“The absence of the Rampage left a void in the guitar world”: G&L launches the long-awaited Rampage 24 – which gives Jerry Cantrell’s workhorse grunge machine a 21st century overhaul
G&L has launched the Fullerton Deluxe Rampage 24 – a reboot of its original Rampage electric guitar from 1985, which quickly became a defining instrument of the grunge genre.
The Rampage’s return was first announced last week, and though G&L confirmed it’d be back at some point this year, even we weren’t expecting such a quick turnaround.
As it so happens, G&L was clearly keen to kick off the new Rampage era, and as such has wasted no time in lifting the curtain on the latest era of the Stratocaster-style model.
News of the Rampage’s revival was met with much fanfare, especially from grunge fans, given the guitar’s cult status. Famously championed by Jerry Cantrell in Alice in Chains, the Rampage became synonymous with the grunge scene, and was also popular among hair metal shredders.
However, the Rampage has seldom been seen on the G&L shelves over the past few decades.
In fact, only a few limited-edition releases and Cantrell signature guitars have kept the Rampage legacy alive, so the official arrival of a fully fledged standard production run is very welcome news indeed.
(Image credit: G&L)(Image credit: G&L)
“The absence of the Rampage left a void in the guitar world,” admits G&L. “You’ve kept asking for more, and the time has finally come.”
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Last week, G&L teased the Rampage 24 had been “refreshed and redesigned” – and the extent of its tweaking is now clear.
We thought the ‘24’ part of the guitar’s name was a nod to the year of its release. It seems, though, it is actually a fret count: the Rampage 24 has been expanded to include 24 medium jumbo frets, which further improves its shred capacity.
Ergonomically, the guitar has been altered, with carefully extended cutaways to access the additional frets. A sculpted neck heel is also present, apparently making “this Rampage more comfortable than ever”.
There’s also a Floyd Rose tremolo, which lines up alongside the G&L AW4370 humbucker – the only pickup present.
(Image credit: G&L)(Image credit: G&L)
Notably, it’s the first time a Floyd Rose has been used on the Rampage, which originally utilized a popular Kahler alternative. The pickup, meanwhile, is unchanged from the flagship Rampage, so while the functionality might have changed, at least the tones are consistent.
Only a volume control is present on the guitar, furthering the guitar’s minimalism.
Only two finishes are available – Ivory and Jet Black – with each arriving in either 12”-radius maple or ebony fingerboard iterations.
In terms of build, the 25.5” scale guitar features a mid-weight alder body and hard rock maple neck, fashioned to a “fast-playing profile” of a similar ilk to the original ‘80s model. There are also Sperzel tuners.
So, overall, it still looks to be another no-nonsense workhorse, and G&L has clearly attempted to squeeze a bit more oomph from the model.
However, whether this additional work will appease players who wanted a like-for-like relaunch of the original template – or if it is deemed “too much” by loyal Rampage fans – remains to be seen.
In our eyes, though, it’s a smart spiritual successor to Cantrell’s beloved Rampage. Not only that, it sets the precedent for future Rampage variants down the line, so who knows – maybe that Kahler will make a comeback in time.
