Pearson Hyper S - No Headstock, No Tonewood, No Problems!

[@intheblues]

Hi everyone, Check out this beast from Pearson guitars! This is made in New Zealand and is arguably the most unique guitar of 2024! (and it's a good price)😎 00:00 - About the Pearson Hyper S 00:20 - Jam Track 01:59 - Guitar Overview 02:49 - Locking Tuners & Head Stockless Design 03:27 - Unique Body Design 04:24 - Pickups and Electronics 04:49 - Strap Pins 04:59 - Pearson Website Coupon Code: “intheblues”. 05:20 - Clean Tones (Humbucker Mode) 07:06 - Clean Tones (Split/Single Coil) 08:12 - Classic Crunch: Humbuckers 08:46 - Bridge Pickups Dynamics (Volume Control) 09:15 - Neck Pickup Dynamics (Volume Control) 10:07 - Crunch Tones: Single Coil Mode 11:02 - Single Coil Volume Dynamics 11:25 - High Gain Tones (Ultragain Channel) 12:22 - Final Thoughts, Pros, and Cons (best of 2024) 🛒 Pearson Instruments - pearsoninstruments.com/ Discount Code "intheblues" for 5% off (affiliate discount code)

[@cowhidemusic8904]

Let the toan plastic debate begin.

[@patricklow5652]

Acrylic sounds warmer than epoxy but thinner than carbon fibre. Tone plastic matters.

[@intheblues]

😂

[@ericwarrington6650]

​@@patricklow5652i was going to comment the same thing 😂..then saw yours.. perfectly said....density really matters

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

@@patricklow5652 Really its about tone metal, since the frame that holds everything is aluminum. The acrylic is really just there the make the guitar look like a guitar...

[@patricklow5652]

@@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial I was just kidding. I'm just some idiot bedroom guitarist. But for what it's worth, I LOVE the design of your guitar. It think it's a work of genius, especially that, uh, what do you call it-- tail-stock? Brilliant! Even if it's awkward to tune at the beginning.

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

I hope you're enjoying the guitar Shane! I'd just like to add that all the guitars on the website can be spec'd for left or right handed orientation since we're building these to order. Since the guitar is designed with laser cut aluminum parts, making a lefty is just a matter of us assembling the frame in reverse, so it costs no extra for you guys. I know lefties are usually out of luck when it comes to headless models..

[@joltmark3612]

As a lefty, much appreciated. I'll be a buyer once I have a few more pennies saved up

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

@@joltmark3612 Thanks for the support!

[@michaelmetal71]

@pearsoninstrumentsofficial as a left handed player i appreciate when companies offer lefty guitars with no extra charge,with companies like kiesel schecter and ESP it’s a great time to be a lefty

[@calbrockocat8728]

This is the first "serious" acrylic style guitar I've seen demoed that doesn't weigh 20lbs +. Looks super cool and interesting. I'd use that "tail" stock look as inlays for the fretboard to repeat that unique shape. Having all the bells and whistles makes this so interesting!

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

That's actually a brilliant idea! Might have to look into that for the gen 4 version for 2025.

[@Nostrebor59]

Not a headless fan but Strandberg had better look out. Very clever design 👏

[@VortexArcade]

Wow, is this ever cool. A guitar that isn't made of wood and isn't a gimmick. I love it... Wallet tingling!

[@davidyoung8875]

That guitar looks and sounds Amazing!!

[@andrzejmarczewski1478]

Ok, this actually very cool. I want to hate it but I can't!

[@michaelmetal71]

wow 😮 that’s an amazing guitar,and looking at their website the prices are very reasonable and they’re all under $1000 dollars and the fact they offer all models in a left handed version is a win in my book 🤘🏼

[@artamussumatra6286]

More proof that Telecaster knobs look great on any Guitar.

[@akwamarsunzal]

LOVE IT!!! Just checked their website and the Hyper-B Gen 3 “Honey Yellow” looks killer!!! 🙂

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

We've got a Hyper-B on its way to Leon Todd for a review soon, so keep an eye out!

