Soloway Swan #062

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Went to the LI guitar show because I heard Ben Fargen and Jim
Soloway were going to be there and I wanted to meet them.
Well Soloway Swan #E062 has a new home, and I'm over the
moon with it. This one has a swamp ash body with the only
quilted maple top Jim has made. It has a 3 ply (super fast)
maple neck with a Cocobolo fingerboard. It has a nitro finish
on the body and neck and has a truly amazing 3D turquoise
finish on the quilted maple top. The neck dot markers are also turquoise and the hardware is all nickel and chrome.

This is one amazing instrument. Jim is a true craftsman of the
highest order. I have the proof in my hands.


Jim and Ben were fabulous to deal with. I'll have to swing back
tomorrow just to hang with them again.

[dkaplowitz]

Congrats! Post up some pics when you get the chance.

[Shemp]

Is that the Blue Guitar? Gorgeous!

[DestroyAllGuitars]

The blue one indeed. It's a killer!!! Made my day.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

How do I post pics here? I'll put up shots of the Soloway, the
Gretsch, the Tele and the Burns.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

This Weeks Acquisitions
Here they are, the newbies:

1) Burns Cobra (only $225)
2) Soloway Swan (Turquoise Maple Quilt Top, only 3 hours old)
3) Gretsch 6120JR (Les Paul scale body, 2.5" deep)
4) 1977 Telecaster (best sounding Tele I ever touched)

to view, go to www.picturetrail.com/cultreri

I hope this works!

I'll get my wife to work the camera and post some better pics
in a few.

[dkaplowitz]

Looks real nice Cliff! Wish I could hear how it sounds...will have to try one of those one of these days.

Cheers,

Dave

http://pic18.picturetrail.com/VOL909/3621334/7455078/97458949.jpg

[bluesdoc]

Ah Cliff..... it's good to treat yourself so well....... :D

jon

[Motorhed]

man, i wanted that one!!!! :D


i've never played one, but i love how swans look, beautiful flowing design. i'm sure they're as comfortable as they look.

congrats and if you ever want to sell it, please let me know! :D :dude

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Went back to the show today and came home Soloway Swan
#060. This is the 6 string brother to Jim Soloway's personal 7
string. They were both cut from the same piece of swamp ash
and both tops are from the same piece of quilted mahogany.

This particular guitar is being reviewed and featured in the
upcoming issue of Guitar Player.

That's 2 Soloways in 2 days. What truly amazing guitars. A few
Gibsons will be sent along on their merry way next week

[SteveK]

Congrats Cliff! #62 was here last weekend for the Forum Jam at our house, and received a lot of attention from the 15-20 players who were here. Beautiful sounding and playing guitar....ENJOY!!!

[tiltrite]

Cliff,

I played that very guitar at the LA amp show in Ben's room and I have to say that I am VERY JEALOUS! Not only did it play great but it had such a clarity and depth to its tone- and those qualities could be heard when played clean and when played dirty. There's something about that extra long scale, and the way that Jim executes the design that works great.

If I had had the coin at the moment I surely would've purchased it, but clearly it was meant to go to you. Congratulations on purchasing a great guitar. At some point I will certainly commission one with just about the exact same specs as the one you have.

Best,
Eric

[rh]

I only stopped by the booth briefly. I was completely impressed by the way the Fargen amp and Soloway guitars sounded together. I'd have loved to play them, but by then my 4yo son was going bonkers from boredom.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

IMO Jim Soloway's design and the 27 inch scale are the best thing to happen to the electric guitar in a long time. I have found
the perfect instrument for myself. These guitars are truly a source
of inspiration when in my hands.

The only other bucker guitar I'm keeping is my Les Paul, all others
are going. The Soloways, Strats and Teles will be my main guitars.
I will be ordering a 3rd Soloway with a Cocobolo Top and
Bluesbreaker PUPS to fill the P90 slot. I have not played another
bucker style guitar that, for me, can compete with the Soloway. I
can't sing enough praise for the tones, versatility and playability
of these unique guitars.

