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< Back Furch Z-61-1 1997 5307 If you’ve not heard of Furch before, it is well worth visiting their website and reading about their history. Then go onto the configurator and spend a real hour spending a virtual £5,000… From their humble beginnings, they now produce some extraordinarily good guitars. We have an unusual opportunity to get your hands on a 1997 roundback Z-Series – serial number 5307, electro-acoustic and you will want this for the amazing neck dimensions. A 50mm nut and 55mm saddle spacing, and a Furch D profile neck, this is not for the faint-hearted. It may suit a classical guitar player in need of a steel strung occasional; or maybe you want to comfortably switch between your Epiphone Masterbuilt Century and an acoustic without too much thinking. The neck is colossal. A real handful. A telegraph pole of a neck. Acoustically, this guitar is balanced and full. It doesn’t sound like an Ovation. Plugged in it is very flexible, although with no pre-amp controls, you can plug it into a Fishman Loudbox, or an AS50D and just get on with it. The previous owner had this as a studio tool – it has plenty of signs of use – not perfect by any means aesthetically, but a busy guitar is usually a good guitar. This is a good guitar. The guitar comes in a Proel case (75% of the clasps working), and will come with fresh strings and a new saddle if required. The current saddle is a little worse for wear, but still does the job. It’s ready for work – a great honest gigging or studio guitar. Price £££ Availability Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1997 Pick-ups N/A Selector N/A Bridge N/A Board Rosewood Weight TBC Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back 1979 Greco Esquire A793402 Most guitars that we find and ship over from Japan put healthy smiles on our faces and provide immense satisfaction whether we upgrade them to stellar specifications or leave them as they were when they were first built. Occasionally, a guitar can be unboxed and stun the room to silence. This is one of them. Simplicity as its finest, and a timeless aesthetic that will still appeal in precisely the same way in 45 years time. Even though in 1979, anyone could have walked into Ishibashi Music Store and asked the staff for a Custom Order form; sit in the corner and fill it in; pay a deposit and wait impatiently for a few weeks. As soon as the balance is settled, a canvas sack would be handed to you with your ideal guitar in it, and you would spend a few more Yen on a hard case instead of the canvas sack, which whilst being a nice-looking thing, was not the best way of getting your pride and joy back home. Greco did not formally offer an Esquire as part of their range. It would have to be a Custom order. A quick look under the control plate reveals contemporary components and wiring which seems to verify the Custom Order status. A close inspection of the lovely body reveals evidence that someone has removed a polyester finish – having done this myself with varying degrees of success, I know the signs. I doubt the guitar left Fujigen without paint, although we still haven’t found any clues to an original colour. Teles were available in Lacquered Natural, Blonde or Black. I suspect this guitar was a Natural guitar and someone has decided to remove the clearcoat. The Spacey Sounds Decal indicates this Esquire started life as a TL500 – these guitars are still very highly regarded today. If we manage to get one here, it tends to find a new owner before we even advertise it. This is a true Esquire spec – front position on the selector providing a jazzy boomy tone, the middle position brings in the tone control knob, and the rear position just allows volume control. The chances are that this (and most Esquires!) will stay in the rear position but it is nice to have – it is traditional. We can’t bring ourselves to mess with this guitar. We know its limitations tone-wise, and also that the Maxon pick-up is great for ice-pick punk; but not maybe as accomplished and suitable for any other styles of playing without a serious pedal board and an unaffordable amp. The idea of an Esquire is simplicity and obtainability. Maybe it is enough to look as good as this – everything else will be forgiven. If so, marvellous. If not, then we can make changes and bring this glorious guitar up to date. We really want to keep the single pick-up philosophy (there is routing for a Brad Paisley thing) and would look to upgrading the pick-up and building in versatility with the controls that already exist, or add an S-1 switch or push pulls. Either a carefully designed tapped Tele pick-up (we recommend Evil Sheep, Creamery, or Tony can wind one) with the two outputs either governed by the 3-way switch, or we ditch the switch and change gears with an S-1. If the budget can withstand, Harry can wind us an amazing dual rail Tele sized humbucker which we can offer in split, parallel and series modes either with the switch or push-pulls. We have to set limits to how far to go before we simply suggest producing a new body – therefore if we can’t manage to install a