Kauer Banshee Mahogany Guitar w/ 3x Lollar Firebirds & Bigsby – Gold Top

Information

Brand New w/ Warranty. We are an authorized Kauer Dealer.

Like what you see? All photos are of the exact instrument you will receive.

The Kauer Banshee features indelibly classic looks, comfortable contours and formidable tone. The mahogany body is slim but exceptionally resonant, assertive but stunningly agile. This is an instrument with the muscle to stand out in a mix and the poise to play nice with the rest of the band. If this isn’t exactly the Banshee you are looking for, feel free to contact us for a custom order to spec one out exactly to your liking!

What Do We Think?

It might be difficult to describe a tone this guitar won’t do! Lollar Firebirds are some of the most expressive pickups on the market and respond very nicely to changes in pick attack or tone knob to conjure a variety of sounds. Load three of them in one guitar and you are ready for just about anything.

When compared to single coils, the neck position sounds like a beefed-up Strat and the bridge position rings with the brilliance and punch of a Tele on steroids. Yet they have a dash of the compression and roundness of a standard humbucker, and the hum-cancelling characteristics as well. Roll back the tone knob to tailor the top end and dial in more PAF-inspired tones.

The cocked wah switch instantly transports you to vintage rock tones perhaps best described as a cross between ZZ Top and AC/DC. The bridge pickup in particular is a lot of fun in this mode. It gets thick and a little raunchy in the midrange, while the top end takes on the warmth of those guitar-to-tape tones we love from old records.

And then we have the middle pickup selector, on or off. In conjunction with the independent volume controls for each pickup, this allows you to do everything from solo the middle pickup to play all three pickups together. The neck/middle and bridge/middle are probably where the magic lies in our opinion. These combinations have all the shimmer of a Strat “in between” position but without as much of the quack.

You’ll also notice this guitar sports a Bigsby, which Doug no longer offers as a factory option! However, he has authorized us to install them exactly the same way he used to, using the Vibramate V5 mounting kit. And if you happen to see a different Banshee in our inventory that you just have to have, we can do a Bigsby on any Banshee in stock.

How Does It Play?

The string action measures just 4/64” on the low E string at the 12th fret and down to 3/64” on the high E, without any buzz. This is made possible by the excellent Plek work performed right at the Kauer shop. The C neck profile has a late 50’s flair and substance to it, filling out the hand nicely but without entering baseball bat territory.

Weight: 7lbs 12oz (with Bigsby)

The Mono Vertigo hybrid case is included and gives you ultimate flexibility along with superb protection.

Specifications

Body

Material: Spanish Mahogany

Neck: Spanish Mahogany

Binding: White

Finish

Top: Gold Top

Back: Brown Mahogany

Neck: Brown Mahogany

Neck

Neck Profile: Standard C

1^st Fret: .87”

1^st Fret: 1.01”

Width at Nut: 1.70”

Binding: White

Fretboard: Wenge

Scale: 24.75”

Frets: 22

Radius: 12”

Fretwire: Jescar 47095NS

Inlays: Keystone

Hardware

Bridge: TonePros Nashville

Talipiece: Bigsby B5 w/ Vibramate

Tuners: Rickard Banjo

Electronics

Control Layout: 2 Vol / 2 Tone / 3-Way Toggle

Neck Pickup: Lollar Firebird

Middle Pickup: Lollar Firebird

Bridge Pickup: Lollar Firebird

Other: Cocked Wah, Middle Pickup On/Off switching options

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