My new CP Thornton Classic (Tele Style)

[John Thigpen]

For any fans of a different take on a Telecaster, I just received this new Classic from my old friend Chuck Thornton, who I worked with at Pantheon Guitars about 5 years ago. What a wonderful guitar!

I've been a Tele fan since 1972, when I got my first decent electric guitar. I actually wanted a Strat just like the one on the back of the Layla album, but all the store had was a Telecaster, and the money was burning a hole in my pocket. Over the years guitars have come and gone, but Tele's have been my go to guitar. I was pretty excited when I found out Chuck was going to do his version of one.

When I opened the case ( a very nice tweed TKL with brown velour and large center pocket, and CP Thornton silkscreened on the outside), I recognized the familiar Tele shape, but I was surprised how different this guitar looks. Between the three on a side tuners, increased neck/body angle and the contours on the face of the guitar, it actually looked surprisingly un-Tele like, despite the familiar shape and color scheme. It actually looked a little like a set-neck Gibson, PRS whatever.

The finish is traditional butterscotch, but is satin rather than gloss. Chuck feels that is in keeping with this being a players guitar. The neck tint is surprisingly dark, also satin, and feels great to the hand. The tuners are mini Gotoh 510, 1:18 gear ratio, and feel very smooth. The bridge and saddles are Wilkinson, and the intonation showed perfect on my Petersen VS-1 strobe tuner. The three pickups are all Fralin, a P-92 in the neck, a strat middle and a tele bridge pickup. I don't know the specific winds on any of the pickups. Chuck gave me the option of five way switching with neck/bridge in position 3, or the middle pickup in position 3 with a push-pull switch to combine neck and bridge positions. I like the middle position on a Strat, so I elected the push-pull switch. With the switch up, I get all three pickups in positions 2 and 4.

This one weighs in at 7.7 lbs. The nut width is 1 11/16" and the scale length is 25.0". I understand that Chuck uses the same specs and neck feel on his archtops and Fusion (Strat style guitar), so it's very easy to switch back and forth. I'm not the best at describing neck profiles, but this feels like a C shape, .83" at the nut, and .89" at the twelfth fret per the website. Definitely not a Nocaster sized neck, which I like, but I found this neck very comfortable to play. The 16" neck radius is another departure from tradition, but I've had no problem adapting to the flatter neck. The neck/body angle also feels a bit different: combined with the body contours, the guitar seems to wrap itself around you, compared to the very board-like feel of a Telecaster. The neck itself extends almost to the bridge, and bolts onto the body under the pickguard. That allows for a streamlined neck heel that's easier to manouver.

Now for the important part: TONE. I'll start with the P-92 because that is the most unique part of this guitar. I've heard some great P-92 soundclips posted on TGP, so I expected to like it. I expected a brighter single coil like tone, but I actually found it to be very warm sounding. Adding the bridge pickup adds some bite to the tone. I think the P-92 is hotter than the others, but all three pickups actually sound fairly balanced. Positions 2 and 4 have nice cluck...not quite strat like, but close enough. If you listen to the clips on Chuck's site, Denny Breau plays a Classic with a middle pickup, and he sounds very Strat-like. Perhaps I just don't have the touch. The middle pickup alone has that strat middle pickup sound, which I like a lot. Finally, the money position on these guitars is the bridge...the guitar absolutely does not lack for twang despite the shorter scale length, flatter radius, and other departures from tradition. Played clean, I got great chicken pickin tone with plenty of twang, and with some distortion dialed in on my Genz Benz Black Pearl, I got a great ballsy tone. Surprisingly, all pickup positions were very quiet, even though only the P-92 is noiseless. I wish I had more of the gift of gab to describe the tone, but all I can really say is this pickup combination is extremely versatile, and I can cover a lot of tonal ground with this guitar. Mostly, I play blues, classic rock, and a little country, and this guitar does those roots based styles very well. A definite winner.

John

[ThreePlyGuy]

Stunner, congrats on a very special instrument.

[milocj]

That's a very interesting take on the Tele. A friend of mine down in your neighborhood also just bought one (I think it was Chuck's first or second) and he special ordered it with a neck humbucker. I can't wait to try his out. What model is that neck pup with the poles set-up like an old Fender Telecaster Custom?

For all of the interest on this forum in the various Tele clones from cheap to high end I'm a bit surprised that more people haven't chimed in on this thread. I think there are some interesting ideas used on these rather than somebody just making another exact copy.

[refin]

Nice--------you can tell that sounds great!

[rhh7]

Truly unique, and beautiful to boot!

[surfco]

Oh boy! Whatta great guitar that is!
Congratulations!

[John Thigpen]

The neck pickup is a Lindy Fralin P-92. It's supposed to be a P-90 tone in a humbucker sized casing, similar in concept to the G&L Z-coils in the Comanche and z-3, or Fralin domino pickups in the PRS EG-3, or even the old Fender bass and twelve string pickups.