pick-up either into the original bridge plate, or a new Gotoh equivalent, we draw the line. P-90s, TV Jones, regular humbuckers we wouldn’t undertake. We can get the tones with appropriately sized pick-ups. We can offer this one as it is, or we can put it in the DreamBuild schedule. Or, as so often happens, offer it as it is, then see it again in 6 months for a DreamBuild upgrade. Price £795 Availability Sold Recommendation Enjoy as is or sensitive appropriate upgrade Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1979 Pick-ups Maxon Selector 3 Way Bridge Original Board Maple Weight 3.67 kg; 8lbs 2oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back Red Rooster Rodster 52 No. 42 A very very rare sight outside USA, this Red Rooster was brought to UK by the original owner. Like every guitar in the owner's collection it is immaculate - I have put more hours on this fretboard in recent days than it has had in its entire life. This is the Rodster '52 and number 42 off the line, this Hugger Orange/Racing White Rooster was one of 4 made (the others blue, green and yellow) in 2015 and sold through Rebel Guitars in Alabama. The body is single piece solid pine and the 0.88 to .095 neck is maple with Dunlop 6150 medium jumbo frets. Can it sound as good as it looks? It has Lollar pick-ups, so yes. The El Rayo at the neck is perfect for this - very little compression and through the 250k pots, it hits the mark perfectly. Mixed with the Alnico 3 bridge pick-up, we get an in-between tone that starts bright and sustains warm - it's pretty addictive - and the A3 bridge on its own begs for chicken-pickin' (I wish I could do it!). Clean, crunchy or driven, these pick-ups are very versatile and should get you through a full set without compromise. None of Margolis' creations were made in great numbers, and this is a very rare opportunity to get hold of one. It comes with a Gator TSA hard case and its sale tag with the spec sheet. Price £1,615.50 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Turn up to the Red Rooster Festival with this… Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2015 Pick-ups Lollar El Rayo (neck) and Lollar A3 (bridge) Selector 3-way Bridge Joe Barden Board Maple Weight 3.34kg, 7lbs 6oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back Rickenbacker 1997 Rose Morris 1967 GA194 Another fantastic vintage guitar that we can trace back to the day it left Shaftesbury Avenue for the first time. Not all f-hole Rickenbackers are Rose Morris guitars, but this one is. This is the 1997 model - twin pick-up no vibrato version of the 335S. GA194 has had a busy life, but used less and less in the last 20 years. A recent recommissioning returned a Trapeze to the bridge where a Gibson tailpiece had replaced the original in the 1970s. 2 new OEM knobs and a saddle cover replaced broken and missing originals, but the remaining parts and components are original and in fine health. This is neither an unused case-queen, nor an over-restored museum piece - it is an honest old Rickenbacker that still gets occasional serious use, and never fails to deliver the look, the sound and the delight of playing the right guitar for the right song. Have a listen to the video - that's GA194 through a clean Marshall with some reverb from the GT-Pro. The previous owner assures us that despite not being silver, the case is the case it left the shop for the first time in. Contact us via the website if you want to see it over a videocall to check the condition and how it performs. Price £6,395 Availability SOLD Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1967 Pick-ups Toaster Selector 3 way Bridge Trapeze Board Rosewood Weight 3.15 kg; 6lbs 15 oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back 70s Maya SC36 Electric Guitar No Number The full spec for this guitar can be found on the Stormshadow GuitarWorks website in their archive section - despite that company ceasing to build guitars any more, they keep a great database of their builds. Price £275 Availability Sold Recommendation Beginning or improving in a truly retro-cool way. Gig with the bass though. Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1970 Pick-ups Nisshin Onpa Single coil Selector 5-way Bridge Vintage style Board Maple Weight TBC Modifications New Output Jack ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back Ibanez Studio ST924 1979 J804511 A rare opportunity to acquire an Ibanez ST924 – the super-versatile bass from the best ever era of Japanese production. The bass features the quadra-lock bolt system and the construction is Maple, Mahogany and Walnut, with a very nice Rosewood double octave board. It comes with a fairly road-worn but perfectly functional hard case. Pedro is still featuring on the headstock, but this can be removed for the next owner if required. The red tape on the side is to protect the bass as it was quickly placed in a stand and swapped for a Rickenbacker for the next song. The Super T-4 pick-ups are genuine dual coil humbuckers and have an excellent reputation. In passive mode, they are not the loudest pick-ups you will hear compared to modern Delano etc, but the tone is