Höfner HCTVTHUK Verythin Mahogany review

While its dimensions are the same as the recently-released Mod, the more affordable Mahogany model has a slightly chunkier neck.

Where it really slims down, though, is in its price tag. For a quid shy of £300, you get an all-mahogany laminate construction, including the body top, back and sides, and the neck, topped off with a rosewood fingerboard that comes well-dressed with 22 medium frets.

The control layout is simpler than the Mod. Yes, you get a couple of the house humbuckers, but you'll have to make do with a single volume and tone, and the three-way pickup selector toggle switch. The hardware is all black and consists of a classic tune-o-matic bridge and fixed tailpiece, and a set of chunky die-cast machineheads.

The Verythin Mahogany feels like a stripped-down rock machine. Played acoustically, it has a loud, bright voice and that response survives when you plug the thing in.

The bridge 'bucker has a bright, punchy tone through a clean channel and retains an impressive level of clarity and note separation when you begin adding the dirt.

Although metalheads are unlikely to go shopping for a semi, there's no reason they couldn't get what they need tone-wise from this Verythin. The centre-block provides plenty of sustain and a load of bottom-end thump for heavy riffs on the lower strings.

The middle and neck positions on the pickup switch predictably warm proceedings up for those who like to play the blues.