Anderson Hollow Drop Top Classic

This is a 2003 hollow drop top classic (sn-2/2/03A) that was the guitar of the week on the Anderson website for the week of 2/16/03. It's in the new for 2003 Arctic Blue color/flame maple top/hollow chambered alder body/maple neck and fretboard/b5 switching system/matching headstock/locking tuners/vibrato/+.30 oversize neck. Original pickups were in a h/s/s configuration but I switched out the neck stacked single SA1R for a H1- humbucker. With the B5 switching system, there are a lot of variations in tone that you can get (although I only use 4 different configurations). Comes with a G and G hardcase.

I've owned 5 different Andersons, and currently own 3 including this one. This guitar, with it's alder/maple top/maple neck configuration has a different tone compared to the other Andersons I've owned except for a Hollow Swamp Ash classic I used to own (the hollow classic was more brighter and biting however and less fuller sounding than this guitar). It's a little on the bright side, slightly scooped mids, with a rich bottom end. I swapped out the neck pickup because it's output was a bit too low than what I wanted. Not noisy at all at any setting. I wish the overall output was a little better, but I really have no dislikes as far as sound. I use this guitar with either a Bogner Shiva or Bogner Uberschall through a 2x12 Bogner oversized cab (2 vintage 30s), with my only effects at this time being a Rocktron Intellifex Online through the loop.

As usual top notch action, good pickup adjustment. For the first time though I had a problem with an Anderson-the nut slot on the B string was cut too deep so I was getting buzzing. I contacted Mr. Anderson and then had my Anderson dealer here in Hawaii fill the slot but it was filled a little too much. Since I wanted to change pickups on the neck position anyway, I just sent the guitar over to Tom A. who replaced the nut and swapped out pickups for free. I'm going to dock a few points here because of the nut, but overall with the warranty service given to me (and the free pickup exchange), it's really difficult to complain.

I've seen older, early 90's Andersons in tip top shape. Although I don't gig, these guitars are very dependable.

Simply the best imo. I've written to Tom and Roy over the years since I got my first Anderson and they've always been very accomodating and caring. I have played and liked a lot of other guitars from other companies-however I have a great deal of loyalty to Anderson guitars because of the way I've been treated and of course because of the quality of their product. They will take care of you and in my situation, they fixed my problem and even gave me a free pickup exchange. I can't ask for more. I wish I could give a 100 rating here. By the way, in case you did not know, there is a Tom Anderson forum website- www.andersonforum.com -where Tom also posts. That's a good place to ask questions and get any info. you have always wanted re: Anderson Guitars. Also, I would also like to mention the great Anderson dealers-I bought this guitar from Steve at Wildwood guitars-he's a great person as is my local dealer here in Hawaii, Dan's Guitars. Anderson guitars have excellent dealers.

I waited about 8 months before posting this review because I wanted to be fair and really play this guitar before reviewing it. I love the tones-you can go from a classic strat to a hot rodded strat with the flip of a switch. Usually I only buy Andersons from my local dealer, but in this case, I fell in love with the finish on this guitar when I first saw it on the Anderson website. As I said earlier, I do wish the pickups had a little higher output (maybe a H3 in the bridge and H1 in the neck). If it were stolen, I would probably replace it with a drop top-the hollow chambers take a little away from the punch I like. Currently I own a Hollow Cobra S (4/12/02A) and a Cobra S (1/16/00A) that was modified at the Anderson factory to include a rosewood neck. I'm gassing for that bora bora blue drop top on the Wildwood website, but I've spent way too much money on gear this year.

Serial #12-26-02P. Flamed Maple on Alder, Cherry Burst finish with Binding. Hard Rock Maple neck (maple fretboard) with Satin Finish
Nutwidth - 1 11/16 in, Heavy Frets, Non-Tremolo Fixed Fishman Power Bridge. 3 pickups, S/S/H; SA1R SA1 H2+, Switcheroo switching (allows single coil, series and/or parallel settings of pickups), Vintage Voicing (preserves single coil and/or humbucking tones by using 250k pots for singles and 500k pots for humbuckers), Grover locking tuners, plus Buzz Feiten tuning system. Give a 10 for features because this guitar has lots of options (this was custom made, so I ordered it that way - a basic one could be ordered too, but I wanted versatility).

