From Guitar World · · 4m
Steelyjam Delta Junior review
A Belgian-made aluminum guitar that sounds and plays brilliantly, despite a few setup quirks.
In brief
A Belgian-made aluminum guitar that sounds and plays brilliantly, despite a few setup quirks. The Steelyjam Delta Junior proves that unconventional materials and designs can deliver genuinely unique instruments that play and sound great, though the single pickup limits versatility for some players. Originally reported…
Meet the Steelyjam Delta Junior
A hollow aluminum electric guitar from Belgian makers Steelyjam, featuring a laser-cut and CNC-machined body paired with an African mahogany neck and single P-90 pickup.
From steel to aluminum
Steelyjam was founded by Arthur Devreux and Jean-Baptiste Demarcin. The company started with steel bodies in 2005, but switched to aluminum construction in 2022 for better stability and electronics shielding.
Aluminum body benefits
The hollow aluminum construction is extremely stable, resistant to humidity and temperature changes, and creates a Faraday cage that shields the interior from electronic interference, theoretically eliminating 60-cycle hum.
Neck and fretboard specs
The neck is African mahogany with a modern C profile and 24.75-inch scale. The rosewood fretboard has a 12-inch radius, acrylic trapezoid inlays, and 22 medium jumbo frets.
Hardware and electronics
The guitar features a hardtail bridge with six saddles, standard tuning machines, and a single Steelyjam P-90 pickup wired to a solderless universal wiring board that allows component swaps without soldering.
Price and specs
The Delta Junior costs $1,060 USD, 850 British pounds, or 985 euros. It weighs 7.1 pounds and comes with a deluxe gig bag, cable, strings, and certificate of authenticity.
Striking aluminum appearance
The raw, hand-brushed aluminum body looks like an alien landscape and draws appreciative comments. It's surprisingly lightweight for a metal guitar and stays cool to the touch.
“Looks like the surface of some far-away planet”
Smooth edges and finish
All edges are smooth with no sharp metal anywhere. The raw aluminum design means there are no finish blemishes to hide, making scratches and marks part of the guitar's character.
Neck joint looks intimidating
The neck joint is thick and blocky with no comfort carves, plus a strap button and neck plate, making it look visually imposing despite not affecting playability.
Excellent upper fret access
Despite the blocky neck joint, the double cutaway design delivers SG-style upper fret access with unfettered reach to all 22 frets, making it easy to fly around the fretboard.
Playable neck profile
The modern C profile neck feels slinky and responsive. Medium jumbo frets offer a nice balance between giving something to push against when bending and letting you feel the wood.
Bridge saddle design quirk
The bridge saddles have exposed screws that can feel uncomfortable when palm muting, depending on hand placement. Most players stop noticing after a while.
P-90 placement affects picking
The P-90 sits close to the strings, requiring slight picking adjustment. During frenzied strumming, it's easy to accidentally hit the pickup.
High-output P-90 tone
The P-90 feels very high output and cuts nicely through effects-laden sounds. It delivers fantastic clarity and works well with fuzz, synth, and sweep echo pedals.
Pickup height issue discovered
A buzzy, farting-out noise on the low E string appeared when striking hard. Investigation revealed the pickup was too close to the strings, and the bass-side screw couldn't lower further due to a wood block underneath.
Acoustic resonance adds character
Played unplugged, the guitar has an almost semi-hollow sound with nice acoustic resonance. It's not as loud as a Gretsch but has enough character for noodling without an amp.
Single pickup limitations
The single P-90 covers punk, rock, and blues well but lacks low end for heavy power chords. A neck pickup would add versatility, though the Delta Standard model offers that option for more money.
Volume knob lacks dynamics
The volume knob doesn't clean up well and gets duller as you turn it down, limiting tonal versatility. More responsive volume control would make the guitar more adaptable.
Genuinely unique instrument
The Delta Junior stands out in a world of copies with its unconventional aluminum construction, striking appearance, and excellent playability. It's exciting to encounter something genuinely original.
Final verdict: worth considering
It's not perfect, but the Steelyjam Delta Junior offers something truly unique. The resonant aluminum body adds character to the sound, playability is superb, and it's well put together despite needing minor setup work.
“It's not perfect, but the Steelyjam Delta Junior offers something truly unique”
What to remember
The Steelyjam Delta Junior proves that unconventional materials and designs can deliver genuinely unique instruments that play and sound great, though the single pickup limits versatility for some players.
