All user reviews for the Hufschmid Guitars Tantalum

I've owned countless guitars over the years, but this custom hand-made Hufschmid Tantalum is in a league by itself. Starting with a meticulously aged pine top over a gorgeous mahogany body and neck, and then add the amazing Alumitone pickups and the top quality Hipshot hardware, and it makes up one of the best guitars I've ever owned. From the rolled fretboard to the hand-oiled finish, you get a sense of the time and attention to detail the moment you pick it up. The neck is like a medium C, so not large, but not a super thin shred neck, either. The luminous side dots are nice touch and very practical on a dark stage.

The tone is incredible. The Alumitones are very tight, and sound different from any other pickups I've used. Add to that a NOS Russian Teflon capacitor for the tone control, and you have a very versatile range of tones for just about any application. Despite being marketed as "Deathbuckers," those Alumitones work with rock and blues tones, no problem at all. And with that great capacitor on the tone control, you can even get jazz tones out of the same guitar that can melt faces at full bore.

Here are the specs (from the original listing):

-Perfectly quartersawn ‘Sipo Mahogany’ body and neck
-‘Crelicam Ebony’ fingerboard with 24 frets, 25.5'' scale, and 12" radius
-Scalloped Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nut
-Hipshot hardware and high-tolerance CTS pots
-High quality kill switch 🚀
-NOS Russian FT-2 0.027uF Teflon capacitor
-Custom unfinished 7 string alumitone deathbuckers with laser-etched logo
-Glow in the dark side dots
-Antique Bronze-finished coin logo inlay on the back.
-Copper shielding and 25 coats of hand-applied oil-based varnish
-The top has received a highly protective treatment to preserve its stunning silver appearance.

If you are ever lucky enough to check out a Hufschmid guitar -- or even better, buy one -- you will understand my excitement over this new guitar. I can truly say this is different than any other guitar I've ever owned, and in a sea of sameness, it's nice to see a standout.

For a closer look, please see a video I made on YouTube: https://youtu.be/X2Zelp2es9s?si=K_J-HlNt-L1JZvfJ

I'm in no way a professional player but I do have a few guitars and each one of them fits it's own purpose; play live; record; plain and pure nostalgia (my very first...).

I have been fortunate enough to play custom guitars before (owned by friends of mine) so I came to a stage where I wanted to go to "the next level".

I have probably been following Patrick Hufschmid for at least 4 years now, watching the builds, listening to the demo videos and always thinking that one day it would be my turn to reach out and own my own.

Fast forward and here I am writing a (late) review.

I have the guitar with me since August now, and any time I find to play that's the guitar I pick up.

The fingerboard is absolutely amazing, like i mentioned i have played other custom guitars but nothing actually comes to this level.

I'm a huge paradise lost fan so yes, I need sustain, and the pickups definitely deliver, I definitely prefer these over any other active pickups on the market.

The craftmanship? What can I say? There is so much detail to the guitar it's absolutely awesome.

The tuners have just the right pace to them, any guitar needs a bit of tuning once in a while and this one is so easy to get right it's amazing.


Regarding the specs:
▪ ONE PIECE premium perfectly quartersawn 'Sipo Mahogany' body + neck!
▪ A gorgeous 'Flame Maple' top with a 'Purple Burst' finish and 'natural binding' detail!
▪ A premium 'Crelicam Ebony' fingerboard, 24 frets, 25.5'' scale, 12" radius.
▪ The world's first 'purple day/blue night glow' fingerboard block inlays! ©Registration number: XwoEdy5GCU9qeZtW
▪The world's first polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nuts! ©keAWmx03u4BBqcA2
▪Cryogenically treated frets!
▪Hipshot hardware.
▪Solid brass mounting rings for perfect adjustability and stability!
▪High tolerance CTS pots.
▪A rare NOS Russian 'FT-2' 0.022uF TEFLON capacitor - ©concept.
▪Exclusive Hufschmid 'made to measure' resin cast humbuckers!
▪The logo inlay design in the back is an actual coin featuring a gorgeous antique nickel finish.
▪Aluminium shielding.
▪30 coats of hand applied oil based varnish.


