OK, I've had the AV 395 on the inside rack for a while now and it's time for a report for those that are even vaguely interested....
It's a keeper. Simple as that.... I've put the p'ups up a little with no loss of definition and an appreciable gain in output, so it really is quite capable of making your ears bleed if you push hard enough.... and we all like to do that, don't we!!
It's easy to play, though after flying around the necks on my late model Westones - which are about the best necks I've EVER played on! - the neck feels a little like a baseball bat, it's not really that bad; just a different approach needed! It feels much shorter than the Westones, when in fact the scale length is only 1/2" different and digging in for those good ol' chunky power chords is both easy and rewarding.
The rhythm pickup is a very nice piece of kit with its fortè being hard driving, chord work, though it can almost do a convincing jazz box noise with the tone rolled off and a more gentle attack with the pick/fingers. The lead pick up is a 45 which is coil splittable, and which everyone here knows; it is a tone monster, and I find myself standing there with it on the strap, with the volume pot wound wide open and the amp set with a heavily saturated type gain happening doing fast chromatic runs up the board.... a bit naff, I know, but there you go!!
The bridge.... well, it's OK but only just OK. It intonated just fine and is floating nicely but given the string gauge I use, it is a little wobbly and doesn't like to be used as a hand rest, leading to interesting palm muting situations.... it'll be interesting to compare it to the AV 310 when I get that sorted...
It is a bit of dark horse, really; it's no VA 900 or PE but then, it never pretends to be; I reckon, in sporting parlance, the VA and PE are pedigree boxers whereas the Avenger is an all-in street brawler ready to kick you in the nuts!!
I've found myself hauling it out of the rack more than the VA, Pantera and Strat.... I can even do a really convincing Shadows/Tornadoes/Duane Eddy with it!!