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Post by billyguitar on Dec 4, 2006 14:08:15 GMT -7
I wish I could post a picture but I don't know how. If anyone else can/will, please feel free. There are some good pictures on The Gear Page under Small Luthiers and then under Lentz Family Album. Also good pictues at www.lentzguitar.com . Mine is orange and just like the pictures you see at the aformentioned spots except for three differences. Scott doesn't bind the fingerboards anymore, mine has a phase switch mounted between the treble pickup volume control and the tone control and Scott now uses a decal with black letters instead of hand signing the headstock like he used to do. He said it was a headache getting the signature right. The overall look of the guitar is Gretsch meets Strat/Tele/ Les Paul Special. These are Scott's top of the line. Orange is the stock color, block inlays, two cream colored P-90s of his own variation, 1 meg pots (two volume and one tone), three way Gibson type switch, clear lucite pickguard back sprayed gold, his own body shape (kind of a cross between Strat and Tele but other slight differences), hard tail Strat type bridge with titanium bridge pieces, rosewood laminated type fingerboard like Fender used briefly, 6105 sized frets but of European manufacture that he says are harder than Dunlop, 9.5" radius and GREAT thick soft V neck shape and binding on the top of the body. It weighs 7 pounds or less, very light but not neck heavy. This guitar has beautiful even sustain. This is really a beautifully made instrument. It's hard to believe that humans can make something so well. The pickups sound beautiful. Not like a normal P-90, somehow not so clanky sounding and with a sweet top end. Very full sounding and about the same output as a PAF. The clips on his web site are very accurate. The HSL guitar of his uses the same neck pickup so that's a better example to listen to. These pickups make this a VERY revealing guitar. Careful playing will be rewarded and flubs are heard but I call them style. When I first got it the strings felt very stiff. It arrived with some relief but I like a neck pretty straight. After I straightened it out the string tension was greatly reduced. Due to the 9.5" radius I can't get the high E quite as low as I would like. This is my only real qualm about this guitar, the 9.5" radius. Not being a vintage Fender guy this is a bit of a challenge for me but I'm going to hang in there and see how I do. I can only really compare this guitar to the two Tom Andersons that I have, actually just sold the Hollow T. When you get to guitars of this quality it's really a tough call as to which is better. one telling difference is that my hollow T was neck heavy and the Lentz is not, even though they are very close in weight. I asked Scott if it would be balanced and he said it would because it depends on what weight of maple is used and he is right. The neck on the Lentz is physically much larger than on the Hollow T and yet it's lighter. Hand selection of wood is probably better in a small shop like his. I am keeping my solid Anderson Drop Top T as a backup because it's a hell of a guitar but the Lentz is numero uno now. So far I've played it thru my Stang Ray, one of my old tweed Bassmans, my Evans and my nice old Vibroluxe Reverb. Absolutley killer thru them all. It came is very nice G & G blonde case with dark red poodle fur lining. Guitar: $ 3,000 Case: $150 2nd day Fed Ex shipping: about $80
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Post by rcrecelius on Dec 4, 2006 14:55:44 GMT -7
Does it look like this one? If your looks anything like this, it's a beaut!
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Post by BW on Dec 4, 2006 16:53:52 GMT -7
Ohhh.....worth waitin' fer, eh Billy? Here's Tapsa's new one up in Finland, just got this today. Hope you don't mind, Tapsa. This is the one that blows my dress up... I'd love one like this w/ a mini-bucker in the neck position, a big 'bucker in the bridge, matching headstock, and a set neck. Hey, I can dream, can't I?
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Post by Bill on Dec 4, 2006 17:15:27 GMT -7
Very nice, billyguitar...congrats!
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Post by kccheers on Dec 4, 2006 17:33:48 GMT -7
Guitar:................................. ..$3,000 Case:........................................$150 2nd day Fed Ex shipping: .......about $80 Calling it yours....................PRICELESS!
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 5, 2006 7:00:39 GMT -7
There you are Sam, I couldn't remember your screen name. I went out to Guitar Source Saturday but they were so busy I didn't bring it in. I'll wait until January. the orange one pictured here is just like mine except for mine has the phase switch between the knobs. The other one's are actually Scott's hybrid he calls HSL. I think the maple topped one was a one off, well they're all one offs. HSL means Hybrid Scott Lentz because of the P90 and the broadcaster bridge. I think the price starts at $2,550 for those. Scott is currently designing a set neck Les Paul type guitar. I bet it'll be good! I might like one of those someday if I could talk him into a 25-1/2" scale length. Someday is the operative word...........