I'll give this category a 10 since it really sounds amazing. I play mostly blues and rock, and a little jazz. I'm using a Carvin 212 100W combo amp through a tubescreamer, Mesa VTwin and Ibanez analog delay, along with the Fishman PowerBlend pedal which activates and mixes the piezo bridge. Initially, it really took some time with the amp's EQ settings to dial in the various tones I was looking for. After messing with the tone quite a bit, I've come to the conclusion that the hollow body gives massive amounts of midrange (which are very useful for jazz, etc.), which need to be dialed way down (far more than I thought) to get comparable solid-body tones for blues, rock, etc. Initially, this was a little annoying to me (though the tones with the mids were very high quality tones), but I've come to realize that it only shows how versatile this guitar really is. I can get legitimate jazz-box tones with all of their warm, hollow sound, and yet once this midrange-iness is dialed out, this guitar does everything that a solid body strat does, and does it far better.

The humbucking tones are quite good (they remind me of Lace Sensors but with a bit more definition) and are very quiet. The H2+ sounds phenomenal in high gain settings, though changing the midrange drastically changes the tone - sounds great at both extremes (and in between) but very very different. The single coil tones are where the guitar really shines. Wow. They are punchy and warm and the ultimate in strat sounds. With the tone rolled off, they become fluid and "brown." Excellent tones here. One complaint about this. The single coil selections are much louder than the humbucker settings (with the exception of the bridge pup). This causes me to use the singles more at low volume, since if the amp is set for low volume playing, switching to humbucking modes is too quite. This is a problem because it causes me to use the humbucking modes less, and they really are great tones. When I get to play at higher volumes, I can use them more, but to switch back and forth is a task, too, because of the volume difference. A little frustrating, but all selections sound so good that it's a minor issue.

The one issue I have is with the Fishman PowerBridge. I can't seem to coax a good tone out of this. I had a Parker Fly, which had amazing acoustic tone (but had little electric tone, so I sold it), but it's much harder to get good acoustic tones out of this. No piezo bridge is going to sound totally like an acoustic, but a nice warm acoustic vibe should be there. I've tried lots of tone settings, but so far no luck with those tones (had the guitar about 5 months). Maybe I just need to keep playing with it. Having said that, when the electric and acoustic sounds are blended, it sounds great. Adds lots of definition to the tone. It's the piezo alone that doesn't sound great to me.

This guitar is quiet on ALL settings - single coil modes as well. In terms of different tones, this guitar is not, nor will ever be, a mahogany bodied LP or PRS (and thus doesn't pull off those tones well). Having said that, it is the most versatile strat style guitar I've ever heard. It has the best of those strat tones, yet I can get great "hollow" jazz tone, compressed blues tone, and liquid singing leads. If you're looking for a LP type tone, this is not the way to go. But if you want a strat style, you'd be hard pressed to find a better guitar, with more versatility.

I like almost everything about it. It was expensive, but you certainly get what you pay for!

I give this category an 11. The guitar was set up perfectly, though the UPS man (despite my repeated instructions) left the guitar in negative degree weather for about 8 hours, causing the neck to bow a little and action to be higher than I wanted, and causing some minor intonation issues. Stupid UPS. Pickups were perfect. Bookmatched top is absolutely stunning. One of the best flame tops I've seen. Top notch quality all around. High quality wood, great hardware, electronics perfect, and most of all is the tone. Could not be happier with fit & finish. Absolutely top quality (which it should be for the price!).

Haven't had any problems with the guitar live, hardware is solid. I don't anticipate any problems with the finish. I had Anderson install straplocks, so should be no problems there. I absolutely depend on it. I would never gig without a backup, but if I had to, it would be with this guitar. I give this a 9 because I haven't had it that long and only time will really tell.

