Skip to main content
Music Radar MusicRadar The No.1 website for musicians
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Guitar Amps
  • Plugin Week 25
  • Guitar Pedals
  • Synths
  • Guitars
  • Artist news
  • Keyboards & Pianos
  • Controllers
  • Software & Apps
  • Drums
  • More
    • Recording
    • DJ Gear
    • Acoustic Guitars
    • Bass Guitars
    • Tech
    • Tutorials
    • Reviews
    • Buying Guides
    • About Us
More
  • Plugin Week A-Z
  • You Oughta Know
  • Fake AI band
  • 95k+ free music samples
  • Wrecking Crew
Recommended reading
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Guitars Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT
Electric Guitars "This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review
MXR MB301 Bass Synth: the six-knob pedal is pictured in use against a petrol-blue background.
Bass Guitars “Thunderous sub-octave, expressive envelope, and lush modulation effects with killer tracking and sustain”: MXR unveils the MB301 Bass Synth – instant funk for your pedalboard
EarthQuaker Devices Rancho de la Luna Dirt Transmitter – the return of the OOP fuzz pedal marks 30-plus years of the Joshua Tree studio and comes with all-new artwork.
Guitars EarthQuaker Devices joins forces with Rancho de la Luna for the return of a lost fuzz classic
Gretsch Limited Edition Paisley Penguin [left] and Honey Dipper Resonator: the Penguin dresses the famous singlecut in gold sparkle with a Paisley Pattern graphic, while the 99 per cent aluminium Honey Dipper makes a welcome return to the lineup.
Guitars Gretsch just unveiled one of the most decorative Penguins you'll see – and a super-cool resonator
Cherry Audio Yellowjacket
Plugins "There’s potential for a degree of chaos here": Cherry Audio Yellowjacket review
Legendary guitarist Robbie McIntosh (Paul McCartney/the Pretenders) plays a butterscotch Telecaster in the Monty's workshop as he demos his new signature pickup set.
Guitars Robbie McIntosh and Monty’s new pickup set offers best of both worlds for Esquire and Tele fans
  1. Guitars

Wishlist: Chris George Custom

News
By Guitarist ( Guitarist ) published 13 May 2015

A stunning retro rocket with 'big F' flavour

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Introduction

Introduction

It seems it’s not just the likes of Dennis Fano who can restructure the past into highly playable retro-looking guitars. And it’s food for thought that you can commission a one-off custom build from a UK maker and, compared to many a USA shop, have enough money left over to buy a rather good boutique combo, too.

Chris George is no stranger to our pages, having created a diverse range of instruments, from acoustics to Variax-loaded super guitars. This one did make us do a double-take, though.

"Clearly, it certainly isn’t just the US who can turn out a cool bashed about-looking axe"

It’s based on a custom build for a slide guitarist from some years ago, tastefully aged, and inspired by Tom Anderson’s Atom shape. “I didn’t know that at the time,” laughs Chris. “The customer brought in a single-cut outline and I made the guitar!”

It uses an alder body with a slab-sawn maple neck glued, not bolted, to the body. The lightly back-angled headstock shows some influence from the Fender Starcaster, especially with its stepped black detail, mirrored on the headstock back and the heel.

The Lollar Gold Foil pickups are controlled by a very retro-looking Kay-like knob on the selector switch. The Bigsby is actually a vintage example from the 60s, but there’s a smattering of modernism to the build with the LSR roller nut and TonePros roller saddle bridge. It keeps the Bigsby in tune, while the neck also features dual graphite reinforcing rods.

This really does feel old... though far from knackered. The Gold Foil single coils are hotter than a set of Texas Specials with more thickness and a less pronounced, but still very chime-y high end that calls out for amp tremolo and reverb... and a good overdrive or fuzz.

It sounds superb and plays like butter. Clearly, it certainly isn’t just the US who can turn out a cool bashed about-looking axe. It’s time to look closer at UK builders, too, we reckon.

Page 1 of 7
Page 1 of 7
Bigsby vibrato

Bigsby vibrato

To match the old-school vibe, Chris used a nicely battered original, 50-year-old Bigsby vibrato.

Page 2 of 7
Page 2 of 7
Aged finish

Aged finish

The finish crazing and wear is very authentic: it really looks like an old guitar.

Page 3 of 7
Page 3 of 7
Hardware

Hardware

Chris has developed his own method for aging the nickel hardware, using something most of us would put on our fish ’n’ chips...

Page 4 of 7
Page 4 of 7
Ebony fretboard

Ebony fretboard

Far from just a fashion piece the ebony fingerboard, with its subtly rolled edges, and the fretting are superbly done.

Page 5 of 7
Page 5 of 7
Headstock

Headstock

In a function-over-fashion flourish, there’s an LSR roller nut, and the tune-o-matic bridge has roller saddles.