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Tapsa
Junior Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Tapsa on Dec 6, 2006 9:25:58 GMT -7
Ohhh.....worth waitin' fer, eh Billy? Here's Tapsa's new one up in Finland, just got this today. Hope you don't mind, Tapsa. Billy congratulations for your new guitar!!! Thanks Buddy for sharing that pic of my "baby" Lentz. I love That guitar!!! That´s what I´ve been dreaming about and now my dream has come truth. It´s light, less than 7 pounds. Neck/ body are well balanced. Necks shape fits my hand and 0.11 set feels soft/easy to play. I have played couple of gigs and I have to say this guitar´s sound is huge!!!
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Post by Curt on Dec 6, 2006 9:41:08 GMT -7
I'm hoping for a short loaner test drive of a Gold Top DL-90 pretty soon......problem is I'm gonna like it and then.......$$$$ my rear will be devoured by the Ms.
Great guitarZ fella's.
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Post by rcrecelius on Dec 6, 2006 10:19:21 GMT -7
I'm hoping for a short loaner test drive of a Gold Top DL-90 pretty soon......problem is I'm gonna like it and then.......$$$$ my rear will be devoured by the Ms. Great guitarZ fella's. If ya have to sell that green Ghia to buy a Lentz, I'd like to be first in line
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Post by Curt on Dec 6, 2006 10:39:25 GMT -7
I'm hoping for a short loaner test drive of a Gold Top DL-90 pretty soon......problem is I'm gonna like it and then.......$$$$ my rear will be devoured by the Ms. Great guitarZ fella's. If ya have to sell that green Ghia to buy a Lentz, I'd like to be first in line LOL, will do RC, I've stuffed the Ghia in my Red 1x12 combo cab with a Blue for now...pretty cool. Lets see..your Z/28 Chassis in the Green head cab with this Green 2x12......now THAT would be a COOL Rig
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Post by rcrecelius on Dec 6, 2006 11:27:41 GMT -7
If ya have to sell that green Ghia to buy a Lentz, I'd like to be first in line LOL, will do RC, I've stuffed the Ghia in my Red 1x12 combo cab with a Blue for now...pretty cool. Lets see..your Z/28 Chassis in the Green head cab with this Green 2x12......now THAT would be a COOL Rig Well...I am looking for a head shell if that'n comes available
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 6, 2006 16:04:25 GMT -7
Scott called me today and talked for almost an hour on his dime! He's a good guy for sure. He likes to chat so I don't see how he gets the building done! He just wanted to see how I'm getting along with it. I'm adapting to it better every day. Like I said I'm not a Fender guitar guy so it's taking some time to adapt. He told me he makes the pickup covers in house out of Corian. I thought they weren't standard covers because they don't look like normal plastic and the corners are sharper than normal P90 covers. These pickups are very articulate and for sure don't cover up ANY slop. He said the solid ash body also emphasizes that and that an alder guitar is not so revealing. I like the challenge so ash is good for me and it takes that Gretsch orange so well......
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Post by skydog958 on Dec 6, 2006 19:05:04 GMT -7
KILLER AXE billyguitar. My next big guitar purchase will be a Lentz, but I'm torn between the HSL and the DL-90. By the way how are you liking the titanium saddles? I have a set on my LP, waiting for the $$ to put some on my other guitars.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 6, 2006 19:19:51 GMT -7
I haven't heard the guitar with other saddles so I really can't definitively say but if what I'm hearing is correct they sound good. Seem to be easy on strings too. It would be hard to beat an HSL. I just got swept away by the binding on the body, the block inlays, the gold guard, well all of it actually!
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 7, 2006 14:57:45 GMT -7
Ian @ Lentz posted pictures of my actual guitar on The Gear Page. Small Company Luthiers, Lentz family Album and there she be!
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Dec 7, 2006 16:36:58 GMT -7
Would be really nice to see your DSL - the orange is beautiful finish. Semd me a pic and I'll post it!! Hope you like the sustain - I found it jaw dropping for such a light guitar. Did you specify 1 meg vol pots or are they standard? The tinyest tinyest tinyest niggle I have with the HSL is the taper on the volume pots - there is a sudden increase in volume in the last 1/8 turn. Easy enough to work with and I would never change it. Just interested what you thought.
And Tapsa... wow, thats a nice one as well!!!
