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• Review

The Classic Plus's relatively low output 'buckers lend a clean ringing tone, quite tightly focused in the low-end but smooth and bell-like in the mids and highs. Adding some crunch throws us into a quite classic, taut SG-like territory ideal for Townshend-style rock and economic, stinging leads from the bridge pickup contrasting the nicely vocal, yet not over dark, neck humbucker.

Both pickups produce admirable jangle, are nicely balanced and shout out for some tasteful modulation effects. Yet it's with some more serious gain that the vocal, dynamic range of the guitar shines through – a beautifully characterful lead voice that's modern, focused and would cut through even the densest mix.

Again the balance between pickups means that the pickup selector becomes like a tone switch, the bridge pickup creating attacking harmonic-laden lower-fret leads before the neck pickup smooths out the highs for that wonderfully vocal sustaining high-fret tone that just calls out for a complex rhythm section behind you.

The guitar sounds a little tight in the low end for older-style clean voices, but adding crunch and gain gives you superb, virtuoso lead voice. Less old-school, perhaps, than the spec would suggest but bags of mileage for the soloist and lots of scope for some taut aggressive riffology.

Since we last played a very good Vanquish guitar, we're happy to report that the company's wares have just got better. Subtle construction tweaks and slightly more classic tonality are seemingly small changes but they all add up to one of the best guitars you can currently buy from a UK maker if classic-to-modern rock is your thing.

Hardman has his craft down to an exceptionally high standard but in no way does it overshadow the playability and sound – that to our ears is where the most profound improvement has occurred.

If you value quality and modern virtuoso tone, and have the foresight to look beyond the perennial classics, then Vanquish – not least in the light of the rising prices of USA imports – should really be very high on your must try list.