Absolutely 10. Communicated with Tom and Roy both in the process. Both extremely helpful and concerned about giving me what I wanted. The only thing I couldn't get was a tone control similar to Fender's TBX - where at one end, mids are cut and highs/lows are boosted, and at other end, mids are boosted and highs/lows cut. They didn't really have a circuit like that (which I certainly understand), but now that I have the guitar I wish I had it even more.

When I called about the intonation issues after stupid UPS left it in the cold, Roy said "give me a call and we'll take care of it over the phone." I haven't had a chance to do this yet, and even with minor intonation issues (and they are minor, especially with the Feiten system), the guitar is amazing. They have been extremely helpful all along the way. Tom and Roy are the bomb.

I've been playing for about 15 years, also play a Carvin custom electric, Taylor and Yamaha acoustics, and an Ampeg 112 and Fender Acoustasonic amps in addition the Carvin and effects listed above. There isn't anything I wish I had asked, but I do wish I could have gotten that TBX type tone control. If it were stolen, I would certainly get another one (though I would need to rely on insurance money to be able to afford it!). My favorite feature is the TONE. Wow. I did compare it to other guitars - custom shop strat, G&L, Don Grosh, Suhr - none compared.

Born in '98, basswood body, quilted maple top, Sa1R,Sa1,H2+, big "V" maple neck with madagascar rosewood board, jumbo frets, grover pegs, vintage yellow finish-exactly what the doc ordered.

the BEST sounding guitar ever. i'm not kidding by any means, my hollow drop top classic truly is an excxeptionally good sounding axe.

As good as it gets. The guys at Anderson Guitarworks really give a s*** about their product and it shows. Superb.

Has been played extremely heavily these last few years and has withstood the tests of time well. I trust this guitar to perform at a gig more than I trust my bandmembers.

I've never dealt with Anderson personally, all their products and sales reps spoke for themselves. My guitar guy at Gelb works with them regularly and speaks very highly of everyone he has dealt with. I'll side with Keith on this one and issue a 10.

I could not be happier with this axe. As a matter of fact I'm expecting another hollow drop top classic (with a solid rosewood neck and an H3 this time 'round) in a month or so. I highly suggest Gelb Music if you are around the Bay Area, the service and merchandise is top notch. Gelb is a real diamond in the rough amidst the plethora of guitar centers and the like. I will not buy another Anderson from any place else.

1995 Hollow Drop Top Classic...This one is the transparent blue with the white perloid pickguard and binding (sharp!)...It was one of the 1995 Nashville NAMM guitars and has one of the nicest quilt tops I have ever seen...basswood body and switcharoo...pickups are SA1R/SA1/H2 and it has a madagascar rosewood fretboard...trem and locking tuners...I think that's about it.

Lets start unplugged...this guitar is louder than any other electric I have ever heard...once plugged in it sounds just as incredible...I play allot of styles with it rock, blues, funk and mild jazz...as far as the sound goes I find the clean sounds awsome as you could ever want...now on to the distorted sounds...they have a bit of a country twang to them which I don't like, but they are high quality tones so I can't take away from this because of personal taste.

Well I picked this guitar up on ebay from the original owner who is a big Nashville session star...He told me it was one of his favorite working guitars for years so I knew it had to be nice...this one has plenty of battle scars and still looks beautiful which I think says allot for their finishes...but I didn't buy it for appearance, I bought it to play the hell out of...let me tell you this guitar plays nicer then any other guitar I have played besides a Tyler...the fretwork is awsome and the heavy frets make playing blues a dream on it...I hate to put it down and the guitar almost plays itself.

This is my main gigging guitar and I don't even take a back up anymore...this thing stays in tune no matter what I play on it...very solid feel when playing.

I will say this is where anderson is the best company I have ever delt with in 20 years in music...I have emailed them a bunch of times with questions (which are possibly silly sometimes)...allot of the time Tom actually responded himself and I have never waited more then a day or two for the answers...besides the answer, they are very nice to talk to and love talking to their customers...this is the same treatment the stars get from other companies and anderson gives it to everyone!...you guys are the best!!

