I am a Huber dealer, and Nik has granted me the USA Warranty Service honor. Fantastic guitars. Jewels that you can play... I have this Dolphin in stock, Nik made it specially for me, but we are actually doing another for my personal use... Sadly, the Orca's resemblance to an iconic American guitar means that Nik cannot sell them in the United States. Contact me for more Huber info.
I have three of them and they are all fantastic guitars. I also own several Bakers, a Custom Shop Strat, PRS Custom 24, etc... The Hubers are simply the best guitars I own. The day I played Bakers, was the day I thought I had discovered the pinnacle of guitar building.....then I played a Huber. They are beautiful guitars that really shine in a live situation. Their versatility is unmatched. Nik's attention to detail is astounding...his selection of woods is insane. But, his ace in the hole is the Hausell pickups he uses. These are the only guitars I have ever left completely stock. I simply cannot get a bad sound out of them. Here are my three...from left to right. 1. Korina Dolphin II, one piece boby and neck, indian rw with dots. 2. Korina Dolphin II, one piece body and neck, Brazillian rw with dolphins. 3. Redwood Dolphin, hollow Korina body, one piece redwood top, brazillian rw with dolphins.
that sucks..."closely resembling an Iconic American guitar." well, if it ain't sue happy Gibson, it's gotta be fender. dave
Have a look at the threat : " Best Les Paul based guitar" where I pointed out the Orcas already. http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?s=&threadid=72154&perpage=15&pagenumber=5
I just lent this guy an Orca which he is using live with a Dire Straits tribute band. He was just floored when he tried the split Häussels - he told me he could easily substitute his Suhr with the Orca for some songs (not an easy feat, at all). The Orca is way more than a LP... it's a different beast alltogether, starting from the scale length (25") and from the fact that the body is 1/4" thinner than a regular LP, so the maple top has more effect on overall tone. AND it weighs less, too (if that is important for you). JJ p.s.: nothing forbids you to purchase a guitar overseas, right...?
No Orca's but I've been considering one. Never found a LP style bod I grooved with. After getting my 1st at NAMM `04, I've been playing Huber Dolphin's exclusively. I've got 4 Dol's and another due very soon. All very different from each other.
I played three Hubers a couple summers ago at the Amp Shop in Sherman Oaks. They struck me as nicely made Les Paul type guitars. But there was, IMO, nothing particularly special about them (compared to other "pretty top" guitars from PRS et al) other than their price tag...which was VERY high. IIRC, a two-HB-pickup set neck guitar with a T-o-M bridge, 2V and 2T knobs and a quilted maple top was in the 3500/4000 range...something like that. Sorry, but I can run the racks and find an excellent Les Paul for WAY less than that. There was nothing wrong with the Hubers, they were nice...just not a good value. That was my opinion.
Huh, Leon... The BlueWonton guy up there is actually a pro session player. There must be some reason for him to be owning FOUR (not one) Hubers. The pro players who have tried the ones I took to Italy where all extremely impressed. The average answer is: I've never played anything like this before. Just my own 2 cents' worth... JJ
Hey, Leonc, your entitled to your opinion, no matter what lead to your conclusion... But: I´ve owned quite a line of " Paulas" as I call them, and ,hey: sorry, but none of them was nearly worth the prize I payed for them. It might for sure be , I always keep getting the wrong guitars in my hands but, frankly :I´m sick of playing an axe for a couple of years believing in the legend of "the" killer tone to come.... There are nice guitties in the stockline of Les Pauls, and the dream axe with the killer tone could as well be a darkred Standard from 1982 ( !!!) for $1800 which I found in a little shop a couple of years ago - but that´s not the common case... My Les Paul Premium Plus e.g. is the prettiest piece of junk I´ve ever owned - you might as well test it yourself!! It was around $4500 then and it was the best of the Lesters in the shop! (Music Store Cologne) I meanwhile own 3 Hubers and I´m awaiting the fourth: And guess what: I´m gonna find myself some Les Paul addict, who´s gonna pay for my new Huber..... And each of my Hubers was a Custom shop guitar with a custom setup , custom Pickups and a STANDARD CUSTOM TONE right from the first note, without waiting for that played-in feeling !! Maybe you should give it another try...?!?
I don't think that this was an Orca...my guess was that it was an *early* Dolphin. I don't believe that any of the US dealers got an Orca for the reasons mentioned above. Obviously tone is a subjective matter, but there are a couple of things that need to be addressed with the above post. A Dolphin is absolutely nothing like a Les Paul. So I am not sure why you would compare it to one. The Dolphin has *way* more in common with a PRS CU22 than any Les Paul. It was designed to be a versatile instrument with it own sound and IMHO it nails its objective. I really cannot compare my Hubers to anything I own or have owned. The closest thing would be an early PRS, but IMHO the Huber is the better of the guitars due to the pickups Nik uses. Even if this *was* an Orca...comparing it to a Paul doesn't make much sense. Yes..it has the single cut look...but that is where it stops. Everything else about the guitar is different from a Paul. I have never played *any* Paul that can get the variety of *useable* sounds as any of my Hubers.
I've played three Dolphins since now cocheese one of which is mine and the other one is now in the hands of the most established Blues guitarist in my country and perhaps one of the most talented in Europe I would dare to say. I won't tell you what I think about Nik Huber guitars (hey I own one) but at least I speak the truth when I say you give it a try and you'll stay there. I did with this one.... Waiting to hear from you..
played an Orca once before, killer guitars...wouldn't mind getting one someday...definitely great but expensive