sublime, and reacts extremely well to all 6 tone pre-selects from that chicken-head. If you need more power and growl, then dial up the active circuit. The active and passive modes could be blended, and all governed by a master volume and tone control. Unlike many modern active basses, the passive signal is always in play. The bass is heavy - it tips the scales at 5.5kg (12lbs 3oz) so a good strap recommended. It will deliver most tones and characteristics that you would ever need, so a heavy bass needn't be a problem if this is the only one you take with you. (The Roadies' problem right?). It is a one owner guitar and he is reluctantly parting with it as part of a collection thinning exercise. These don't come along very often. This one is ready to go right now, and can be sampled here at the Hall by appointment, or on a videocall if necessary. Price £1,925 Availability 1 at Ketteringham Hall Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1980 Pick-ups Ibanez Super T-4 Selector 3-way selector switch, 6-way chicken-head tone preset, preamp on/off Bridge Original Ibanez Board Rosewood Weight 5.5 kg; 12lbs 3 oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back 1977 Greco SE-500N D773175 This guitar just shouts 1977 - as if it arrived on the back seat of a 4th generation Pontiac Grand Prix, a yellow Dolomite Sprint, or more appropriately I guess for a Greco, a Celica Hardtop Coupe. SE-500s from 1977 came with a variety of neck profiles - this one is particularly skinny - a slight V - almost 1956/7 Strat; and those familiar with early JV MIJ Fenders may find this very familiar. Those preferring a chunky handfull need not apply, and look at our Matsumoku produced models - always much chunkier. So, a 50s neck, 70s finish and headstock, and a 60's weight - I reckon this may make this someone's perfect guitar! Especially as this will be a fraction of the price of a 70s Fender. These 500 models did share the PU-100 - a splendid evolution of the original short fat Maxons from the early 70s. They retain the airy brightness of the early low output versions, but add a bit more wire to get to the high 7s DCR. They have a very old-school feel to them, but that's the idea for these - they were of their time and what a time it was! The bridge is original and a very faithful tribute to the originals from USA - even the saddle screws are in fine condition, but we can renew them if required. The tuners are the usual high quality MH-803 - they will outlast us all. We thoroughly clean and polish the majority of guitars we bring in, but this one excaped the polishing routine as the dullness actually adds to the appeal - a busy guitar is always a great looing one - people pay good money to get a guitar to look like this. There would be a shiney finish if you wanted, but I like to think that Rory Gallagher didn't bother with more than a wipedown and reasonably careful docking in the rack. That's all this has ever had. Price Availability SOLD Recommendation Enjoy it, or let's upgrade it Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 1977 Pick-ups Maxon PU-100 Selector 3-way Blade Bridge Vintage Tremolo Board Maple Weight 3.45kg; 7lbs 10oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back Rickenbacker 350v63 Liverpool 1314786 Very rare to find one in this beautiful Ruby Red finish, and in such excellent condition. The triple single coil toaster top pickups give you that sweeter neck position as it combines with the neck, and the 3 in parallel in the middle is as mellow as a Rickenbacker can get. Switching to the bridge gets that legendary jangle. Reading the instruction book to learn how the 5th rotary control works will unlock the ultimate versatility of this set-up. Despite the lack of cats eyes, this 350 is a semi-hollow body and it feels and hangs in a very familiar way. The 21 fret rosewood neck has a 10" radius and 24.75" scale. The guitar tips the scales at 3.06kg (6lbs 12oz). This is still a current model, although a Ruby Red one may require a long wait. This may be a 2013 build, but it has resided in 2 collections since new, has had very minimal use, and we can't find a single blemish on it. Complete with its silver/black Rickenbacker branded hard case, this is a great opportunity to acquire a guitar in as-new condition, at a substantial saving over the new price. Price £2,395 Availability Sold Recommendation Buy as Is Buy to Upgrade Specifications Year 2013 Pick-ups Toaster tops x 3 Selector 3 way Toggle, 2 Tones, 2 Volumes, Bass Pre-gain Bridge Rickenbacker Trapeze Board Rosewood Weight 3.06kg; 6lbs 12oz Modifications None ← Previous Next→ Latest Videos Play Video Play Video 05:18 Play Video Play Video 03:08 Play Video Play Video 01:43 Play Video Play Video 07:23 Play Video Play Video 06:54 Play Video Play Video 05:47 Play Video Play Video 06:29 Play Video Play Video 04:21