This guitar is incredible...as I said I don't care for the twang that allot of the anderson pickups seem to have but that is just a personal taste thing...I am swapping them out for Seymour Duncans and know I will have the tone I want then...I also have a PRS and a Fender Custom shop which are awsome guitars too, but there is something about the anderson that makes me pick it up more then the others...plus they all sound different enough that I don't really compare them anyway, I just try to enjoy each one for it's own personality...can't go wrong with one of these, this is a great guitar!

8 February 2000 was completion date of this guitar. Andersons are a high end custom guitar made in the USA. This one is quilted maple on basswood with vintage tremelo and rosewood fretboard. Pickup config is Humbucker in bridge position and singles (stacked hums) in the middle and neck position. Passive electronics. Strat styling. Equiped with Gotoh locking tuners with the buzz feiten tuning system. HSC included. Switchiroo electronics with vintage voicing.

I use this guitar to play country and classic rock. The switchiroo electronics (toggle for each pickup) allows for any tone you need. In addition, there is an access panel on the back of the guitar which allows you to switch from series to parallel on the pickups. The sound is full, but tight. Every note is articulated to the greatest detail regarding clarity. This guitar isn't for the faint at heart. If you're a hacker (or beginner), you won't be able to hide behind muddy tone.

The action is perfect out of the box and the standard anderson neck is a pleasure to play. Not lightning fast like the shorter scale stuff, but plays like a hot knife through butter. The tolerances are incredible and finish is breathe taking.

These guitars are built to be a lifetime guitar. Andersons are built for veteran guitar players. I gig with mine 2 to 3 weekends a month. My only beef with the guitar (and this hardly worth mentioning, but sense I am a type A personality, I will) is it has a pretty cheap looking string tree. I only mention it, because everything else is so perfect, I can't help wonder why they don't use a stronger looking tree.

These guys are top notch. Roy is the man!

By far the best guitar I have ever owned in the 23 years I've played guitar. I've owned 2 Les Pauls, various Fenders (all american made) as well as Ibanez. These guitars are pricey, but just like Curtis Mathis use to say, "They're darn well worth it". I have another Anderson on order.

Born on 06/07/01. This baby has got beauiful and comfortable contours that make it sit just right on your body.Pick-ups are SA1R neck (hot single coil reverse polarity), SA1 middle (hot single coil), and an HO2 (low output humbucker) in the bridge, vintage voicing. The body is alder with three hollow chambers, with a georgeous dropped translucent bora bora quilted maple top, with natural wood binding. Heavy frets, locking Grovers, vintage tremolo, B5 switching with pull tone for adding the bridge to position 1 (neck), and position 2 (neck & middle), there is also a mini toggle located between the volume and tone knob that serves as a master splitter. and the best neck that I ever played that is a TA+.30 over (slightly larger than the TA standard) maple with madagascar rosewood cap. It also comes standard with the buzz feiten tuning system, which I think is awesome, the guitar really plays more in tune.