[@akwamarsunzal]

@@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial Awesome! I am sure its as good as the Hyper-A. Its the look that has got me hooked! And the Yellow? Looks amazing! 🙂

[@stringrip]

For a second at first thought this was a new model of the Dan Armstrong lucite/plexiglass guitars of late 60's

[@joltmark3612]

Pretty cool, sounds good. it takes a little getting used to but so does headless in general. I was pleasantly surprised seems affordable for what you get

[@PaulCooksStuff]

Nice to see some innovative thinking and materials (in the week that Gibson rehashes yet another 40 year old model)

[@Aaron.T_82816]

I think an aluminum neck on that would look really cool!

[@mike70s]

Cool demo. I kinda want one. Vintage perspex debate

[@NickGranville]

Great video Shane! I have one too and am working on a demo video at the moment. Very interesting instrument and it’s super cool to see someone trying something new

[@omen3766]

Very cool. Sounds good is good.

[@leer.2137]

A good music video with that axe would be of a band of skeletons with similar instruments and that thing...

[@zd351]

Looks and sounds good to me.

[@Macmax7077]

And it still sounds great

[@silverwings1843]

Way back when......I was a working guitarist on the road. I had a friend that I would run into at times. In his arsenal he had an Ampeg Lucite Guitar. It was fantastic. Not only did it sound fantastic but it had several different plug and play pickups. From smooth jazz to nice blues to hard kick rock. All bridge. I have only had one guitar that make any dif with tone wood. It's a Les Paul made out of Hawaiian Koa Wood by EH. Still got it. Incredible sound from Koa.

[@HEZ63]

As a headless guitar fan at first glance this one looks interesting. Had a look onto the Pearson website and to be honest, the shape and colors mostly are not really my taste (but the typical Strandberg shape neither is), but what finally counts are playability and sound. For a headless it is with 3 kg not a lighweigt (my semi solid Les Paul has 3.3 kg), but locking tuners, low string action and alnico pickups with splitting option are a plus. Especially the fact, that the pickups are medium output PAF types, I like, as I am no fan of high-gain bridge pickups and with a bridge PAF you can play almost everything. Nicely balanced tone with enough warmth and bite onbviously. The additional aluminium frame is interesting, most probably it should increase stability and sustain and is not only there for cosmetic reason. I personally prefer Steinberger double ball end systems because of their tuning stability, the modern single ball end headless systems, which I have tried up to now, never came close. Here the locking tuners certainly are an advantage in comparison with some meanwhile usual but more "exotic" bridge designs. so if it is tuning stable, this guitar could be a nice best of both worlds option. On "problem zone" I maybe have found and these are the tuners positions. If I use locking tuners, I usually cut the strings off and the a small sharp piece remains, which stands out or up a little. As the first tuners are placed comparably close to the bridge, it maybe can happen that your hand touches the strings and that they cause a - maybe bleeding - wound on your palm, if you are not careful. On the other hand, if you place the tuners further away, tuning stability most probably will be reduced too. But, if this risk is there or not at all, I could only check with the real guitar in my hands. Not really cheap but still cheaper than a Strandberg. (Direct ordering and shipping to Europe makes things more expensive due to shipping costs, customs duties and import sales tax, so it finally most probably becomes about 25 - 30% more expensive and with these costs you already are in the moderate upper price range, so the guitar really has to sound and work good for the final price. An European distribuitor would be nice in the future instead - at least for me.) On the other hand the guitars are built to order and for this the price is fair. At the moment I am happy with my (modded) Steinberger and my ALP Leaf (Also incredibly good sounding for such a tiny guitar, but meanwhile hard to get in Europe - whyever), but the Steinberger soon needs refretting and then this guitar could become interesting as replacement (If the company exists long enough....). Thank you for the video, otherwise I never had discovered this company! The plexiglass look is nice new but plexiglass is very sensitive, so you will see every - more or less unavoidable - scratch after a while. But there also are colored versions available as alternatives. What I really appreciatied would be a version of this guitar with Tele pickups instead of humbuckers... I wish the company all success!

