TheRiverDragon « The best guitar I've ever played »
Published on 10/25/12 at 06:13• Handmade by Patrick Hufschmid from switzerland
• 6 strings
• One piece very old premium Sapelli Mahogany body
• One piece very old premium Sapelli Mahogany neck
• Salvaged Grafted Walnut Top (Claro + Franquette graft)
• West African Ebony fingerboard, 16" radius, 24 frets
• West African Ebony control knobs
• Baritone 26.188'' scale
• Hipshot bridge
• Sperzel locking tuning machines
• Luminlay side dots
• Handmade Kent Armstrong pickups
• Tru-Oil finish on the neck and body
• No inlays
• 1 volume pot, 1 tone pot, 3 way pickup switch
UTILIZATION
The body is very thin and light which helps for good balance and ergonomics. Its shape is Patrick’s own superstrat style body. It matches the headstock perfectly and makes for a coherent look of the guitar no matter from which perspective you look at it.
Due to an oversized cutaway it is very easy to access the higher frets.
The neck is shaped with just the right thickness for my hands and playing style. It is neither an ultra-thin Ibanez neck nor a Gibson baseball bat neck. The oil finish gives it a very fluid feel unlike some sticky lacquer finished necks.
I tune the guitar one whole step down to D standard and currently use GHS Low Boomers (011-015-019-033w-043w-053w) strings on it. Those thicker strings match the guitar very well in terms of string tension and overall playing feel. The Sperzel locking tuners and the Hipshot bridge make it very easy to change strings. I prefer the action to be at medium height, not super low which helps for clarity and gives a better feel to the notes in my opinion.
Adjusting the action, intonation as well as the truss rod is also very straight forward and intuitive.
Although there are no fretboard inlays I have no trouble to navigate due to the glowing Luminlay side dots which also compliment the look of the guitar very well.
The fixed hipshot bridge feels comfortable and solid under my right hand and yields a perfect picking position with no disturbing parts like on a Floyd rose bridge.
The guitar comes with very simple electronics: one volume pot, one tone pot and a 3 way toggle switch to select pickups. But hey, isn’t that all we need anyway.
Overall the quality of the woods used for this guitar is just stunning. The grain on the mahogany alone is almost three-dimensional. The crazy walnut top is the icing on the cake.
The body and the neck is oil finished which gives the guitar an elegant look and high playing comfort.
I cannot say much about the guitar’s reliability because I have it for such a short time. But the overall construction and craftsmanship is on such a high level that I don’t fear to have any problems with it in the future. I am taking good care of it.
SOUNDS
There are some things that I am looking for in a guitar: character, definition, vibrancy, dynamics and midrange body. This guitar has all of this in spades. It perfectly sits in the context of a metal band setting. You can clearly hear every note and it preserves the dynamics even under high gain. Further there are no dead spots over the entire tonal range and it always stays defined even with lower tuning and thick strings.
Even unplugged you can hear the guitar ringing loud and clear with a good focus on the midrange.
Patrick created a guitar that has its own unique voicing that is nothing like I have heard before.
I am playing the guitar through a Diezel Hagen tube amplifier and Diezel cabinets which themselves have a very clear and defined sound. The guitar matches that theme perfectly. German engineering meets Swiss precision.
OVERALL OPINION
I stumbled on Patrick Hufschmid guitars some years ago and was fascinated by his beautiful and pure creations. Unfortunately I didn’t have the money at that time so it remained a dream. Several years later after going through guitars from different brands like Ibanez and ESP I always had the feeling that something is missing. Like those guitars hide certain frequencies and lack character in some way or another.
To make a long story short, I contacted Patrick and we started to discuss a guitar build. He was very helpful, quick and honest during the whole process.
I wanted a guitar that has character along with definition and clarity and of course a nice look. An ebony fretboard as well as a fixed bridge were other requirements. Thankfully Patrick agreed on all of these aspects and built a guitar that exceeded any expectations. It is always a risk to buy without trying but not with Hufschmid.
The whole Hufschmid experience was great. Patrick sent me pictures of the building steps almost every day and did a great communication job in general. He always responded very fast to my emails and was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I picked up the guitar after approx. 5 week of building time in Switzerland. He showed me his workshop, his wood supplier and the beautiful landscape he lives in. Further he is just a good guy with a good sense of humor.
If you are thinking about ordering a guitar from Patrick Hufschmid I can encourage you do it. You will not regret it. He has huge experience and his own approach in building guitars.
