Detroit Guitar Private Selection ’59 Les Paul

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Any entrepreneur, businessperson, or vendor in any capacity will likely tell you: to be successful, you ought to provide the best service and carry the best products. Do those things, and you’ll be in pretty good shape, but it’s the latter half of that advice that might often be the toughest to accomplish. Any store can be required to carry certain merchandise that some could consider cheap, unreliable, or lacking in quality for a myriad of reasons. This can create distrust between a store and its customers, which would only naturally lead to less clientele, fewer sales, and an unsuccessful business venture.

We at Detroit Guitar consider ourselves lucky, then. At every price point, we strive continuously to provide the best guitars that companies have to offer, vowing to only sell the guitars and brands that we know we can trust and put our name behind. Nowhere is this more apparent than at the highest price point, for these are the guitars that must be exquisite and flawless in order to justify fetching as high a price as these guitars demand. And what better way to ensure a guitar’s quality than to hand-pick the parts?

That’s precisely what the management team here at Detroit Guitar have done with our most recent batch of Gibson Custom ’59 Les Paul Standards. By traveling to Nashville to see Gibson‘s wood collection and hand-selecting the tops of each of our four current Les Paul Standards, we’ve ensured that only the finest, most resonant, and most appealing woods be used as the tops for what we consider to be some of the finest guitars the world has to offer.

Check out our collection below:
Gibson Custom M2M ’59 Les Paul Standard Green Lemon Fade Murphy Lab Light Aged
Gibson Custom M2M ’59 Les Paul Standard Lemon Burst Murphy Lab Light Aged
Gibson Custom M2M ’59 Les Paul Standard Golden Poppy Burst Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged
Gibson Custom M2M ’59 Les Paul Standard Dirty Lemon Fade Murphy Lab Ultra Light Aged

Limited Edition Cory Wong Stratocaster

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It is a rare and exceptional thing for a guitar player to reach such a high level of renown without the usual ingredients: scorching lead tones, intricate and melodic solos, and a tight band to back them up. Consider it a total anomaly then, for a modern guitar hero to reach that level of success by being a rhythm guitar player. But then again, Cory Wong isn’t like any other rhythm guitarist, either. With outstanding funk chops, rubbery right hand technique, and a seemingly endless supply of rhythmic hooks, Wong’s playing has taken the music world by storm. And now, his newest signature Stratocaster release attempts to do the same.

Using a modernized approach to the Highway One Stratocaster, the Limited Edition Cory Wong Stratocaster features a scaled-down alder body, a Modern “D” neck, and sculpted body contours to gives players a truly comfortable playing experience. Outfitted with a set of Seymour Duncan® Cory Wong Clean Machine™ pickups, this guitar provides a classic Strat quack and chime, fine-tuned to achieve Cory’s distinctive tone, as well as a “fourth position panic button” to instantly dial in Wong’s signature fourth position tone.

New to the limited edition release are two bright new colors: Daphne Blue and Surf Green. Regarding the bold color choices, Wong himself was quoted as saying: “I’ve wanted to release the Cory Wong Stratocaster in other colors since the original Sapphire Blue Transparent version was released in 2021. I’m a visual person and believe the look of a guitar can affect the approach one takes to playing it. Certain instruments can draw things out of a musician, and the vibe of the instrument definitely plays a role in that. With the release of these two new colors, my goal was to provide players with a guitar that exudes a bright, fun energy.”

See our listings of both guitars below:

Fender Cory Wong Limited Edition Stratocaster Satin Surf Green
Fender Cory Wong Limited Edition Stratocaster Satin Daphne Blue

PRS SE Silver Sky Maple

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You’ve heard the old adage: “A picture is worth a thousand words.” Indeed, perhaps hundreds of thousands of words have been written about pictures of pop superstar John Mayer and his choice of guitars, pedals, and amplifiers. But eagle-eyed fans of the modern-day guitar hero noticed a peculiar sight on an Instagram post back in April: a PRS SE Silver Sky, but with a maple neck. Once again, a single photo prompted thousands of words on the potential release of a guitar that Mayer himself was seen road-testing, even after the NAMM show came and went without an announcement for the sleek guitar.