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

Dom Pearson from Pearson Instruments here, thanks for the detailed comment about the guitars and I appreciate the support!! As for the concern about the string poking out on each tuner, I haven't found this to be an issue as long as you snip the excess string close to the tuner posts. We've sold 30+ pre-production models earlier this year in prep for this launch (we're up to generation 3 of this design) and that hasn't come up as an issue for any customers. These guitars Shane is showcasing is what I would consider a near perfect design from the perspective of hardware layout. It took me hundreds of hours of designing and dozens of physical prototypes to get it to this point of refinement. The earlier model had clear acrylic full real panels, but I re-designed it to use aluminum and make it part of the sub-frame, partially so scratches wouldn't be an issue since the part that touches the body is what would get the most wear (belt buckles, zips etc) As for a tele pickup option, at the moment we're sticking with an HH config to keep production more simplified so we can keep prices reasonable. We could go crazy with customizing every aspect of each guitar, but then we'd have to be charging thousands more so its a tradeoff to keep the guitar in a specific price bracket i.e internationally competitive with the Ibanez Q52 and Strandberg Boden Essential markets.

[@HEZ63]

@@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial Sounds fine concerning the tuners. The Ibanez are nothing for me, as I dislike the look, the bridge and most of all the ceramic pickups. For an Ibanez I also find the headless series a little bit overpriced, if these guitars do not even have alnico pickups and so much innovative new things they also do not really offer. On the Strandbergs I dislike both the price and the strange neck profile. Some players may like it, I personally do not so much. I like your courage, as the market is more or less overcrowed, also with budget Asian guitars, but this concept is a nice new one, without trying to reinvent a wheel, which only stumbles instead of rolling. As I said, best of both worlds, traditional electric guitar qualities combined with some new improvements and an unusual look. If the guitars really sound as beautiful as the one in the video does, they are excellent. Nice mix between a Power Strat and a Les Paul, I would say and therefore usable for everything. All the best to you and a lot of success! Thank you too for the fast reply!

[@50Something]

Nice Shame, this tone really cuts through on this one!

[@GCKelloch]

I thought guitarists understood physics enough by now to know that whatever the strings are attached to absorbs vibrations in various ways. There can be many different resonant freq's absorbing string energy, including the harmonics of each to some extent. I think the Aluminum structure the neck and bridge attach to matters much more than the acrylic panels in this case. The tonality reminds me of a concrete guitar in an old video. More upper-midrange than most wood guitars, but not harsh. It does sound very nice. Bold and chimey. How much is the pickups is impossible to say.

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

You're pretty much correct. The body structure is all in the aluminum thanks to the I beams through the center. The aluminum sub-frame is so stiff that you can't even pull the body to change pitch like you could if it was wood.

[@orionktulu]

Glassy and airy!

[@slawsonscot]

I would agree with another poster - I think the neck and fretboard contribute to the tone. Pickups most, then probably the bridge and neck and fretboard after that. Body too, but with electrics I think it’s more about where the strings contact the surface that impacts most.

[@RevGerryRM]

Very cool, sounds great 👍

[@eddieholmes3236]

Looks and sounds great Shane. So interesting that despite all that body innovation the neck and fingerboard are pretty traditional. Is that because they are the best materials or would something different put people off?

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

Dom Pearson from Pearson Instruments here. The reason is simple. I really do believe traditional wood necks are essentially perfect for electric guitars. As for neck material, its not so much that it would put people off, its just the required cost increases for a special aluminum or carbon fiber neck far outweighs the marginal stability increases (if any). The first guitars I built many years ago were actually fully carbon fiber, and they just never worked out economically since it costs too much to scale production and requires specialist labor. The global guitar industries infrastructure is entirely designed for wood neck production. There are some companies trying to use carbon (or carbon reinforced resin) and make it affordable, but you end up with many other issues arising from that as well as more market resistance. In my opinion the body is where the industry needed innovation, and so I'm pretty darn satisfied with what we ended up with!

[@eddieholmes3236]

Thanks! I can well believe that.

[@BushidoPhoto]

That's a wacky, but cool guitar!

[@kerrywilliams8100]

I like it ! 👍

[@SFBGuitar]

Love it! Looks awesome!

[@intheblues]

Thanks Steve! Yeah it’s a pretty wild looking guitar 🎸

[@castleanthrax1833]

It's very affordable, too.

[@thomaslthomas1506]

Enjoyed the intro jam almost magnum PU....