I am definitely one very very happy client who now owns an absolutely amazing hand crafted instrument.

It's one of a kind and all credit goes to Mr Patrick Hufschmid.

I received my new Hufschmid Tantalum 7 string last week and after having a week to run it through different high gain/clean tones I can confidently say this guitar is like a Swiss army knife, it can handle everything! The workmanship and attention to detail that has gone into every part of this guitar makes it sound and look incredible, it's also what puts Patrick's work in a league of his own.

Specs are as follows

▪One Piece premium perfectly quartersawn 'Sipo Mahogany' body + neck
▪Highly figured 'Quilt Maple' top with 'Blue Organic Burst' finish and 'natural binding' detail
▪A premium 'West African Ebony' fingerboard, 24 frets, 666mm (26.3''), 12" radius.
▪The world's first blue day/blue glowing fingerboard blocks ©m9arHCOIWsMepqfl
▪The world's first Polyetheretherketone (PEEK) nut! ©0KgG6VKQUUmMzE3B
▪Hipshot hardware.
▪Hufschmid designed resin cast mounting rings for perfect adjustability and stability
▪High tolerance CTS pots.
▪A rare NOS Russian 'FT-2' 0.022uF TEFLON capacitor - ©concept.
▪Exclusive Hufschmid 'made to measure' resin cast humbuckers
▪The logo inlay design in the back is an actual coin featuring a gorgeous antique nickel finish
▪Aluminium shielding
▪25 coats of hand applied oil based varnish

So how does it feel/play? It's my heaviest guitar I own but not uncomfortable whatsoever, it feels like a real solid premium instrument. Being that it's a one piece body/neck it resonates and sustains like nothing else, also the PEEK nut helps immensely with the vibration/resonance, a world premiere in the guitar world.

The neck feels perfect and for a 7 string it's not too thick, the double cutaway also gives you easy access to the 24th fret. Patrick requested a photo of my hand so he could carve the neck to suit and I was surprised how perfectly it fits, amazing! The pickups are are pure magic they are a triple blade HB set in a resin cast, perfect for high gain aggression but also beautiful cleans ( I've attached some audio files so you can hear them in action ) and again the sustain just helps them sing.

One of the aesthetically pleasing features is the blue block inlays that glow in the dark, a super cool feature that hasn't been done in the guitar world before, also the blue stain on the quilt maple top blows me away every time i look at it, absolutely sick. The wiring work is exceptionally clean and again aesthetically pleasing to look at, even includes a radioactive capacitor!

The frets are perfectly levelled and it was set up to perfection upon arrival, even in tune coming all the way from Switzerland to Ireland! Patrick sent progress photos/video updates every time he worked on the guitar so it was a extremely personal experience, getting to see your guitar transform from a few pieces of wood to a 100% handcrafted instrument was one of the best parts, something you wont get from other companies.

Overall it was an amazing experience, Patrick's passion and attention to detail really shines through in his work. When you order a guitar you're getting the highest quality materials, a custom one of a kind instrument from a builder with over 25 years in the industry. That's the easiest decision you have to make right there!

Last year I received a Tantalum model from Hufschmid Guitars. I have owned higher end instruments from Suhr, Martin, Kiesel and Ibanez in the past, but this is truly a one-of-a-kind instrument. One you get a hand-built instrument from an expert luthier there is a human connection to it that immediately feels like you are holding a work of art.

Aesthetically, the build is just stunning. It has a highly figured Bastogne Wood top with a Gorgeous Crelicam Ebony 24 Fretboard with a 12" radius. The neck and body is 1 piece Quarter-sawn Sipo Mahogany. The frets were cryogenically treated and so they should last as long as frets can possibly last. The pickups are Hufschmid_Designed Humbuckers that are triple-blade resin cast. The nut is one of the first guitars to use the PEEK material (Polyetheretherkeytone).

