Xotic's California Classic Series features "the finest attention to detail in boutique guitars available today"
New electrics available from effects firm
There are an awful lot of companies in the market of producing high-end versions of, ahem, 'classic' designs, but Xotic - famed for pedals like the EP Booster and SL Drive - reckons it has the edge.
Boasting "the finest attention to detail in boutique guitars available today", the XSC California Classics are handbuilt in the USA and feature nitrocellulose finishes, roasted flame maple necks and Xotic's own Raw Vintage handwound pickups, vibrato springs and cold-rolled steel saddles.
The finish applied to the hand-selected premium-grade woods goes through Xotic's ageing and lacquer checking process, and is available in light or heavy varieties.
Each guitar is signed and numbered with a certificate of authenticity and deluxe softcase - they're available now in two formats: the XSC-1 ($2,500), which packs a trio of single coils, and the XSC-2 ($2,550), which opts for an HSS configuration.
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Mike has been Editor-in-Chief of GuitarWorld.com since 2019, and an offset fiend and recovering pedal addict for far longer. He has a master's degree in journalism from Cardiff University, and 15 years' experience writing and editing for guitar publications including MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitarist, as well as 20 years of recording and live experience in original and function bands. During his career, he has interviewed the likes of John Frusciante, Chris Cornell, Tom Morello, Matt Bellamy, Kirk Hammett, Jerry Cantrell, Joe Satriani, Tom DeLonge, Radiohead's Ed O'Brien, Polyphia, Tosin Abasi, Yvette Young and many more. His writing also appears in the The Cambridge Companion to the Electric Guitar. In his free time, you'll find him making progressive instrumental rock as Maebe.