< Back 1995 American Standard Strat Free Consultation Book Now Full Electrics Upgrade In walks a chap with a beaten-up case and a conundrum. Always a good sign of an exciting project. This was a case of someone having a guitar they adore, have owned for years but as the musical tastes and styles evolved, the guitar couldn’t keep up. This is a frequent story. And as usual, single coil pick-ups can’t achieve the sonic brief of humbuckers. I lent him a couple of humbucker-equipped guitars to take away to explore and drew up a list of options for his beloved US Strat. A second meeting soon followed with his own DAW and set-up, and a line of guitars with different styles of pick-up to play through ready for him to explore the realities of the options. Many types and designs of single coil, P-90 and humbuckers fed his tracks and the nearest we could get to what he needed was a pair of VH-7 Fernandes dual blade single coil sized humbuckers. High powered ceramic pick-ups such as the VH-7 are ideal for the heavy distortion sounds but lose their advantage with softer clean tones, where the original Fender AmStd coils delivered that perfectly. What this chap really wanted was everything and all in between! A few conversations with some of the industry’s finest brains later and we draw up a plan that takes a few risks, but we think will deliver. A set of custom wound AlNiCo 8 blade single coil sized humbuckers was ordered from Harry Häussel – Germany’s finest pick-up winder. I will set them low in the plate and find that pick-up height that gets the “sweetness”, yet has all the power and definition expected from a hot ceramic. The pick-ups would be 4-conductor so he can obtain true single coil tones from all 3 – this guy uses all 5 positions on the selector but left the TBX control alone, keeping it just on the bright side. The upper tone knob had nearly seized up through lack of use. This gave me ample room to develop a wiring and control philosophy to really unlock the available tones from these pick-ups. A criticism of all the single coil guitars in the DAW experiment was the buzz – especially with saturated signal paths. A criticism of master coil split functions is the usual volume drop and essentially changing the whole guitar from one set of tones to another. A limitation of the traditional coil split function is a coil removed completely from the palette. A criticism of traditional designs to overcome all of this is a guitar full of switches and knobs – usually hard to identify in the dark, and a messy looking guitar. My control philosophy would therefore attempt to unlock as much of the tonal palette from 3 humbuckers as possible without changing the fundamental look of the guitar. The neck and bridge humbuckers are controlled by the lower tone control. At zero setting, the pick-up is a single coil with 15% of the adjoining coil in the circuit. Turning the knob increases the percentage of the adjoining coil until a true humbucker is reached at 10. This is a push-pull pot and the position of this determines which coil is permanently in the circuit. Pulling up the knob selects the coil nearest the bridge as the permanent coil; pushing it down swaps this to the adjoining coil. This does a decent job of migrating the humbucker tone towards a Tele or a Strat tone – not exactly emulating a Tele obviously, but the brightness of that coil gives it an extra treble edge. The middle humbucker is split in half by an S-1 switch on the master volume, and the upper tone knob is a master tone control with a Centralab PIO 0.022μf capacitor. The range of tones is vast, while still behaving, feeling and playing like a Stratocaster. As with all upgrades that take a departure from the original control philosophy, this takes a few hours to get used to, and probably a few months to discover what the guitar can deliver for you, but this achieved and exceeded the initial brief. A few raised eyebrows expected with the AlNiCo8 spec, but set them at the right height from the strings and you will be rewarded by the best of all worlds. This particular specification suited this project – but the fundamental design would be applicable to many others with different types of pick-ups and budgets. This was not a cheap project, but when the inspiration and thinking is taken to this level, this investment has saved the customer money in that he doesn’t need to buy another guitar. Gallery ← Previous Next→

< Back Matsumoku SE-500 Floral Price £1,600 GBP | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us Missed out on this model? Talk to us for a rebuild! I write about Harayama elsewhere on this site - his influence on MIJ output is rarely appreciated, but without him companies we know today such as ESP and Fender Japan wouldn't be what they are today; and Prince probably wouldn't have had his MadCat Tele. You can have a bit of Harayama magic with a lot of our DreamBuild guitars - this is one fine example. Based around a 1973 Matsumoku built Greco (the original Gneco decal stays) SE-500, this already fine guitar has traded most of its hardware and all of its electronics for a modern and vastly improved specification. The glorious neck remains with its original frets - all dressed and perfected to retain the vintage "run-in" feel. The body has its original White polyurethane finish - just one or two signs of a good life remain to indicate it has been around for nearly 50 years. This SE-500 is part of a trilogy of 1973 