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What is it?
In a green and pleasant corner of Somerset, West Valley Guitars founder Josh Stopford realises his very tasteful visions of alternative offset-body guitars.
Of the company’s existing Indiana range, there are already a variety of options available to suit different aesthetic and sonic tastes – but recently the line-up has been notably extended with the arrival of a whole new model, named the Fever.
Part of the launch line-up is today’s subject, the Fever Rambler. Stopford is describing this model as feeling “roughed up, modded and almost industrial”. A major part of that vibe comes from its relic finish, which contrasts sharply to West Valley’s other, glossier models.
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Owing to its simpler construction, the new Fever range sits at a slightly cheaper price point than the brand’s existing Indiana model. It also forms the foundation of West Valley’s first bass offering, the incredibly cool-looking Fever Thunder. Now, though, it’s time to see how the Firebird-style mini humbucker-powered Rambler stacks up.
Specs
- Price: From £2,595
- Made: UK
- Type: Six-string electric guitar
- Body: American lime
- Neck: Mahogany, C/D profile
- Fingerboard material/radius: Rosewood, 10-12” compound radius
- Scale length: 24.75”/628mm
- Nut/width: Bone, 42mm
- Frets: 21, narrow tall
- Hardware: Gotoh Vintage tuners, Descendant Blue Collar hardtail bridge
- String spacing at bridge: 11mm
- Electrics: Monty’s Firebird Retro Wind mini-humbuckers, CTS/Switchcraft electrics
- Weight: 6.9lb/3.1kg
- Options: Hardware, aging, neck and finish options available on request
- Left-handed options: N/A
- Finishes: ‘Refined color palette’, nitrocellulose, finish aging to customer request
- Case: Foam hard case included
- Contact: West Valley Guitars
Build quality
Build quality rating: ★★★★★
The Fever shape is very similar, in silhouette, to the West Valley’s Indiana – but where the Indiana has a comfort-contoured, chambered body and a posh-looking bound top, the Fever is much more straightforward. The body is a simple slab of American lime, with no contouring on the rear.
At the front, though, we find a classic German carve – an evocative design feature that marked out many a leftfield mid-century guitar shape, and really lifts the aesthetic. It really looks like a long-lost ‘60s design.
The neck on this example is a lovely, deep-brown mahogany with a rosewood fingerboard – a combination that calls to mind a traditional Gibson build, albeit with bolt-on construction. But since these guitars are very much built to order, you can steer further into the Fender-style vibe and have a maple neck if you want. Fretboard-wise, you can have maple too, or ebony.
The Rambler is to be offered in what’s termed a ‘refined color palette’ of nitrocellulose finishes. Josh tells us choices are “customisable and open to discussion,” but the foundational ethos of the Rambler is a finish that’s more towards an open-grain thin, while other West Valley models offer the more traditional nitro or poly finish options.
This Rambler I have here is finished in a faded, worn black; the vintage vibe is then augmented with some tasteful-looking relic work. The aging is done to the customer’s preferences, so if you think this example’s relic job is too much, or too little, then West Valley can oblige as necessary.
This Fever is set off by a tortoiseshell pickguard and a pair of natty silver-and-black control knobs that look like they came straight off a 1960s transistor radio.
Anchoring the strings is a Blue Collar bridge, a cut-off Tele-style hardtail from Descendant (a brand already beloved of offset aficionados, for their modernised take on the Jazzmaster vibrato tailpiece).
It feels as though it’s been built to very tight tolerances
This simple and purposeful, well-built bridge exudes a kind of industrial chic that suits the Fever Rambler perfectly. At the other end, we find a set of high-quality Gotoh Vintage tuners; Klusons are also available by order. As with the rest of the metal componentry, they’ve been tastefully aged.
As befits a boutique small-shop build such as this, of course, fit and finish is superb. It feels as though it’s been built to very tight tolerances; it’s clear that, from the woods to the finishing and the hardware, great care has been taken to ensure everything you touch feels of extremely high quality.
Playability
Playability rating: ★★★★★
Scratch any thoughts of this timber choice being a problem, though, because this is a fantastically resonant and light-weight guitar
American lime, as used for the Fever’s body is, in fact, one of the names for *tilia americana*, or basswood – which you may have seen on spec sheets for much cheaper instruments. Scratch any thoughts of this timber choice being a problem, though, because this is a fantastically resonant and light-weight guitar.