Page 6 of 7
Page 6 of 7
Pickups

Pickups

The trendy Lollar Gold Foil pickups were artificially aged in the USA.

Page 7 of 7
Page 7 of 7
Guitarist
Guitarist
Social Links Navigation

Guitarist is the longest established UK guitar magazine, offering gear reviews, artist interviews, techniques lessons and loads more, in print, on tablet and on smartphones Digital: http://bit.ly/GuitaristiOS If you love guitars, you'll love Guitarist. Find us in print, on Newsstand for iPad, iPhone and other digital readers

The magazine for serious players image
The magazine for serious players
Subscribe and save today!
More Info
Read more
Harley Benton ST-80FR
Harley Benton erupts with '80s shred fever as it launches the Floyd-equipped ST-80FR Series S-styles
Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT
"This is a guitar that proves affordability can still bring looks that stun": Gretsch G5230T Electromatic Sparkle Jet FT review
MXR MB301 Bass Synth: the six-knob pedal is pictured in use against a petrol-blue background.
“Thunderous sub-octave, expressive envelope, and lush modulation effects with killer tracking and sustain”: MXR unveils the MB301 Bass Synth – instant funk for your pedalboard
EarthQuaker Devices Rancho de la Luna Dirt Transmitter – the return of the OOP fuzz pedal marks 30-plus years of the Joshua Tree studio and comes with all-new artwork.
EarthQuaker Devices joins forces with Rancho de la Luna for the return of a lost fuzz classic
Gretsch Limited Edition Paisley Penguin [left] and Honey Dipper Resonator: the Penguin dresses the famous singlecut in gold sparkle with a Paisley Pattern graphic, while the 99 per cent aluminium Honey Dipper makes a welcome return to the lineup.
Gretsch just unveiled one of the most decorative Penguins you'll see – and a super-cool resonator
Cherry Audio Yellowjacket
"There’s potential for a degree of chaos here": Cherry Audio Yellowjacket review
Latest in Guitars
Jackson Pro Series Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT7 and HT7P
Misha Mansoor spills blood as a home shopping TV presenter to unveil new signature Jackson 7-strings
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
The Gibson Les Paul Music City Special – 50th Anniversary is a limited edition hybrid that combines the old Marauder and Music City Junior, and offers them in wine, tobacco sunburst and ebony finishes.
Gibson celebrates 50 years in Nashville with limited run twist on a cult electric played by KISS
PRS SE NF 53: the super-versatile bolt-on electric gets a long-awaited SE release, and here all three finish options – White Dog Hair, Black Dog Hair and Pearl White – are photographed in front of a pair of PRS half-stacks.
PRS remixes its NF 53 for the SE line – and it's a serious workhorse electric for under a grand
Dickey Betts and Warren Haynes live onstage with the Allman Brothers Band in 1992. Haynes wears a patterned shit and plays his Les Paul Standard.
Warren Haynes on what Gregg Allman and Dickey Betts told him when he joined the Allman Brothers Band
Joe Trohman of Fall Out Boy plays his Zemaitis singlecut onstage in 2023.
Fall Out Boy’s Joe Trohman ruled out for rest of the year as he gets surgery on injured right hand
Latest in News
Jackson Pro Series Misha Mansoor Juggernaut HT7 and HT7P
Misha Mansoor spills blood as a home shopping TV presenter to unveil new signature Jackson 7-strings
Ozzy Osbourne
“The greatest day in the history of metal”: Black Sabbath’s final mega-gig raised £140m for charity
David Guetta
David Guetta says he’s never played a pre-recorded DJ set, and can’t understand why anyone would think he has
Blackstar ID:X 50: The new combo from the British amp titan is described as "this is the most natural-sounding" modelling amp on the market.
Blackstar unveils ID-X combos – complete with 6 amp voices, over 35 effects, CabRig and OLED display
The Gibson Les Paul Music City Special – 50th Anniversary is a limited edition hybrid that combines the old Marauder and Music City Junior, and offers them in wine, tobacco sunburst and ebony finishes.
Gibson celebrates 50 years in Nashville with limited run twist on a cult electric played by KISS
PRS SE NF 53: the super-versatile bolt-on electric gets a long-awaited SE release, and here all three finish options – White Dog Hair, Black Dog Hair and Pearl White – are photographed in front of a pair of PRS half-stacks.
PRS remixes its NF 53 for the SE line – and it's a serious workhorse electric for under a grand

MusicRadar is part of Future plc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

  • About Us
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Terms and conditions
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Advertise with us
  • Accessibility Statement
  • Careers

© Future Publishing Limited Quay House, The Ambury, Bath BA1 1UA. All rights reserved. England and Wales company registration number 2008885.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...