If Batman played guitar, he'd probably be shredding on a Handle. The carbon-fiber guitar certainly seems like something culled from the Dark Knight's arsenal: Sleek and shiny, with black-and-gray patterns marking its bizarre cut-out design, the Handle both looks and sounds dangerous.
Twin DiMarzio PAF Pro humbuckers give it plenty of sizzle, while large, rubbery knobs make it easy to zero in on the tone you're looking for (as long as your sonic nirvana resides somewhere between Black Sabbath-style mud and an electric beehive).
Designed by Italian company XOX Audio Tools, guitarists who don't don capes might take issue with certain aspects of this high-tech marvel. The fast neck, while satisfyingly wide and flat, feels like it's made of plastic. The carbon-fiber construction means the guitar will never wear out — but it also means the Handle will never wear in. Too bad, too: Our favorite guitars are like an old pair of jeans: they get better with age.
The Handle's bizarre design makes the guitar extremely lightweight, but leaves the neck end heavier than the see-through body, lending an out-of-balance feeling similar to a Gibson SG when played standing up. And the guitar's strange jack placement might be comfortable for some, but it's probably not the best design for anybody sporting a beer belly (or body armor, for that matter).
Still, this space-age ax is resonant and probably strong enough to resist multiple smashes into a stage. As much as we wanted to write off this oddball guitar, we found it to be extremely playable in a slick and sleazy kind of way. If you're in a blistering band that requires face paint, fake blood or shiny spacesuits, this could be exactly the right tool to set you apart from the rest of the jokers.