The bridge is a 2% overwound Fralin Tele pickup. I suppose the overwinding is to help it keep up with the P-92.

John

[telechaser]

That look really classy. I love the carved top.

[John Thigpen]

The carved top really adds to the comfort of the guitar. Your arm just seems to lay very naturally over the top of the guitar.

John

[Spidercaster]

I love the carve around the control plate. Very cool guitar, congrats!!!!!!!

[jaystrings]

I guess I could safely call myself Chuck's biggest fan - I own all of his models and he's making a second Blues Queen for me right now. I got my Classic about 2 months ago [#001] and I echo everything you have said about it. This is one workhorse of a guitar, and it goes well beyond all the Teles and Tele-copys I've owned since 1963. Mine is identical to yours except I don't have a middle pickup. Oh, and mine weighs 6# 8oz.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v3...s/IMG_0320.jpg

Neck: could not feel better - definitely a "C" shape with something between a G&L and Fender Tele feel to it, and definitely vintage-like feel. I also like the board radius for bends. I chose the larger [6105] frets like he does on his archtops, and I'm pleased with that choice. This is a very resonant guitar and I think these frets add to that. I have the same neck on my Fusion, and it has the smaller frets and isn't quite as resonant. Not only does this thing stay in tune, the intonation is scary perfect up and down. Chuck works with each neck until it is perfect - he will not leave that guitar until it's right. And the bolt-on process [like the Fusion model] makes this whole guitar work flawlessly together and sing like you've never heard one sing. It takes only about 2 seconds to KNOW you're holding a masterpiece in your grip.

Body: only a first glace reminds of a Tele. A second glance will notice quite a few differences, many of which are Chuck's patented designs. The body contour and matte finish are only the beginning of setting it apart from others you've known and loved. The raised areas and control placements are evidence of the work of a genius on a par with Leo himself. This guitar probably won't command the respect it deserves from it's looks alone; but the functionality of the controls, headstock, and overall playability after its body meets yours will earn the full respect from even the most descerning guitarist.

Tone: if you're still not convinced you're holding the work of a world-class craftsman BEFORE plugging in, you will be after moments of intimacy with the Classic into you favorite amp. Whether thru my Dr Z Maz 18, Fuchs ODS-30, Swart AST, or Chicago Blues Box I find all the classic Tele tones and more. But this guitar gets a higher rung in sonic heaven. Country and blues pickers will be able to match any delightful experiences they've ever known and then go beyond with this axe. And within the early numbers of that tone knob lie sonic pleasantries to inspire even the most accomplished jazzer. After owning all the other CPT models, I had no doubt that the Classic would be as outstanding and masterfully built as the other models. I didn't hesitate to order the first one, with nothing more to go on than that it would resemble a Tele and be made by THE MAN. Frankly, I expected NO surprises. But the big surprise to me is how well this thing performs as a jazz guitar. Warm and sparkling aren't often mentioned together in the same sentence for other guitars, but you will hear it with this one.

Although my CPT Fusion seems to offer a slightly larger tonal palatte, the Classic isn't going to disappoint anyone. In fact, it really isn't really built for everyone. 99% of Tele-luvvers are going to be just fine with the Teles of their choice. The Classic is like a Limited Edition, Custom Shop, Signature commemorative model all rolled into one.... and MORE. It's for the player who wants MORE, the collector who wants More, and the investor who wants MORE. I cannot imagine any player not lusting for it on the spot because of the inspiration he feels during a test drive. I can't imagine any collector not wanting it for it's uniqueness and rarity. And any instrument investor will immediately realize that all CP Thornton guitars are both unique AND underpriced!!

Like I said, I'm probably Chuck's biggest fan. Not only of the instruments he builds [I still want a violin from his earlier work], but of the man himself. He is so easy to talk with and so knowledgable about what works and why. I feel blessed to have met him and have him work with me to create the finest guitars I could ever hope to own. I would really like to have met Leo Fender, but never did. I wasn't going to let that happen with the other guitar genius of my lifetime. I've owned guitars that cost much more, but none have ever suited like my CPT's. I've always wanted MORE.

[John Thigpen]

Great comments, Jay! Only the silhouette looks like a Tele. Once you look at a side view and start inspecting the top contours, you realize that this is radically different not only from a Tele, but everything else, for that matter. The neck joint is not just different...it's inspired. It bolts on, yet the neck heel is much closer to a glued in or even neck through guitar (many of Chuck's other guitars are neck through).

The bridge, pickups and control plate also are traditional Tele, but the wiring features innovative use of components to yield better balanced tones than we're used to. With my added middle pickup, I challenge your comment that the Fusion has a larger tonal palette, and the wiring scheme makes all five positions surprisingly balanced and easy to EQ. My push-pull switch brings the total unique pickup combinations to seven.

Once again, I'll refer everyone to the videos on Chuck's site to check out how cool these guitars are.

http://www.cpthorntonguitars.com/multimedia/video/

While you're there, check out other photos of my guitar under Gallery/Latest Batch...its number 202.

John