Even Jimi Hendrix had to dial back his stage presence while backing up Little Richard. However, if you need all eyes on you, I’ve got the answer right here: the Inferno by Minarik Guitars.
Sure, it’s the most attention-grabbing, extroverted guitar you’ve ever seen, but there’s a method behind the madness. Each flame is mathematically plotted to boost specific frequencies of the guitar. Along with, well, let’s just call them “tone flames,” the body is chambered, which helps give the Inferno its unique voice.
The first question that came to my mind when I saw the Inferno was, how am I going to play this thing? I had flashbacks of that time I tried to play a Flying V while sitting down. It probably won’t become your favorite couch guitar, but the Inferno plays well while sitting or standing. The flames keep it anchored in place while standing. I mean there’s absolutely no chance of neck dive!
Built with a 24.75” scale, a flatter radius fretboard, 22 frets, mahogany body, set neck and a Tune-o-matic bridge, it plays very much like a Les Paul. The weight is right around 9 lbs., also comparable to a modern Gibson. The pickups are Tone Perfect Resonatas, which are exclusive to the Inferno. The controls are neck volume, bridge volume, master tone and a three-way pickup selector.
AND NOW, THE AUDIO CLIPS!
CLIP 1: Here’s a guitar trip around the pickups. I start on the neck pickup followed by the middle (both pickups) and finish up on the bridge pickup. I’m playing through a Fender Blues Junior with the amp right around breakup. Note the Inferno’s serious midrange bump.
CLIP 2: I recorded a loop; the rhythm/clean part is both pickups. For the lead/overdriven sounds, I added a TS-9 Tube Screamer in front of the Blues Junior, started on the neck pickup and switched to the bridge pickup.
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CLIP 3: For my high-gain friends, here’s the bridge pickup and the Drive knob all the way up.
WEB: minarikguitars.com STREET PRICE: $1,100 with case. Note: The Inferno seen here is part of a limited run with a few cosmetic add-ons, most notably the stars. Enjoy!
You can't believe everything you read on the Internet, but Billy Voight is a gear reviewer, bassist and guitarist from Pennsylvania. He has Hartke bass amps and Walden acoustic guitars to thank for supplying some of the finest gear on his musical journey. Need Billy's help in creating noise for your next project? Drop him a line at thisguyonbass@gmail.com.
