Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike - Overview and Best Prices

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Review
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  • 2 Prices - New from $879.20 >
  • From Reverend's 2021 Signature series
  • Reeves Gabrels Signature
  • Made in South Korea
  • 6 strings
  • 24.75"'' scale
  • 12" Fretboard Radius
  • Korina body
  • Three-Piece Korina neck
  • Ebony fretboard
  • Bridge pickup: Reeves Gabrels Bridge (Humbucker/Passive)
  • 1 volume and 2 tone Dome knobs
  • Wilkinson WVS50 IIK Tremolo bridge
  • Medium Oval Set neck
  • 22 XL Jumbo frets
  • Reverend Pin-Lock tuners
  • Side-By-Side Comparison
Show Specs
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Specifications
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike
General
Brand: Reverend
Year: 2021
Configuration: H
Strings: 6
Made in: South Korea
Series: Signature
Colors: Gold
Left-Handed Version: No
Body
Type: Solid Body
Body Material: Korina
Bridge: Wilkinson WVS50 IIK Tremolo
Neck
Neck Joint: Set
Tuners: Reverend Pin-Lock
Fretboard: Ebony
Neck Material: Three-Piece Korina
Decoration: Dots
Scale Size: 24.75"
Shape: Medium Oval
Thickness: 1st Fret: 0.85'' (21.6mm) - 12th Fret: 0.9'' (22.9mm)
Frets: 22 XL Jumbo
Fretboard Radius: 12"
Nut: Boneite
Nut Width: 43mm (1.693'')
Electronics
Bridge Pickups: Reeves Gabrels Bridge (Humbucker / Passive)
Switch: 0
Knobs: Dome
Volume Controls: 1
Tone Controls: 2
Hardware
Strap Lock: No
Hardware Color: Nickel

Our Scores and Tone Evaluation

Playability 75
Sound 74
Build quality 64
Value for money 76
Overall Score 71
Tone Evaluation
  • Heavy Metal
  • Hard Rock
  • Jazz
  • Blues
  • Funk
  • Country
Strengths & Weaknesses
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike
  • Locking Tuners
  • Expensive Wood
  • Boneite Nut
  • Top Brand Pickups
  • Tremolo
  • Cheap Fret Wire (NS)
  • Made in South Korea
  • No Neck-Through Build
  • No Push Knob or Extra Switch Option
  • No Weight Relief
  • No Luminescent Inlay
  • No Compound Radius Fretboard
  • No 21:1 Tuner Ratio
  • No Strap Lock

Price Overview

Its average competitor's price is $1300, which means that the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike is around 32% cheaper than the competition. This takes into account all instruments of the same category in our database with 6 strings and Tremolo bridge that are made in South Korea.

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User Reviews & Feedback

Not all instruments are created equally. That's why it's important to have different opinions. Here's what our users who have played this instrument say. If you've played it before, help others by voting below!

Weight

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Tuning stability

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Neck speed (thickness)

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Neck access to high frets

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Neck profile shape

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Fret edges

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Pickups noise

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Hand Size Comfortability

After taking into account the neck profile, scale size, fretboard radius, and nut width, we can conclude that the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's construction is balanced for most hand sizes.

Nevertheless, this comes down in the end to personal preference. Make sure you test this guitar—or another one with similar characteristics—before buying.

Big Hands
Small Hands

Beginner Friendliness

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike meets 5 out of our 8 criteria items for beginner friendliness, which means that it's a good guitar to start with as a complete beginner. This takes into account the type of frets, scale length, nut width, bridge type, fretboard radius, and neck profile to determine the easiest combination for new players to get used to.

New Player Friendliness

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike
  • Comfortable shape
  • Easy-to-use bridge
  • Locking tuners
  • Tall frets
  • Comfortable neck
  • Comfortable fretboard
  • Narrow nut
  • Short scale

Videos

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike • SN: 29079
The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike
SNAMM '17 - Reverend Guitars Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Signature Demo
Reverend Guitars Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Royale in Royale Red
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Signature Dirtbike • SN: 38935 / 4 of 4

Playability

Scale Length

Scale length is the distance the strings will span between the bridge and the nut. It can tell you a lot about the overall playability and tone of the instrument. A longer scale length means longer distance between frets, brighter tone and more string tension—which means lower action, but more difficult bending of the strings.