[@peteroaasd]

I was expecting these guitars to cost $3000+ but they're actually really well priced. Might have to get one instead of the headless one ibanez has

[@jorgemiro1613]

Too futuristic for me. Some neon lights inside the two acrylic sides. It wood make a nice bedroom lamp. I think with the neon it would make a great guitar store sign. However I am surprised at the sound coming from does pickups 😮

[@Zachariah_Benjamin]

"But, bro The wood on the neck is all the tone wood you need. I told you all it's all about the neck!" 😂

[@PerpetuallyTiredMusician]

I do love pink guitars and they have a lefty option for the pink one for the same price... Well if I cant live with the headless guitar thing I will just slap a charvel 24 neck on it and have the funkiest looking tail peice ever lol. Edit: Ok read the "about" page and had a good old look around. I do believe I have found the christmas gift for myself this year. Peace

[@DMSProduktions]

Choice bru! \m/

[@roberthiggins986]

I’ve had a couple acrylic guitars in the past, but wouldn’t bring them to a gig because of the weight…this gives a similar look, but not all that excess weight. I am truly contemplating getting one of these.

[@89digits59]

There goes all the tone wood talks out the window - me likes this - anyone else like this?

[@Nomad-cd2my]

Not really because the neck is made of wood 😅

[@N0zer0]

@@Nomad-cd2my it really needs an aluminum neck

[@picksalot1]

Looks cool, and sounds great. Forearm comfort is a big deal for me, so some form of comfort contouring or padding would be necessary. Splitting one side of something like a copper tube and wrapping the edge where the forearm contacts the body would work. That, or just a rounded piece of wood or some other material.

[@GreenDashEntertainment]

It honestly sounds like a Les Paul to me with those humbuckers. I don't think the material matters sound wise here but It really does have a cool look though. But that's just my opinion.

[@medaner1974]

And what about us? We are traditional les paul guys and love the headstock problems such as g string tuning...

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

Some people just like to suffer 😂

[@medaner1974]

@@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial 🤣🤣

[@luigigetsu]

Guys, these guitars are really cool but where are the headless V's?

[@renolyons4339]

a warlock shape would be cool

[@Pearsoninstrumentsofficial]

Coming soon...

[@ondooga]

I find these guitars to be pretty cool! Just looked them up, 4 years of R'n'D and still can’t wire it correctly for a lefty!

[@stevenpipes1555]

Vrey cool. Nice industrial design style. Interesting as an art and a conversational piece, and a great addition to an eclectic collection, but im not going to be daydreaming about it the way i do about a Private Stock, or a Master Built!

[@offbeatbassgear]

That is an abomination against both God and man! I Love IT So Very, Very, Much!

[@TheMasonator777]

It sounds good. It doesn’t sound like a wooden bodied guitar. There’s a thing in the high end/upper mids that I don’t care for. Like ripping paper. Having a wooden neck was a good idea. Gets it 95% of the way there. Worth a try if you have a bad shoulder or something.

[@ThePlanarchist]

Wow, loving it from the other side of the world. Another reason to love New Zealand! Hmmm, shall have to look at what sort of import fees I'd be paying. Fascinating.

[@thadlogan51]

Just another example of how tone woods don't matter at all. I saw another video were someone recorded different audio clips as he cut off different pieces of his guitars body. At the end of the video there was only 1/4 of the body left and it sounded almost exactly the same still.

[@zoomzoom3950]

That guitar reminds me of a Gittler T-2. Sounds good too! I played original Steinberger L back in the day, still have one; Ibanez Q52, and for something really different, I've owned a Gittler Titanium for several years now.

[@akwamarsunzal]

Impossible!!! Where is the mahogny hiding?!?! 🤣

[@motokev2727]

Looks cool

[@castleanthrax1833]

Where are they located, and the big question is... if they're not located in Australia (which I doubt), do they ship to Australia?

[@intheblues]

0:01

[@MrJooobs]

😂

[@castleanthrax1833]

​@@inthebluesMy apologies. I guess I missed it the first time i watched. ✌️

[@castleanthrax1833]

​@@MrJooobsYou're easily amused.

[@BushidoPhoto]

What auto-tuner were you using in the b-roll?

