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Artisan Deluxe  # 074

The "Tone is Paramount" Guitar

Body: carved "no top" one-piece black limba
Neck: IRW, extra fat-back carve, 25" in length
Fretboard: BRW, 22 fret, 6150-size frets, 10" - 14" compound radius,
standard firesun inlays
Electronics: 3 x Lollar P-90s, 5-way blade, 1 x volume, 1 x tone
Bridge & nut: TonePros locking-stud wraparound & Tusq nut
Color: "Brazilian Burst" on body, unfinished neck and board
black plastic p'up covers & selector switch tip & control cavity cover
nickel hardware
Setup: 11 gauge strings
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  074backplate.jpg (146249 bytes)  
The Tone is Paramount concept came after many years and many dollars of chasing that perfect axe. Even PRS Private Stock # 332 failed to satisfy fully. When specifying the aspects of Thorn # 074, I told Ron, "I don't care what it looks like. I don't even want you to send me photos of the wood. Just pick the woods for tone because tone is paramount." Ron's response? "That's refreshing." The guitar progressed and, some months later, I couldn't take it any longer. I got a few pics, but only after the body and neck had been selected and milled. The result is a naturally reverberant beast which also looks like a beauty.  -   Jeff Jones