Here's the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's 24.75" scale length compared to other common sizes:

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Scale Length Comparison
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's scale length (at the top) compared to other popular sizes

This is the scale length used in most Gibson guitars. If you like the playability of a Gibson, this guitar will feel pretty similar. It's a lot shorter than the typical Stratocaster (25.5'')

As you can see from the picture above, a shorter scale length also means shorter separation between frets. If you got really small hands, you probably will feel more comfortable playing this guitar than a Fender Stratocaster.

This scale length also allows for easier bends and vibratos because the strings will have lower tension due to the shorter scale.

Finally, another thing affected by scale length is tone. A shorter scale will give less room for the harmonics, thus resulting in a warmer, more 'bassy' tone.

Still, remember that you string gauge plays an important part in all of this. A lighter gauge will make it easier to perform bends, vibratos and will also give you a brighter tone.

More with the same scale length:

Neck Profile

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Neck Profile
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's neck profile

The neck profile tells you the thickness (neck depth) and shape in cross section. Every difference will completely change the feeling and comfortability of the neck. This is a highly subjective thing, but most players indeed prefer certain types of necks (like Cs and Ds) because they feel nice in most hands.

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's neck thickness is approximately 0.85'' (21.6mm) at the first fret, and 0.9'' (22.9mm) at the twelfth.

These measurements were taken either from the official Reverend website, or, in case this information wasn't provided, by researching multiple online marketplaces and forums where owners of this model have posted their measurements.

It has a C type neck. C-shaped necks like this have been the most popular for the last years. The reason is that they feel good in most hands. It's generally a thin neck that doesn't get in your way when playing fast, but that also has enough mass to give your hands a comfortable grip for chords if they aren't too big.

Thin necks like this make it easier to move your hand across the neck and it helps when playing fast solos, especially if you like to leave your thumb free while playing high on the fretboard. However, thinner necks are also weaker and will need adjustment more often than a thicker neck.

More for different hand sizes

Fretboard Radius

When it comes to fingerboard radius, personal preference will dictate which one is better for you. However, most people seem to agree that a more curved (lower) radius will make it easier to play chords while a less curved (higher) radius is better for soloing and bending.

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike has a 12" fingerboard radius.

Here's an image comparing this fretboard radius to other popular choices:

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Fretboard Radius Comparison with Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's fretboard radius compared to others

This is the same radius that Gibson uses in most of their guitars. When compare to the other popular radius of Fender Stratocasters, you can see that it's a lot flatter. Guitars with this radius are usually made to bring a good balance between single-note and chord playing.

Compound radius fingerboards give the best of both worlds. Unfortunately, the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike has the same radius across the board.

More with the same fretboard radius:

Playability compared to main competitors

24.75'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
27'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.654'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25.5'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
Compound Fretboard Radius
25'' Scale Length
U Neck Profile
1.693'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius
25'' Scale Length
C Neck Profile
1.688'' Nut Width
12'' Fretboard Radius

Nut Width

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Nut Width
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Nut Width

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike has a nut width of 43mm (1.693''). This is within the most common range of nut widths for a 6-string guitar. It offers a good balance of string separation at the nut. It's the size that most guitarists prefer as it gives them just enough space to play open chords without muting the strings, but without spreading the strings too wide and making bar chords difficult to perform.

Frets

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike has 22 frets. Even though 24 frets has become really popular, there's still a good reason to get fewer frets; the pickup at the neck position will be further away from the bridge. This makes the neck pickup achieve a warmer tone. You might want this if you're playing Jazz or similar genres.

However, if you don't care about the warmer neck pickup, more frets will always be better. It's always nice to have the option to play higher notes if you want to.

It comes with nickel silver frets, so they won't last as long as stainless steel frets. If you use your instrument a lot, you might need to replace the frets after a few years. But this is unlikely as most people change instruments before this happens.

More with the same amount of frets:

Fret Size

Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike Fret Size Comparison
Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's fret size (in orange) compared to other popular sizes

Finally, let's talk about fret size. Some people prefer tall frets because it's easier to press the strings and perform bends since there's less friction against the fretboard. On the other hand, some people like shorter frets because they like to touch the fretboard when playing, or because they got heavy hands and tend to press too much on the string and alter the of the note pitch accidently.

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's frets are XL Jumbo size. These are extra-large frets, which are perfect for people who truly want the least resistance for techniques like vibrato, bending, tapping, and just playing fast in general. You won't be able to feel the fretboard with these frets, so if you press too hard you'll get the notes out of pitch. It might take a while to get used to them because of this.

