here - Nik Huber Guitars

Electric Guitars: Over £1000
WINNER
WINNER
Awards 2009
& Bass MAG
AZINE
Best Electric
Guitar Over
£1000
W
NIK HUBER
TWANGMEISTER
32
Winter Special 09 - Guitar & Bass
Reviewed
September
20/10
£2542
ith huge success established by aping the sleek
opulence of Gibson and PRS, Huber went back to
the well of ’50s California for the Twangmeister.
The solid one-piece swamp ash body is droolsome in its
simplicity, and the workmanlike fittings are subtly improved
and updated and of the highest quality.
However, it was the outstanding maple carved neck with
its knowing deviations from Leo’s original which really won
our praise. In the simplest terms there is more wood and
mass, with a carved, angled headstock and more robust heel
attached to a deep neck pocket with five screws: this is how
it should be done in the 21st century – even if it forsakes
some of the charm and rough-hewn aesthetics of the humble
Telecaster. Pickups come from Harry Häussel, and the
Twangmeister sounds simply stunning with the addictive
snarl of the lo-fi bridge pickup balanced by the Mars Barsweet P90 in the neck. You could opt for an additional single
coil in the middle to open up the parallel funky percussive
tones of a good Strat, or opt for a straight T-style single
coil in the neck if woollier muted neck tones are your taste.
Huber will also finish it in nitro-cellulose if you prefer.
Contact: Nik Huber Guitars +49 (0) 6106 772166
Web: www.nikhuber-guitars.com
Winter Special 09 - Guitar & Bass
33
Electric Guitars: Over £1000
Highly Recommended
Reviewed
January
20/2
£1768
Contact: 00800 444 27661
Web: www.gibson.com
GIBSON ES-339
The first word that comes to mind when holding
the ES-339 is ‘wow’ – with its cream binding and
nobody-does-it-better-than-Gibson sunburst,
it’s simply gorgeous. Gibson’s idea to shrink
down the ES-335 to a size closer to a Les Paul
could be decried as heresy by some, but to
the rest of us it’s a work of genius. The idea is
to appeal to those who want that semi-hollow
sound without the bulky body, and it’s safe to
say that Gibson may well have struck gold.
Such is the beauty of the ES-339 that you
could buy it just to hang it on your wall, but
that would be a rather extravagant waste of a
fantastic guitar. Sure, it’s not a Les Paul nor is it
exactly a 335, but that’s kind of the point. This
new addition to the Gibson family takes some of
the best aspects of its prodigious siblings and
creates a new voice all its own. There’s loads of
sustain on tap, open breathy tones, warm jazzy
cleans, punky roars and feedback just waiting to
The idea to shrink the
335 to LP size may be
heresy to some, but to
us it’s a work of genius
be tamed, while the neck gives fast playability
and big, easy bends. New size – but pure Gibson.
Reviewed
November
20/12
£1499
Contact: JHS 0113 2865381
Web: www.fret-king.com
Fret-King Country Squire
This Country Squire Yardbird, which takes Jeff
Beck’s ’54 Esquire as a reference point, is simply
impossible to fault. The one-piece swamp ash
body has ribcage and drop top chamfers for
added player comfort; these are left lightly
sealed and will soon take on a played-in vibe.
So too will the maple fingerboard, and with
its vintage-style frets it instantly feels played
in. One Seymour Duncan Broadcaster repro
pickup is wired through the traditionally quirky
Esquire electrics, which gives you a tone-pot
34
Winter Special 09 - Guitar & Bass
bypass when the three-way is set back for the
hottest, brightest, snappiest sound ever. The
middle switch position gives you control over
tone, and forward kicks in an old-school tone
choke for rhythm playing. Three voices from
a single pickup – pretty clever, eh? This totally
flexible guitar shows why players as diverse as
Syd Barrett, Jeff Beck and Bruce Springsteen
have all chosen Esquires. Punk, blues, country,
alt. rock; take your pick. There’s also a secret
weapon: select the ‘rhythm’ preset, hit a
Three voices from a
single pickup; punk,
blues, country, alt.
rock… take your pick
booster into a driven amp and you have a great
‘crying tone’ solo voice. Handmade in the UK at
a fine price – and what a peach it is.