Premier Guitar September 2016 | Page 42

GUITARS B.A. FERGUSON GRIFTER AND SHIRLEY This South Carolina outfit came to the show with two new, lower-priced Classic Class solidbodies featuring handshaped bodies and necks. The Grifter (left) features a Mustang-ish outline and McNelly Autumn and Stagger Swagger pickups, while the Shirley features Porter Greewind humbuckers. Both have a shortened T-style bridge, a 3-way selector, a volume knob, and a concentric tone control whose upper portion is a bass contour that yields spankier tones. Both guitars street for $1,499. bafergusonguitars.com GUILD S-200 T-BIRD These highly anticipated reissues feature a Hagström Vintage Tremar tremolo, LB-1 humbuckers that are replicas of the original Guild pickups, and a cornucopia of tones available through the unique control set. The street price is $799. guildguitars.com FENDER MUSTANG 90 Though the Mustang never really left the Fender line (several special editions and Modern Player versions have come and gone in recent years), this P-90 version with a hardtail bridge feels slinky, spanky, and sassy—and at $499 street, it’s priced right too. fender.com EASTWOOD JEFF SENN Eastwood is now collaborating with respected guitar builders to create a line of more affordable boutique-style guitars. The latest is Nashville builder Jeff Senn’s retro, mojo-heavy entry, the Senn. Streeting for $679, the 24 3/4"-scale instrument features a basswood body, rosewood-topped maple neck, Airline VVSC single-coils, and a Jazzmaster-style vibrato. eastwoodcustoms.com 40 PREMIER GUITAR SEPTEMBER 2016 premierguitar.com