| Summary | |
| Features | 10 (1 response) |
| Sound | 10 (1 response) |
| Action, Fit, & Finish | 10 (1 response) |
| Reliability/Durability | 10 (1 response) |
| Customer Support | 10 (1 response) |
| Overall Rating | 10 (1 response) |
Purchased from: N/A
Features: 10
This guitar 'Cherry' was made in 1982 by one of the UK's best luthiers, Kevin
Chilcott. It was made in Balham London on his Mum's kitchen table and his Dad's
garden shed. The solid mahogany body and neck were sprayed by Clive Cherry in
Wandsworth. She has a rosewood fretboard with real mop dot inlays. Originally
she was fitted chrome badass type bridge, chrome Schaller machines and a
Schaller 'hot-stuff' bridge humbucker with exposed coils. She had narrow gauge
frets and single volume and tone pots. When I bought the guitar, Kevin agreed to
replace the humbucker with a Kent Armstrong P90 in a chrome humbucker case and
do a re-fret (to 2.6m medium gauge). The build quality, materials and finish are
flawless - I've compared it to my 70s Gibson and Modern USA Standard Tele - no
contest. This is a beautifully made instrument. Simplicity is the key. The
guitar was exhibited at the Royal Festival Hall at the first British Guitar Show
in 1983.
Sound: 10
I play rock and blues. When you stick a P90 in the right place onto the right
piece of wood, the results are amazing. Unlike most guitars, the Royal's single
vol and tone pots actually work, there's a huge range of sounds if you use it
properly in conjunction with the amp, without all that switching. You can go
from Eddie Taylor to Eddie Clark, or Peter Green to Green Day by tickling your
finger - it does a beautiful, huge clean tone as well. Unplugged, this is the
loudest electric guitar I've ever heard.
Action, Fit, & Finish: 10
For 23 this baby is amazing. The refret Kevin did for me makes the frets on all
my other guitars look awful. This is more than craftsmanship, it's artistry.
Kevin also set Cherry up for me (how easy is this for a right handed person to
do for a left-handed player?) perfectly.
Reliability/Durability: 10
Cherry feels tough and yet delicate at the same time. I'm sure she'd last for
another 20 years without any problems. I wouldn't gig her without backup because
I am not a loony, but she is now my main guitar.
Customer Support: 10
With a proper maker like Kevin you get more than personal service. Kevin cares
about how you find his instruments to play. He likes to know how you are.
Nothing is too much trouble, ever. No dumb question is too dumb for Kevin not to
try and answer it.
Overall Rating: 10
This is the best guitar I will ever own. It is the finest built and the most
rewarding to play. Some things were just sort of meant to happen. I'd been
talking to Kevin about making something else left-handed and Cherry turned up at
a shop in Exeter. He hasn't made many lefty's, so I had to have it. If it were
stolen or lost I would cry, because she is irreplaceable.
Submitted by Catfish Wilsford at 09/11/2003 09:01
| Summary | |
| Features | 10 (1 response) |
| Sound | 10 (1 response) |
| Action, Fit, & Finish | 10 (1 response) |
| Reliability/Durability | 10 (1 response) |
| Customer Support | 10 (1 response) |
| Overall Rating | 10 (1 response) |