Double Stop
Tele-Holic
My custom ordered Tom Anderson T-Icon has arrived at last! Took just about 6 months from the time I submitted my specs to delivery. I’m very particular about grain patterns and glad that I was able to choose the specific swamp ash top for approval before the build rather than just rely on a worded description of my ideal and hope for the best. The last thing I wanted was to end up seeing some strange alien or smiley face patterns in the grain!
I love being blasted with that first whiff of the sweet, cinnamon smell of fresh nitro upon opening the case. It’s a magical scent that’s good for the soul and fills my heart with joy. Ain’t nothin’ like it!
However, my elation was somewhat diminished because unfortunately, there was a small flake of finish that chipped off along one edge of the back side of the neck pocket (zoom in on the 3 picture collage of the neck pocket). It was disappointing, but they gave me the option of sending it back to Anderson’s for a free “repair” or take a rather substantial partial refund of 20% off the total cost to keep it as is. After thinking it over for a few days, I opted for the partial refund which was a nice chunk of money back. It’s a very thin nitro finish and checking and wear was going to happen eventually anyway. I can’t even see it in the playing position since it’s on the bottom portion of the back of the neck pocket. There is no damage to the actual wood and it’s structurally sound. I also didn’t want to ship it back out and run the risk of damage occurring again. My gut told me to take the money and move on. I’m over it and satisfied. No worries. Commence playing!
It’s a marvel to behold and play. I ordered a “Happy Medium” neck but added .050” of beef to it for extra chunk (.875” 1st fret / .965” 12th fret). Silky smooth, expertly leveled stainless steel frets. The intonation is dead on and that’s largely attributed to the “Buzz Feiten” tuning system that’s basically a subtly compensated nut which moves the strings slightly closer to the first fret, thus eliminate sharp notes mainly within the first three frets. There’s a little more to it here if you care to research further: http://www.buzzfeiten.com/howitworks/howitworks.htm
What I love about a translucent blonde finish is how different it appears under various light. It can take on a marble gray, granite color under dim light and then under direct sunlight, the “blonde” beautifully reveals itself. Check out the collage pictures where the left side pic is under room light compared to the right side pic under direct sunlight. Pretty cool.
Thanks for reading my ramble. Live to play, play to live.
SPECS:
I love being blasted with that first whiff of the sweet, cinnamon smell of fresh nitro upon opening the case. It’s a magical scent that’s good for the soul and fills my heart with joy. Ain’t nothin’ like it!
However, my elation was somewhat diminished because unfortunately, there was a small flake of finish that chipped off along one edge of the back side of the neck pocket (zoom in on the 3 picture collage of the neck pocket). It was disappointing, but they gave me the option of sending it back to Anderson’s for a free “repair” or take a rather substantial partial refund of 20% off the total cost to keep it as is. After thinking it over for a few days, I opted for the partial refund which was a nice chunk of money back. It’s a very thin nitro finish and checking and wear was going to happen eventually anyway. I can’t even see it in the playing position since it’s on the bottom portion of the back of the neck pocket. There is no damage to the actual wood and it’s structurally sound. I also didn’t want to ship it back out and run the risk of damage occurring again. My gut told me to take the money and move on. I’m over it and satisfied. No worries. Commence playing!
It’s a marvel to behold and play. I ordered a “Happy Medium” neck but added .050” of beef to it for extra chunk (.875” 1st fret / .965” 12th fret). Silky smooth, expertly leveled stainless steel frets. The intonation is dead on and that’s largely attributed to the “Buzz Feiten” tuning system that’s basically a subtly compensated nut which moves the strings slightly closer to the first fret, thus eliminate sharp notes mainly within the first three frets. There’s a little more to it here if you care to research further: http://www.buzzfeiten.com/howitworks/howitworks.htm
What I love about a translucent blonde finish is how different it appears under various light. It can take on a marble gray, granite color under dim light and then under direct sunlight, the “blonde” beautifully reveals itself. Check out the collage pictures where the left side pic is under room light compared to the right side pic under direct sunlight. Pretty cool.
Thanks for reading my ramble. Live to play, play to live.
SPECS:
- Body: Swamp Ash
- Color: Translucent Blonde
- Body Finish: Nitrocellulose Lacquer
- Neck: Caramel Maple
- Neck Finish: Satin
- Neck Carve: “Happy Medium + .050” (.875 1st Fret / .965 12th Fret)
- 22 Medium Jumbo Stainless Steel Frets
- Nut Width: 1 11/16”
- Bridge: 3-Saddle Compensated
- Tuners: Split Shaft
- Pickguard: Aged White
- Controls: 1 volume, 1 Tone, 3-way switch
- Pickups: Bridge TF3; Neck TV1
- Buzz Feiten Tuning System
- Me: Happy!
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