Lentz Education

[PHLOW]

Can someone give me a quick, brief education on Scott Lentz guitars? Mostly interested in the difference between the "old?" and "new?" styles, both cosmetically and tonally. Also, is price difference driven by simple supply/demand or certain qualitative differences? Thanks Much! Phil

[Leucadian]

...well for the straight skinny, you should call Scott and ask him yourself or check out his website (www.lentzguitar.com). "Old" styles were mostly ash Strat and Tele replica's...but the difference is in the wood selection...Scott's really picky which results in a body that is substantially lighter than other guitar makers...I have two of his older Strat or S-style's...one weighs less than 6lbs. because it's a hardtail and the other is about 6.5 lbs. or less...I like that...a lot! The way he makes his necks...nice and chunky with your choice of a maple cap or rosewood...which I believe he veneers onto a curved piece of maple. Scott's necks are the most comfortable I've ever played and the larger size eliminates the 'fatigue' factor I often felt when playing other brands. The maple necks have very little lacquer on them...Scott's nitro paint jobs are considered among the finest in Guitardom...The price on these older models ($3800-$4500) are reflective of the fact that he cannot make them anymore.

...his ''new" guitars...the HSL (Hybrid Scott Lentz)...is a non-contoured ash body with an original, very "vintagy" shape reminiscent of the Strat...you get his L90 pickup in the neck and the classic Broadcaster/Tele bridge and pickup...a volume knob for each pickup and a master tone control. I have a Surf Green HSL that weighs 6.4 lbs...an amazing guitar that is suitable for any style of music.

...the DL90 or Duel 90 is the same body as the HSL but with two of his L90 pickups (P90 style pickup)...same wiring as the HSL...in the middle position, it's like a giant humbucker...another versatile guitar you could take to any gig.

...the SSL (Single Coil Scott Lentz) has 3 single coil pickups and a contoured, lightweight alder body version of Scott's other new models...reminiscent of the Strat shape, except the horns are a little less pronounced...very 'Stratty' in tone...rear tone control is wired to the bridge pickup.

...the price of the HSL is $2550 (see below) plus the cost of a G&G case and S&H...the build time is about 3 or 4 months depending on various factors associated with nitro-finishes.

...by no means am I an expert on the construction methods that Scott employs (call Scott 760-743-1598) nor do I consider myself a 'tone authority' on electric guitars...I just like to play. However, I've owned 3 Suhr's, a Tyler Landau, 2 Grosh's, a Fender Custom Shop Relic and I've played a DeTemple and a D'Pergo. I am very happy with my Lentz guitars.:)

EDIT: the price for the DL90 and the SSL is $2675...plus the case and shipping & handling...

[Leucadian]

...here's a photo of a DL90 aka "Chip," I traded this guitar with another Gear Pager to get the hardtail S-style...sounds real, real good with the Bruno Cowtipper 22!
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/Leucadian/BrunoAmp2.jpg

...here's a photo of my HSL taking a nap at Beacon's Beach in Leucadia, CA :p
http://i80.photobucket.com/albums/j189/Leucadian/LentzHSL-SurfGreen.jpg

[mattc41]

wow, Lentz is in San Diego? I need to go meet him!

By the way, I went surfing at beacon's this morning, not very good. great place to take a pic of your guitar though!

[Leucadian]

wow, Lentz is in San Diego? I need to go meet him!

By the way, I went surfing at beacon's this morning, not very good. great place to take a pic of your guitar though!

...Scott lives in Leucadia too.:)

[Blauserk]

Also, is price difference driven by simple supply/demand or certain qualitative differences?

I have owned both, and I think pure supply & demand. The new ones are made to the same high standards as the old ones. I think the HSL is more versatile than the tele; the addition of the second volume pot really makes the guitar more flexible.

[mattc41]

...Scott lives in Leucadia too.:)

wow, im surprised i never figured this out sooner. an amazing luthier is a 5 minute drive up the 101 from me :) sweet.

[Gerald Johnson]

Well, I`ve had Fender custom shop and Masterbuilt strats, Suhr strats and Tom Anderson strats - my Lentz is quite simply the best I have ever played. It is just magical and covers every aspect of what I could want from a strat. I really can`t put into words how wonderful it plays and sounds. Sell everything you own to get one!

Gerald.

[Gordon]

Well, since Leucadian pretty much said it all, I will just add that they sound great, play great and

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/Gordon_022/permanent%20pics%20on%20threads/IMG_0074.jpg

they don't look too bad either.

[mattc41]

holy sh*t dude..

Well, since Leucadian pretty much said it all, I will just add that they sound great, play great and

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/Gordon_022/permanent%20pics%20on%20threads/IMG_0074.jpg

they don't look too bad either.

[Leucadian]

:cool:
...that's what I'm talkin' bout!

[billyguitar]

When I ordered my DL90 in July it was going to be $3,000 plus $150 for the case. It will be orange, gold hardware, rosewood board and block inlays. He doesn't bind the necks anymore. It'll look just like the one on his website except no neck binding. He has worked on, handled and built many more great guitars than I have so I decided to place my trust in his judgements and let him build it as he sees fit. The only thing I asked for was a phase reversal switch so I could get some T-Bone Walker and Peter Green tones. When I've had guitars with 2 volume knobs and a phase reversal switch it worked much better than 1 volume knob guitars. You could control how much of that out of phaseness you get by turning one of the pots down slightly. He wasn't sure if the guitar would retain it's center position humbucking ability. I said the humbucking capability was more important. He hasn't gotten back to me on that so I'm assuming he hasn't got to that point yet. He may be running past his 3 month approximate waiting period. If so, that's fine. It'll be worth the wait!

