What is it?
It’s been a whirlwind 12 months for Canadian virtuoso Nick Johnston. As well as celebrating the 10th anniversary of his remarkably popular Schecter models and launching a project with King Crimson/Porcupine Tree drummer Gavin Harrison, he was recruited by prog metal giants Mastodon as their new lead guitar player.
With the original members of the band having now confirmed Johnston’s involvement on their upcoming ninth full-length, it made sense for the legato supremo to release a new signature that reflected his role in one of the most important heavy bands of the last two decades.
Gone are the SSS and HSS pickup configurations, making way for two meatier humbuckers that are perfect for sludgey down-tuned riffing and a body that’s finished in Atomic Mercury – an unmistakable nod to the Silverburst look associated with the band.
In the official video promoting the release, Johnston explained that he “wanted something that reflects this new era of my career and who I’m playing with” while also confirming that “this will be my main guitar for the foreseeable future”.
Right then, time to get heavy.
Specs
- Price: $1299 | £1329 | €1639
- Made: Indonesia
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: Alder
- Neck: Wenge/Nick Johnston C-shaped
- Fingerboard material/radius: Ebony/14" Scale length: 25.5 inches/650mm Nut/width: Graph Tech XL Black Tusq/42mm
- Frets: 22, jumbo, stainless steel
- Hardware: Schecter Nouveau Locking Tuners, Schecter Nouveau Tremolo with Music City Bridge, Three String Tree String Retainer
- Electrics: 2 x Nick Johnston Signature Atom-Buckers pickups, Master Volume, Master Tone, five-way Superswitch
- Weight: 8lb.13 / 3.99kg
- Left-handed options: No
- Finish: Atomic Mercury
- Case: No
- Contact: Schecter
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
The short run of Silverburst Les Paul Customs during the late 70s eventually became the stuff of legend, with players like Adam Jones of Tool believing – perhaps even erroneously – that the chromed aluminium in the metal-flake paint “does something to the tone or the resonance or the polarity somehow”.
This Schecter approximation of that storied finish certainly looks very close, though it won’t have any of the special paints that supposedly affect tone, or develop a greenish hue over time like the Gibson originals.
What you do get, however, is an impressively solid guitar that rings true and will do as commanded all night long with no backups required.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
This is a guitar that feels notably substantial
Weighing just under nine pounds, with a thicker wenge neck instead of the thinner maple found on the regular Traditional models, this is a guitar that feels notably substantial.
But it’s still every bit as balanced and playable as I’d expect from a Nick Johnston signature, with the distinctly flat 14” radius ebony fingerboard giving it more of a modern edge in terms of performance.
The action out of the box seems just about right as a middle ground – a medium range 1.60mm from low E / 1.35mm from high E. Of course, you could bring it down a little – and I would, personally as I prefer a lower action for speed. As it is, it’s as suited to riffing as it is noodling, which makes perfect sense given the recent developments in Johnston’s career.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★½
Interestingly, for the first time ever, there are no single-coil sounds to be found on this Nick Johnston model whatsoever.
And perhaps that’s the point here – every one of his signatures thus far has sonically taken influence from the Fender world, from last year’s 10th anniversary HSS series to the Telecaster-inspired PT range debuted in 2022.
If you want that vintage flavour, well, it’s already out there, which helps explain why this latest iteration celebrates his new band life exclusively as a humbucker player.
Admittedly, it’s not quite as versatile as a Nick Johnston HSS model, but that’s almost the point
For this test, I plugged this test model into a Marshall JCM 25/50 2555X Silver Jubilee reissue, with a Boss Super Overdrive SD-1W bringing some extra heat going in and a TC Electronic Hall Of Fame adding reverb via the effects loop. The Atombuckers are highly articulate and musical, with more of a vintage flavour than your typical Schecter guitar.
They might not be as high in output as the Mojotone, EMG and Lace pickups the band have used in the past, but they can still comfortably handle all of your favourite Mastodon riffs from Blood And Thunder and Oblivion to Black Tongue to Ember City.
The volume and tone controls are highly reactive and extra lively thanks to the 500k pots, allowing users to fine-tune their sound on the fly – providing options for blues, rock, metal and even jazz tones.
Admittedly, it’s not quite as versatile as a Nick Johnston HSS model, but that’s almost the point.
Verdict
It’s easy to see why this guitar has been getting so much attention – certainly, joining forces with one of the biggest names in metal will always help steal headlines, but finding a twin humbucker guitar that looks and sounds as good as is far from easy.
The tremolo system can be easily set up to warble like Jeff Beck and Michael Lee Firkins with zero tuning issues
Some might even say it is impossible. Extra features like the locking tuners, metal ring inlays and 500k pots add to that degree of professionalism, and the tremolo system can be easily set up to warble like Jeff Beck and Michael Lee Firkins with zero tuning issues.
In fact, this is yet another upgrade that separates it from the Nick Johnston models of old, behaving similarly to aftermarket speciality products like the VegaTrem.
There might be some players out there who would prefer a different finish or options for single-coil sounds, but it’s worth remembering that this instrument was specifically designed to be Johnston’s workhorse in Mastodon. There's no reason why it can't be the same muse for many others.
Guitar World verdict: The Nick Johnston Traditional HH is a difficult guitar to fault – ultimately, you’re looking at a hard-rocking monster that is as alluring to the eye as it is the ear. And while it’s tonally more straightforward than the HSS models, it’s still a feature-rich all-rounder that will suit just about any kind of humbucker player.
Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality |
This is an exceptionally well-built instrument with no dead notes and perfect craftsmanship across the board. Schecter’s Indonesian factory is undoubtedly one of the finest in its corner of the world. |
★★★★★ |
Playability |
The flat radius makes this a real performance machine, even more so if you lower the action and switch from 10 to 9 gauge strings. |
★★★★★ |
Sounds |
As we’ve grown to expect from the Nick Johnston signatures, this is easily one of the best-sounding guitars within its price range. |
★★★★½ |
Overall |
This beefed up version of Johnston's S-style is an top-quality tool for heavier styles. |
★★★★½ |