My music styles are: hawaiian, pop, reggae, R&B, funk, blues, jazz, classic and pop rock. I play this guitar thru a variety of amps which are a fender vibro king, a bruno cowtipper 22, and a bogner ecstasy head with a closed back 4x12 with (vintage 30's) and a open back 2x12 with (1-vintage 30, 1-classic 80). I also have a pedal board with a fulltone clyde wah, sodano GTO supercharger overdrive, fulltone fulldrive II, fulltone choralflange, akai headrush delay, and a voodoo labs power pedal 2. I run a TC Electronic G-major along with the GCX ground control pro(midi foot controller )and GCX ground control system (guitar audio switcher)thru the loop of my bogner ecstasy. This guitar with the stock pick-ups sounded very good but I don't think that the SA pick-ups were the ones for me. I was told that the slightly overwound SA pick-ups would complement the hollow body nicely but I found the sound to be a little to hard for my taste. I wanted a more vintage sound from the single coils. The humbucker sounded terrific, I felt that the lower output humbucker breathes a little better letting the tone of the guitars wood and the amplifier come through, it does'nt sound to compressed, because of this I ordered another anderson pick guard and had the guys wire it up the same way and I put VanZandts vitage plus single coils in the neck and middle and stuck a seymour duncan 59 tembucker in the bridge. Now this is what a guitar with single coils is supposed to sound like at least to me, gone is that mid hump that I had with the SA anderson pick-ups and the clean sound are so fat and juicy, yet smooth clear and chimey, the seymour duncan humbucker also sound great I think this combination of woods and pick-ups is a perfect all around guitar, from what I can hear the alders lower midrange thump comes through nicely and the mids are sweet yet aggressive when you need it to be, some of the attack is taken away because of the hollow chambers but the maple top brings it right back, so you get the complex overtones and resonant qualities that the hollow chambers bring forth with out losing the punch of a solid body guitar. I rated this category an 8 because of the pick-ups If it was'nt for that it would have gotten a 9 or a 10.

Straight out of the case this guitar played like a dream the action was perfect and even with a slightly big neck it did not play like that. The fret job is a work of art. The transparent bora bora finish is second to none, it is like looking in to the blue green waters of the bahamas.

I have held out on writing this review because I wanted to give it the test of time and its been about 7 months since I've received it and it's been played a hundreds of gigs with out a back-up and not one thing had to be adjusted or fix, aside from the pick-up and pick guard swap that I made. At first I thought that the Hollow chamber would make it more fragile but it seems to be holding up well. I ordered an anderson classic with the VA pick-ups in it so be looking for my review of that in the near future.

The people over at Anderson are just terrific. They never push you to the side or try to rush you off of the phone. They try to help you as much as they can and make sure that you got the answer that you were looking for before they get off the phone with you. Roy is the best, we spent hours on the phone talking about the diffrent combinations of body, and neck woods, the sound that each would put out and also pick-up configurations and choices, and how each of those sound. He has just been so patient with me but It paid off, at least for me it did. Thanks again to the guys over at customer support.

I have compared this guitar to others like grosh, fender, paul reed smith, music man, tyler, and suhr. The grosh and tyler sounded good but was missing that certain feel and vibe I was looking for. The Suhr sounded great and came in a close second to this guitar but overall the anderson topped these guys in every category. If this guitar was stolen I would definitely replace it with another. If you are looking for a guitar that nails that vintage fender sound, and can also cover jazz, rock, and blues, do yourself a favor and go check out an Anderson. You'll be glad you did. I gave this category a 9 because it is kind of pricey but you get what you pay for.

I custom ordered 2 Anderson Hollow Drop Top Classics, one dated 10/14/00B and the other dated 10/14/00C. B and C are my initials, very cool personal touch. These are a bit different than the norm in that they have swamp ash backs and vintage style single coils whereas they usually have basswood or alder on the back with Anderson's stacked or side-by-side humbucking pickups. The specs are:

Quilted maple top on hollow swamp ash back
1 piece maple neck - '50's large V on one, '62 roundback on the other
1 5/8" nut width
heavy frets
satin finished necks
VA1/VA1R/VA12 pickups
5 way switch
add bridge push/pull switch on tone pot
chrome vintage trem w/push in arm
locking tuners
pearl white pickguard
.010 gauge strings

The only differences between the 2 guitars are the neck back shapes and the colors. One is finished in Bora Bora blue while the other is finished in 6120 orange.

The Buzz Feiten system is standard. They both came with a G&G vintage style case.

I requested the action to be set a little higher than standard and the trems to be raised off the body enough to pull up a half step, usually Anderson sets the bridge flush against the body. It pulls up exactly a half step. I can't imagine how long it took to dial it in that close.

They are both extrememly light weight. The Bora one is slightly heavier and I would guess that it's mainly because of the HUGE soft V neck. Both weighed in at just under 6 pounds.

As I stated before, these are custom ordered, so I got exactly the features I wanted.

