REVIEWS
"Walking this year's NAMM gave me an opportunity to play a huge variety of guitars ranging from carved archtops and flat tops to "Blues" and "Metal" guitars and designer instruments incorporating the latest in technology. This year, however, I continued to find myself back with Chihoe Hahn at Hahn Guitars four or five different times during my one day visit. For me, this oasis of tranquility and familiarity were his 228's, instruments that, at first glance, bear a striking resemblance to a Telecaster. This, however, is where the similarities end. His butterscotch beauties-maple neck and board, swamp ash bodies and Lollar pickups offer the perfect marriage of form and function.
The neck begins with a vintage "V" which gently gives way to a "C" allowing for more comfort and enhanced playability. A nicely radiused fingerboard has all strings, open and fretted, vibrating cleanly. String bending couldn't be easier and cleaner and much to my surprise not one string fretted out! (If only all my guitars played like that). The Lollar pickups combined with "hand-tuned" bodies bring out the true tonal characteristics of these instruments. Sweet, twangy, biting, chimey, liquid, glassy are some of tones that come to mind.
Physically, the instruments are very well balanced, comfortable and easy to play. In fact, it felt as if these instruments played themselves. Upon my last visit with Chihoe, as I was really getting to know the instrument, we were visited by a member of the NAMM music police who, with a dB meter, placed some music in front of me in an attempt to get me to turn down. As an excellent sight reader, this ploy proved unsuccessful as Lovely Rita stood, listened, smiled then sauntered away. Apparently she knows not to get in between a guitarist and a great guitar. Now, if only he made amps also."
- Darryl Berk
Darryl Berk on Hahn Guitars’ Model 228
