I recently got a new #Duesenberg Starplayer TV as you might have seen in a recent post and here is a short review after about two months I have it.
Take a Listen
Before we start drilling, why don't you take a short listen? Here is a short clean sound demo I recorded with the Starplayer TV. In this clip you can hear the neck pickup recorded directly through my Apollo Twin with the Marshall Plexi Classic Plugin (scroll all the way down for more clips).
(If the audio player below doesn't load, try to click here)
So, the Starplayer TV is a very unique semi hollow guitar. It combines the rattly round and warm tones of a semi-hollow with clear razor-sharp tones that are not very often heard from semi hollow body instruments. It has a P.A.F style humbucker in the bridge position and P90 style in the neck.
The humbucker is relatively bright sounding and has low output...
The humbucker is relatively bright sounding and has relatively low output compared to other (non P.A.F) humbuckers I've used. It's great for classic rock, rock n roll and blues tones. With the tightest heavy drive pedal/amp, that humbucker still sounds rattly and loose in that guitar, so that's not an ideal instrument for metal (if that wasn't clear enough by it's look).
The P90 really gives it a huge range of tones and makes the guitar surprisingly versatile.
The P90 really gives the Starplayer a huge range of tones and makes the guitar surprisingly versatile. The tone knob provides a lot of different usable sounds too. It goes from a jazzy warm out of focus type of tone, all the way to a very clear and sharp tone you would expect from single coils. The middle position sounds nothing like anything I have ever heard. The high strings ring with a very bright metallic sound that's really special. It's not a general purpose type of tone, but it will make you play differently and when played "right", it sings in a very special way. I use the middle position a lot with light overdrive. It sounds very detailed and has nice overtones. The middle position also complements other guitar tones very nicely when double tracking the same part (example at the bottom).
My guess is that the middle position wires the pickups out of phase with each other...
My guess is that the middle position wires the pickups out of phase with each other. That's the only way I can explain that sound.
In the middle position, rolling the volume down a little, dries up the sound a bit and makes the acoustic sound of the guitar more pronounced - very unique and useful.
Factory Setup & Construction
The guitar came right out of its case in perfect condition and ready to play! It survived a flight from California to New York, with full string tension (how professional and responsible of you Guitar Center). The action is fairly low, which I like, and the frets feel almost like jumbos, although they are medium according to the specs. The neck is a very slim U shape, again to my liking, but that is totally a matter of taste and won't fit those who like fat necks - for sure! Of all the guitars I have acquired over the years, this one is clearly the one that enjoyed the best factory quality control and setup. Far better than any Fender, Gibson or any other new instrument I have ever picked up.
The quality of the finish is stunning - you immediately notice that this is a 100% premium instrument and it indeed costs like one, although slightly cheaper than comparable American instruments, even in the US.
It's worth mentioning that #Duesenberg designs their own pickups and hardware for all of their models, and they do it extremely well, and with great precision and attention to details. The knobs on the Starplayer look like jewels and feel like butter, unlike any other I had the chance to play with, and I've owned and played a lot of top quality instruments over the years.
The bridge is similar to a Bigsby, but in my opinion it's a better design. It is beautifully designed, the arm is adjustable and it stays in tune very well compared to other non-fixed bridges and Bigsby bridges I've played.
The Z-Tuners are good looking, stable, and the string trough trick is very very neat - again a great design! However, not that it's a big deal, but don't be fooled by their look - these are not locking tuners, even if you have heard it on a YouTube review.
Pros
extremely well built and perfectly set up
very unique and overall great tremolo system
light and comfortable
surprisingly versatile - wide range of tones
unique sound, especially in the middle position (I believe the pickups are wired out of phase)
very high quality #Duesenberg hard shell case (that smells a bit weird)
Cons
I generally tend to prefer less fancy styling. Again - taste.
although the quality matches the price, this is not an affordable instrument
Update[Sept. 4th 2018]
After a little more than a year with this guitar, I'm totally in love with it. It was never intended to be my main instrument, but that is pretty much what it turned out to be.. it is very versatile and simply fun to play. I play mostly rock music, mostly through slightly pushed tube amps behind overdrive and fuzz pedals, and man that guitar covers a lot of territory. It can take anything, except for maybe metal, for the lack of low end tightness when playing with high gain.
I would definitely recommend that guitar to a friend and probably get another one if it was lost, but I'd say, when you pick up a #Duesenberg, don't expect it to be a Gibson, a Gretsch, or whatever - it is a #Duesenberg - its own thing!
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More Audio
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Demo Track - Middle Clean + Bridge Lead
In the following track, the right rhythm guitar is the Duesenberg in its middle position (both pickups). Listen how well it complements the Telecaster that's on the left channel.
The lead is the Duesenberg bridge pickup through a Bogner Ecstasy Red overdrive.
Demo Track - Clean - Neck
In the following track, both the rhythm loop and solo track were recorded using the same two microphones. An SM57 close to a #Marshall JCM 2000 DSL 401 combo, slightly off the cone's axis and a Rode NT1000 facing the amp about 8 feet / 2.5 meters away. The solo guitar also goes through the Catalinbread Echorec delay pedal.
Wreck of a Mother (song)
The right channel rhythm guitar and the solo track in the following song were recorded using my #Duesenberg. The rhythm track is played in the middle position, which blends both pickups. The solo is the humbucker alone through a Bogner Ecstasy Red and an Electro Harmonix Deluxe Electric Mistress.
Demo Track - Muff Fuzz
The Starplayer TV bridge humbucker played through an Electro Harmonix Double Muff set in double mode with the gain somewhere around halfway .
Demo Track - Direct Pure Recording
The Starplayer TV Neck pickup recorded direct through my UA Apollo Twin with the Marshall Plexi Classic AMP Plugin