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 7, 2006 17:36:11 GMT -7
Dave: I forwarded you the pics Ian sent me. I appreciate the help. I'm starting to feel a bit foolish that I don't know how to these simple things, thanks a million. 1 meg pots are standard. A little different taper than I'm used to but it's working well. Same with the tone pot. The sustain is remarkable for such a light guitar. Some areas high on the G string sustain like a normal guitar and most of the guitar sustains like I've got a compressor on lightly! I'm actually glad it doesn't have a tummy cut on the back. I don't like the way guitars with that cut tilt in at the top. An arm cut on the top woudn't be a bad thing but then the binding wouldn't look right. I really don't notice that very much. You will see the out of phase switch on mine. On a guitar with one volume control an out of phase switch is not useful because the sound is real thin. With two volumes I turn down the bridge pickup volume a little and then the lows come back but it still has that skanky tone. I play jump blues and this kind of tone is what you hear T-Bone Walker and early BB king use when they used those early Gibson ES-5s. I like it a lot!!!!
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cosmo
Full Member
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Post by cosmo on Dec 7, 2006 23:55:30 GMT -7
These are such beautiful guitars. Congratulations, Billy. And Tapsa too. Clips, please!
On that volume pot taper thing...my Hamer has the same thing and I find it pretty useful live. Up at the top end of travel just a little nudge gives you an extra shot--kind like Nigel Tufnel going to "11."
Just had a sudden thought...
Billy, do you think Scott would do a DL90 with a trem bridge?? That might push me over the proverbial edge...
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Dec 8, 2006 1:45:33 GMT -7
Lentz image web service here.... Pics of Billyguitars DSL to make you go weak at the knees.... ;D
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Dec 8, 2006 2:51:34 GMT -7
Phase switch! I was suprised to see that feature but the way you describe it with 2 volume controls sounds great. I built a guitar years ago when it was the fashion to split humbuckers, reverse phases etc and the scratch plate was a forest of mini switches. It had a single volume control though and all this stuff did was to make the sound unusably thin and I only ever used the neck pickup.
Balancing the two volume controls on the HSL create a nice range of tones from the P90 and the tele bridge pickup. If the brain is engaged in the heat of the moment (sadly not always the case) it is easy to brighten or warm up the tone with a fine adjustment of balance. I find I keep the tone control itself on about 1/4 turn most of the time.
I guess the 1meg volume pot is there to keep the highs - lower value pots load the pickups more and I have read that the 250k values common is single coil guitars roll off the treble a bit. A case of taper vs tone? I have not played around with this so no experience. I am certainly not changing anything!!! As Cosmo says it gets you from clean to blast in one easy movement though.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 8, 2006 6:06:02 GMT -7
I'm sure Scott does trems, as a matter of fact I'm sure I saw one somewhere, perhaps on the Lentz thread on The Gear Page. He can do anything he wants and has done it all before so it shouldn't be any problem. Re: Phase switch The two volume controls is the only way this is useful. Same basic tone as you heard on that othe other guitar but can be made much thicker and almost the same output as when in the normal setting. The only thing this guitar won't do is that, which is it - series or parallel, sound. Those Corian pickup covers are really cool and I think contribute to the nice sound of the pickups.
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dave
New Member
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Post by dave on Dec 8, 2006 6:36:13 GMT -7
Corian? the stuff kitchen worktops are made of (expensive ones)? They look like regular black plastic on the HSL.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 8, 2006 6:44:04 GMT -7
That's the stuff! Might be that Scott wanted something different for his top-of-the-line guitar. I knew they were different because or the sharper corners. I was just sitting on the couch playing a bit before I leave for work on noticed a couple of dings on the back, boo! Oh well, now it's personalized! Thanks for your help again with the pictures!!
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Post by benttop (Steve) on Dec 8, 2006 6:47:42 GMT -7
Billy, that is really something... Dang, I have so many guitars here already, but I need something like this - haven't got one of these yet!
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Post by taswegian on Dec 8, 2006 18:33:46 GMT -7
That is one sweet axe Billy.
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Post by Curt on Dec 8, 2006 22:55:49 GMT -7
Hey Billy, P-90? Ghia? Heaven?
I think yes !
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 9, 2006 5:57:43 GMT -7
It's nice with the Ghia, you're right!
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Tapsa
Junior Member
Posts: 50
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Post by Tapsa on Dec 23, 2006 14:07:47 GMT -7
Thanks for everybody. You are great guys and this is a great forum to chance ideas, comments and experience. Merry Christmas and happy new year to you all.
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Post by billyguitar on Dec 23, 2006 19:09:30 GMT -7
It is a good forum and you make it better! Happy Christmas and a merry New Year to you and everyone else too!
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Post by Curt on Jan 5, 2007 9:47:31 GMT -7
Billy, What your latest thoughts on your DL-90? Comparisons to your TAG's?
Gracias, Curt
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