[dbeeman]

All this stuff and you live in Snowflake too

Life's not fair!!! Wahhhhh! Wahhhh!


Seriously snowflake is a cool place in AZ

Well, since Leucadian pretty much said it all, I will just add that they sound great, play great and

http://i97.photobucket.com/albums/l209/Gordon_022/permanent%20pics%20on%20threads/IMG_0074.jpg

they don't look too bad either.

[AJ Love]

Well, I`ve had Fender custom shop and Masterbuilt strats, Suhr strats and Tom Anderson strats - my Lentz is quite simply the best I have ever played. It is just magical and covers every aspect of what I could want from a strat. I really can`t put into words how wonderful it plays and sounds. Sell everything you own to get one!.

That's been my exact experience too... I have a DL-90 and it is easily the best guitar I've ever played. I've owned all the guitars mentioned in Gerald's quote above and also Grosh, G&L, PRS, Sadowsky, and a Suhr Tele and this Lentz DL-90 is by far the best playing best sounding of them all...

Also I've played a few of Lentz' older Fender copies and I think this guitar is better than those, as well... I think his new guitars are somewhat revolutionary in design. They are truely 21st century guitars when most boutique builders are still copying 20th century designs, and his pickups are easily some of the best of all-time.

[Leucadian]

That's been my exact experience too... I have a DL-90 and it is easily the best guitar I've ever played. I've owned all the guitars mentioned in Gerald's quote above and also Grosh, G&L, PRS, Sadowsky, and a Suhr Tele and this Lentz DL-90 is by far the best playing best sounding of them all...

Also I've played a few of Lentz' older Fender copies and I think this guitar is better than those, as well... I think his new guitars are somewhat revolutionary in design. They are truely 21st century guitars when most boutique builders are still copying 20th century designs, and his pickups are easily some of the best of all-time.

...hey AJ...I tried to reply to your last PM but was denied because you have too many stored messages...delete a few and I'll try to re-send my reply...JA

[Leucadian]

Ooops! OK, done...

...PM sent...

[guitrr]

How much on those guitars is available by special order? Vibrato system? Belly cut? Neck shape?

Thanks,

Kane

[guitrr]

Oh, btw, here's some good clips of the great Buddy Whittington on those very guitars.

Kane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEhgWxW0nY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O67_ptYlKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br-aq4VQwMc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lIjrcLjBMA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfp3DIp6f5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5ubZM1KbU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woTepZsLAyg

[AJ Love]

How much on those guitars is available by special order? Vibrato system? Belly cut? Neck shape?

Not a whole lot of the Lentz Guitar can be "custom ordered". Scott makes them the way he makes them. You get a choice of maple or rosewood fingerboard, choice of finish color, and choice of fret size, and of course a choice between his HSL, DL-90, and SSL models, and on the SSL model you get a choice between Alder or Ash for the body wood, and I believe that on the SSL you can order it as a hardtail or with vibrato system

After decades of working on and building guitars, Scott has come up with a formula in terms of design that works for him. They truely are fabulous sounding and playing guitars

[Leucadian]

How much on those guitars is available by special order? Vibrato system? Belly cut? Neck shape?

Thanks,

Kane

...call Scott for those types of questions (see my initial post for his phone number)! Only the SSL model has contours as far as I know. I know of one DL90 he made with a "whammy" bar. His neck shape is happening...just trust him, his knowledge of what makes a great sounding guitar and his craftsmanship and I think you'll be satisfied.

...I'm coming to a town (Port Orange) near you at the end of month...it's too bad I won't be bringing my Lentz's...damn airlines!:Devil

[Zane]

Oh, btw, here's some good clips of the great Buddy Whittington on those very guitars.

Kane

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZEhgWxW0nY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7O67_ptYlKw

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Br-aq4VQwMc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lIjrcLjBMA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hfp3DIp6f5w

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-5ubZM1KbU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=woTepZsLAyg

damn that's some mty fine filmin'...;^)

[guitrr]

...I'm coming to a town (Port Orange) near you at the end of month...it's too bad I won't be bringing my Lentz's...damn airlines!:Devil Port Orange is 15 minutes from my place; let me know when you're here and perhaps we can get together. Kane

[Leucadian]

Port Orange is 15 minutes from my place; let me know when you're here and perhaps we can get together. Kane

...it'll be between Oct. 26th-29th...I'll send you a pm later this month...now git your order into Scott!:dude

[AJ Love]

I've been playing my Lentz a LOT in the last few days. The impressions that keep jumping out at me about this guitar is how solidly built it is, how great it sounds (on every string and throughout the neck), and how easy it is to bend strings on (11's feel like 10's to me)... it really feels like the older Vintage Fenders from the 50's I've played, except in a brand new package and design... the thin veneer fingerboard is a design aspect of a Master Luthier and something you don't find from most other Boutique builders these days

[PHLOW]

Thanks to all who responded. As usual, great info, pics, opinions. It is all much appreciated! Phil

[AJ Love]

Thanks to all who responded. As usual, great info, pics, opinions. It is all much appreciated! Phil

No problem at all.

There is a complexity to the tone of my DL-90 that I really love, and a great "bloom" and natural sustain on the bent notes...

I just spoke with Lentz this afternoon, he's got a lot of new things coming around the bend. He is now offering a couple of different pickups on his SSL model and he's got some other really cool things coming soon too... the guy, like any great Luthier and Artist, doesn't stand still but instead keeps finding new ways to innovate and create.

He puts true passion into his work, you can tell it's there just talking with him on the phone, but you can really tell it when you play his guitars.