Fortunately for guitarists, collectors, Mayer fans, and maple aficionados the world over, the guitar has passed the road test and has been given Mayer’s personal OK to release, just in time for summer. Adorned with all the features that made its rosewood counterpart a smash hit, such as a poplar body, a 25.5” neck featuring a 22-fret, 8.5″ radius fretboard, and a trio of SE 635JM pickups, the PRS SE Silver Sky Maple is sure to satisfy players who loved the original Silver Sky but want a tighter, spankier sound that only a maple neck can provide.

To further sweeten the deal, PRS wasn’t content to simply rehash the usual colors of previous releases. The SE Silver Sky Maple can be purchased with three slick, new finishes, all exclusive to the maple neck – Nylon Blue, Overland Gray, and Summit Purple. And if yo  u’re still on the fence about a maple neck guitar, take it from guitar hero Joe Bonamassa himself: “Personally, I’m more of a maple fretboard Strat player. To my ears, the notes jump off it in a different way, as compared to a rosewood board.”

See our full selection below:

Paul Reed Smith SE Silver Sky John Mayer Summit Purple
Paul Reed Smith SE Silver Sky John Mayer Overland Gray
Paul Reed Smith SE Silver Sky John Mayer Nylon Blue

Epiphone Dave Mustaine Collection

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Patience, as they say, is a virtue. Perhaps this adage rings truest to someone who, let’s say, was kicked out of a band mere months before said band released their debut album that would subsequently sell over 4 million copies. But, if you know the ending of this story, the wait would only last two years before our hero would release his own debut record as frontman of a little known band called Megadeth.

This story, of course, is about Dave Mustaine, and his exit from Metallica before founding Megadeth. When Gibson announced a partnership with Dave Mustaine back in early 2021, some players had believed the guitars were right around the corner, but after a grueling two-year wait, the guitars were nowhere to be found. Fortunately, those who have the virtue of patience won’t have to wait any longer.

Epiphone has now released Dave Mustaine’s signature Flying V in two models, the Prophecy and the Custom. Both guitars feature bound mahogany bodies, Artist Profile necks, Graph Tech nuts and bound 24-fret ebony fingerboards, as well as slick bound headstocks and “Dave Mustaine”-embossed truss rod covers. The big difference between the two models lie in the pickups, with the Prophecy featuring Fishman Fluence pickups and the Custom sporting Dave Mustaine Signature Seymour Duncan Thrash Factor pickups.

See our listings of both guitars below:

 

Fender Japan Limited International Color Series

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Consider this your sign to start paying more attention to the Japanese releases from Fender. Since its inception in 1982, Fender Japan has consistently surprised its American neighbors with bold new instruments, seamlessly blending sleek, vibrant design choices with the kind of smart, precise craftsmanship that one can come to expect from Japan.

Fender Japan continues its run of success with its latest release: the Limited International Color series. Using the same specs as the original US-made Limited International series of the early 80s, Fender Japan has gone to painstaking lengths to ensure the specs remained true to the original run. Some of these details include the serial number on the oversized headstock, bullet truss rod, original Fender Vintage “F” Stamped tuners, and three-bolt neck plate. Not content to simply rehash the past, Fender Japan has also introduced the choice of either rosewood and maple necks to each guitar, further increasing the tonal and design choices for every player.

This attention to detail within the guitar specs is only matched by the attention to detail recreating the bright, bold colors from the original run, and these are sure to please both purists and novices alike. With colors including Capri Orange, Morocco Red, Maui Blue, Sahara Taupe and Monaco Yellow, each finish evokes a distinct flavor from around the globe. Each guitar also comes with a three-ply eggshell white pickguard, black single-coil pickup covers, black plastic control knobs, a black switch tip and a black tremolo bar tip, making this release appear just like the original run.

See our entire line below:

Fender MIJ LTD International Color Stratocaster Monaco Yellow
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Stratocaster Morocco Red
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Stratocaster Maui Blue
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Stratocaster Sahara Taupe
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Telecaster Maui Blue
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Precision Bass Morocco Red
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Precision Bass Maui Blue
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Jazz Bass Monaco Yellow
Fender MIJ LTD International Color Jazz Bass Maui Blue

Taylor 200 Limited Deluxe Series

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French artist Henri Matisse was once quoted as saying, “Color helps to express light—not the physical phenomenon, but the only light that really exists, that in the artist’s brain.” This is, perhaps, an unsurprising statement from a fauvist, but consider some of the iconic guitars in history: Brian May’s Red Special, Lzzy Hale’s Explorerbird, Eddie Van Halen’s Franken-strat, Brian Setzer’s brightly colored Hot Rod, the list goes on.

