This stunning Tulsa features a lightweight, chambered body of white African limba with a beautiful curly maple top. Both front and back have been contoured in the traditional German-carve manner—giving the instrument exotic lines and making it oh-so comfortable to hold. The matching limba neck is carved in a flatter vintage c shape like a 1960 sunburst burst Les Paul.
Dantzig guitars utilize a low-mass single carbon steel truss rod that is pre-stressed to allow both forward and backwards adjustment without resorting to tone-robbing double rods.
The fretboard is a beautiful slab of dark Brazilian rosewood fretted with 22 medium oval EVO gold frets. This fretwire is an extremely hard and durable alloy that will resist wear without the harsh attack of stainless steel. Dantzig Tulsa guitars utilize a compensated 25.5" scale. Rather than merely copying vintage practices, this fret scale is adjusted for current string manufacturing techniques, and the resulting intonation is perfect for the modern player.
The fretboard radius is a comfortable 12". Inlays are genuine mother of pearl in a chevron design. Side markers are genuine mother of pearl as well.
Pickups are vintage style low-wind P90s from John Grail. These extremely hard to obtain pickups (which Jon calls G90) are uncommonly clear and articulate. The middle position tones are funky and clear—perfect for blues and old school R&B (please watch the Lance Keltner video demo).
This extremely resonant instrument features a lightweight aluminum wraparound bridge made in the USA for Dantzig. The hex-key locking studs (also USA made) transmit vibration to the guitar's body through 1018 steel anchors with striking efficiency, allowing notes to jump out clearly and sustain readily. You will be amazed by the clarity of each note in chords, and surprised by the amplitude of the high E string as well.
Controls are the classic 2 volume, with 2 tone pots—which Dantzig refers to as a tone contour controls. The volume controls are fitted with an expressive treble bleed circuit for each pickup, you'll love how the G90 pickups clean up as the volume is backed off, and the rhythm sounds with both pickups selected is funky-good. A Switchcraft 3-way toggle is placed easily at hand, and vintage fans will appreciate the glossy vintage shaped switch tip.
Tone caps are the cherished Orange Drops made famous by Sprague and now manufactured by Vishay. The control cavities are shielded with a defense contractor-grade faraday paint that fell off a military supply truck.
The headstock headplate is genuine ebony with matte nickel logo and monogram. The open back Tone-Lok tuners are made in the USA by Sperzel, and feature vintage-inspired ivoroid buttons.
This Tulsa is finished in a lovely '59 burst with faint amberburst sides, back and neck. Dantzig has expressed a distaste for glossy "bowling ball" finishes, so his instruments are finished in lower-gloss lacquer that is warm and friendly to the touch. Rather than machine-buffed, every Dantzig guitar is hand rubbed in a French polish style, with the top receiving the more aggressive polishing. The resulting feel is reminiscent of vintage instruments, without resorting to relicing techniques. This particular example has the ultra-thin nitro finish that allows the instrument to resonate, and feels good to the touch. You can almost feel the wood beneath. The Tulsa is a new guitar that feels like a fine vintage instrument.
- Finish: low gloss ultra thin nitro
- Color: '59 burst top light amber burst neck, back and sides
- Weight: 7 lbs 15 oz
- Body: white African limba
- Neck: white African limba
- Top: bookmatched premium curly maple upgrade w/German carve
- Back: 2 piece white limba
- Scale length: compensated 25.5"
- Fingerboard: Brazilian rosewood
- Fingerboard: radius 12"
- Frets: wide oval Jescar EVO gold
- Inlay: 9 genuine MOP chevron
- Neck shape: vintage 1960 flat feel
- Nut: Bone 1-5/8"
- Headplate: ebony
- Logo/monogram: matte nickel
- Tuners: Tone-Lok open back matte nickel Sperzel with ivoroid buttons
- Pickguard: NA
- Pickups: John Grail G90 lo-wind
- Bridge: low mass aluminum w/locking studs (30 gram)
- Tailpiece: NA
- Strap buttons: Straplock
- Control config: 2 volume, 2 tone contour, 3-way Switchcraft toggle
- Pots: Bournes
- Passive treble bleed circuit on both pickups
- Caps: Sprague/Vishay Orange Drops
- SN: 80119