Reverend Charger 290 Electric Guitar Review

Tom Quayle Reviews the Reverend Charger 290 Electric Guitar for issue 46 of Guitar Interactive Magazine.
GI 41 saw Reverend Guitars make a huge impression on us with its Billy Corgan Signature - so much so that we got straight back to them, asking for more. Is this small US company starting to challenge the biggest names in the electric guitar business? Tom Quayle seems to think so.
Reverend Guitars was formed by Joe Naylor back in 1997 in East Detroit. Since the early days, the company has grown to produce some excellent guitars such as the Billy Corgan signature model I reviewed very favourably in GI 41. Reverend boasts some unique instruments and an impressive and growing artist list including players from The Black Crowes, Crosby Stills and Nash and Smashing Pumpkins, to name a few. The guitars are surprisingly affordable for distinctive, boutique style instruments and we were keen to try another as fast as we could. Major UK Reverend retailer Merchant City Music (http:www.guitar.co.uk) suggested we a try a P90 equipped model, which they say buyers are currently hot for - so that's exactly what we did with a newly arrived Charger 290.
You can read the full review here bit.ly/charger290

[@dalerieger5927]

I have two Reverends - I couldn't be happier with them. They play and sound great.

[@guyfromnj]

I just bought a double agent with the trem. So excited. I may buy another. I really like this guitar.

[@GS-uy4xo]

Love that this has a treble bleed and really nice quality switches,pots,switches etc - killer value and sweet tone!

[@kearonandrewobrien7460]

Reverend charger sounds great, l like the whole cut out wave on the neck

[@mikef09]

I just came here to watch Tom play, and boy was I not disappointed!

[@paulblanchet542]

Great job, Tom!

[@Berkland1000]

Nice demo. Thanks.

[@RandomButtonPusher]

I've had a Charger 290 gold top for a number of years and it is really nice to see this review give this Reverend model some very well-deserved attention. As noted, not everyone likes the look, but for me it was love at first sight -- and then I played it and was sold in a hot minute.

[@DanSainz]

How does it compare to other two p90 guitars? like say a les paul or something. Currently I own an Epi Goldtop w/ p90s and I was considering getting a reverend someday, but I'm not sure if I should get another p90 guitar or one with HBs

[@jimyoung9262]

Great review.

[@pdbordelon]

Sounds fantastic, I just bought one, though with the Paul Ferro neck finish, Should arrive next week!

[@surfrby8876]

I’ve got this guitar , it’s my favorite,, it’s everything Tom says, buy it used and you’ll get a deal of a lifetime 👍

[@kalenbaker7901]

Came here from the Foogaze guy on TikTok. Stunning guitar!

[@MrAMF50]

I want this geetar!!

[@nazmoking3171]

Bridge is ice-pick when clean with the bass contour off - but sounds great when it is fully on! These Reverend guitars offer great versatility across the board and their P90 pickups are top notch tonally.

[@sketchyold]

“Ice-pick” isn’t necessarily a bad tone, but players who are used to playing with lots of gain and don’t have clean technique tend to hate it.

[@Prajnana]

Bright but not brittle, IMO.

[@MBSGAMES_]

what amp/overdrive is used here?

[@MecchaKakkoi]

I love P90s on a tele! Great review.

[@butthole4185]

I never heard of em till today but it blew the american fender i was lookin at out of the water. On every single checkpoint but resale. It came with a roasted neck and I think the frets might be ss. The p90s put out under some gain. I took it home. This confirmed my decision. The neck on this one is a major notch up compared to the one reviewed. I've got no remorse.

[@calebproductions5970]

I got to have one

[@IvorThomas]

IMO this is the coolest body shape from Reverend... I see it as a mashup of Les Paul '56 Goldtop and Telecaster. As Greg Koch would say, a sweet unholy union! Rather than bank busting for a P90 Gibson LP, I'm strongly inclined to add to my Reverend stable with one of these bad boys. I think the headstock design is outstanding considering how crummy looking most boutique headstocks are on axes costing **way** more. ::cough:: PRS, Suhr ::cough::

[@alv9815]

Reverend guitars are top quality for a fraction of the cost of the other top brands. Reverend P-90s are the best p90 pickups I’ve ever played

[@guyfromnj]

My goodness, Tom is so good it's ridiculous.

[@dokkenrox]

It seems like an odd choice to put the bass control at the top rather than next to the tone and volume controls at the bottom. Otherwise this looks like a great guitar.

[@TheJamSpace]

The older version of this model does that actually.. it has a funky looking pickguard and looks much less like a tele. I prefer the old look of this model for sure.

[@dokkenrox]

@@TheJamSpace I went and looked that up. Kind of a neat design! Kind of a Les Paul meets Strat look with the pickguard and controls.

[@michaelac7325]

WOW you could play hair metal riffs on that?!

[@meow7791]

you can play anything on that. jack of all trades.

[@aujax1]

the guitar has some of the punchiest tones of any guitar. what are you playing it thru?

[@alejulul2379]

I have this guitar and I never got it to sound like that, although I do have to say it has its own interesting tone.

[@quadrogong1111]

Those p-90’s sound quiet for all that gain,

[@brendangray]

This or a 90 revstar? Thanks

[@peterosipov400]

This. Though Reverend also has a Contender - P90 model with 24,75 scale. You might want to check it out on their website

[@buck7477]

I want to buy one of these guitars why do you have 18 thumbs down! If someone dislikes these guitars I’d like to know what they have to say! It would help in my decision making because I can’t play one before I buy it! Ha

[@scandalizer]

Hi, I own the Charger 290 w bigsby. limited run from 2015. I love it. Keep coming back to it, super versatile. I have owned 6 Reverends over the years, regret selling the ones I did part ways with. I always reccomend them to friends. I don't think you can go wrong...

[@RRTY940]

Pronanly bitter f***er people. 😂

[@jaguarandi2]

This guitar does jazz, hard rock, and radiohead. That's it. I cannot get it to be useful for creating more general indie music.

[@asensibleyoungman2978]

Review your mutton chops next.

[@frankrizzo5710]

Lol, say what?

[@saboteur1001]

There are more guitar brands than guitarists in this world. Every month another brand appears with another wonderful fenderish or gibsonish guitar. Stop producing this endless shit and save the woods!

[@alejulul2379]

Sounds like someone dislikes capitalism a little.