Got a new guitar from the most exclusive of boutique builders...

[wrxplayer]

Eric Sorenson! Who you ask? Eric Sorenson.

Those who troll the emporium may recognize the guitar.

From what I'm told, Eric has been building guitars for 20+ years. Perhaps 7-8 years ago, he built some Les Paul style guitars. Some who saw them urged him to start his own brand and in 2006 he came out with his own model, sort of a merger of the Les Paul and and SG (much closer to a Lester). The first of these, marked 2006-1, went to Dave's guitar where it sat unsold for a while. It was bought here by Al (aka OldSchool) and traded to me last week. Pics below.

Unfortunately, not long after making the first few guitars, Eric's motorcycle met a truck it didn't like and his new venture was derailed. Hopefully it won't be long before he'll be back in the shop. Although there are indeed a lot of boutique builders out there the work is outstanding and the model you see below is not just another clone (not to demean replicas, but I gravitate more toward unique).

So, the guitar, who I've named "Erica", has a double cutaway mahogany body with a flame maple top, 24 3/4" scale, and a spectacular Brazilian rosewood fingerboard. I'm told the woods are very old and the mahogany from Honduras (they grow some good wood in Honduras, don't they).

Pickups are Seymour Duncan Antiquities (Al bought it with Eric's own PAF style pickups but replaced them). Fret markers, which remind me of the little "reinforcers" we used to have to get with the rest of our school supplies each year) are pearloid celluloid MOP.

The neck is on the beefy side, which I like. I've never held a '59 LP so I can't really compare it w/ that but other guitars I've had that have a "'59 carve" are about as wide but not as deep. I like the deep. It almost approaches the depth of my old CS blackguard (which I still miss).

Fit and finish are excellent. The top has some spectacular flame/color but none of the pictures I have of it properly reflect the top's beauty.

As for tone, it's clearly in the "really good Les Paul camp". Notwithstanding the double cut, it remains a thick slab of mahogany with two high end PAF pickups on a Brazilian board. Playability is excellent. Bends are smooth and easy. Sustain is excellent. Neck is very comfortable and weight is likely 8.5 lbs or so.

Some pics of my guitar are below. I'll take and post some that capture the top of my guitar better (the top of the LP style guitar does a better job). Also provided are some pics that perhaps are a looking glass into things to come. I sure hope so!

[Jaan]

He looks like he makes a very nice guitar.

[RossNRoll]

congrats on that custom axe! looks great! I really like that LP guitar with the wide/loose flame top. right up my alley

[XKnight]

Congrats! I almost bought that guitar from Dave's. I watched it sit for a long time and get discounted to a ridiculously low price. In the end OldSchool beat me to it.

[wrxplayer]

Well, I've now had the guitar for a week or so and am still enjoying it.

Unfortunately, it came with two of the pots disconnected (was told after I got it that the seller only used the volume and didn't bother reconnecting the second volume pot or the tone pot when he swapped out the pickups). Turns out the wiring's a mess, solder abounds, and a rewire is required.

But she's still pretty and sounds great.

[ptgold]

i like!! very cool design for an lp-ish guitar