Kauer Banshee Limited Edition “Excalibur” w/ TV Jones & Bigsby – White & Gold

Information

Brand New with Warranty. We are an authorized Kauer dealer!

Like what you see? 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?

We don’t need to waste time touting the visual merits of this instrument. Take a look through the photos and enjoy the Limited Edition gold sparkle binding, the custom gold Kauer logo on the headstock, and the overall stunning color combo.

So let’s talk tone! The TV Jones PowerTron Plus in the bridge delivers both brilliance and bark, with an agreeable midrange that cuts nicely. Rolling back the tone knob a bit drops you right into traditional Gretsch hollowbody territory. Add in the MagnaTron pickup in the middle position, and this guitar provides some excellent 2nd position Strat sounds. The middle pickup has its own volume so you can dial in just the amount you want, then quickly flip it in and out of the circuit with its dedicated toggle switch.

The PowerTron neck pickup has spectacular bell-like tones, big and warm but by no means muddy. When coil split, the mids are slightly scooped and the pickup pegs the John Mayer tones on tracks like “Belief” and “Slow Dancing in a Burning Room.” Adding in the MagnaTron middle with the neck brings a woody roundness to the top end and some nice, syrupy upper mids.

The MagnaTron by itself is tight, slightly compressed in the top end, and quick on the attack. Running all three pickups together, you get an incredible sum of the parts: Warm low end and punchy upper mids. Sparkling highs and a bit of Strat quack. The sound here is very 3-dimensional as your ear hears multiple “layers” simultaneously.

And lastly, we have the cocked wah switch which filters out some high end for seriously fat and funky rhythm tones. Just add a bit of overdrive and you’ve got the rhythm parts on Brad Paisley’s “Ticks”. Suffice it to say, the tonal options on this guitar are immense, and completely enjoyable in every pickup combination.

How Does It Play?

The frets are PLEK’d to perfection, polished and dressed smoothly from every angle. The string action measures just 4/64” on the low E at the 12th fret and under that on the high E, without buzz anywhere on the neck. The C profile is unabashedly familiar at first touch, leaning on the chunky side to really get your mojo working. The guitar is lively and resonant at first strum. The mass of the Bigsby and Vibramate adapter (which allows the Bigsby to be installed without any holes drilled in the body) gets that string resonance really cooking.

Weight: 7lb 10oz on our scale (7lb 13oz on Kauer spec sheet)

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

Specifications

Body

Top: Spanish Mahogany

Back: Spanish Mahogany

Neck: Spanish Mahogany

Binding: Gold Sparkle

Finish

Top: White  

Back: White

Neck: White

Neck

Neck Profile: C

1st Fret: .87”

1st Fret: 1.01”

Width at Nut: 1.70”

Binding: Gold Sparkle

Fretboard: Wenge

Scale: 24.75”

Frets: 22

Radius: 12”

Fretwire: Jescar 47095NS

Inlays: Keystone

Hardware

Bridge: TonePros Nashville

Talipiece: TonePros Stop-Tailpiece

Tuners: Kluson Banjo

Electronics

Control Layout: 3 Vol / 1 Tone, 3-way switch

Extra Controls: Cocked Wah, Coil Split, Middle Pickup

Neck Pickup: TV Jones PowerTron

Middle Pickup: TV Jones MagnaTron

Bridge Pickup: TV Jones PowerTron Plus

Serial: #418

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