Being the man who developed the Wolfgang range for Van Halen, Hartley Peavey knows a thing or two about shred axes. He reckons this one “encompasses everything I’ve learned over the years.”

You could power a wind farm with the hot air on Peavey’s website. The US giant refers us to the unmistakable looks, stellar construction and stunning raw materials of the new HP Special range, before concluding these are “guitars for true player’s players.” It’s only because of Peavey’s impeccable track record that we’re not arching a sceptical eyebrow.

The new EX looks a lot like the Wolfgang, so if you’re after a VH vibe, you’ll be hot for the flat-as-a-pancake basswood body, the hooky headstock and the liberal sprinkling of custom-wound single-coils and humbuckers. You won’t even notice that it’s the only HP to be built in China (not the US). You’ve only got 22 frets, but the cutaways ensure you can hit them all, while the trem response gives you nuance-rich riffs.

The bolt maple neck’s profile is described as ‘ultra fast’ and lives up to the billing when you start tapping, while clunking through the pickup settings cemented our impression that this is one versatile axe.

4 Stars

Pros: Great features and versatile tone.
Cons: Nope, nothing for the price.

Buy: Peavey HP Special EX is currently available from Thomann