Same report as on BaM, just spreading the joy. It's a cliche by now, but the pics don't do it justice. Specs: Redwood top, ash back Mahogany neck w/ blackwood board. Powertron in bridge pos., TVTron in neck 3-way blade switch, 3-way toggle for series, tapped, and parallel. This is one killer guitar. In full humbucking mode it is very Les Paulish, especially with the tone rolled back a bit. With the tone on full it gets more gretsch-like. Tapped it does bright, aggressive Tele sounds, even sounding vaguely Strattish, and parallel covers the mellower aspects of a Tele. All that "Tele" stuff I count as a bonus. I wanted a killer humbucking guitar, and figured we might as well do coil-tapping. As with everything Bill makes, you get useful sounds with the volume and tone in all positions. Tone at zero in humbucking mode, you can do that sustainy cello-like tone that Page did occasionally and Fripp did all the time. Roll back the tone a bit in HB mode for LP fatness, then switch to tap and bring the tone to full - no loss of signal. The bridge pickup is set slightly hotter than the neck in humbucking mode, so that they equal out in tapped and parallel. So many more tonal possibilities I can't remember tham all. Full tone report later - this is just initial impressions from the dropoff last night.
congrats, PJ, and excellent choice of features. i think you'll find, as you compare to LPs & teles & gretsches plus plug into different amps, that the guitar exhibits an increasingly unique quality, id'ing it as a Chapin. a matter of clarity mostly, to my ear. enjoy,
Absolutely. Tonal comparisons are gross generalizations only. It's a lot more than a Tele/LP/Gretsch/Strat-in-one.
Congrats on the new Chapin. One aspect of all Chapins is the versatility that they exhibit. His T-birds or Stratahoulas will give you the basic sounds of teles and strats but depending on you amp and pedal setups you will find sounds that go well beyond what a Typical Fender is capable of. Beautiful Guitar.. enjoy. Craig
beautifully guitar. i wonder if that is the same piece oe Redwood as mine. That guitar is going to treat you really well for a long time. Congratualtions. Enjoy her for a long time. cmn
WOW .. Really cool looking and i suspect it sounds even better. It makes me want my next Chapin even more...
That is a beautiful guitar! Classy, understated elegance. The Baby Grand bridge looks very sweet and everything seems to work in harmony. Congrats!
What's its profile? I was in Bill's shop, picked it up, said "This is an incredible neck. I want it." That's as specific as I can get. It probably was. Pictures of your guitar kept me going through many a cold and lonely night.
Amen brother...Redwood is the shiznits. I have been getting out of the maple tops because they always seem to make the guitar overly harsh. However...I love the look. When I heard about the redwood, I was intrigued. Well..I am a convert. Redwood sounds amazing... Mine is a Nik Huber Redwood Dolphin..the one on the far right. One piece exceptional Redwood top Korina Body and neck Brazillian board Body is chambered
Congrats Testudo, Great looking guitar. I can imagine how great it sounds from your description and knowing how Chapin's sound. Gotta love the Hawk body. Have fun.
