I been meaning to write something for a day or two, however any spare time seems to have been taken up with me picking up my new guitar and having a little play. I have quickly realised I have a new number one guitar. In truth tele's have always been my favourite. However I have had other non tele's style guitars that were always much better quality than my other tele's. Concequently I tended to play them a little more.
For this guitar I went to Johnathan to build be a tele that had a few extra creature comforts and added versitility. I have had other guitars very good guitars from Johnathan though never one that I have helped chose from the very begining. Being left handed I find custom made very desirable too. I am able to get what I really want not what I nearly want.
I fancied a ash bodyed maple neck tabby with a set of yardbirds (Yardbirds are my favourite bare knuckle pickup). We quickly decided for added versitility we could have a middle pickup. For this we decided on a mothers milk (my second favourite bare knuckle single coil.) We also decied to add a cutaway on the rear for comfort.
Johnathan did some pretty fancy wiring of the guitar. A four way switch and two push pull's on the tone and volume pots. This provides bridge, bridge and neck, neck, bridge and neck in series on the switch. One push pull then brings the middle pickup in also. To provide bridge and middle, all three pickups, middle and neck, all three pickups with bridge and neck in series. Finally the other push pull provides just the middle pickup on its own.
The guitar plays and sounds superb! I am still experimenting with the different pickup options and having a lot of fun. What is obvious though is how well the yardbirds and mothers milk work together. There is no jump in volume switching from one pickup selection to an other. Just suttle tonal variations. The mothers milk is a little darker sounding than the yardbirds. Both played clean and overdriven the guitar sounds great. Anything from Jazz to Rock this guitar seems very happy with.
The cutaway on the rear makes it feel the most comfortable tele I have played. Despite the cutaway the tele twang is still there.
The guitar looks and feels superb. Only one trouble it as started me thinking what other guitars Johnathan could make for me.
Thank you Johnathan :D
