MusicRadar Verdict
If you are a budding shredder, taking your first steps into the realms of high gain, or a more experienced player looking to serve your occasional inner metalhead, the Spira S-450 TPP is a great choice, capable of much more than its entry-level price point suggests.
Pros
- +
Outstanding spec for the money.
- +
Great for heavy rhythm tones.
- +
Striking aesthetic.
Cons
- -
Pickups are a little thin for cleans or leads.
- -
Sharp edges to the nut.
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What is it?
Budget-friendly electric guitars have never been so good. Brands like Harley Benton and JET provide a ridiculously high spec for the kind of prices that, in previous years, would have gotten the buyer nothing more than an instrument to establish an interest on, before quickly moving to something more playable. Now, from the team behind JET, we have Spira.
It's aiming to take that value and deliver it to the budding, high-gain players among us. But with such a strong act to follow, can it keep up with its well-renowned sister brand?
I first became aware of JET guitars in my previous life as a guitar tutor. Knowing their reputation for value for money, I got some hands-on experience when a student brought in their brand new JET JT-350, and was impressed at the spec and playability of such an affordable guitar.
What JET has lacked, however, is an all-out metal machine. The creation of the Spira brand from the same team is aimed at filling this void with a suite of guitars built specifically for music of a heavier persuasion. What I have in front of me is the Spira S-450 TPP, and given their association with JET, my expectations are high.
Specs
- Launch price: £329/€419
- Made: China
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: Poplar
- Neck: Canadian roasted maple/Modern D
- Fingerboard: Roasted maple
- Scale length: 25.5"/647.7mm
- Nut/width: Artificial bone/43mm
- Frets: 24/Jumbo
- Hardware: Spira locking tuners, fixed bridge
- String spacing at bridge: 50mm/1.9"
- Electrics: HH Spira Villain ceramic humbuckers, Volume, Tone, 3-way switch
- Weight: 7lb 2oz/3.3kg
- Options: T-450 TPP
- Left-handed options: No
- Finishes: Trans Purple (as reviewed), Trans Red/Black, Trans Green
- Cases: No
- Contact: Spira Guitars
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★½
And the Spira does not disappoint when it comes to the build. The first thing that hits the eye is the finish on the burl poplar top that sits on a roasted poplar body. It is far from subtle, and immediately puts the Spira into the metal guitar category with a look that punches well above its budget.
The striking aesthetic is accompanied by a roasted maple neck. Said to add tuning stability as well as just looking cool, it's a premium feature that is becoming more common on cheaper guitars.
Adding weight to the ‘roasted maple equals better tuning’ theory and, more importantly, an indicator of a generally well-built guitar, is the fact that the Spira S-450 TPP holds its tuning well. Getting the guitar into the studio, I was present for the photo shoot, after which I tuned it up and had a quick go on it before packing it back into its box. Now, writing this review a week later, it is still in tune and remains so after a fair number of self-indulgent jam sessions.
The tuners themselves do a good job for the price point and are also locking, which is a particularly welcome treat. Although they feel robust under the fingers, they are a little floaty, as I found it easy to overshoot the pitch I was aiming for. However, as I said, once it’s in tune, the guitar stays in tune well.
Solid too are the metal control knobs and plastic switch, which moves with a satisfying clunk. The only point of grievance is the sharp edges of the artificial bone nut, which could have been cut a little smoother.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
Playability is where the Spira S-450 TPP excels for me. Going by the aesthetic of this guitar, I am expecting an ultra shreddy feel, but the neck is what Spira call a “Modern D”. It is definitely of the thinner, speedier persuasion, but stops short of providing that “Wizard thin” feel present in some all out shredders from the likes of Ibanez.
What makes the guitar extra smooth is the nicely rolled fretboard edges - another welcome surprise at this budget.
The action is of a similar vein. It would be called low on a more traditional style of guitar, but it is not as low as I would expect given the aesthetic. The benefit of this, though, is that there is no discernible buzz of any kind on any fret, and it is arguably a better setup to learn on as it will develop technique that is more transferable to other guitars.
Playing through a bunch of speedy licks is very rewarding, and whilst it is not an all-out shreddy feel, it is still a generally low action, which helps the flashy stuff along. And it should be mentioned that there is scope here to lower the action should you want to get the guitar further into super-speed territory.