Though forever remembered for the sounds they made with those instruments, there came an added level of human expression for those players based on the image and color of their respective instruments: a way to signal to the audience exactly who they are and what they’re about, all before even playing a single note.

It is perhaps even more striking when you apply this idea to the acoustic guitar: an instrument that has been dominated by beautiful natural and wood-toned finishes in its history. But Taylor, as they’ve done for so much of their history, continues to push the envelope.

Among their well-respected 200 series, Taylor is releasing two models, the 224ce DLX LTD in Transparent Red, and the 214ce DLX LTD in Transparent Blue and Transparent Grey. With both guitars featuring ebony fretboards, maple necks, ES-2 pickups, and Taylor’s signature Venetian cutaway, the differences lie in the choice of tonewoods. The 224ce features a solid neo-tropical mahogany top with layered sapele back and sides, and the 214ce features a solid lutz spruce top with layered big leaf maple back and sides.

See our listings and the bold colors below:

Taylor 224ce Deluxe Limited Transparent Red
Taylor 214ce Deluxe Limited Transparent Blue
Taylor 214ce Deluxe Limited Transparent Grey

Adam Clayton ACB-50

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For a 77-year-old company, it might be difficult to keep coming up with firsts; something you’ve never even attempted in over three-quarters of a century.
For a 46-year-old band, it might be difficult to offer anything new; something you’ve never provided in nearly five decades of music making.

Fender and U2 share a lot in common: A long and storied history, consistency across many decades, and perpetual, unflinching popularity in the face of rising and falling fads throughout the years. Now, the pair of music stalwarts share something else, something new to both establishments.

For the first time in Fender’s long history, they are partnering with U2 bassist Adam Clayton to create a signature bass amplifier: the ACB 50. Among its features are a 2-channel design that provides two distinct voices: plugging into Channel One will harness the power of Fender’s iconic Blackface-era bass tones; meanwhile, Channel Two will take a more modern approach with a hi-fi, flat EQ tone.

To sweeten the deal further, the ACB 50 is an all-tube amplifier, Fender’s first all-tube bass amp in nearly forty years, and is outfitted with four preamp tubes – three 12AX7s and a 12AT7 – and a pair of 6L6 output tubes for the sweet, harmonic-rich tone that only tubes can provide. Furthermore, added features such as a 1/4-inch Balance Line Out, an XLR Balanced Direct Out, and a Ground Lift switch give the ACB 50 updated features that you can’t find in the tube amps of the past.

 

See our full listing of the new ACB 50 below:

Fender Adam Clayton ACB 50 Bass Amplifier

Gretsch 140th Anniversary

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If you take a look at the Google Maps street view of 128 Middleton Street in Brooklyn, NY, you’ll see a most-mundane sight: an apartment building. The same sight you’ll see on virtually any block in NY’s most populated borough. At first blush, it may be difficult to ascertain what about this address is so notable. Those of a certain inclination, however, may know that it’s where a 27-year-old German immigrant named Friedrich opened a music shop to sell banjos, tambourines, and drums, and nearly a century and a half later, his company still carries his namesake: Gretsch.

After 140 years and tens of thousands of instruments made, “That Great Gretsch Sound” has been associated with such iconic players as Chet Atkins, George Harrison, Brian Setzer, Stephen Stills and Malcolm Young, just to name a few. In the form of classic hollow-bodied guitars and the slick single-cutaway solid-bodied instruments, and adorned with the iconic “Tron” pickups, Gretsch has indelibly etched its way into music history forever. To celebrate the company’s 140th anniversary, Gretsch is releasing six brand new guitars that are sure to appeal to long-time Gretsch players, and players looking to try a Gretsch for the first time.

The 140th Double Platinum Anniversary Collection includes special editions of some of Gretsch’s most iconic models, such as the Falcon, the Penguin and the Jet, and all the models don gorgeous Two Tone Platinum finishes and commemorative headstock plaques. These guitars, split between three Professional models and a trio of more affordable Electromatic guitars, become available in May and are the perfect addition to any guitar collection.

