremely excited about this model. There's even been some talk of a Cary Judd signature model. It would probably be along these lines if it happens.
What amp do you feel works best with the guitar?
I'm playing through a Vox AC30 with a Line-6 M13 stompbox modeler. The Anthem drives the amp quite nicely and we often get compliments on our tone from other gear nerds. In the studio I like having stomp boxes and such but the M13 is quite agreeable with the AC30/Anthem combo, and much easier to have on the road than a big pedal board at over 150 shows a year.
I have also played it through a Fender Deville 4x10 and a Fender deluxe, it sounds great through both of those as well, but I'm partial to the British-style AC30.
The Cary Judd Band will be touring nonstop through September and most of 2010. Work on the next record has already begun.
Anthem guitar
I very much agree with everything in this interview.
I have this guitar in a red finish, it is beautiful.
I would like to add to what was already said that I like the fact this guitar is quite light and I like the setup of two hums with one volume and tone. I always find two volume controls to be a bit inconvenient on stage.
I think the pickups in this guitar are very adequate and superior for the price range this guitar is in, but I just swapped mine out for a pair of 57ch alnicos I got from an Epiphone, hoping to get a warmer and slightly hotter tone. I also changed to a 1 meg volume pot. I have not tried it out yet.
My point is, much as the pickups are more than you would expect, they are a bit less hot and tonal than I like. More of a personal preference thing.
But hey, if you can buy such a well made and precisely machined guitar as this for the right price and the only change you feel the need to make is pickups, man you are till ahead of the game.
Great guitar.
Post new comment