This is aided by the 14” fretboard radius, the flatter curve making the legato acrobatics a touch easier than they would be on, say, a typical 9.5” or 12” radius.
The appointment of jumbo frets also lends itself well to some wide vibrato and over-the-top bends, with all of this combining to make an effortless and addictive playing experience, furthered by the carve at the neck joint, which allows for access to all 24 frets.
Blasting through some down-picked Metallica and chordy AC/DC, the Spira feels at home on both
An upside of refraining from all-out shreddery is that riffs and open chords at the low end of the neck still feel comfortable. Blasting through some down-picked Metallica and chordy AC/DC, the Spira feels at home on both, making this a versatile guitar to play.
What we have then is a guitar that plays fast enough to suit any metalhead, without going too far into specialist territory. This strikes me as a good decision given the price bracket and the viability of the Spira 450 TPP as a first guitar, as it gives playability for heavier styles with the option to branch out into other places as the player progresses.
Having said that, the build and playability make the Spira S-450 TPP more than just a beginner electric guitar, but one that could be viable as a gigging instrument. That is, of course, assuming that the sounds are equally good.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★☆
Starting with a clean tone, the first thing I notice is a particularly present attack. The response is very snappy and immediate, which some may find to be a good thing. The high end is nice and present without being offensive, and the lows are kept tight. What is missing is a little bit of body, and this, combined with that attack, makes the guitar sound a bit thin.
However, this is not a guitar that is built for cleans first. It is a rock machine, and with that in mind, I load up a high-gain JCM 800 preset on my Tonex Pedal and run it through a Tonex Cab, giving it plenty of volume in my, thankfully, detached house.
Playing those aforementioned Metallica riffs, the tight low end really comes into its own, creating a focused and endlessly enjoyable heavy rhythm sound. Spira also includes a string dampener situated just above the nut, aimed at taming the extraneous noises that sometimes accompany such high levels of gain.
The Spira Villain ceramic pickups are of a relatively high output and are built with a heavy tone in mind, as having begun on the bridge, I switch to the neck pickup to find that it does not give in to the woolyness that other pickups may do at this level of gain.
A guitar with a pickup set that can easily handle the levels of distortion that the look suggests it is built for
Clarity is maintained whilst adding a bit of warmth, with the middle position sounding like the neck with just a little extra bite. This makes for a guitar with a pickup set that can easily handle the levels of distortion that the look suggests it is built for.
Playing some lead reveals another consequence of a well-built guitar – a healthy dose of sustain. Being a picky reviewer, I am left wanting a little more of that aforementioned body here, but at this price point, I can't help but enjoy the tones on offer.
Verdict
It’s not only perfect as a first guitar, it's a gig-worthy instrument with a spec and build that could last deep into a player's guitar journey
As far as value for money goes, it is difficult to expect more than what the Spira S-450 TPP has to offer. With a spec that consists of a roasted maple neck, locking tuners and rolled fretboard edges combined with a genuinely solid build and good sounds, it is up there as one of the better value for money metal guitars that you can currently buy.
Whilst it stops short of being an all-out shredder, it still provides a playability that suits the heavier side of things. The pickups then drive this home with a voice that, whilst I would have liked a little more body for lead work, provides an impressively focused and tight high-gain sound.
For those looking for a heavy machine on a budget with striking looks, you can’t go wrong here. It’s not only perfect as a first guitar, it's a gig-worthy instrument with specs and build that could last deep into a player's guitar journey. Alternatively, if you are a more experienced player who doesn’t play heavy music often, but wants a guitar that can tick that box so as to serve your occasionally surfacing inner metalhead, the Spira S-450 TPP has the quality and affordability to suit.
MusicRadar verdict: If you are a budding shredder, taking your first steps into the realms of high gain, or a more experienced player looking to serve your occasional inner metalhead, the Spira S-450TPP is a great choice, capable of much more than its entry-level price point suggests.
Test | Results | Score |
|---|---|---|
Build quality | Incredibly high spec for the money. Some sharp edges on the nut. | ★★★★½ |
Playability | Whilst aimed at the shreddier side of things, it's comfortable for more than just metal. | ★★★★★ |
Sounds | A great hi-gain sound, if a little thin for lead and clean | ★★★★☆ |
Overall | Great value for money, solid build and good sounds. It's difficult to expect much more for the price. | ★★★★½ |
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