The end result is an instrument that sounds massive and authoritative. The pickups have a healthy amount of output, but they respond with a lot of detail when the volume is rolled back. I don't often like the clean tones of humbucking pickups, but the cleans are just gorgeous on this guitar. There is a solidness to the distorted tone and a focus to the sound that translates really well to recordings. I've recorded this guitar several times and I'm always impressed with the final product.

Feel-wise, this is the heaviest instrument that I own and the thickest neck, but I don't find it difficult to get around at all. Every detail of this guitar is carefully thought through and it translates to an effortless playing experience.

If you are on the fence about buying a Hufschmid Guitar, I can say without hesitation that they will not disappoint in any way. The craftsmanship and attention to detail is unparalleled. I was lucky enough to play a number of them before I got this one so I had a good impression of what to expect, but this one is easily my favorite of the 6 or 7 that I've played.

The audio demo I attached here was recorded using the Hufschmid Tantalum and the Kemper Profiler using a profile of a boosted Soldano SLO100. It sounds massive.

Guitarist for 41 years... I own a small collection of guitars and several which have been heavily modified to suit my taste and ergonomics. With that said, Patrick creates instruments that are hot-rodded and built to suit (tailored) to the player physically. One of my primary concerns and one of the first questions I asked Patrick was about the neck... the modifications I have made to several of my guitars over the years has been custom necks to fit my hand... Patrick request a trace of your hand to build an optimal neck based from the tracing. When I got the guitar from Patrick, I was blown away by how precise the neck was and how closely it was in alignment with my other custom necks.

Need to state that Patrick is a true artist and a complete gentleman across the board... I enjoyed the entire process and felt like I was in the shop during the build... exception communication and documentation along the way.

My style / fusion... I am a mutt and dabble in every style... tend to lean towards progressive metal / shred.

The guitar is a work of art and nature. Feel, look, playability is off the charts. Amazing that Patrick builds these instruments by hand... the level of craftmanship is just impeccable. All of the materials, finishes and attention to detail... just an exceptional instrument... solid and gorgeous. The electronics and pick-ups are solid with a huge tonal spectrum (aggressive and clean-up well when rolled off). Playability is exceptional as well... good balance... tone and sustain for days. The fret work is impeccable... perfect crown and edges are dressed perfectly.

Look, if you are a serious player / artist you owe it to yourself to look into this builder and these guitars... they are on a completely different level from the run of the mill guitars available today. Don't get me wrong, I own custom shop guitars in addition to my Hufschmid... while I love them, I covet my Hufschmid and consider it to be a family heirloom... truly a work of art.

Check out his plectrums too... off the chart craftsmanship with everything Hufschmid!

I first noticed Patrick’s work on the Internet around 5 years ago. I was instantly intrigued by the pics he made, how every single one was hand made by him and their unique, purpose built design, with carefully chosen materials.
After using his pics for several years and having always been a fan of his guitars, I was in a position to buy a serious instrument. I had read every review online and watched everything I could find on YouTube about them and my mind was made up, time to order one.

I contacted Patrick via his contact form on the website and he replied quickly, after a few emails discussing my specs for the guitar / how the process would work, I placed the order and sent payment.
The next day I received a photo of the bare wood that would eventually become my guitar.
Over the weeks that followed (around 6-7 weeks I think) I was always kept updated by email regularly, every time he had worked on the guitar and it was amazing to see it progress. I was even able to see him carving the neck live on Instagram and chat with him in the live video, a seriously cool experience you simply will not get anywhere else. Patrick was absolutely brilliant to deal with, a super cool guy who really cares about keeping the customer updated during the build process.

After the build was complete, he had the guitar shipped and it arrived in 4 days from Switzerland to the UK even during the (current) pandemic. It arrived very well packed and first impressions were even better than I thought. The case even contained a free Hufschmid guitar strap and a logo mouse mat, an extra nice touch indeed! I had followed the build online, so I knew what to expect, but in the flesh this guitar was just on another level.