Matsumoku 'Gnecos" - a Strat, a Tele and an Esquire complete the set. As well as the general aesthetics, these guitars also share a common specification for hardware and electronics. This one has a set of Evil Sheep 'Sheep Experience' pick-ups - a clever blend of AlNiCo 2 and 5 across each one to deliver clarity from bass and treble ends. They are medium output - not too hot, but deliver a lot more punch than the original Maxons. We now have a 5 way control instead of the original 3 way, and standard volume and tone circuits. The amazing Matsumoku designed bridge (that featured on guitars for only a year) has been replaced by a Gotoh 510NST unit to retain the narrow string spacing but provide the most reliable and comfortable tremolo function. A beautifully printed scratchplate design really makes this guitar stand out. I frequently hear folk who sample this guitar say "it plays feels like I can't afford it", but compared with the majority of good 1973 Strats, it isn't as pricey as you may expect, and much higher value in terms of how you can use it. All the original parts and components for this guitar are safely stored in our archive and would come with the guitar either stored with us, or with you. All are in working order and could be returned to the guitar at any point in the future. The bridge would require minor surgery, but nothing particularly difficult. Details The Look Part of the floral trilogy, and the scratchplate design aside, this guitar retains a lot of its original look. Shiney new chrome Gotoh hardware always looks good on these models. Headstock The tuners are rebuilt originals - in perfect working order. New string trees improve stability Neck An original Harayama 3-piece maple neck with beautifully dressed frets - ready to provide comfortable and free playing in every circumstance. Pick-ups 3 x Evil Sheep 'Sheep Experience' with all AlNiCo5 for the neck pick-up (5.9k), a mixture of AlNiCo 2 and 5 on the middle and bridge (6.1k and 6.5k) and this results in warm and bluesy, or rock and roll when you need them. A fine balance. Mark takes care to use very specific wire for these - his efforts have paid off handsomely. Bridge Marvin warbles and Gilmour dives are easily taken care of with the Gotoh 510NST bridge unit - a very fine high end unit. Controls Traditional 5 way switching, volume and tone controls here - only the finest quality parts used. Gallery ← Previous Next→

< Back Matsumoku DB-500 Tropical Price £1,595 Add to Cart Chat with Us I write about Harayama elsewhere (most places!) on this site - his influence on MIJ output is rarely appreciated, but without him companies we know today such as ESP and Fender Japan wouldn't be what they are today; and Prince probably wouldn't have had his MadCat Tele. You can have a bit of Harayama magic with a lot of our DreamBuild guitars - this is another fine example. Based around a 1973 Matsumoku built Greco (the original Gneco decal stays) SE-500, this already fine guitar has traded its electronics for a modern and vastly improved specification. The glorious neck now has fresh Jescar Tall Narrow frets - close your eyes and you could be playing a astronomically expensive Masterbuilt Fender '62 Jazzmaster - that's the nearest equivalent we have experienced. We have focussed our modifications to the aesthetics for this guitar - the condition of the hardware determined this guitar should live on with it for another 51 years - we can make further upgrades if required, but we love this guitar as it is, and the price can be kept as friendly as possible. The Burgundy Mist nitro refinish is paired with a fabulous scratchplate. Sonny Crockett could have had this as a bit of practical art on St Vitus' Dance - did an episode of Miami Vice influence this I wonder? I lived in Miami for a while - I guess this episode of life influenced me a little here. The Excel pick-ups are held in high regard for a reason - very little benefits are required from upgrading them. These pick-ups are from a 1979 SE800 that received a very special upgrade. This guitar plays deliciously, sounds fantastic, and looks good enough to eat. Details The Look A continuation of the Floral theme, this guitar is one of 2 guitars we have refinished in the early 60s Custom colour Burgundy Mist, this one is combined with a striking and perfectly matched scratchplate. Headstock A highly regarded 1973 large headstock style with its original Gotoh tuners and new Gotoh barrel trees. Neck The infamous Harayama 5 piece full C neck with new Jescar 55090 Tall Medium frets on a gracefully aged maple fretboard Pick-ups 3 Maxon Excel single coils - probably the most favoured iteration of the Maxon single coil with their characteristic airy brightness and clarity. The neck pick-up will likely worry your blues bandmates as they just know you'll make them go around again. And again. It's that addictive. Bridge The original Gotoh vintage tremolo unit remains and its steel block gives amazing sustain and it sounds so delightful acoustically, you'll play it for ages before even plugging it in. Controls Upgraded to a 5-way switch, and tone control for the bridge pick-up. Glorious soft-touch knobs feel very premium. Gallery ← Previous Next→

