Earlier this year, it was reported that Vernon Reid was working with Reverend to produce a new line of signature guitars, which would be the first Floyd Rose-equipped electric guitars the firm has ever produced.
At the time, Reid was snapped playing what he later revealed to the ‘Talisman’ – a uniquely shaped double-cut, which would be part of a wider signature series due to arrive at some point this year.
Now, in an exclusive new chat with Guitar World, the Living Color icon has shed more light on his upcoming range of Reverend models by giving fans a closer look at another addition to the range: the Mystery Tramp.
“This guitar is going to be a new signature model from Reverend, and it’s one of a series of guitars,” he says with the instrument in his lap. “This is called Mystery Tramp, and the other two guitars are called Shaman and Talisman.”
As expected, the guitar comes with a Floyd Rose tremolo and a reverse headstock, but what we perhaps weren’t expecting was its wild custom artwork.
Sure, the paint job is neat, but just look at the upper part of the guitar: it’s got three literal googly eyes attached. Have you ever seen a guitar with googly eyes?!
There is also some symbol-shaped artwork on the three humbucker pickup covers, which continue for a range of similarly hieroglyphic-looking fretboard inlays and truss rod cover.
“This one is pretty fun,” Reid says of his new model. “The eyeballs? Those are mine. You may have them available on request.
“I’ve been associated with quite a few guitar companies in my life – ESP, Hamer, PRS – and all of them [are] great instruments. This is another in a line of, I think, really exceptional instruments I’ve had. I want to shout out Reverend for sticking with my crazy ideas.”
Head over to Guitar World’s YouTube channel to see clips of Reid and his Mystery Tramp signature guitar play through his seven favorite Living Colour guitar riffs – and the seven riffs that inspired him the most.
