Hickory

Once in a while, I see a slab of wood, I pick it up and walk it to the checkout stand. I'm going to take it home, lean it on the wall of the workshop and we'll start (an imaginary) conversation about what sort of guitar it wants to be. I was helping unload the truck the day this piece of Hickory arrived at the shop. My volunteerism was immediately rewarded. I've never seen a piece of Hickory with these sorts of colors and figure in it.

The Hickory (imaginarily) whispered to me, "I blew your mind, let's blow someone else's". In just about every way that's important, this is a Tele style guitar. Big brass saddles that together with Alnico 2 magnets in that kerf-wound bridge pickup deliver that well-known Tele-sting. The Alnico 5 magnets in the kerf-wound P90 neck pickup provide a sweet, articulate sound that's easy to fall in love with. Familiar Tele scale length on a Mighty Mite Fender licensed neck. But it sure doesn't look like a Tele...

The Tele-style control plate is reversed because the Tone pot is a push-pull that allows you to tap the bridge pickup to an overwound, grittier sound and it's best next to the selector switch so you can get to both with one gesture. Between those pieces of hickory is a slab of Alder, a common guitar tone wood. It has a proprietary oil finish that feels perfect -- none of that plasticky feeling.

Oh, wait! I might have missed a really important aspect of the design -- that gorgeous body is a model-slim 1 7/16" -- less than an inch and a half thick. So she's easy on your back. Total of 8 lbs, including strings.

With premium gig bag for $695. This item is available for shipping.