The Soloways bring out the absolute best in me. I've not felt
this kind of inspiration from an instrument in decades. It feels
like I've finally made it back home.

***Don't be fooled. The Soloways are as strong at firebreathing
rock and blues as they are at jazz and classical styles of playing.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Some pics of the two new loves in my life:

www.picturetrail.com/cultreri

Soloways:
#062 Turquoise Quilt Maple Top on left
#060 Curly Mahogany Top on right

More to come.....

[gregc]

Cliff, congrats and I'm glad you like em. I love mine! Sorry I missed you at the booth on Saturday. Thay may have been you, playing the turk one while I chatted it up with Jim & Ben in the afternoon??? Anyway... enjoy em, and I do agree with you, they are fine rock & blues guitars as well as jazz/chord melody makers.
gregc

[DestroyAllGuitars]

GregC, I spent a few hours with Jim & Ben, just sitting and
playing at their booth. So sorry I did not get to meet you and
speak.

I feel like I've rediscovered the electric guitar, thanks to the
Soloway.

What Soloway do you have?

Cliff

[gregc]

Mine is a 5 lb ash body with f-hole, a bubinga top, headstock overlay, and rear cover, cocobolo fretboard, knobs, and pickup rings, DiMarzio buckers with coil tap, nitro finish, the new sperzels, tortoise binding with white purfling, black hardware.........
http://www.hamerfanclub.com/memberpages/gregc/swan%20headstock.jpg
http://www.hamerfanclub.com/memberpages/gregc/swan%20top.jpg
gregc

[DestroyAllGuitars]

These are probably the only guitars made that will sound better
better than they look. Your guitar looks absolutely beautiful.
Best of luck and health with it. How long have you had it?

I'm so thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet Jim and
discover these incredible instruments.

I just ordered another. This one will have a swamp ash body
with a Cocobolo top and the Bluesbucker pickups. That should
easily fill my P90 slot and a whole lot more.

[adamquek]

Originally posted by CliffC
These are probably the only guitars made that will sound better
better than they look. Your guitar looks absolutely beautiful.
Best of luck and health with it. How long have you had it?

I'm so thrilled to have had the opportunity to meet Jim and
discover these incredible instruments.

I just ordered another. This one will have a swamp ash body
with a Cocobolo top and the Bluesbucker pickups. That should
easily fill my P90 slot and a whole lot more.

Wow congrats, they sure make a BEAUTIFUL pair. I'm over the moon with my Soloway as well, I bought that guitar blind as I'm located in Sydney Australia but I have no regrets at all... really sweet guitar. The 27" neck has be addicted I don't know how I'm ever going to buy another guitar without a 27" neck, and the finish and tone are just immaculate. 2 thumbs up.. I can never say enough about Jim's guitars OR the way he treats his customers. Truly fantastic.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Great for you. I know what you mean about the scale. I am
selling off 4 very good Gibson's today (Les Paul, 335, SG, Les
Paul JR) that were all extremely good playing and sounding
guitars. It took me decades to find the right pieces in terms of
tone and playability. Well, I don't need them anymore. The
Soloways have made them obsolete. I don't think I will leave
the 27" scale except for Fenders, Gretches etc, but in terms
of humbucker & P90 guitars the Soloways are my new signature
guitar. I could not be more confident or excited about this.

I can't begin to explain to you, the source of inspiration that these
instruments are providing me with. My playing, writing and overall
consciousness is at a new level when these guitars are in hand.


I actually have another 2 on order so I will have a total of 4
within the next 2 to 3 weeks.

[Zero]

I would expect they sound better than they look.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

They sound incredible with the looks just being a plus. I say
that because there are so many builders making great
furniture pieces. All looks, no innovation, mediocre tone and
using woods that might be better served as part of a coffee table.

