[read my full review here]
So, my first electric guitar was a Washburn HB35 – a semi-hollow Gibson 335 style guitar - that was around 1993. But I didn’t deserve it when I bought it.. I was into hard-rock and metal music when I started playing guitar, and I didn’t really know what I wanted or needed at the time. The Washburn was stunning to me, and it was in my budget and just there I guess, so I got it..
After two years of playing and struggling with feedbacks, I sold the Washburn for a Gibson MIII (long discontinued). That non traditional Gibson was much closer to the type of instrument I could handle at the time.. but, I slowly but surely learned to hate the floyd-rose bridge and overall it wasn’t my type of beast. After another two or three years I went to buy strings in my favourite guitar shop and came back with a 1996 Les Paul standard (with strings on it). That was, for me, the most significant guitar purchase to this day. I still have that Les Paul and I can surely say that it is my favorite instrument.
After several years, my musical taste have changed a bit, or should I say developed. And although I love metal to this day, I was starting to find more and more interest in softer Rock, Blues and even classic Jazz. But I felt that I couldn’t emulate the tone of those genres with my guitars and amps. I had the right vibe and feel, but the tone wasn’t there and so I started developing an obsession towards semi-hollow guitars, especially Gibson ES 335s. I knew I don’t have the money to buy another guitar, definitely not a 335 and I wasn’t ready to sell my Les Paul for a 335 – no way! So I just neglected the idea and moved on, until very recently.
Recently I decided that after so many years and given that now I have the money and the space, it’s time for me to be nice and fulfill that 20 years old boy’s wish. The idea was to go for either a Gibson 335 or a 339. However, as cool and iconic as these two guitars are, I felt that I was still a hard-rock and metal kind of dude.. and these are not the ideal match for me.. so I looked around searching for alternatives that are brighter and a bit more versatile. And then, I saw Chris Cornell playing a beautiful black #Duesenberg Caribu! I didn’t know what it was. I started to listen to clips and read reviews and it looked promising and very appealing to me.
Next thing I know, I'm on a business trip to NYC. I step into Guitar Center Manhattan, first just to look around and then I find myself checking some instruments, a bit more seriously … and then I saw some #Duesenberg guitars in the corner, looking at me. So.. I had no choice.. I started playing a beautiful light-blue Caribu through a 65 reissue Fender Deluxe Reverb. It was extremely comfortable to play, although I prefer the feel of a short scale guitar, and the Bigsby style trem system felt surprisingly good. I spend approximately 10 minutes playing that guitar, but I couldn’t find myself in it, so I moved on to the Starplayer TV and after about fifteen minutes of playing it both through the Deluxe Reverb and a Friedman, I f**king bought it!
A Star
#Duesenberg guitars are extremely well built and finished! The Starplayer has the most comfortable neck I have ever held in my life, and I have played many instruments, including many premium ones. It is lightweight and has an unbelievably stable tremolo system. The trem system is similar to a Bigsby, but it stays in tune very well and it’s arm can be adjusted to your preference, which is very useful.
It’s worth mentioning that the Starplayer’s scale length, as I think in all #Duesenberg guitars, is 25.5″, which is the same scale length used on Fender Stratocaster® and Telecaster® guitars and their copies, which means they have longer scale comparing to Gibsons and Gretsches. Long scale length guitars produce brighter more detailed tones, short scales are warmer and easier to bend and play overall.
The Puppies
The Starplayer TV pickups are well matched and combined with the guitar construction, they sound surprisingly detailed and bright, for what I expected from a semi-hollow body guitar.
Tone
That guitar is somewhat mid scooped. It has very sparkly high end response and very round bass, but not a lot of mids. It is a very unique sound to my ears, it is pleasing and very inspiring. From my experience with pickups, I know you could probably change the tone of that guitar radically, by installing another type of pickup, but why do that? #Duesenberg is a #Duesenberg! If you don't like it, just leave it alone.
Finally
If you are into rock instruments and consider a semi-hollow body guitar, or even a solid body with bigger or different sound, or just something different – you have to check out #Duesenberg guitars!