# So.. Halo guitars?



## EdibleVypyr (Oct 14, 2013)

Hey all.
I've been researching custom guitars for a while and I've come across Halo guitars, sad thing is they have a lot of bad reviews but those posts were back in like.. 06-09? so does anyone know if they've improved their quality since or has anyone bought one recently and if so can you tell me your honest opinion on one?
Cheers guys


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## jeleopard (Oct 14, 2013)

This again?

Well, they have been trying to improve, but people have been wary to buy them.

A few new ones are on here, and people seem to like them, but not everyone is convinced...


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 14, 2013)

EdibleVypyr said:


> I've been researching custom guitars for a while



I have reason to doubt the validity of this claim.


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## jeleopard (Oct 14, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I have reason to doubt the validity of this claim.



Some people might consider 30 minutes a while, I suppose.


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## MF_Kitten (Oct 14, 2013)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I have reason to doubt the validity of this claim.



To clarify to OP, Halo Guitars has a history of creating RIDICULOUSLY BAD PRODUCTS in the past. They have since, however, had a replacement of crew and owners and stuff, and have thrown out the weak links in the company. Or so their new ownership has said. They've publicly confirmed all the problems they had, and have said that they fixed it, so... Hopefully they grow from there.

There are still design issues with some of their guitars, little features and stuff that need to be refined, but quality-wise I hear it's picked up a lot.


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## shawnperolis (Oct 14, 2013)

Guess you'll just have to buy one and find out.


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## Lorcan Ward (Oct 14, 2013)

When I search "Custom 7 string guitar" the top 10 builder results are:
Strictly 7
Mayones
Acacia
Warmoth
Ran
PRS
Cilla
Halo
Daemoness
Conklin

Some huge jumps in price(and quality!) on this list so I can see why Halo would be a tempting option.


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## 3074326 (Oct 14, 2013)

I played two Halo guitars last week and thought they felt really good. First time I had played one.


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## Corrosion (Oct 14, 2013)

I have a halo. Happy to answer specifics through pm's.


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## shawnperolis (Oct 14, 2013)

Corrosion said:


> I have a halo. Happy to answer specifics through pm's.



It might benefit everyone if you answered them publicly.


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## 7stg (Oct 14, 2013)

Given that you can order up to 10 strings, with several scale lengths, and can be spec'ed nicely I would like them to be good. I have not seen very many NGD's and I think it is a bit of you first attitude along with past memories.

Why don't you buy one and report back,


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## 7stg (Oct 14, 2013)

shawnperolis said:


> Corrosion said:
> 
> 
> > I have a halo. Happy to answer specifics through pm's.
> ...



With pictures, video, and sound.


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## Corrosion (Oct 15, 2013)

7stg said:


> With pictures, video, and sound.



To be fair, my guitar is a much older model, 04(or 05, i cant remember) bh7, so as their current lineup goes, my knowledge might be not so useful. I can provide pics later today if it would please you; sound/video when my comp is fixed.

That being said, use the search on the forum, or even google it. My guitar is one of the few tolerable ones from that time period. There were quite a few people on here that were burned by them, getting unplayable/unsellable instruments and the shenanigans involved in returning it... if that was even possible.

Specs:
seven string
alder body
through neck 5 piece maple 25.5
stainless steel jumbo frets
floyd rose licensed trem
rosewood fret board
sharkfin inlays
1 vol 1 tone
2x humbuckers

or so i was told by waylon...

I cant remember the year, but i know i got it for christmas... i was about 14/15 at the time. it came with a coffin case.


I am not unhappy with the guitar, but, not entirely excited either. There exist flaws... quite a few in fact, but its playability is good. The floyd isnt the worst or best, one of the locking heads on the nut is so tight i have to pry it out to tune or change strings, the stock pups were terrible(halos pups), sharp frets, the finish is nice, but there are some spots of black in the clear, one dead note, rough, not cleaned/finished cavities, and an input jack that is half broken but glued in so it may never be removed(obviously the person building it dropped the ball here). other people find the horn shape weird/uncomfortable... i have no issue with this. Good notes: action is good with minimal buzz, great tone with the new pickups(sd's), and the black transparent with the grain showing through is sexy. keeps tune well, and intonation is steady. 

The original customer service/relations were laced with broken promises/fools gold/bullshittery, but the new management seems cool and trying to resolve past issues. imma leave those at that.


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## 7stg (Oct 15, 2013)

Corrosion said:


> To be fair, my guitar is a much older model, 04(or 05, i cant remember) bh7......



