“If you are searching for a guitar that pushes the envelope in every capacity, look no further”: Vola Guitars has unveiled Michael Keene’s first ever Japanese-made signature guitar – and it’s received a significant tonal update
The OZ Keene Machine J1 follows The Faceless guitarist's Toxic Green Custom Shop model, but drafts in some key electronic changes
Michael Keene has teamed up with Vola Guitars for his newest signature guitar, which offers a fresh take on the firm's flagship Superstrat OZ model.
Aptly named the OZ Keene Machine J1, it is also notably The Faceless riff beast's first-ever Made-in-Japan signature, and reimagines his original Toxic Green Custom Shop model in an updated Keene Green six-string format.
Lathered in that unmissable gloss finish, the six-string's spec sheet has been tailored to suit its owner's aggressive and technical playing style.
Its creator has said the guitar is designed for “uninhibited speed, grit, and intensity”, with a few choice changes made to his previous signature.
For example, where his previous model employed EMG 81/85 pickups, Keene has now opted for Fishman humbuckers, while a new custom neck contour has also been favored.
The new contour allows for a “seamless” connection between its three-piece hard rock maple neck and alder body, seemingly allowing for greater comfort and agility across its 24-fret ebony fingerboard. The result, Vola says, means that “access to higher frets has never been easier.”
Chief among the changes made to the stock OZ is the inclusion of a Gotoh 1996T tremolo system, which Keene has lifted from his previous signature OZ. Gotoh locking tuners and a Floyd RR2 locking nut act as sidekicks to the tremolo in a bid to deliver reliable tuning.
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Furthermore, where the standard OZ models offered HSS pickup configurations, Keene has opted for a dual humbucker approach via Fishman Fluence pickups.
The active pickups are the go-to choice for many modern players, including Tosin Abasi, Devin Townsend, and Stephen Carpenter.
Here, they’re complemented by a push/pull volume pot to switch between its unique alnico and ceramic-styled voicings, with a five-way switch on hand to unlock every side of their character. Keene has also forgone a tone knob, meanwhile, resulting in a sleeker look.
Luminlay side dots run along the neck for greater visibility, with a custom Chaos Star inlay on the 12th fret also boasting the same glow-in-the-dark aesthetic.
The guitar’s bold look – you certainly won’t miss it in a crowd – is finalized with an angled headstock and a black custom truss rod cover. The six-string has a 25.5” scale length and offers a 16” radius.
“If you are searching for a guitar that pushes the envelope in every capacity,” says Vola, “look no further.”
The Keene Machine is available for $1,749 direct from the Vola website.
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A freelance writer with a penchant for music that gets weird, Phil is a regular contributor to Prog, Guitar World, and Total Guitar magazines and is especially keen on shining a light on unknown artists. Outside of the journalism realm, you can find him writing angular riffs in progressive metal band, Prognosis, in which he slings an 8-string Strandberg Boden Original, churning that low string through a variety of tunings. He's also a published author and is currently penning his debut novel which chucks fantasy, mythology and humanity into a great big melting pot.