The Soloway was designed up from the basis of the 27" scale,
if executed properly, enhancing the tone of the instrument.
Jim has succeeded in achieving this enhancement. The tone on
his instruments is stunning. The appointments and finishes
are top notch and anything you'd want done to further dress
up the looks of the guitar is simply just extra dressing. The value
of these instruments is in their tone and playability. Jim Soloway
is not just a builder, he is an innovator. He has designed an
instrument that takes the 27" scale and makes it the engine
for incredible tone and playability. A milestone in my eyes.

[tiltrite]

Originally posted by CliffC
All looks, no innovation, mediocre tone and
using woods that might be better served as part of a coffee table.


LOL

[gregc]

Cliff, so I guess you're glad you went to the show, after all?
:-)
ps: I love your enthusiasm!@

gregc

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Gregc, the smartest thing I've done in a long time was getting
out to meet Jim Soloway and play/purchase his guitars. I must
also send a way huge thanks out to Ben Fargen who went
well beyond the call of duty to help me out. He is a true
gentleman and is absolutely one of the best amp designers and
builders out there. The amp he designed for the Soloway guitar
was astounding. It was just dripping with beautiful tone. I will
definitely be adding some of his amps to my studio arsenal.

[Shadscbr]

Congrats CliffC, I'm very glad you are enjoying your new Swan's, they are terrific guitars!

I have a bubinga 7 string Swan (same piece of wood as Gregc) and the Fargen/Soloway classic amp, and I must say they certainly sound great together. Jim's products are inspiring, and they make me want to play more....now if only he could create more "guitar specific" time in my day, that would be great :)

Shad

[DestroyAllGuitars]

I'm now having Jim build me 2 more Swans. Both will have
Cocobolo tops. One with no soundhole with the Bluesbucker
pickups (P90s) and one with the soundhole and the Dimarzio
Air Humbucker set up. I'm also considering one with a Bubinga
top. What can you tell me about the qualities of the Swan with
the Bubinga top? Any info would be much appreciated.

Cliff

[Shadscbr]

Cliff, I will let Jim chime in and discuss the tonal differences between the wood choices. He has played every Swan wood choice they have tried so far....he will be much more of an expert than I am.

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Shadscbr, thanks so much. I will be speaking with Jim later
today and will be locking into the tone wood tops, hardware,
etc for 3 more Swans. Two will remain with me and the 3rd will reside at Stillwater Studios. ( my sister studio).

[Blueser]

Does Soloway make a standard scale length (25.5", or 24.75") as an option?

[DestroyAllGuitars]

The Swan is all about the 27" scale. Jim designed and engineered
the Swan with the 27" scale as the engine. The sonic benefits of
this scale length are immediately heard upon the strumming of
your 1st chord. Jim has not just built another guitar, but has IMO
created a milestone in the evolution of the electric guitar. There
would be no point in him offering another scale length as there
are more than enough of those around.

There are plenty of options in terms of tone wood tops and
hardware etc... but the 27" scale is his only offering in terms of
scale length.

[Blueser]

Originally posted by CliffC
The Swan is all about the 27" scale. Jim designed and engineered
the Swan with the 27" scale as the engine. The sonic benefits of
this scale length are immediately heard upon the strumming of
your 1st chord. Jim has not just built another guitar, but has IMO
created a milestone in the evolution of the electric guitar. There
would be no point in him offering another scale length as there
are more than enough of those around.

There are plenty of options in terms of tone wood tops and
hardware etc... but the 27" scale is his only offering in terms of
scale length.

While I don't dispute your claims Cliff, I have a hard enough time with 25.5"! :p Jim's stuff is gorgeous!

[DestroyAllGuitars]

Blueser, it's so much easier to master and play than one would think. A few hours with this scale length and you're very
likely to convert. I'll only go back to play Fenders, Gretches etc.
but will not go back for any Humbucker or P90 guitars. It takes
a bit more time getting used to the radius than the actual scale
length, but they do go hand in hand to make it work. If you can
play a Fender scale, you can master this in a matter of a few
hours a day over a couple of days. it is addictive.

Now, about those finger extenders....