< Back Matsumoku Greco HH Price £1,795 | SOLD Add to Cart Chat with Us This Matsumoku built white 1973 Greco SE-500 arrived in a fantastic condition - it had obviously been loved and cherished. Unusually, it was sporting a humbucker in the neck position with a little mini-switch to access a single coil sound. Having already been routed for one humbucker, and having a pair of new DiMarzios in the drawer, I did a little more routing and mounted them in a new plate. The tremolo routing had also been extended for a replacement unit, although the original one was present on delivery. The original finish was so nice, I complemented it with a shiny new Gotoh vintage style unit. The blocks on these Gotoh tremolos never fail to provide a glorious sustain and harmonic ring and this encouraged me to get a little creative with the wiring and tone options for this guitar. Keith and I used to talk about piezo pick-ups for electric guitars and often found ourselves with a Graphtech basket full of technology, only to bottle out at the check-out page - the cost had got ridiculous. And we don't like batteries in guitars unless absolutely necessary. We didn't want the electric guitar to sound like an acoustic - we had a room full of amazing acoustics - we just wanted that "sparkle"; that high frequency accompaniment to the guitars inherent tones. We just needed to hammer a Fender Mustang over a Strat somehow. The Mustang reverse phase tones are interesting but more often than not useless in a serious delivery requirement. Time to experiment... The second tone control is now replaced with a 6-position chicken-head. This is NOT a Vari-tone - no rats nest of capacitors and resistors here - just regular wire to configure the coils of the DiMarzio Air Norton in every possible way. Both individual coils can be voiced, they can be voiced together in series or parallel, and in phase or reverse phased. 6 tones in all - 4 that stand on their own as viable tones, an the reverse phase tones that are there to work together with the bridge humbucker. The Master Volume knob is a push pull that configures the Gravity Storm bridge humbucker in series as a regular humbucker when pushed down, and into parallel when pulled up. 2 distinct and characterful tones on their own - the parallel setting is our chosen alternative to the traditional coil split which more often than not does not complement the humbucker at all, and doesn't have the teeth of a regular Strat unit - certainly not the ones we use! In parallel, the tone is full of bite, but loses the compression that humbuckers deliver. Combining these two pick-ups together offers a myriad of tones as each individual pick-up is configured differently. This is where the reverse phase neck pick-up settings get really interesting and rather than a word-soup of subjective terms, just have a listen to the demo. The Master Tone knob is also a push pull that configures the 2 pick-ups into series with each other regardless of how they are individually configured. The pick-up selector needs to be in the neck position to enable this function - life starts at the neck pick-up with ut!!. Making them operate in series essentially turns them into one pick-up. This function delivers a whole new palette of tones - again, I urge you to persist with the full demo to hear how this sounds as no-one will take me seriously if I start talking about filtertron tones on your DiMarzio equipped Strat... I appreciate that there are many guitarists out there who worship simplicity and tradition - we love this too, but we just can't stop experimenting and trying things out with the condition that we don't fill the scratchplate with more knobs, buttons and switches. If you are a guitarist that feels that the capability of the guitar is important to the creativity and that different tones encourage a different sense of how you play or write, this is aimed squarely at you. The controls do require a fair amount of familiarisation, but I still think this is easier than a Jaguar, and there is a lot more in the drawer to play with. If you fancy the versatility and design philosophy here, but want a different style of guitar, or a different colour etc, we can repeat this basic specification in a Les Paul style guitar, or any other style of Strat - our stock of worthy MIJ donors is quite comprehensive, and we can quickly find the donor instrument of your choice. Or upgrade your own guitar - just talk to us. Details The Look Possibly unique to see 2 humbuckers on a 1973 Greco SE-500. Original white finish - totally timeless in all other apsects Headstock All original apart from our little decal Neck Sublime 1973 Harayama 5 piece - full C and as comfortable as they get. Pick-ups A DiMarzio Air Norton at the neck and a Gravity Storm at the bridge Bridge Brand new Gotoh GE-102 in Chrome for the vintage look and feel Controls Master volume with CTS push pull for bridge humbucker control, Master tone with CTS push pull for parallel / series option, and a chicken head to control the neck humbucker. CRL 3-way pick-up selector. Gallery ← Previous Next→