Thanks for the write up! Being a 04 or 05 I guess it just speaks to the brands checkered past. I guess You can't make a silk purse from a sow's ear. Well, one day I hope they can execute and deliver, on paper they are great, they could be a Carvin for the ERG crowd. up to 10 strings, several scale lengths and multi scale, several name brand pickups, and more, but at this point, it has not been proven that all that is not just lipstick on a pig. Their pricing is even a bit higher than Carvin, but from the past Halo guitar reviews I have seen, their quality could likely be matched by my limited wood working skills.


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## EdibleVypyr (Oct 15, 2013)

Thanks for all the replies guys! i'm new to this forum but everything here seems so professional. I might go with Halo or inquire with them about their guitar and if everything is spot on and stuff. If everything is a bit meh, I might just go buy a B.C Rich and play around on that.


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## zachyl (Oct 15, 2013)

I actually think it would benefit halo a lot to give out a guitar or two to members here to review. If people had a little more reassurance that they fixed their quality they could probably become pretty popular.


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## exarchangel (Oct 15, 2013)

I have a Halo Reaper Barione 7 on the way, should be here on friday. IF IT COMES FRIDAY- I'll do a review over the weekend, if not, you'll have to wait till the weekend after, the music program where i'm at can get crazy during the week so I might not have time.

YES- I bought it just to see. Got a good deal ($450), so if it ends up sucking i'll just buy a different 7 and take out the duncan blackouts, and BAM- guitar wallhanger decoration!

The specs are decent though: 

Construction Method: Set Neck
Strings: 7
Scale Length: 27"
Body: Solid Alder
Fingerboard Binding: NA
Pickups: Seymour Duncan Blackouts
Body Finish: Transparent Black Gloss
Headstock Shape: Inline
Neck Finish: Gloss
Neck Shape: C
Neck: 3-Piece Maple
Fingerboard: Ebony
Frets: 24 Nickel Silver Extra Jumbo
Inlays: NA
Nut: Graphtech Black TUSQ XL

Hardware Color: Black
Bridge System: TOM
Control Pattern: 1 Volume, 1 Tone, 3-Way Toggle Switch
Weight: 8lbs. 
Tuning: B E A D G B E


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## oniduder (Oct 15, 2013)

so... no there's plenty of other custom makers i'd take prior to risking my money with halo

as mentioned in the above, but yeah for what it's worth i'll state it again

anyways


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## Corrosion (Oct 15, 2013)

Top 9 are of my bh7... there ya go!


http://s1068.photobucket.com/user/Corrosionx/library/?sort=3&page=1


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## Andrew91 (Oct 15, 2013)

Corrosion said:


> Top 9 are of my bh7... there ya go!
> 
> 
> Corrosionx's's Library | Photobucket



Yeah... they've definitely improved 100 fold..
No offense.


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## Corrosion (Oct 15, 2013)

Andrew91 said:


> Yeah... they've definitely improved 100 fold..
> No offense.



None taken. Pics really don't do a lot of justice.


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## Erockomania (Oct 15, 2013)

I think you'll find the consensus is Hal-no.


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## exarchangel (Oct 16, 2013)

Erockomania said:


> I think you'll find the consensus is Hal-no.



The consensus of people who've for the most part never played one....


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## hmmm_de_hum (Oct 16, 2013)

I got my replacement build over a year ago now, had no issues at all and it really is a lovely playing instrument. Checkered past aside, they seemed to have sorted a lot of things out in all areas of their company.


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## Rotatous (Oct 16, 2013)

To be honest, if I were to get a custom guitar (which my next guitar will hopefully be, however far down the road), Halo would be down at the very bottom end of the list based on their reputation and the work I've seen of them alone. Totally not my thing as far as custom instruments go. Also, its probably important to consider that if you really want a custom guitar that you know you'll be happy with, its worth saving up a good amount of money to get it done right - so if price is an issue, then you might want to save up and wait on it a little while


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## EdibleVypyr (Oct 16, 2013)

Rotatous said:


> To be honest, if I were to get a custom guitar (which my next guitar will hopefully be, however far down the road), Halo would be down at the very bottom end of the list based on their reputation and the work I've seen of them alone. Totally not my thing as far as custom instruments go. Also, its probably important to consider that if you really want a custom guitar that you know you'll be happy with, its worth saving up a good amount of money to get it done right - so if price is an issue, then you might want to save up and wait on it a little while


What custom company would you recommend then?


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## FallOfHumanity (Oct 16, 2013)

EdibleVypyr said:


> What custom company would you recommend then?



Depends on how much you're willing to spend. Custom guitars from high-end builders (ie. PRS, Thorn) will run you well into the thousands. However you also have Jackson who do custom spec guitars for a decent price.

