Newest member of The Stripe Room added 9/11- A Chandler Telepathic guitar had been a 6-year search for the Holy Grail for me. After purchasing my first Chandler guitar, and seeing how special they were, I swore I would somehow obtain all the models in their catalog. Since 2000, I have seen a lot of Tele-style guitars constructed using Chandler parts, but only found two that were factory Telepathics. Both of those axes had lived a rough life and were priced stupid for their condition. When I saw this guitar for sale I couldn’t believe my luck! Not only was it a Thinline model (fewer than 20% of all Telepathic are Thinlines), but also was a limited run TV version of fewer than 300. I paused to wonder what extreme circumstances had forced the original owner to sell such a rare item. As they say: One man’s loss is another man’s gain.

There is only one word to describe the 1996 Chandler Telepathic Thinline TV: Versatile. Paul and Adrian Chandler wanted to pay homage to the late 50’s Les Paul Junior TV styling, while making a totally modern, multipurpose guitar. The Telepathic TV incorporates a mahogany body with tone chambers and a single F hole. The lightened body style was used to create perfect neck and body balance along with an overall light weight . The bolt-on mahogany neck is capped with a rare Brazilian rosewood fretboard highlighted with abalone dot inlays. Adrian told me that they had the rosewood fretboard blanks sitting in their warehouse since 1984, just waiting for a special project. A lightweight Wilkinson USA string-through-body bridge and Kluson-style vintage tuning keys anchor both ends of the strings.  

In the ‘70s, many players regarded a solidbody as little more than an inert slab of wood. The acoustic properties of an electric guitar were deemed relatively inconsequential to its amplified sound. Guitarists considered tone to be a function of hardware, pickups, and electronics. “The heavier the guitar, the better the tone” was the prevailing wisdom.

By the mid ‘80s, attitudes had shifted: People recognized that a solidbody’s acoustic sound was the real origin of its tone. Because the body acts as a soundboard, the electric guitar is an acoustic guitar, first and foremost. You are taking something very small - the acoustic output of a solidbody - and amplifying it tremendously. Small imperfections in the acoustic tone become blatantly apparent in the electric sound.

Different woods determine how the body “hears” string vibration. In turn that vibration is transferred to the neck, bridge, and pickups affecting the guitars overall tone. Electric guitar bodies are available in a wide variety of woods, each with its own sonic qualities:

Alder is a common body wood. Its sound - characterized by a moderate attack and smooth decay - gives the guitar an even, balanced tone with well-defined lows and clear highs. Alder’s tonal balance makes it a good choice for guitarists who need an instrument that can cover a broad range of musical styles.

Ash (Northern Hard & Southern Soft a/k/a “Swamp ash”) A lightweight American wood, has a distinct ringing tone. Ash bodies work well with spring tremolo systems and single-coil pickups, producing transparent timbres with bell-like overtones. Medium-weight swamp ash bodies have the best tonal balance and sustain.

Basswood became a popular tone wood several years ago. Guitars built for loud, high-gain playing frequently feature basswood bodies. Basswood’s tone is smooth, without many sharp edges. Attack is moderate, while sustain is round and even.

Mahogany (varieties are Brazilian, African, Philippine or Indian) is preferred by players looking for a warm, round tone. Smooth attack and rich, singing sustain characterize the sound of this light to moderately heavy wood.

Maple (varieties include rock, curly, flamed, and birdseye) provides a sharp pick attack and quick decay, and generates a strong fundamental response without major overtone coloration.

Poplar is also a commonly used body wood. Its weight is slightly heavier than Alder, but it has very similar tonal qualities and a balanced attack.

Alternative woods are also becoming more popular. You can find high end custom models and some production instruments that feature Koa, Korina and Walnut bodies. As well as exotic woods such as Bubinga, Padauk, Lacewood and Zebrawood.

NECK WOOD

A solidbody’s neck helps shape the instrument’s acoustic voice. It is a primary tonal component, along with the body, bridge, fingerboard, and strings. Differences in wood density and stiffness alter the way the neck translates string sound to the body. Tone can vary greatly, even among necks of the same wood type. In most cases, harder woods such as Maple produce a bright, clear sound. Mahogany and other softer wood impart more warmth. You can find alternatives to traditional neck woods more easily today than in the past. Pau Ferro (ironwood), Rosewood, Wenge, and Fiber-Composite necks are readily available on custom and production instruments

NECK JOINT

Bolt-on construction uses screws or bolts to connect a separate neck and body together to produce a guitar, such as a Fender Strat or Tele. A good fit is critical; the neck must fit tightly in the pocket and make good contact on all sides of the joint. Any gap will result in lost sound. This joint contributes to the bolt-on’s identifiable  “twangy” tone by emphasizing certain frequencies over others.

