 |
Space Cadet 12 String |
| Strataspear |
| Space Cadet 6 String |
Guitar Player first discovered Musicvox in 1997,
and we were entranced by owner Matt Eichen’s whimsical,
off-kilter homages to bizarro ’50s and ’60s designs. Eichen’s
Spaceranger looked like either a cartoon guitar gone horribly
wrong, or a woodworker’s ode to Picasso. It was beautifully
grotesque—the kind of guitar every cool cat must own.
In time, Eichen’s concept was proven solid by comedic genius
Mike Myers, who showcased the Spaceranger in his retro-rific
Austin Powers film, Goldmember, in 2002.
But the story of Eichen and Musicvox didn’t close with
a victorious first act. A serious health crisis with his daughter—
who is now in fantastic health—caused Eichen to cease
production for almost a decade. Happily, when Musicvox resurfaced
at the 2011 NAMM show, the classic Spaceranger, the
stylishly madcap Space Cadet and MI5 models, and the Strataspear
“rocket ship” proved to be just as delightful as ever.
With Musicvox’s current line of four
6-string guitars, two 12-string electrics,
and four basses, Eichen seems
poised once again to become guitarcraft’s
benevolent Wizard of Weird.
Space Cadet
6 String
If you want unconventional, but are
too timid to wield a Spaceranger,
slinging the Space Cadet over your
shoulder is as comfortably rebellious
as pairing a Pierre Cardin tuxedo
with pink Converse. The guitar feels
solid, plays well, and rocks hard.
Construction is pretty good overall.
Although the neck humbucker
rattles slightly in its mounting, the
frets, nut, and hardware are excellent.
I especially liked the chrome
Volume and Tone knobs with textured
sides, as they are easy to
manipulate for volume swells and
wah-like effects. The bolt-on neck
sits tightly into its socket, and the
finish, pearloid inlays, and binding
are similarly well done.
Sonically, the Space Cadet straddles
the studly chunk of a Les Paul
and the aggressive zing of a Gretsch
Pro Jet. The bridge pickup is somewhat
bright, and it doesn’t offer
complex midrange frequencies,
but I loved that its snotty kerrang
cuts without being overly searing.
When you want to energize the
crowd—or wake up your bandmates—
go here. The neck pickup
isn’t as warm or bluesy as that of
a good Les Paul, but it delivers a
stout low-midrange wallop, and
the dual-pickup position uncorks a
delicious blend of power and articulation.
Overall, the Space Cadet 6
String is a sweet machine.
Space Cadet
12 String
The SC12 is the closest thing to a
production-model “pawnshop prize”
I’ve come across in quite a while.
Like many secondhand guitar discoveries
of little-known origin, the
SC12 forces you to wrestle with a
few construction glitches. In the SC12’s case,
the nut is sharp enough to cut your hand,
the frets are a bit ragged, the pickup selector
is scratchy, and there’s enough room to
stick a business card between the neck socket
and the body. Furthermore, it’s very difficult
to change six of the 12 strings, because the
wood backing on the headstock limits accessibility
to the tuning pegs.
But here’s the good news: The Space
Cadet 12 String sounds fabulous, and it’s
such a joy to play that the workmanship
and design issues just melt away. I love the
wide neck and string spacing, which makes
it easy for those-without-slim-and-nimble
fingers to dig into all manner of riffs, licks,
chords, and solos. The neck pickup sound is
very bold and thick, but still delivers excellent
chime. Select the bridge pickup, and the
volume drops audibly, and the tone is thin
and one-dimensional. This isn’t a bad thing,
however, as this sound is great for layering
rhythm parts or cutting through a dense mix.
My favorite tone was the combo plate—the
middle position—as it brings on a wonderful
balance of shimmer and beef. Yum. Construction
glitches aside, this is now one of
my favorite 12 strings.
Strataspear
Fender recently informed Musicvox that the
Strataspear name infringes on its Strat and Stratocaster
trademarks, and, at press time, it was
unknown how the model might be renamed.
But whatever you call this guitar, you’ll always
know it when you see it, because it’s like having
a sidewinder missile in your hands. Don’t even
try playing this projectile sitting down, as it’s
impossible (unless you’re a contortionist). Happily,
when you strap it and stand up, the Strataspear
delivers a wealth of tones—thanks to
its sing-mini-humbucker-sing configuration. I
could dial in all sorts of sonic mayhem from
snotty and aggressive, to snappy, to chunky
and bratty. Warm bass tones are not the Strataspear’s
forte, but this weapon can really tear
into metal, heavy rock, and punk styles.
Construction is good where it matters
(frets, hardware, tuners, and knobs), and
a bit off on the cosmetic side (single-coil
mounting is rough, Musicvox logo isn’t very
sharp). The Strataspear is definitely not a
“safe” design that will appeal to everyone,
but if you play hard, and don’t mind turning
heads with a bizarre guitar, you may want to
add this rocket to your armament.
Specifications
CONTACT Musicvox, musicvox.com
Space Cadet 6 String
PRICE $829 direct
NUT WIDTH 1.75"
SCALE LENGTH 25.5"
NECK Maple
FRETBOARD Rosewood
FRETS 24 medium
TUNERS Musicvox locking type
BODY Mahogany
BRIDGE Tune-o-matic style
PICKUPS Two vintage-style humbuckers
CONTROLS Volume, Tone, 3-way pickup selector
FACTORY STRINGS Musicvox custom, .009 set
WEIGHT 7.92 lbs
BUILT Indonesia
KUDOS Good construction and tones. Looks retro
cool.
CONCERNS None.
Space Cadet 12 String
PRICE $899 direct
NUT WIDTH 1 7/8"
SCALE LENGTH 25.5"
NECK Maple
FRETBOARD Rosewood
FRETS 24 medium
TUNERS Musicvox, Kluson-style
BODY Mahogany
BRIDGE Tune-o-matic style
PICKUPS Two P-90-style single-coils
CONTROLS Volume, Tone, 3-way pickup selector
FACTORY STRINGS Musicvox custom
WEIGHT 7.48 lbs
BUILT Indonesia
KUDOS Great player. Sounds good. Looks fab.
CONCERNS Workmanship is rough.
Strataspear
PRICE $849 direct
NUT WIDTH 1 11/16"
SCALE LENGTH 25.5"
NECK Maple, through-body
FRETBOARD Rosewood
FRETS 24 medium
TUNERS Musicvox, locking type
BODY Mahogany
BRIDGE Tune-o-matic style
PICKUPS Two hum-cancelling single-coil (neck, bridge),
one mini humbucker (middle)
CONTROLS Concentric Volume/Tone, 5-way pickup
selector
FACTORY STRINGS Musicvox custom, .009 set
WEIGHT 4.76 lbs
BUILT Indonesia
KUDOS Aggro Tones. Good workmanship. Bold
design.
CONCERNS Can’t play sitting down. Some minor cosmetic
issues.