More with the same type of frets:

Playability Score

Bending & Vibrato Ease 90
Chord Playability 55
Solo Playability 80
Playability 75

Tone

Wood will have little influence in the final tone of an electric guitar or bass. Instead, the hardware, especially the pickups, will be the most important thing to look at. Bur first, let's see the quality of the wood.

Wood

Limba wood pattern used for guitar building
Limba Body, Neck
Ebony wood pattern used for guitar building
Ebony Fretboard

Limba Body and Neck: Available in either black or white, it's a type of wood with beautiful natural patterns decorated with long dark chocolate stripes. As a tonewood, it is comparable to Mahogany but with more mid-tones.

Ebony Fretboard: This is one of the most expensive woods there is, which is why it's mostly used for fretboards. It is dense, heavy, highly resistant and comes in a really dark color that gives any guitar a classy touch. Tone wise, it helps the high side of the spectrum and provides good sustain.

Pickups

This guitar comes with pickups from one of the top brands: Reverend. So you can expect well built pickups with great sound that shouldn't need an upgrade anytime soon.

These are passive pickups, so you can expect a rounder sound and a moderade level of output.

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike's configuration is H. A single humbucking pickup will give you all the space you need for picking, and it might give you a bit more sustain since less magnetic fields are messing with the strings' vibrations. However, you won't have the same versatility as with other guitars with more pickups. It's recommended if you want to use it mainly for high-output riffs.

Versatility

Unfortunately, it doesn't come with more options for coil split or coil tapping. This makes it less versatile than some competitors.

What music genre is it good for?

As a 6 strings, Solid Body guitar with H configuration and Passive pickups, we'd recommend it for genres like Hard Rock or similar. However, you can use almost any guitar for any genre. This is just the typical type of music for this particular one.

Sound Score

Pickups 90
Sustain 80
Versatility 51
Tuning Stability 75
Sound 74

Build Quality

Country of Origin

Knowing where the instrument is produced is a good way to know how well it's built. Some manufacturing countries are known for having higher quality standards. For example, most expensive instruments are made in the US or Japan, but there are some exceptionally great countries—like South Korea—that are building a good reputation.

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike is made in South Korea. Guitars made here are well-built and tend to have good quality control, even though they focus on mass production. This used to be the most premium option just below Japan or the US, but other countries like Indonesia are becoming great competitors because of even cheaper labor without sacrificing quality.

Bridge

Wilkinson WVS50 IIK Tremolo: This type of bridge allows you to change the pitch of the notes by pulling the bridge with the attached bar, which gives you better versatility. Also, since the bridge is not fixed to the guitar body, the bridge will move as you bend the strings. So you'll have to increase the distance of your bends to reach the same tension (note) compared to a fixed bridge. This allows you to perform smoother bends but will also make you slower. Finally, remember that this type of bridge requires a bit more maintenance than fixed ones, especially when changing strings.

More with the same type of bridge:

Tuners

The Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike comes with locking tuners, which helps with tuning stability and makes changing strings a lot faster and easier. As long as they're high quality, these are the best tuning machines you can have. The only disadvantage is that they are a bit heavier than normal tuners.

Nut Material

Another important thing to analyze is the nut material, as it's one of the most important aspects that can affect the sound and playability of your guitar. A well-cut nut will make sure it stays in tune and will make it more comfortable to play.

In this case, the Reverend Reeves Gabrels Dirtbike has a Boneite nut. This is a synthetic bone material made to look, feel and sound like bone. It's more consistent than bone since it's human-made, so many people prefer this type of nut to guarantee a good nut.

More with the same nut material:

Neck Joint

The neck joint is the part where the neck of the guitar meets the body. There are three main techniques to attach both parts together: Set-In, Bolt-On and Neck-Through. The latter two provide different advantages, although neck-throughs are the most expensive.

This guitar has a Set neck joint. This type of neck joint consists of using different pieces of wood for the neck and the body of the guitar. Both pieces are then glued together. This is more expensive to make than a bolt-on neck, but it's cheaper than a neck-through guitar. Some people believe that this gives more sustain than a bolt-on neck due to both pieces having a 'better connection' than with bolts. Still, it's something difficult to prove.

However, this type of neck joint does have the disadvantage of not allowing you to easily swap the neck for another. This makes this type of neck joint less mod-friendly.

More with the same build:

Build Quality Score

Quality of materials 56
Features 65
Quality Control 70
Build Quality 64