It's also worth noting, though, that getting a custom spec low-end brand of guitar will probably still be lesser quality that a regular production model of a higher end guitar.


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## Rotatous (Oct 16, 2013)

EdibleVypyr said:


> What custom company would you recommend then?



I'd seriously consider a Ran, KXK, Sabre, Skervesen, Black Water, or if you really want to keep your budget tight (but with less custom options), a Carvin.

But take a good long look around on these forums at custom builds/NGDs too - there are a lot of really great luthiers out there who don't get the recognition they deserve, but could really make your dream guitar.


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## WaffleTheEpic (Oct 16, 2013)

Halo Guitars "Clarus" Demo - YouTube

This guy used to tour with Bermuda, and just recently got endorsed by Halo. That video is of a production model he got before his custom. He loves it and says it's one of the better 8's he's played.

I've personally considered it in the past. There's no real saying you'll get a good or bad guitar unless you go with them, because their rep is very ambiguous at the moment (despite what SSO says).

I, however, would go with Carvin unless you're looking for something specific that Halo offers, or save up for a KxK/Skervesen/Black Water.


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## Edika (Oct 16, 2013)

The OP is from Ireland however, so Carvin is not the cheaper custom choice unless he goes used. I have seen some discounted prices from KxK here and some runs (with happy endings) from luthiers that are comparable with the price for a new Carvin from a dealer.


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## WaffleTheEpic (Oct 16, 2013)

Edika said:


> The OP is from Ireland however, so Carvin is not the cheaper custom choice unless he goes used. I have seen some discounted prices from KxK here and some runs (with happy endings) from luthiers that are comparable with the price for a new Carvin from a dealer.



Didn't see that. My fault.
I'd suppose that Ran or Skervesen would be his best bet then


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## Edika (Oct 16, 2013)

Very good suggestions. I would say Ran and maybe the crusher models since they are customizable and not crazy expensive. I don't know Skervesen's pricing even though most forumites consider it quite low. Blackcats are another option that is relatively affordable.


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## WaffleTheEpic (Oct 16, 2013)

I think it's 1800 Euros starting price, +200 for fanned frets and then everything else is just on top of that. (for Skervesen)


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## RV350ALSCYTHE (Oct 16, 2013)

"Now the Ran Crusher FF8 guitar is available at an affordable price of 1550&#8364; - valid for standard specification." - Ran site


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## Zhysick (Oct 16, 2013)

The Ran Crusher Flat Top 8 is for 1080&#8364; standard specs... even better!! If fanned frets are not a must have...


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## exarchangel (Oct 18, 2013)

My halo guitar didn't come today so wont be here until sometime next week, I'll do a complete review with sound, pictures, honest thoughts (i'm not endorsed by halo nor am i getting this thing for free)...

Use that as a realistic view of the company, not the opinions of people who dont own/havent played one


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## Lava Joe (Oct 20, 2013)

Skervessen, for the finishes alone, anyone would take one in a heartbeat I'm sure if you didn't like it.

Never tried a Halo, their Evertune series looks cool, but Idk, they seemed too cheap IMO. My friend is all about them though.


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## ricknasty1985 (Oct 20, 2013)

exarchangel said:


> My halo guitar didn't come today so wont be here until sometime next week, I'll do a complete review with sound, pictures, honest thoughts (i'm not endorsed by halo nor am i getting this thing for free)...
> 
> Use that as a realistic view of the company, not the opinions of people who dont own/havent played one



I owned 2... Terrible.


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## Koloss85 (Oct 20, 2013)

^ for our benefit, please elaborate good sir.


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## mitchybang (Oct 20, 2013)

Yeah I had one a long time ago... I'd never buy another unless the quality has improved immensely. 

Just felt hastily put together and toyish. Wasn't even set up right and out of tune.


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## exarchangel (Oct 20, 2013)

ricknasty1985 said:


> I owned 2... Terrible.




Which ones and from what years?


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## SevenStringJones (Oct 21, 2013)

Save your money. They've given me nothing but trouble on my custom build.


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## TemjinStrife (Oct 21, 2013)

exarchangel said:


> The consensus of people who've for the most part never played one....



I've played one.

Even if I hadn't, though, why risk spending your money on a brand with a checkered reputation? There's plenty of more reputable shops.


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## celticelk (Oct 21, 2013)

TemjinStrife said:


> I've played one.
> 
> Even if I hadn't, though, why risk spending your money on a brand with a checkered reputation? There's plenty of more reputable shops.



But none that provide Halo's range of semi-custom options at that price point, especially if you're talking about baritones or 7/8-strings in less-common body shapes (Halo has ES-335 and Jazzmaster body options, among others). If their quality issues are substantively improved, they could be a major contender against Rondo for the semi-custom ERG market (niche though that may be).


