Under Michel Chavarria, LAG has spent 25 years hand-crafting boutique axes for French aristocrats. Now it’s taking its elitist build principles to the masses with a cut-price line of Chinese electrics.

You can’t expect the same trimmings as the bourgeoisie, but there’s evidence LAG have fought to stop too many corners being cut on the A200ST.

Essentially, this is a frill-free version of the A3000 played by Cradle Of Filth’s Charles Hedger, offering a slim slice of basswood and maple, sweetening the deal with a ‘superstrat’ cluster of EMG-HZ pickups and qualifying here thanks to a licensed Floyd Rose.

At a price point where most luthiers go through the motions, this model drips imagination, from the off-the-wall headstock to the deliciously contoured body. The neck is an effortless player too, and while we’re less inclined to shred on this classy beast, the vibrato deals with anything you throw at it.

Verdict

With its three pickups, a five-position selector and a coil-tap hiding beneath the tone pot, it’s fair to say the A200ST is the most versatile in the group. Far more than a tool of moronic metal, the LAG is capable of fat-bottomed rock, hot buttered funk, smooth jazz chords and the jagged nosebleed filth the metal brigade crave.

4 Stars

Pros: classy vibe, versatile tone.
Cons: too classy for metallers?

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