Reverend Greg Koch Gristlemaster BL

Reverend Greg Koch Gristlemaster BL review

The Reverend Greg Koch Gristlemaster BL is a T-style signature guitar built around a chambered Korina body, a roasted maple neck and two rechargeable Fishman Greg Koch Gristle-Tone single-coil pickups. Its feature set gives players several ways to shape the sound, while the fixed bridge and familiar control layout keep the design direct. The listed price is 1499, with no currency specified in the supplied information.

Reverend lists the model as available since August 2024. Its finish is identified as Blucifer, a blue color, with a white pickguard and chrome hardware. The guitar is associated with artist Greg Koch and has a sales item number of 596934. A case and gig bag are not included.

Body, neck and playing feel

The chambered Korina body is a central part of the design. One owner specifically praised the guitar's weight, attributing its comfortable feel to the construction. That is useful real-world feedback, although no weight measurement is provided, so the review cannot establish how it compares numerically with other guitars.

The bolt-on neck and fingerboard are both made from roasted maple. The neck has a medium oval profile, a 43 mm nut width and black dot inlays. Its compound fingerboard radius moves from 254 mm to 355.6 mm, combining a rounder feel near the lower frets with a flatter surface higher up. There are 22 jumbo frets. The angled neck heel is intended to make upper-fret access more comfortable, and the neck is attached with six screws. Reverend says this attachment supports sustain, tuning stability and alignment.

There is a specification discrepancy worth checking before purchase: one supplied listing gives the scale as 629 mm, while the detailed specifications state 648 mm, or 25.5 inches. Those measurements do not match. The 648 mm figure corresponds to 25.5 inches, so confirm the scale length with the seller rather than relying on both entries as if they agreed.

Pickups and controls

The two Fishman Greg Koch Gristle-Tone pickups are rechargeable active single coils with two voicings. That gives the player a choice between distinct pickup sounds without changing the guitar's straightforward three-way selector layout. The available controls are volume, tone and bass contour. The bass contour control adds a specific tonal adjustment to the standard volume-and-tone arrangement, though the supplied information does not describe its exact range.

The owner feedback provided for this review is enthusiastic. The buyer reported spending considerable time researching the model and listening to Greg Koch videos before making a purchase, then praised the sound, workmanship and playability. That account supports the guitar's appeal to at least one owner, but it is a personal impression rather than a controlled comparison. Buyers considering the active pickup system should also account for its rechargeable design and check the manufacturer's guidance on charging and use.

Bridge and hardware

A Wilkinson T-style bridge uses compensated brass saddles. The guitar has no tremolo, which keeps the bridge setup fixed rather than offering pitch movement through an arm. Reverend Pin-Lock tuning machines complete the hardware, and the supplied factory string gauge is.010 to.046. Together, these details point to a familiar T-style layout with some distinct choices in the pickups and body construction.

Verdict

The Gristlemaster BL stands out through its combination of chambered Korina, roasted maple and rechargeable dual-voicing pickups. Its compound-radius fingerboard, jumbo frets and angled heel give the neck specification a clear focus on access and comfort. The owner's comments reinforce the model's reported strengths in sound, finish quality and feel, particularly its comfortable weight and easy playability.

The main practical cautions are the conflicting scale-length figures and the absence of a case or bag. Confirm the correct scale with the retailer, and include protection in your budget if you need it. The active pickups also make charging part of ownership. For players drawn to Greg Koch's signature design and looking for a fixed-bridge T-style guitar with more pickup options than a conventional passive setup, the Reverend Greg Koch Gristlemaster BL merits a close look.