See the full line below:

Fender Custom Shop Finishes

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It’s hard to describe exactly what makes a relic’d guitar appealing. There’s a certain kind of “je nais se quois” to a relic’d guitar: the cracks in the finish, the wear in the fretboard, the exposed wood on the body. Maybe Eric Clapton summed it up best about purchasing his iconic “Brownie” guitar when he said, “What I always looked for on a Strat was a neck that had been worn out – you know that was a thing. It was like a restaurant, if it is lots of people there, you know it’s going to be good food. So I just thought if it had all those kinds of worn-out patches it meant that it had been well-favored.”

Whatever the reason, the call for relic’d guitars has increased dramatically since the demand for vintage guitars boomed in the 90s. While its detractors will raise an eyebrow at the concept of a new item looking damaged, players of a certain kind have always understood the appeal. Fender Custom Shop has long been the standard for guitar relics, and their six different levels of relics are worth a deep dive.

N.O.S. (New Old Stock)
As close to a time machine as you’re bound to get, the N.O.S. guitars look and feel brand new, but as though you traveled back to the 50s or 60s to buy it. With vintage specs and an all-lacquer finish, the N.O.S. all-lacquer finish looks like it hasn’t aged a day, and is the perfect choice for players that want to earn every scratch and ding by themselves.


Closet Classic
Perhaps you’ve heard a similar story: someone started cleaning out grandpa’s attic and found a dusty guitar case, cracked it open, and found a true vintage guitar in near-mint condition. The Closet Classic finish seeks to replicate that look, with no real playing wear, but subtle appointments that imply a passage of time, such as a slight discoloration of the pickguard, a fade in the finish, and slight oxidation in the metal parts. This relic looks and feels like an unearthed gem.


Journeyman Relic
This is the first relic style that someone might begin to call “broken in”.  This finish evokes a guitar that has been played regularly for some decades, but still well taken care of. With some wear like finish checking, dulling hardware, and some harmless nicks in the wood from the occasional weekend gig at the local bar, this guitar feels like a well-played, well-loved, and well-maintained treasure.


Relic
If you’ve ever seen a well-worn instrument, its owner may tell you, “Every mark is a story,” and this guitar relic style has years of stories to tell. With scratches, dings, and checks across the whole instrument, this guitar relic feels fully broken in and encourages even the most timid players to create their own stories with it and play rough; it can take it.


Heavy Relic
With plenty of exposed wood, harsh checking, dings, dents, and maybe even burns, playing this guitar feels like a hard-fought victory. This relic style evokes a guitar that may have been a touring artist’s primary ax for decades of punishing travel and concerts. This one that has seen it all and has the scars to prove it.


Super Heavy Relic
You can picture the iconic instruments: SRV’s Number One, John Mayer’s Black1, Rory Gallagher’s battered Strat. With an extensive amount of exposed wood and we ar across the instrument, this relic style evokes a guitar that barely resembles the same guitar that first left the shop spotless half a century ago. Playing one is like slipping into your favorite shoes, totally broken-in and worn-out in all the best ways and all the right places.

Check out Detroit Guitar’s selection of Fender Custom Shop guitars, complete with a wide array of finishes and relics!

Fender Gold Foil

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There are few pickups in guitar history that have polarized players as Gold Foil pickups. Is the design vintage or simply outdated? A fad or unique design from a bygone era? Coveted for unique tone or dismissed for their budget-guitar origins? Even their invention is a point of debate, with discussion about whether the DeArmond company invented the famed pickups, or if Japanese company Teisco struck gold first. No matter the specifics, Gold Foil pickups have their origins in the 1950s, and both manufacturers became well-known for their foil pickups featured on early guitars such Silvertone, Harmony, and Kay.

The pickup’s inclusion in these budget guitars has led to a kind of misunderstood mystique revolving around the pickup, developing a kind of cult following set on educating the guitar world on its unique characteristics: their rich high end harmonic makeup, the responsiveness to tone and volume controls, the balance between strings, their sensitivity to touch, and their surprisingly wide dynamic range. Indeed, the Gold Foil pickups, despite their detractors, offer a sound and experience that no other pickup can.

This makes the Gold Foil pickup’s inclusion in Fender’s newest line all the more intriguing. Inspired by the garage rockers of the 1960s, the new line features Telecaster, Jazzmaster, and Jazz Bass models in a variety of colors to let the Gold Foil mini-humbuckers shine. The classic Fender design mixed with the attitude of Gold Foil pickups is a combination not to be missed.

Check out the line below:




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