RYOGA Hornet-T3V Transparent Pearl White

Description

RYOGA Hornet-T3V Transparent Pearl White

Why we love it

RYOGA models made in Japan are some of the best guitars you likely didn’t know existed. Essentially well thought out, high quality, limited production builds with exceptional attention to detail produced by Fujigen in limited quantities as a private label for a Japanese music retailer. The Hornet is like a mashup of traditional Gibson and Fender elements with a few innovative features mixed in you didn’t know you needed until you play it.

Condition

This guitar is in Excellent condition with very few signs of prior use. There is one very small ding near the electronics cavity (pictured). There are very fine picking scratches on the pickguard. Otherwise, this guitar is in fantastic shape. The tremolo arm, tools, and an excellent RYOGA gig bag are included.

Overview

The Hornet is one of RYOGA’s standard models and the core of the RYOGA brand. The design is intended to be relatively lightweight and easy to handle and wear during long performances without compromising tone. Don’t let the simple appearance fool you, this guitar is packed with interesting and high-end features.

The body is made of mahogany, giving it a strong, warm tone. The 3-piece neck is made of hard maple sandwiched between mahogany to ensure strength and detailed tonal response. The neck is deep set around the 15th fret to ensure sustain, with a deep cutout on the first-string side for enhanced playability. The neck profile feels somewhere between modern C and D with generous (but not bulky) 1.69-inch width at the nut and sports a 12 in fingerboard radius. A beautiful, very thick slab of rosewood is employed for the fingerboard, which sports very stylish offset fret markers and exquisite fretwork. It’s comfortable and roomy while still feeling slick and quick for fast runs. The transparent pearl white paint is expertly applied, subtly changing depending on the angle and intensity of the light while still allowing the grain of the tonewoods to peek through. A very well executed and super cool abalone RYOGA hornet logo inlay peeks out from the headstock. Additional details include excellent Gotoh locking tuners and tremolo bridge, thick tortoiseshell pickguard, matching tortoiseshell capped knobs, and rosewood truss rod cover.

Electronics and Tone

Fantastic VanZandt single coil and humbucker pickups were chosen for this early model Hornet. The single coil VanZandt ROCK neck pickup provides a full bodied yet tight sound with fast attack, leaning toward Telecaster territory. The bridge pickup is a VanZandt TRUEBACKER-HOT 4C providing plenty of detailed, dynamic, and tonally complex output for overdriven sounds. These pickups sound great individually or used together. Orange Drop capacitors, cloth wire, and Switchcraft jack are used to complete the electronics package.

Specifications

Body: Mahogany 2P (45mm depth)

Body Finish: Transparent White Pearl

Neck: Mahogany/Maple/Mahogany (Angle 14°)

Scale: 24.75 in (62.8 cm)

Fingerboard Radius: 12 in / 305R

Frets: 22, Vintage Narrow

Nut: Cow Bone

Width at Nut: 1.69” (43 mm)

Tuning Machines: GOTOH SG301-MGT/P4N/C

Bridge: GOTOH 510TS-BS1

Pickguard: Tortoiseshell

Pickups: VANZANDT TRUBACKER-HOT 4C (Bridge), VANZANDT ROCK (Neck)

Pickup Switching: 3-Position Toggle: Position 1. Bridge Pickup, Position 2. Bridge and Neck Pickups, Position 3. Neck Pickup

Controls: Neck pickup volume, bridge pickup volume, master tone

Hardware Finish: Chrome

Case/Gig Bag: RYOGA Gig Bag

Year of manufacture: 2023

Country of manufacture: Japan

Serial Number: F170976

Weight: 7.9 lbs / 3.6 kg