Set-in construction refers to gluing the neck into the body using a dovetail joint or mortise and tenon of some sort, as with a Gibson Les Paul. Some builders feel a set-in joint gives the guitar a “singing” quality. Smooth, warm sustain with moderate attack are characteristics often attributed to set-in neck guitars

Neck-through-body construction means the neck section continues all the way from the headstock through the body to the bottom strap button. Small “wings” glued to the sides of the extended neck form the body of the guitar; an example is the Gibson Firebird. Neck-through sections are frequently maple, with a softer wood for the body wings. Neck-through instruments work well in high-volume playing situations that call for bright tone, with a quick attack, and a defined low end.

TRUSS ROD

Within most necks lies a hidden tone component - the trussrod. Primarily designed to counter string tension (neck bow), the trussrod system alters the neck’s mass and stiffness. It must always be under tension: a loose rod can resonate sympathetically with the strings, absorbing some frequencies and causing dead notes and weak sustain. Two common designs are the two-piece double expanding rod and the single rod. A double expanding trussrod’s stiffness and weight improves sustain while the single rod weights less, which helps create a warmer tone.

FINGERBOARD

The fingerboard material contributes to the ultimate end sound. Various materials filter the root vibration of the string differently, modifying the instrument’s tone.

Ebony is the hardest and heaviest of common fingerboard woods, adding snap and clarity to the sound. Crisp attack and fast decay contribute to ebony’s open (as opposed to warm) tone.

Maple fingerboards produce slightly less snap than ebony boards. More evenly balanced than ebony, maple’s attack and decay characteristics yield sustain and bright tone. Many guitars have one-piece maple necks - the fingerboard is simply the neck’s surface. One-­piece necks transfer string vibration differently than those with a separate glued on fingerboard. Two otherwise identical guitars, one with a one-piece neck and the other with a separate fingerboard, will sound remarkably different.

Rosewood fingerboards are warmer sounding, with less defined attack than either ebony or maple--both of which are denser woods. Notes seem to bloom after being picked. Some attribute rosewood’s sweeter, midrange-heavy tone to its high oil content; the oil presumably acts as an acoustic damper, rolling off high end.

Pau Ferro is an alternative to traditional fingerboard woods, This South American hardwood has recently gained favor with some of the country’s top builders.It combines rosewood’s warm tone with ebony’s smooth feel.

Synthetic fingerboards share two traits that affect tone: high density and extreme stiffness. Graphite, phenolic, and other composite fingerboards offer extreme clarity and high-end response, as well as  note-to-note consistency.

Fun Fact: The first solid body electric guitar was invented in late 1940 & early 1941. Inventor and guitarist Les Paul made this guitar by taking a 4x4-inch block of pine fence post and fitted it with two homemade electronic pickups and a neck. Paul first played the guitar in public at a New York nightclub. The public, accustomed to the look of large bodied acoustic guitars didn’t like Paul or his odd guitar. So Paul cut a Spanish style hollow-body guitar in half and attached the sides to his 4x4 creation. Dubbed “The Log”, it did make the guitar look slightly more conventional. This time the public loved  Les Paul and his guitar, as they say….the rest is history.

Newest member of The Stripe Room added 10/7 - The watershed of choice guitars on the market interestingly, continued into October. I had wanted to purchase an ESP Standard Series guitar for a few years now to check out their workmanship and value. I had seen the 2003 press releases promising they would be custom shop quality pieces, but at sub rock star prices. Additionally, the satin camouflage paint schemes available definitely hit a chord (pun intended) with me. When the opportunity to get a camo Viper Standard emerged I thought it might be revealing to compare it with my LTD branded Viper.

The 2004 ESP Viper Standard is an amazing piece of wood. The mahogany body and set neck is without a doubt the most resonant guitar I own (except for the aluminum / composite Fouke guitars). Strumming it unplugged, the acoustic sound is as loud as my large semi-hollow bodied guitars. This is also my first guitar with EMG pickups, and I can see why they are favorites of so many metal guitarists. The active EMG 81 humbucking set send out such a strong signal, my weenie-boy Crate amp could barely handle it. Along with the Gotoh Tune-o-Matic bridge / stop tailpiece and ebony fretboard they conspire to give sustain that can damn near be measured with a calendar. I’m talking endless power chords here, and palm muted chugga-chugga that makes anyone sound like Hetfield or Hanneman. Turn the volume knob way back, and select the neck pickup, and you can jangle and play sweet, smooth jazz licks. Although I don’t think any jazz cats would be caught dead with such an ostentatious camouflage axe.