Shabat Lion Special HB Alder Body 25.5 Reverse Headstock - Black

Information

Brand New w/ Warranty. We are an authorized Shabat Dealer.

Like what you see? All photos are of the exact instrument you will receive.

The Lion Special was designed for players who want a Lion guitar, but with a little different sound than a standard T-style. The Lion Special offers a pair of Lollar P-90s or Imperial humbuckers, and a Gotoh hardtail or Graph Tech ResoMax wraptail bridge—all wrapped in your choice of classic nitro finishes.

What Does Cam Think?

As far as materials, this Lion Special is spec’d out to be a little closer to a traditional T style guitar, featuring an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard. That is where the similarities end. This thing is all Shabat, with dual humbuckers, heavy aging, and a reverse headstock! Other features include Lollar Imperial Humbuckers, a Gotoh 6-Saddle hardtail bridge, a 9.5”-12” compound radius, and Dunlop 6105 frets. It’s a monster player!

While we do stock other guitars with Lollar Imperials, they sound a little different depending on the guitar they are in. In the case of this Lion, the overall tonality seems nicely well rounded and even across both pickups, but there is a nice boost in the midrange that I attribute to the alder body. The bridge Imperial has a nice honk, just like you’d expect from a great PAF style pickup, but I feel like there is an added bit of clarity as well. This helps when you gain things up and want your riffs to cut through and stand out.

The neck pickup is all class, with a round and smooth overall tonality. It’s one of my absolute favorite neck humbuckers. Add some gain, and smooth lead tones just drip from the amp. In the middle position, you get a scooped tone, great for funk or as a faux single coil.

The Gotoh bridge is a great choice. Gotoh is my go-to; I have used their bridges and tuners for years. The 6-Saddle design is beautifully machined. It’s also very comfortable under your hand. I do feel like this bridge imparts a little bit of brightness and air to the tone, which I absolutely love. And being able to adjust individual string heights so easily is awesome. I’m a fan.

How Does It Play?

The neck is a 60s Slim C measuring about 0.79” at the first fret and 0.92” at the 12th. The string action measures only 4/64” at the 12^th fret on the low E and 4/64” at the 12^th fret on the high E. This is a great playing guitar with an comfy neck profile!

Weight: 7lbs 5.2oz

The G&G custom hard case pictured is included!

Specifications

Body: Alder

Contours: Tummy Cut

Bridge: Gotoh 6-Saddle Hardtail

Pickups: Lollar Imperial Humbuckers

Headstock: Reverse 6-In-Line

Tuners: Kluson Deluxe

Inlay: 1/8” Bullseve Dot

Radius: 9.5-12” compound

Neck: Hard Maple

Fretboard: Rosewood

Frets: 22

Fretwire: Dunlop 6105 nickel silver

Nut: 42mm (1.65”) TUSQ

Neck Profile: ‘60s Slim C (0.79-0.92”)

Hardware: Aged Nickel

Finish: Black nitro

Pickguard: 5-ply Black

Aging Level: Heavy

Electronics: CTS Pots with Del Ritmo oiled paper capacitors, Switchcraft input jack, 3-Way pickup selector

Strings: 10 gauge

Tuning: E standard

Case: G&G custom hardshell

Notes: Matching Headstock Upper Step