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Simple, classic stylings and tone in spades

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• Review

Back in the mid-nineties, James Tyler built his first Mongoose (aka the Mongoobaster) as a reaction against the superstrat guitars he'd garnered a reputation for in the preceding decade.

Over the years the Mongoose has appealed to many players looking for a different platform (among them studio player/ producer Dan Huff); a sort of Tele-meets-Les Paul that can be ordered in more Tele- or Les Paul-like formats.

One thing that doesn't change is the bolt-on 648mm (25.5-inch scale length) neck, the same throughout the Tyler range. Our review model here illustrates yet another version of this versatile platform: a seemingly simplistic all-mahogany construction with dual soapbar single-coils that puts it – inspiration-wise – in the single-cut, fifties-era Les Paul Special camp.

"It's certainly not a Jr/Special clone, it's more grown-up sounding, with tons of character that even lower-output humbuckers can't match."

Our first impressions are of the guitar's light weight, about a pound lighter than this writer's reference 1957 single-cut Les Paul Junior. With a beautifully old-school two-tone sunburst finish the guitar's edges are solid black and hide the complex construction: the Mongoose is virtually hollow.

The one-piece back is cut-out leaving the sides, strengthening around the control cavity, heel block and a block under the Tone Pros tune-o-matic bridge and stud tailpiece. It's then capped with a two-piece top – the jointing is superb.

Its Tele-inspired shape is far from a copy, being rounder on the base bouts and upper shoulder and with a little more 'air' to the cutaway. The edges are more rounded than either a vintage Tele or Special, and there's a slight rib-cage chamfer while the area under the neckplate is chamfered too – subtle comfort contouring that in the latter case aids upper fret access.

If Tyler's headstock still draws debate after all these years, the necks are universally liked. Again, in terms of profile, there are numerous choices.

While the neck's width remains constant (41mm at the nut, 56mm at the 22nd fret) four profile options – Thin, Standard, Fat and Vee – are offered over the standard 1959 neck we have here that's not as deep overall as the Vee but is deeper than the Fat at the first fret.

There's still a hint of a 'V' to the profile, so the shoulders don't feel overly big, but a big neck it most certainly is: 22.2mm deep at the first, 25mm at the 12th. Yet it's expertly shaped and, combined with the heavily rounded fingerboard edges, feels very old school and very played in.