Sunday, July 19, 2015

John Page looks east

If you are a Fender fan, you should know John Page because when Fender's Custom Shop started out, there were only 2 luthiers, Mr. Page was one of them. Forgive his guitars for looking like his employer's since he decided to unleash unto guitardom some fine guitars, em... this side of Fender (of course). But his guitars were beyond reach until the Classic series arrived- Made in Japan.

Why look East? Simple- trustworthy craftsmanship. Lest we forget, the '80s Fenders were all about Japanese goodness & you'd think John Page, a Fender employee, wouldn't recognize this? I was at Davis recently to have a feel of what a JP guitar is all about & the experience was pleasant. 

In fact, it was above pleasant considering the price-to-goodness ratio. About the price- coming from Japan, this guitar is at the upper end of the mid-price bracket. About the goodness- everything here is deserving of the John Page name; absolute quality & some good tones to boot. The inevitable query- so is it Fender-worthy? Please respect the John Page name & his quest to offer good guitars based on his interpretation of what it should be. Some Fender mojo manifested here like the round neck profile (despite a little wider from nut to heel), elbow slope & rear body belly bevel comfort & that unmistakable single tone- thumbs up! A little about the Bloodline pickups featured in this series- they aren't too jangly in all positions but you'd hear some very chunky single notes, very deserving of an instrument sporting a rosewood fretboard (maple option available- superb!), with warmth to boot. 

Are JP guitars exclusively for Fender fans? I'd say they are for single coil fans more than anything else. For players looking for that crucial difference that separates them from the Fenders but not going too astray.

No comments: