I’ve been contemplating what it is that ignites the fire to purchase a guitar... What makes a guitar beautiful? Whether a guitar is aesthetically pleasing is the first step, the spark if you will, of that fire being lit.
Obviously, this is subjective.
Some people like a figured top. There are AAAA and AA maple flame tops, there’s curly maple, birds eye maple, and more. There’s a whole list of tone woods that we in the guitar manufacturing business use, most of them offer their own unique and recognizable options making them incredibly enjoyable to look at as the artwork they are.
One player may love the look of a brand new, glossy Les Paul with binding and the player next to him wants a relic’d John Mayer Black Strat. Neither is wrong, that’s the beauty... it’s opinion, it’s idiosyncratic.
There are a lot of factors that go into deciding if a particular guitar is for you. We’ve covered looks, what’s next?
Perhaps the most important! How does that thing sound?!?!
What do you like? Humbuckers or Single Coils? How about some P90’s or a battery-powered active pick-up?
The pick-up can come in varying levels of HOT or not at all hot and, in fact, are underwhelmingly, in a word... cold.
Some people swear by certain capacitors, you got Orange Drops, Black Beauties, Bumblebees, more…more…. more… and more. The possibilities and combinations are seemingly endless.
Now you’ve picked out the most beautiful guitar you can find and you’ve plugged it into an amp (don’t get me started on amps) and it sounds amazing…
What’s next? How does that thing feel?!?!
Is it playable? How does the neck feel in your hands? Hopefully you’ve had the experience of owning a guitar that BEGS to be played, it feels good to play it. I’ve owned a lot of guitars, Fender, Gibson and Epiphone Les Paul's, a Schecter and I’ve loved a couple of them. I’ve been a Les Paul guy since I started playing. I LOVE Les Paul's! But it wasn’t until this year that I owned a guitar that FEELS amazing to play and have been fortunate enough to buy two. Both are PRS, an electric and an acoustic. These aren’t top of the line Paul Reed Smith's... both are middle-level options, but there’s something magical about them and they FEEL amazing.
While I think they’re both beautiful guitars, sadly, unfortunately, nobody gets to see them. Nobody gets to hear them other than me, my girlfriend, and the kids (and the neighbors when I “crank up” this Orange Rocker 15). Nevertheless, I stand there with my shirt sleeves rolled up, eyeliner on, hair down, and leather pants strapped to my ass ready to rock.
Once the COVID saga is over, I plan on working with Chris to finish up some projects I began before it started and I will have my very own Retro guitar. I’m so excited for the day that happens. I’ve played a lot of the guitars he’s finished, and it is a privileged experience, even for a novice like myself. It may be a guitar I think I will have no interest in until I pick it up and experience the craftsmanship and, at times, the innovation that went into it... something happens. Maybe that sounds corny to some of you, maybe it is corny, but I gotta think if you like to play, no... if you LOVE to play, you know what I’m talking about.
I have something special for you.
For any of you that are out there playing, and by “out there” I mean out there keeping Rock and Roll alive but loading up your gear and setting it up in bar after bar, club after club.
You heroes of sound and stage that bring us live shows during one of the worst times in our country’s history, I think this is for you. Or even if you’ve given it a break but plan to be back on the stage playing for an audience, how do you not buy this? This may be my favorite project we’ve worked on.
I don’t care who you are, this thing screams confidence and cool. And this is only the beginning! Ol' Chris has more tricks up his sleeve to add to this baby. Imagine playing in front of a cheering crowd with this. I hope your dodgeball skills are on point ‘cause panties are gonna get thrown. This “Rockabilly/80’s” style guitar just screams Rock Star.
All kidding aside, this guitar sums up just what I’ve been writing about. It’s aesthetically pleasing, it’s going to be outfitted with Chris’ custom pups, the best electronics, and some further customized hardware. How could this thing not feel amazing to play?! It’s as if Bo Diddley and Billy Gibbons had a lovechild. Perhaps what is most special about this particular guitar is the innovation we’ve used on that fingerboard and the uniqueness of it.
If you buy this guitar, you can be sure, nobody else in the world is going to be playing one like it. Cheers.