[RickC]

I had an encounter with a Swan a couple of weeks ago (hi Leon). What surprised me most was how natural the scale felt. I was expecting some unwieldy beast; it's nothing of the sort. The most noticable thing about it, actually, is that fretting high up on the neck is noticably more comfortable. And at the same time, cowboy chords and other stuff down low seem just fine.

/rick

[DestroyAllGuitars]

RickC, I couldn't agree more with you. It not only feels natural
but it becomes addictive after a short while and the chords ring
out with an authority I've not heard from any other guitar.

[Jim Soloway]

A few honest thoughts from the horse's mouth on the 27-inch scale length....

First of all, it's not for everyone. It is a radical change and it makes the guitar both feel and sound very different than what most people are used to. Some people love it while a few others don't like it at all.

First, about the feel....A lot of people have played these guitars at shows and other events and it's always interesting to me to hear what they have to say. I don't know if anyone has ever said that it felt long. If they don't know about the extended scale length before they begin to play, they never guess that it's longer than a Strat. They sometimes find it stiff, but never long. Some people find it completely natural while a few others find it to be more of a fight than they’re used to. A lot of people feel like they've gone up one gauge in string size. We string them with 10's as our standard configuration and some people have told me that it feels like 11's to them.

The players who seem to have the most trouble with them are generally those who are accustomed to shredding with lighter strings. At the NAMM show, Scott Jones found them unplayable and Guthrie Govan described it as "a beast". Interesting to me was that Guthrie had assumed it was higher action (which I like) and heavier strings. It never occurred to him that the scale length was longer. On the other hand, Scott Lerner, who has very small hands, found it to be totally comfortable.

The other aspect of the feel issue is the design of the neck. It reflects both my own preferences as a player and a series of decisions that were made to minimize the effect of the extra scale length. The neck profile is quite thin, with a flat back. The fingerboard radius is extremely flat (16") with very large frets (6100's). I personally find this to be really comfortable. It works well for my playing and it does succeed at reducing the amount of finger pressure needed to finger notes, but I also realize that there are players who prefer a lot more meat, a fatter neck back, and a more curved fingerboard. Most people adjust to the shape fairly quickly, but there have been a few who simply couldn't get used to it.

The effect on tone and attack is actually much more dramatic than the effect on feel.

The most immediate effect of the added tension is that the attack is MUCH faster than a conventional scale length. The first comment I usually hear from people when they play a Swan, is how the notes seem to jump off the guitar. There is a much less noticeable swell into the notes. Whether you're playing clean or distorted, the individual notes are much more clearly defined and almost 3-dimensional.

The other obvious effect of the scale length, especially coupled with the chambered body, is that these guitars are extremely loud acoustically, almost to the volume level of a decent archtop. Using low output pickups, this adds a lot of acoustic presence to the tone. The overtones are very strong and I often hear the clean tone described as "piano-like", "bell-like" or "chime-like". (In fact, as a player one of the tones that I've always had in my head is the old Fender Rhodes that Bill Evans played in the early 70's, so I suppose it shouldn't really be a surprise that I would design a guitar that sounds like this).

When you add together the faster attack and the strong acoustic overtones, you get another tonal benefit, the ability to achieve both warmth and clarity simultaneously. Usually, guitars can do one or the other, but rarely can they do both. It's one of the reasons why the Swan works equally well for both rock and jazz.

I think that's about it. It's like anything else that deviates from the norm: there are pluses and minuses. Whether you think the pluses outweigh the minuses really depends on what's important to you.

[Dan Desy]

Congrats, Cliff! You're out of control man! :)

Dealing with Jim had been a pleasure (so far ;)). He's definitely inspired and inspiring at thesame time.

I can't wait to get mine:
Bubinga topped 7 string trem. :dude

[Lambone]

I'm bumping this thread just for Jim's description of his 27" scale design.

[tokaitelejohn]

Another bump as I have just bought one and it is wonderful! Can fully concur with Jim's description of the sound and feel too.