and said “ Hey , I want to put your name on this . . . ” They usually like our style to begin with , and then we ask them what they ’ ve always wanted in a guitar . We then make the exact guitar they want to play and perform with and also offer it to their fans .
PD : Is there any hope we might one day see a signature model of Reeves ’ s Bass Six Gun ?
KH : I learned a long time ago to never say never . The prototype he uses in the Cure is amazing .
PD : What are the odds we ’ ll ever see Reverend return to the amplifier or effects game ?
KH : At the moment we don ’ t have any plans . There are so many people out there doing it right . We have a tight relationship with Carr Amps — they share NAMM space with us — and they make some of the best amps on the planet . We ’ re also friends with EarthQuaker , Z . Vex , MXR , Creepy Fingers , Daredevil , Truetone , and so many others that do it so well that I ’ m not sure I have anything to add at this time !
PD : I seem to recall hearing that your dream endorsee was Prince . Now that he ’ s gone , who is your new white whale ?
KH : Wow , tough one . We landed Mike Watt this year , which is just huge for me personally . As far as guitar goes , I love the crew we have at the moment . I wouldn ’ t know who to add . More punk rock .
PD : Looking ahead , do you have any worries about sourcing materials , the supply of tone woods , or other factors that could inhibit guitar production ?
KH : We ’ re worried a lot about it right now because the new rosewood regulations are kicking our ass . The rosewood we have used is sustainably farmed in India and Indonesia . But with the new regulations , we can ’ t use it . We have a plan moving forward and we ’ ll be fine . We ’ ll be using a blackwood variant instead of rosewood here soon . We ’ ve found some other really neat woods that sound and feel great . And it ’ s more sustainable .
So that ’ s a brief history of Reverend guitars — how they originated , where they ’ ve been , and where they are heading . If you haven ’ t yet played a Reverend guitar , there ’ s no time like the present to start . With 62 models currently available and at least three more coming soon , the options are wide open . And with innovations like a super stable six-bolt neck ( on bolton models ), the bass contour control , and the optional Railhammer pickups , you might just find your new favorite guitar . But don ’ t take my word for it — trust the monster players like Reeves Gabrels , Pete Anderson , Billy Corgan , and Rick Vito or the “ upand-comers ” like Jenn Wasner and Kyle Shutt that choose Reverend .
and said “ Hey , I want to put your name on this . . . ” They usually like our style to begin with , and then we ask them what they ’ ve always wanted in a guitar . We then make the exact guitar they want to play and perform with and also offer it to their fans .
PD : Is there any hope we might one day see a signature model of Reeves ’ s Bass Six Gun ?
KH : I learned a long time ago to never say never . The prototype he uses in the Cure is amazing .
PD : What are the odds we ’ ll ever see Reverend return to the amplifier or effects game ?
KH : At the moment we don ’ t have any plans . There are so many people out there doing it right . We have a tight relationship with Carr Amps — they share NAMM space with us — and they make some of the best amps on the planet . We ’ re also friends with EarthQuaker , Z . Vex , MXR , Creepy Fingers , Daredevil , Truetone , and so many others that do it so well that I ’ m not sure I have anything to add at this time !
PD : I seem to recall hearing that your dream endorsee was Prince . Now that he ’ s gone , who is your new white whale ?
KH : Wow , tough one . We landed Mike Watt this year , which is just huge for me personally . As far as guitar goes , I love the crew we have at the moment . I wouldn ’ t know who to add . More punk rock .
PD : Looking ahead , do you have any worries about sourcing materials , the supply of tone woods , or other factors that could inhibit guitar production ?
KH : We ’ re worried a lot about it right now because the new rosewood regulations are kicking our ass . The rosewood we have used is sustainably farmed in India and Indonesia . But with the new regulations , we can ’ t use it . We have a plan moving forward and we ’ ll be fine . We ’ ll be using a blackwood variant instead of rosewood here soon . We ’ ve found some other really neat woods that sound and feel great . And it ’ s more sustainable .
So that ’ s a brief history of Reverend guitars — how they originated , where they ’ ve been , and where they are heading . If you haven ’ t yet played a Reverend guitar , there ’ s no time like the present to start . With 62 models currently available and at least three more coming soon , the options are wide open . And with innovations like a super stable six-bolt neck ( on bolton models ), the bass contour control , and the optional Railhammer pickups , you might just find your new favorite guitar . But don ’ t take my word for it — trust the monster players like Reeves Gabrels , Pete Anderson , Billy Corgan , and Rick Vito or the “ upand-comers ” like Jenn Wasner and Kyle Shutt that choose Reverend .
“ As of March 17 , 2017 , there are 27,920 Revs on the planet . We ’ re making roughly 3,500 a year .” — Ken Haas
18 INTERVIEW // Bow at the Altar : A Chat with Ken Haas at Reverend Guitars