Reverend Guitars has returned with a new Gil Parris GPS signature electric guitar for 2021, which aims to offer the best of both the vintage and modern guitar worlds.
Interestingly, in-demand session player Parris veers away from the offset aesthetics of his previous signature guitars and instead opts for a more conventional Stratocaster-style body shape.
What's even more intriguing is that the new signature represents the first time Reverend has used the Strat body shape, having previously only experimented with Tele-shaped Fender-style models.
Like all Reverend models, the GPS features a Korina body – a medium-light wood "highly prized for its consistency and tonal qualities" – and a Bonetite nut, which aims to reduce friction and improve tuning stability.
The GPS also has a 25.5" scale, a Medium Oval neck profile and a heat-treated roasted maple neck that adds to the vintage aesthetic with a deep caramel color.
(Image credit: Reverend Guitars)
In a bid to blend this vintage feel with modern tones, the Gil Parris signature comes equipped with Fishman Fluence Single Width pickups, which offer two separate voicings accessed through a push-pull toggle on the bridge tone control knob.
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While one voicing offers vintage sweetness and clarity, the other promises a "more muscular overwound punch".
Capping off Parris's new guitar is a Midnight Black finish, Reverend's pin-lock tuners and a Wilkinson WVS50K tremolo, which vows to withstand any "aggressive whammy action".
The GPS joins Reverend's 2021 lineup alongside the new Jetstream 390, Roundhouse and Warhawk DAW.
The Gil Parris GPS is available now for $1,919. Visit Reverend Guitars for more info.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
