Jay Turser Branson Model
BOTTOM FEEDER
Right : Jay Turser Guitars made the Branson model for only one year , 2002 , so they ’ re something of a rarity . Turser models can typically be found on eBay for $ 100 –$ 250 .
Far right : The headstock on the Branson is reverse- Firebird style , with the pegs at the bottom . Some contend
�h�s a�e��s tuning , and it certainly alters the feel when bending low and high strings .
Jay Turser Branson Model
BY WILL RAY
I
’ m no stranger to Jay Turser guitars . I ’ ve had many over the years and found them very affordable and well made . I ’ ve seen them all . Or so I thought . I spotted this baby on eBay a while back and was bewildered by the design . It has an interesting swirl carved right into the body , giving it a kind of futuristic look . In addition , it has a reverse-Firebird-type headstock , two slanted Turser “ Phantom Coil ” pickups , and an odd metal adjustable-height nut . I was baffled because I had never seen this model before . I tried doing a little research on it , but couldn ’ t find much . The auction opened at $ 150 and I won it for $ 207.88 — my maximum bid . I barely won it because another bidder bid $ 207.34 , so I ended up winning the auction by 54 cents . Whoa — that was strange !
I decided to do more research after I won and , to my horror , found that t a guitar exactly like mine sold just a few months earlier ( from the same seller , too ) for only $ 100 , so that bummed me out a bit .
Bottom Feeder Tip # 381 : Do your pricing research before you bid . Ha !
When the guitar arrived , it was difficult to play . The action was high h and it had heavy-gauge strings , plus the neck had excessive bow . In addition , the strings buzzed all over the place . I changed strings to my gauge , adjusted the neck , and lowered the action , but it still buzzed with the open strings . Then I took a good look at the metal nut . I didn ’ t realize e it had two adjustment screws , so I raised the nut just a pinch and all the buzzing zing went away . Whew !
When I gave it a spin through an amp , the guitar sounded very Strat-like , but with the addition of a 2-way phase switch . The Phantom Coil pickup design keeps the guitar very quiet , but it sounds a little sterile . The guitar seemed to lack a sonic personality you ’ d get from a Strat or Tele , so it took me a while to find the right amp and pedal settings . I use modeling amps , and the settings that
worked best were a blackface Fender with some help from a compressor and a Tube Screamer .
In all my research , this is what I found on the Branson : They only made a limited number for one year , around 2002 . The model was available in natural ( like mine ), transparent red , or transparent black finish . It ’ s similar to the Fender Lead II guitars from 1979 to 1982 . The pickups use some kind of phantom-coil noise cancellation . And that ’ s all I found . There ’ s very little information out there on these guitars ,
Click
here to hear this guitar .
so if you know something more , give me a shout .
So it ’ s a keeper — at least for now . I probably paid more than I should have , but I love the look and it ’ s fun to play . And isn ’ t that enough ? Listen to my sound sample and be the judge .
WILL RAY is a founding member of the Hellecasters guitar-twang trio . He also does guitar clinics promoting his namesake G & L signature model 6-string , and produces artists and bands at his studio in Asheville , North Carolina . You can contact Will on Facebook and at willray . biz .
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