Caparison Guitars - What are your thoughts?

lyconxero · #1 04-10-2006, 06:19 PM

I really just heard about them today and I checked out their specs on their official website. It seems like it's a japanese company but I didn't see where the guitars are actually made. I only found one dealer here in the states and the price tags on them aren't cheap. But anyway, I just wanted to see what everyone thought of these guitars. If anyone actually owns one then I'd definitely like to know how they feel and sound and how you would compare them to comparable Ibanez guitars.

**jaxadam** · #2 04-10-2006, 07:23 PM

I have a Caparison Horus, and I don't really know what I think of it to tell you the truth.

I wasn't blown away by any means when I got it, but it's not a bad guitar.

The stock pickups suck.

It is very light for a mahogany guitar. It is the lightest guitar I own clocking in at exactly 7.0 lbs.

It's a 27 fret guitar with a 24.75" Gibson Les Paul Scale. So imagine a very light Les Paul with 27 frets. Me personally, I have enough trouble getting access to the 24th fret, much less the 27th...

On the good side:

The fret inlays are killer. They are little abalone and mother of pearl clocks that tell the time. 1 o'clock for the 1st fret, 3 o'clock for the 3rd, etc.

It has a slightly thicker, pretty sturdy hard maple neck that feels pretty good.

The frets are not very high, and a little wide for this scale guitar.

It has Gotoh height adjusting poles, which are really neat.

It has a Schaller trem, which aren't bad by any means, but it feels a little stiff.

I'm sure with some EMGs, this thing will scream, but the stock pickups aren't very great at all. Even with massive delay and reverb, I feel like I can hit a note and it sort of just fizzles out very quickly.

Some people love them, and some people hate them. It's one of those things where when it's the first guitar I pick up and play, it sounds pretty good and I enjoy it. But when I switch guitars, the next one seems to play and sound a little better. I'm sure with a little bit better of a set-up and some new pickups, this guitar would be killer. I'm probably going to swap them out soon, so maybe after I do that and a little maintenance on it, I can give you a better review.

**jaxadam** · #3 04-10-2006, 07:57 PM

Okay, I just went and played it...

It's a nice guitar. It definitely has the tonal qualities of a light mahogany. It is a little dark, and doesn't sustain as much as a heavier guitar would. But overall it sounds pretty good.

It holds tune and stays intonated very well.

Overall, it is a nice guitar, and I think it's going to be even nicer with some new pickups.

lyconxero · #4 04-10-2006, 08:10 PM

Thanks for the info, man. I'd really hate to spend that much money on a guitar unless it just wowed the hell out of me. Does anyone have any experience with the Dellinger models? The one that interested me the most was the Dellinger II SE since I'm more or less looking for an RG-styled guitar. I don't think that I'd like a guitar with 27 frets...especially with a 24.75 scale length.

Lefty Robb · #5 04-11-2006, 01:22 AM

you should check out LAG guitars, like the one that Stephen Forte from adagio plays, a killer 7 string 27 fret monster...

http://www.lag.fr/

A cool video of him is on the site too...

straymond · #6 04-11-2006, 01:39 AM

I've had 3 lag's. grand guitars!

fettouhi · #7 04-11-2006, 02:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty Robb

you should check out LAG guitars, like the one that Stephen Forte from adagio plays, a killer 7 string 27 fret monster...

http://www.lag.fr/

A cool video of him is on the site too...

Those are sweet

. But they seem to be hard to find outside of France?

Regards

André

lyconxero · #8 04-11-2006, 02:38 AM

Yeah...but I'm not into 7 strings OR 27 frets. That guy does have some chops, though. Nothing really all that original-sounding, though. That Arkane model looks pretty sweet...too bad the site isn't in English and I can't understand anything.

Lefty Robb · #9 04-11-2006, 03:06 AM

Yeah, I suspect there hard to get outside of france, most likely have to order them directly from LAG...

fettouhi · #10 04-11-2006, 05:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lefty Robb

Yeah, I suspect there hard to get outside of france, most likely have to order them directly from LAG...

You can do that?

Regards

André

sanitarium · #11 04-11-2006, 07:46 AM

I thought Caparison was a drink you get in a little foil pouch?

lyconxero · #12 04-11-2006, 12:09 PM

I believe that's Capri Sun that you're thinking about. Man, I haven't had one of those in a few years. They used to be one of my favorite drinks but those pouches would only tease my thirst and I'd have to drink like a box of them.

Texter · #13 04-11-2006, 12:12 PM

Capri Sonne lol...that's how I call Caparison when I talk guitar with my buddies. One of them is really GASsing for a Horus...

buddroyce · #14 04-11-2006, 01:19 PM

I've had a Caparison Horus and a Dellinger before (haven't tried a Dellinger II but I think they're pretty much the same guitar just with different pickup layouts).

The guitars themselves are made in Japan and aparently they're handmade in smaller quantities 'cause they're not a huge company.

I gotta agree with jaxadam with the pickups, they do kinda suck(at least for the the Caparison Horus and Dellinger that I had). They are actually very well made guitars and reminds me of some of the Japanese Domestic ESP models I've had(which doesn't surprise me as the luthiers probably came out of the ESP GuitarCraft school of guitar building). Actually if I recall that Dellinger I had felt a whole lot like my ESP MII Deluxe with a different heel joint.

lyconxero · #15 04-11-2006, 04:34 PM

Hmm, so the Dellinger basically feels like an ESP. I could probably live with that. What are the actual sale prices like converted to American dollars?