A brand rarely seen in these parts. Its designer is a musician who has worked with the main guitar factories in Europe, Korea and China. That experience gave him very clear concepts and goals. Guitars designed in Europe and built in the best instrument factory in Korea. The fact that the brand isn't well known for the moment means we don't have to pay a premium for the name. It's worth simply what its quality offers us. At ISP Música we were delighted to try out this new “little monster.” Here's why.

Introduction
To start, there are three ranges: Custom (1,150 €), Standard (675 and 735 €) and Basic (350 €). Today's test bench focuses on the top model of the range. Let's take it step by step.

I said at the start that we have a good advantage here: a brand that is unknown for the moment. Established names, not just in instruments but in everything, carry an additional cost for the brand and its supposed guarantee. In today's case, we have a selling price that is well matched to the product on offer, trimming financial fat to present itself as a competitive product.

Sometimes when I'm told new instruments are on their way to me, I tend to start trembling. That's when I think they'll send me a guitar of more than questionable quality, cheap, for the masses, that looks good even though it sounds like garbage. The Riley Raw Custom showed me (like a few others) that there's still hope of finding new things worth the trouble: well-built, well-thought-out guitars that hit their price target without cutting quality to shameful levels (as in other cases).

Getting to Know the Instrument: Unboxing
I opened the box with great anticipation. Its design and finish are eye-catching, carefully executed, sharp and appealing. A guitar that looks aggressive but subtle. When I saw its EMG 81 + 89 pickups and the Floyd Rose, I thought two things. First: a hard-rocking guitar. Second: they've “stretched themselves on the components and put in good stuff.” Interesting.

Unplugged, by Feel
Like almost everyone, I suppose, I turn on the amp and let it warm up. In the meantime I run a few things up and down the fretboard to check feel, resonance, natural sustain, unplugged octave intonation... well... I tune up and plug in.

Before focusing on the sound, I'll say the feel is pleasant (though I'd have liked it to be a hair more flexible. I would probably go down a string gauge on this type of guitar (for me, anyway... everyone knows how they like it). What already stood out from the start was its balance: tuning accuracy, blend between the strings and plenty of harmonics. Things were looking good: a well-built guitar.

Finish and Materials
Just reading the spec sheet gives you an idea: Floyd Rose® tremolo, EMG® pickups, mahogany body, maple top, ebony fretboard, Grover® tuners, Dunlop® strap locks, neck-thru construction (a single piece running through the body for added stability and sustain). In short, they haven't skimped on materials or design in the assembly. On the contrary, the finish, materials and construction are rather luxurious.

Sound
With a neck-thru, those EMG pickups, the mahogany body and the Floyd Rose® tremolo, the first thing we imagine is a dense, thick, aggressive, hard-rocking sound. Yet the instrument is frankly versatile, and if it leans in any direction (to my ears), it's toward the highs rather than the lows.

Its three-way pickup selector, the push-pull on the volume control and its effective tone pot help us dial in a wide variety of timbres. In that respect I have to say the guitar is versatile. It's ready for almost anything.

Like everyone, I suppose, I tried it crystalline, with a sparkle of overdrive and full-on heavy. The clean side is impeccable and shines with particular clarity. The bottom position of the selector has a Strat® feel, and with the middle and top positions we get bright sounds, but with less “punch/slap.” In both low-gain saturation and brutal distortion, I tried to boost the bass, both with the guitar's own pots and with the amp's. The result is the same: versatility.

Overall, as I said, its sound concept is sharper rather than dark.

Conclusions
You don't need to be a genius to realize that expensive materials were used. The guitar sits in a pretentious mid-range scale and its finish is flawless. The hardware and electronics are more of the same. Good. To me, this instrument has several clear advantages over others I've tried: the price (really competitive), its exquisite tuning stability, and the fluidity of its harmonics, which speaks to a calm, reliable build even in extreme conditions.

If you're working with this budget, you should definitely try it. It's a frankly serious guitar. If your savings are more limited, you can try the Standard or Basic series (more affordable). As for how much you might like the Riley Raw Custom, to sum up, it's a well-made guitar with brighter, sharper timbres rather than dull ones, although obviously the EQ will help you vary all these aspects, letting you emphasize the nuances in whatever frequencies you want.

Riley, from what we've tried: good guitars. Yes, sir.