It’s like any other species of wood – there are cheaper, lower-quality cuts, and then there’s the good stuff (as notably used by Music Man, Suhr and others). And this body is very clearly a fantastic piece of wood.
The neck profile is a very likeable, rounded C/D shape with medium depth and pronounced shoulders; not too far in size and shape from what you might find in a pre-CBS Strat.
That Gibson-adjacent scale length feels accommodating, the open-pore finish is a tactile delight, and the fretwork is excellent. After a couple of small adjustments to suit my own tastes, I found the Rambler absolutely addictive to play.
With its gently offset waist and that more compact scale length, it’s a wieldy, comfortable and well-balanced guitar too – Strat or Jazzmaster players might miss some contouring on the rear of the body, but if you’re used to anything like an old-school slab-bodied Tele, it’ll feel familiar.
Sounds
Sounds rating: ★★★★★
The Rambler model is the first West Valley guitar to employ a pair of Gibson Firebird-style mini-humbuckers. On this build, they come from esteemed UK pickup purveyors Monty’s Guitars; West Valley’s own hand-wound items will be fitted as standard.
Either way, on a guitar with Firebird mini-hums, you’re experiencing a lesser-spotted gem; clarity and bite to go up against any single-coil, and power not far off a typical full-size humbucker. It’s a pickup design I know and appreciate, having now spent many happy years with a set installed in my beloved 2000s Gibson Flying V.
Plugged into my HX Stomp-based pedalboard, and a variety of Marshall, Hiwatt and Mesa emulations, the Rambler instantly delivers that punchy, ringing sound I find so very appealing. Further explorations through my Deluxe Reverb reissue, with a Tube Screamer in front, yielded similarly excellent results.
The bridge pickup is big on glassy treble and stinging upper-midrange – but there’s also a more solid low-mid foundation than your average single-coil
Unlike a traditional humbucker, the bridge pickup is big on glassy treble and stinging upper-midrange – but there’s also a more solid low-mid foundation than your average single-coil.
In the middle and neck positions, those lower frequencies become more apparent – but there’s still a healthy dose of twang and definition. It’s always a beautifully clear, precise-sounding voice, whether played clean or with a generous amount of gain.
Again, Tele fans will likely find much to enjoy here – but humbucker players who want a little more brightness and bite will be very well-served too.
Verdict
Even with a significantly lower entry price than West Valley’s Indiana model, the Fever Rambler is pretty serious money for a guitar that doesn’t have the pedigree of more established brands to back it up.
But place that into perspective, if you will – its price is still nowhere near anything from the Fender or Gibson Custom Shops at the moment; and this is an instrument that, I’d argue, equals or betters them in terms of quality and componentry.
If you’re not wedded to the age-old traditional shapes from those makers, the Rambler may well be a much more appealing prospect. Being a built-to-order instrument, there’s plenty of scope for making it your own too – the woods and various components, the colour and the amount of wear, can all be up to you.
With its beautifully resonant body, fabulous pickups and classic-feeling neck, it’s a tough guitar to put down
Taking this guitar solely on its own merits, then, you’re getting a beautifully crafted, boutique instrument which has the look, feel and sound of a long-lost ‘60s guitar, but without being a copy of anything – it has its own identity, and a very compelling one at that.
And, despite that potent old-world aura, it has none of the fragility or temperamentality that can put a dampener on the vintage guitar experience. With its beautifully resonant body, fabulous pickups and classic-feeling neck, it’s a tough guitar to put down.
Guitar World verdict: The Fever Rambler is an addictively playable, lightweight, lively guitar with a simple but beautifully effective range of tones, highly accomplished finishing and a wonderful neck – it’s a simple recipe, executed with real flair. West Valley has knocked it out of the park with this model.
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Test |
Results |
Score |
|---|---|---|
|
Build quality |
Objectively, the build quality is absolutely superb. As long as you like the shape, there’s really nothing to complain about – and it’s built to order, so you can make it your own. |
★★★★★ |
|
Playability |
Very difficult to put down. It’s light, comfortable, with a lovely neck, and it rings like a tuning fork too – it feels about as ‘alive’ as a new guitar possibly could. |
★★★★★ |
|
Sounds |
Mini-humbuckers are criminally under-utilised, so it’s great to have them here – they sound superb. A punchy, biting and complex sound – like a Tele, but supercharged. |
★★★★★ |
|
Overall |
West Valley’s new offering is an absolute knockout – a really well-considered design and spec, executed to perfection. Fabulous. |
★★★★★ |
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