4.52am Issue: 027 30th March 2017 - The Blondie Issue

As for the specification of the guitar itself,
it is definitely a case of the best of
everything as no corner is cut at all.
From the top we have a chambered
Rosewood body. This has the traditional
maple ‘spacer’ basically a slice of maple
between the top and bottom caps, which
have been chambered to lighten the
guitar. The finish is a very thin Satin
Polyurethane which is beautifully applied,
feeling almost like an oil finish. The smell
of the rosewood is something you really
have to experience, a quite beautiful
thing.
The neck is as mentioned a three-piece
construction, with a rosewood ‘board on
top. The neck itself has an ‘Oval C’ profile
– which is bigger than you’d expect, and
the nut width is slightly bigger too which
works well. 7.5” radius matched with
Narrow Jumbo Frets makes for a guitar
that feels great and works well for both
chords and lead work.
At least the type of lead work I’m ever
likely to do…
Apparently, they also disturbed the
legendary Abby Ybarra and got her to
come out of retirement long enough to
wind something special in the pickup
department just for this guitar. As I say,
nothing has been left to chance.
As for playing it, well it would be easy to
say ‘It is a Tele’ and to be perfectly
honest, it is pretty traditional as they go.
What I would say is that it is a beautifully
set-up Tele and that the Rosewood has a
definite, mellower tone quite like walnut
that never seems to happen with other all
rosewood guitars (I’m thinking of the
rosewood necked PRS at this point.)
Pickupwise, they are beautiful – none
of the filling-shattering high tones I
hate (sorry chaps but it is the truth)
and as easy to play blues as it is
Springsteen, the Stones are as easy to
channel as Mr Harrison himself.
In fact I was left wondering whether it
is simply the perfect Telecaster, and for
me it could quite easily be.
Is it better than all the ones I’ve had
before?
I hate to say it but yes, yes it is.
I just wish I was likely to be able to own
one at some point.
Find out more HERE