I can’t wait to order my second Hufschmid guitar.
• 6 strings
• One piece very old premium Sapelli Mahogany body
• One piece very old premium Sapelli Mahogany neck
• Salvaged Grafted Walnut Top (Claro + Franquette graft)
• West African Ebony fingerboard, 16" radius, 24 frets
• West African Ebony control knobs
• Baritone 26.188'' scale
• Hipshot bridge
• Sperzel locking tuning machines
• Luminlay side dots
• Handmade Kent Armstrong pickups
• Tru-Oil finish on the neck and body
• No inlays
• 1 volume pot, 1 tone pot, 3 way pickup switch
UTILIZATION
The body is very thin and light which helps for good balance and ergonomics. Its shape is Patrick’s own superstrat style body. It matches the headstock perfectly and makes for a coherent look of the guitar no matter from which perspective you look at it.
Due to an oversized cutaway it is very easy to access the higher frets.
The neck is shaped with just the right thickness for my hands and playing style. It is neither an ultra-thin Ibanez neck nor a Gibson baseball bat neck. The oil finish gives it a very fluid feel unlike some sticky lacquer finished necks.
I tune the guitar one whole step down to D standard and currently use GHS Low Boomers (011-015-019-033w-043w-053w) strings on it. Those thicker strings match the guitar very well in terms of string tension and overall playing feel. The Sperzel locking tuners and the Hipshot bridge make it very easy to change strings. I prefer the action to be at medium height, not super low which helps for clarity and gives a better feel to the notes in my opinion.
Adjusting the action, intonation as well as the truss rod is also very straight forward and intuitive.
Although there are no fretboard inlays I have no trouble to navigate due to the glowing Luminlay side dots which also compliment the look of the guitar very well.
The fixed hipshot bridge feels comfortable and solid under my right hand and yields a perfect picking position with no disturbing parts like on a Floyd rose bridge.
The guitar comes with very simple electronics: one volume pot, one tone pot and a 3 way toggle switch to select pickups. But hey, isn’t that all we need anyway.
Overall the quality of the woods used for this guitar is just stunning. The grain on the mahogany alone is almost three-dimensional. The crazy walnut top is the icing on the cake.
The body and the neck is oil finished which gives the guitar an elegant look and high playing comfort.
I cannot say much about the guitar’s reliability because I have it for such a short time. But the overall construction and craftsmanship is on such a high level that I don’t fear to have any problems with it in the future. I am taking good care of it.
SOUNDS
There are some things that I am looking for in a guitar: character, definition, vibrancy, dynamics and midrange body. This guitar has all of this in spades. It perfectly sits in the context of a metal band setting. You can clearly hear every note and it preserves the dynamics even under high gain. Further there are no dead spots over the entire tonal range and it always stays defined even with lower tuning and thick strings.
Even unplugged you can hear the guitar ringing loud and clear with a good focus on the midrange.
Patrick created a guitar that has its own unique voicing that is nothing like I have heard before.
I am playing the guitar through a Diezel Hagen tube amplifier and Diezel cabinets which themselves have a very clear and defined sound. The guitar matches that theme perfectly. German engineering meets Swiss precision.
OVERALL OPINION
I stumbled on Patrick Hufschmid guitars some years ago and was fascinated by his beautiful and pure creations. Unfortunately I didn’t have the money at that time so it remained a dream. Several years later after going through guitars from different brands like Ibanez and ESP I always had the feeling that something is missing. Like those guitars hide certain frequencies and lack character in some way or another.
To make a long story short, I contacted Patrick and we started to discuss a guitar build. He was very helpful, quick and honest during the whole process.
I wanted a guitar that has character along with definition and clarity and of course a nice look. An ebony fretboard as well as a fixed bridge were other requirements. Thankfully Patrick agreed on all of these aspects and built a guitar that exceeded any expectations. It is always a risk to buy without trying but not with Hufschmid.
The whole Hufschmid experience was great. Patrick sent me pictures of the building steps almost every day and did a great communication job in general. He always responded very fast to my emails and was extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I picked up the guitar after approx. 5 week of building time in Switzerland. He showed me his workshop, his wood supplier and the beautiful landscape he lives in. Further he is just a good guy with a good sense of humor.
If you are thinking about ordering a guitar from Patrick Hufschmid I can encourage you do it. You will not regret it. He has huge experience and his own approach in building guitars.
I can’t wait to order my second Hufschmid guitar.
