See it at work in the opening section of the montage below. As such, it has seen continued rotation in Howe’s recordings and performances – even if it doesn’t have the profile of his beloved Gibson ES-175. ![]() Regardless of whether Howe regrets his Tele’s modifications or not, it’s fair to say that the instrument has done the job required of it since the ’70s. Even adjusting for inflation that would be equivalent to around $3,080 in today’s money – and still represent a good deal.įor comparison, a Fender Custom Shop recreation of a 1955 Telecaster will set you back the best part of $4,000-$5,000, depending on finish, and an original ’55 Blond Tele is currently listed on Reverb for over $35,000. Howe apparently paid $500 for the Tele in 1974. But today, I can’t say I’m entirely without guilt.” “I wasn’t really thinking that I'd done anything particularly corrupt, because my style had always been to do what the guitar is telling you to do. all this irreversible work,” says Howe in the book. “At the time I had no second thoughts about. The guitarist does not detail the function of the switch, though popular speculation among Howe geeks is that it’s a phase switch or coil-split for the humbucker. ![]() The original tan hardshell case is included and complete with original latches and handle.Additional mods included routing for the aforementioned humbucker and toggleswitch, a replacement pickguard, an additional pickguard on the upper horn (bringing it more in line with the aesthetics of the Tele Deluxe) and new Schaller tuners. This Duo Sonic is one of a kind, with a feature set that's versatile and simply fun. The mounting holes for the original bridge have been cleanly filled and touched up with matching Desert Sand nitro lacquer and the neck profile exhibits just a few inconsequential scrapes, but nothing distracting to the palm. The aluminum pickguard has some soulful wear through the gold plating in the pick path too, and it's the kind of true wear that every modern "relic" attempts to duplicate but somehow falls short. A new aluminum tension bar has also been added to the forward edge of the Bigsby to ensure the optimal break angle from the bridge to the vibrato.Ĭosmetically, this guitar shows a healthy amount of honest playwear from nearly six decades of use. The Bigsby actuates easily for dives and warbles, working in concert with the Mastery M1 bridge. The body routes are extremely clean, with the pickup routes enlarged to accommodate the humbuckers and the original switch and control routes intact. The potentiometers are brand new CTS parts which are the proper spec for Wide Range humbuckers, with a 1M Volume pot and 500k Tone pot. The electronics consist of the pair of Lollar Regal humbuckers, which are mounting to the anodized pickguard with custom made thick aluminum wings with rounded edges. On the neck heel, the original 3-59 grease pencil date is intact. They can be used alongside any gear models you own to build custom signal chains. The headstock face retains the original Duo Sonic decal, and the guitar has been fitted with a set of new Kluson Deluxe single line tuning machines with white buttons. Official gear from icons like Fender, Mesa/Boogie, Orange, Slash. A new hand-carved bone nut has been cut, measuring 1 1/2" in width, and the scale length is 22 1/2". The neck has been cleanly refretted with vintage-style fretwire, currently showing only a touch of wear on the crowns on frets 1-4, with virtually now wear further up the board. The maple neck retains its original gloss nitro lacquer finish, with a C shaped neck profile that's slender at the nut, with notably more girth and shoulder as you travel up the fretboard. Professionally setup here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar and strung with 11-50 strings, this Duo Sonic is dialed in and ready for stage and studio use. The instrument is also lightweight at only 7lbs 4oz. These pickups are very articulate, while still having humbucker girth and power. This guitar is both elegant and beastly, with the warmth, fullness, and percussive cut of the Wide Range design. As such, we cooked up a concept and installed a pair of brand new Lollar Regal Wide Range humbuckers, a Mastery M1 bridge, and a genuine 1950's Bigsby vibrato unit. ![]() While many manufacturers may make a similar model instrument, this does not mean each pickguard of this type is interchangeable. This guitar was a pet project in-house here at Mike & Mike's Guitar Bar where we specialize in vintage Fender offset body guitars, and it arrived to us already routed for humbuckers and with a non-factory bridge. WD® Custom Pickguard For Fender® Duo-Sonic® Offset HS This replacement pickguard is made to fit the Fender® Duo-Sonic® Offset SS. ![]() A very original and soulful Duo Sonic in many respects, this guitar retains its stock Desert Sand nitro lacquer finish, gold anodized pickguard, knurled metal knobs, neckplate, strap buttons, and hardshell case. Up for sale, a 1959 Fender Duo Sonic with a host of custom mods and non-factory features that make it unique among Fender's short scale offerings.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |