Tregan Syren Standard Review

Tregan guitars makes a variety of models meant for rockers. The company emphasizes bold looks, ergonomic playability, and solid tone. The Syren Standard is a shredder’s guitar with some nice surprises.

FEATURES
The Syren Standard has a Nato (Eastern mahogany) body with two Alnico V gold humbuckers. Our 25½" scale review model is yellow—really yellow—with black trim. It has a 24-fret set neck, a rosewood fingerboard and a Tune-o-Matic–style bridge. The strings anchor through the body on the Standard—if you move up to the Syren Signature, you can get a Floyd Rose–licensed whammy and a flame maple top, among other upper tier appointments. The Standard’s tuners are small Grovers. The guitar comes with a 3-way pickup switch, a volume knob, and two tone knobs.

SOUND AND EASE OF USE
Unlike most shred-style guitars with wide thin necks, the Syren’s neck is fairly narrow—just 1-5/8" at the nut—and has a small round shape. I found it very comfortable, as I never cared much for the wide thin shape. The frets are medium jumbos and are well finished. The set up out of the box is fast and playable.

The 24-fret neck means the neck pickup gets pushed back a bit. This gives the guitar a bit more midrange and a Strat-like quality. The humbuckers still offer lots of oomph, though. Cranked up, the Syren has a nice, smooth response and is quite lively in your hands. I was happy to see how good the setup is, as many imports seem to skip the setup in favor of looks. Tregan delivered both on this guitar.

IS IT FOR YOU?
With its noticeable mids, the Syren’s tone indeed cuts through the mix. Its ability to impersonate a Strat is an added bonus that can be quite handy. The Syren looks cool and plays well with its different but fast neck. It will definitely command some attention on stage.