The guitar is simply stunning. For a start when I removed it from the packaging it was still perfectly in tune even after shipping, and after some time getting to know the guitar it is incredibly stable for tuning. The quilt maple top in blue burst looks amazing in the flesh and you can tell straight away this is a very high quality guitar indeed. The attention to detail is insane, every glow block inlay on the fingerboard is seamless and perfect and there is even a Hufschmid metal coin inlayed into the back of the guitar and It also has the Hufschmid pickup mounting rings.

I plays effortlessly as Patrick hand carves each neck to a photo of the customers hand, so it feels like the perfect neck and the intonation / action is absolutely spot on.
The pickups (I went for Glowbuckers) sound huge. I play mainly rock / metal and they have clarity, bite and growl unlike anything I have heard before. They also play clean amazingly well and when both pickups are selected the clean chimes are quite similar to a tele. It is truly a very versatile guitar that can produce hundreds of different tones when playing with the volume and tone controls.
You can always drop a set of nice pickups into any guitar, but this so much more than that, it is the sum of incredible tone woods, great quality components and a lifetime of Patrick’s talent, skill, passion and care that create the perfect recipe for the huge tone and great playing feel.

I have owned and played a lot of good guitars over playing for nearly 20 years now, all the big brand stuff and I know this is better than all of them, there is a certain organic feel you get from it that you simply cannot get from a factory guitar. It really feels alive and sounds huge even without an amp, proving the high quality of construction and woods / materials used.

For the price I think they are incredibly good value for money. To have a guitar built to your own specs, totally by hand from one very talented luthier with a lifetime of experience. A lot of thought, care and expertise goes into these guitars. There are no CNC machines involved here, everything is done totally by hand with hand tools like files, or some small basic power tools. Considering there are many factory made guitars that cost a lot more than these, I think they are 100% worth considering when looking for a seriously high quality guitar.

I saw in a review for these guitars once that “You don’t own a Hufschmid, you simply look after it for the next generation” and now I have one, I totally agree!
Quite simply the best guitar I have ever played and it has made me enjoy playing music so much more.
In summary, I firmly believe Patrick leaves no stone unturned in creating these phenomenal guitars. They are very cleverly designed, very well thought out and expertly built. The ultimate recipe for the perfect guitar in my opinion.

Pros:
Looks amazing and totally unique
Sounds huge and very versatile for different music styles
Feels effortless to play
Made from top quality components, by hand
Inspires me to play more
Glows in the dark!
Incredible tuning stability

Cons:
None. Although I already want another one!

Robin Stephens,
Cornwall, UK.

I wanted to share my thoughts on the guitar that Patrick Hufschmid built for me recently.  I noticed Hufschmid guitars a few years back online and then more recently a friend of mine ordered one. He has been so blown away by his Hufshmid that I decided to order one myself and am very pleased I did.

I am very picky when it comes to guitars and a lot of instruments I've owned do not last long with me. I end up selling or trading most of them , I have only held on to a few guitars that I found to be the best sounding and playing. To make a long story short the Hufschmid exceeded my expectations.

At the top of my check list is the way a guitar sounds and responds as being most important.  Obviously pickups and electronics come into play and I'm pleased with what patrick uses in that regard but Im talking about the core tone of the instrument before adding anything. If the guitar is a winner then the electronics are icing on the cake. When my Hufschmid arrived the tone was killer right out of the box . Great clarity and sustain. Most importantly the natural eq curve is just right, present mids,  no piercing or thin highs, thick tight bass. Everything I look for in tone is there.

The next thing that is very important to me is how the neck on a guitar feels .Patrick requested a picture of my hand so he could shape the back of the neck to match. He really was spot on with the carve because it feels excellent , like I'm at home on it. The fret work is also top notch , Im very happy with how the guitar plays , every note rings full and clear with no buzzing !

So last on my list would be cosmetics. Patricks designs caught my eye right off the bat. In general I like super strat shapes and his take on that style is right up my ally. I sent him a picture of a blue burst color that I like and he was able to replicate it over a figured quilt top that came out great.

I would recommend a Hufschmid to anyone looking for a custom buit masterpiece !