[@Matt-w6g]

@pearsoninstrumentsofficial, as a left handed player, I do recommend that the side dots be addressed. I understand why a right handed neck would be used on a pre-production prototype used for marketing purposes, but for a full retail product, one would expect that the side dots be in the correct location. Hunching over the guitar to see the fret dots is not comfortable. I can also understand that MOQ's and projected sales would make ordering left handed necks on the incase you got a sale would be prohibitive. So as a possible solution, asking the factory that is making the necks, ask them to put side dots on both sides of the neck. This would mean you have a universal neck for both configurations. Might cost a little more for the factory to add, but then you can make the retail price an even $800NZD vs $789NZD. Regards.

[@tonythecroc]

Looks amazing but it does seem a bit expensive. The artist guitar does sound similar does not have locking tuners or split coil but its one third the price. I think they need to price competitively to enter the market and compete against new or existing brands

[@DMSProduktions]

'Tone' plastic! FTW! \m/

[@shanewalton8888]

What in tarnation is that thing??????? lol

[@leighsayers2628]

Certainly a different look ..its out there but not my taste .sounds good ..

[@AnnoyingCritic-is7rp]

Sounds very...clear

[@lindamcguigan5989]

PRS, this guitar is laughing at U

[@BrunodeSouzaLino]

To really drive the point home, you should get an Aristides. There's no wood on that guitar. The body and neck are made of a single piece of their proprietary composite material and it uses Richlite fretboards.

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Where you at in New Zealand ? North or south island? I was born in Christchurch,,south island.. been in the US forever..i kinda wanna comeback home..but not sure what its like there now lol.

[@nellayema2455]

They could put an arm rest on there easily. One similar to the rest on a banjo would work. Pretty cool guitar, though.

[@thejoshbtv]

Well. Its unique. That's the only nice thing I can say about it.

[@jea783]

Lefty just for you !!!

[@TheTownspeople]

No thank you.

[@LetzBeaFranque]

Tone Acrylic is made of tone oil. Your welcome.

[@ChrisMichaelsChicago]

Hows t gonna burn is my question

[@kalidesu]

Shame they have no Bass guitars. The prices aren't insane.

[@Mr.Monster1313]

Yup confirmed..i still hate headless guitars lol 😂 jk cool guitar tho..sounds ok...i wouldve put a gibson logo on the top of neck..opps it broke off lol 😮

[@Michel-r6m]

Try resell it.

[@drinno8900]

Dust collector

[@BeGoodBe]

Pretty ugly to my eyes... though I'm sure some will love it.

[@castleanthrax1833]

The eyes of the Beholder.

[@narrowonflow]

ye but 700 for a guitar that cut so many corners... idk man 🤷‍♂

[@Macmax7077]

I don't get it.

[@rockdaddy2168]

I played this through the studio speakers and through live concert speakers and it still sound thin and tinny. Maybe good for old world country?

[@castleanthrax1833]

Most of us tend to listen with our eyes, so I wonder if you'd have the same opinion if you were judging this in a blind test?

[@j.dviant]

​@@castleanthrax1833 plus there's a little thing on our amps called an EQ band 😄

[@cristianhernandomendivilra461]

That thing is horrible like a kick in the balls...😂

[@TheGorillafoot]

Not possible. Without tone wood, it will never have tone. You clearly recorded this before hand with a tone wood guitar, and them put the video of yourself playing the none tonewood guitar over it. You did a great job playing over the track though.

[@peteroaasd]

😂

[@mattg.7832]

Goes to show how much 🐂💩 is talked about tone woods.

[@simonkaye7268]

That is one ugly guitar! No thanks.

[@southernpanda33]

I can't get past the headstock up it's bum.

[@FurtiveSkeptical]

I guess that makes it a "bumstock".🤔

[@GraniteSoundtrack]

No appeal either.

[@ChrisJones-ht9zn]

It looks like a badly created AI photo of an electric guitar. I can't even get past the look. 🙁

[@jamesrodriquez2863]

To each his own I guess. I wouildn't get one, but that's prolly cuz my grey hair does my thinking for me on some things. You young fellas have at it though. Y'all are always tryin to reinvent everything anyway, so here ya go...something that's right up your alley! You don't even hafta call it a guitar. Invent a whole new name for it and e'erthang! 🤣🤣🤣Seriously, it's the headless reversed strings thing that turns me off. It does sound good though. I hope they sell a bunch of them. 🙂

[@cjsilvestremusic]

TOO MUCH HI END FOR ME. HARSH TO THE EARS