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## exarchangel (Oct 21, 2013)

celticelk said:


> But none that provide Halo's range of semi-custom options at that price point, especially if you're talking about baritones or 7/8-strings in less-common body shapes (Halo has ES-335 and Jazzmaster body options, among others). If their quality issues are substantively improved, they could be a major contender against Rondo for the semi-custom ERG market (niche though that may be).





My halo reaper baritone 7 came today, first impressions are that this is the best $550 I've ever spent in my life, review for the weekend.


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## sezna (Oct 22, 2013)

I really hope their reputation improves...I love their "inverted" body style, it is so unique.


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## exarchangel (Oct 23, 2013)

sezna said:


> I really hope their reputation improves...I love their "inverted" body style, it is so unique.



My guitar came 2 days ago from halo, their reputation might still suck but the quality is incredible!


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## MaxOfMetal (Oct 23, 2013)

exarchangel said:


> My halo reaper baritone 7 came today, first impressions are that this is the best $550 I've ever spent in my life, review for the weekend.


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## Kullerbytta (Oct 24, 2013)

Whoa, at least their website doesn't look like absolute shit anymore  
I remember eyeing a custom Halo 7 before I purchased my RGA7. Then I came here to check reviews and opinions... 
Might be not all of their guitars were lemons, but I din't want to risk trying one out for myself.


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## Discoqueen (Oct 24, 2013)

If I were going to have a custom built the last thing I would want to have to consider would be if the damn thing is going to be acceptable. Like, if you are consider wood choices, pups, scale length, frets, finish and the whole nine yards, why add to your worries and take a risk on THAT, you know? 
I'd go with one of the builders/companies that when you see an NGD thread boasting their name, you get a little exited to see what's in store. Happy hunt, though, OP. I hope you figure something awesome out!


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## Silence2-38554 (Oct 24, 2013)

I've never touched/played one, but I just saw Upon a Burning Body a few nights ago and they were all decked out with Halo 7 strings & bass. Sounded good to me!


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## ben_hurt (Oct 27, 2013)

I've mentioned this on another thread, but I've ordered a custom FF8 from Halo, and am waiting on its arrival. I'll definitely get some vids together and such when it arrives. The customer service experience has been a bit frustrating, but they've made the effort to get things right, so I have to give them credit there.

BTW - they are manufactured and assembled in China, then setup in the 'states.


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## The Diplomat (Nov 26, 2013)

do you know if there is any possible way i can find a used octavia, perhaps someone selling one on here, or you know someone who is, i want the 8 string version, and i have wanted one for a couple years, is there any way someone could help hook me up?


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## Dethyr (Nov 27, 2013)

exarchangel said:


> The consensus of people who've for the most part never played one....



Sort of like 90% of the people on here with various pieces of gear. Everyone seems to be an expert on stuff they have never used.


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## Konfyouzd (Nov 27, 2013)

Corrosion said:


> I have a halo. Happy to answer specifics through pm's.



Isnt yours an older one?


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## The Hiryuu (Nov 27, 2013)

exarchangel said:


> My halo reaper baritone 7 came today, first impressions are that this is the best $550 I've ever spent in my life, review for the weekend.



Wait, was it $450 or $550?

Something smells fishy. And I just cleaned my room, so it's not that.


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## MF_Kitten (Nov 28, 2013)

The Hiryuu said:


> Wait, was it $450 or $550?
> 
> Something smells fishy. And I just cleaned my room, so it's not that.



What, you don't trust the guy in a $1500 suit? COME OOOON!


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## Corrosion (Nov 28, 2013)

Konfyouzd said:


> Isnt yours an older one?



Yea it is. Haha. 

And yes... something is fishy with the price on that.


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## The Hiryuu (Nov 28, 2013)

MF_Kitten said:


> What, you don't trust the guy in a $1500 suit? COME OOOON!



Well, if he said it was $1500 from the beginning, maybe.


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## MF_Kitten (Nov 29, 2013)

The Hiryuu said:


> Well, if he said it was $1500 from the beginning, maybe.



What, you don't trust the intentions of the guy in the $2500 suit? COME OOOON!


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## Go To Bed Jessica (Nov 29, 2013)

What gets me about this is that if their facebook page is to be believed, they are selling reasonable numbers of instruments - including but not limited to seven and eight string guitars... but none of them are showing up on here.

I realize not everyone who owns an ERG is a member of this site, but it's weird that none of them are turning up for NGD posts or reviews or whatever. It's pretty hard to be into ERGs and not stumble across this place in your internet travels.


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