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Saphyra___ |
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Model: "Lady Elionore" The idea for this totally custom made guitar was floating through my brain for quite a while. In January 2008 it slowly began to take shape, when I asked Reg Godwin (a “Watkins” guitar enthusiast & collector) to send me some templates of their “Sapphire” body. I didn’t want to copy, but to keep those proportions in the design of the body. Only one short week after Reg kindly sent me the templates this was the result. The body on this version was made of solid Mahogany (“…if you don’t like heavy metal, you may like heavy wood…!”) The pick guard was made of 5 ply birch. |
The pickups are made to the specifications of a `72 Strat (except the humbucker, near the bridge) This single coil size humbucker is splittable & can be switched with the top 3-way switch. The function of the 3 pickups is controlled by a usual 5 way Strat switch, but on this guitar it is positioned between the volume & tone controls. The head design was inspired by an old “Alembic” model I noticed whilst flicking through an old guitar book. |
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Scale length is 655mm, hardware is gold plated. The whole project went so easily, that I even ask myself how much I was involved in the creation? But it seems that some other people like the guitar as well, like Pete Haycock, who kindly sent me his comments about the pics I sent him. |
| This new Saphyra guitar is a remarkable blend of innovation and nostalgia. I can certainly see the influence of guitars from the sixties...especially the British-style design touches, but the overall effect is much more modern and cool than those old planks. The curvaceous pick guard is very cool and combined with the classy headstock this guitar is streets ahead of the various "Str.t" clones available nowadays in design terms. I can't wait to crank it up through my old Fender amp! |
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