I play through Clark tweed replicas. My main amp is a Tyger (5E7 tweed Bandmaster) with three 10 inch Webers, which defines perfection in guitar amplification. These guitars complement the amp very well. The maple tops in combination with the hollow ash back make for a very woody, resonant tone with great clarity. Warmth with cut. I can feel the guitar vibrating in my hands and definetly hear the hollow chambers working. Nails the vintage vibe.

I was blown away by the Anderson VA's. They are the perfect single coil pickups if you're looking for vintage tones. I was figuring on having to look for a boutique pickup maker such as Fralin to get the tone I want, but after the first strum with these I knew that this was it. The VA12 in the bridge is brilliant. It's hotter and thicker on it's own, but is lower in output when combined with the middle to preserve the vintage in-between sound. I checked under the pickguard and it is some sort of 3 conductor setup. No compromises! The add bridge switch also gives some cool tones, allowing a neck/bridge combo or all 3 pickups at once. It only works while in the neck or neck/middle positions, so there are no redundant settings.

I am also a firm believer in the Buzz Feiten system. I think it makes for a better sounding instrument, especially with more complex chord voicings.

Honestly, I couldn't be happier with the vintage tones I can get with these guitars. I've heard people say that Andersons are sterile and too modern sounding, not these. This is vintage tone and character at it's best in 2 brand new guitars. No belt sander required.

I looked and looked. Perfection in manufacturing. Best frets in the business, perfectly finished, perfectly setup, perfectly in tune right out of the case. I can't even begin to describe how well made these guitars are.

The only adjustments I made were the pickup heights. I lowered them just a little to maximize the clean headroom of the amp.

I did put both through a trem bar torture test just to find out what my limitations were. Both guitars were put through about 10 minutes of all out abuse - bar all the way down to the guard, fairly violent shaking, El Macombo with care if you will - and they were both in perfect tune afterward. Impressive.

I've owned several Andersons and they seem to be very durable. The finish is thin but tough. I have no reservations about taking them out and playing them. Some high end guitars make me nervous to take out, but I got these to play and I don't have that sickly "can't risk it" feeling with these. I have 2, so gigging without a backup is not an issue.

I wish there were more companies that treated their customers as well.

I ordered these based on my vision of the perfect guitar and my experience with previous Andersons. They have far exceeded my expectations. Perfect vintage tones, perfect playability, unparalleled functionality, and fine looks on top of all that. Not to mention that it's a great value considering the fact that I got to pick every aspect of them to get exactly what I wanted. It doesn't get any better than this.

Dropped Maple top (Cajun Red) over a Basswood body...single coils in the neck & middle that can be switched to hum canceling and a humbucker in the bridge...T/A standard madagasgar rosewood over maple neck...grover locking tuners...vintage tremelo...pearl pickguard...chrome hardware...Buzz Fenten tuning system.

Because of Pick-up configuration you can dial in almost any sound you want. I did have to buy a new amp because I found that certain amps will articulate the difference between the pick-ups better than others....a small price to pay for a great guitar. Will do the strat thing and with the bridge humbucker will do the Paul thing as well.

A simply beautiful guitar. Not only mine, but I have a friend who owns five and they all are perfect out of the box. I also had the opportunity to visit the Anderson factory and see first hand the attention to detail each guitar receives before it leaves them. Everything about this guitar was done as if the luthier was making it for himself.

I waited a year to write this as I did not want to be too hasty with my compliments. I have been gigging with this guitar for the last year and have yet to find anything that would give me any reason for concern. The finish is not only beauftiful but it holds up to the occasional knock it takes. The pots are as clean today as when I fist plugged it in. The tuners keep the guitar in tune very well. Hell, I haven't even had to have the set-up re-adjusted yet.

As with the guitar itself, the customer support is just as good. Anderson employees take pride in each and every guitar they build and it shows when you have a question...no matter how dumb it seems to them.

After comparing to the custom shop this or thats, I am glad I had a good friend with five to convince me the Anderson was the best. Not only would I replace it if stolen or lost, I'm trying to find a way to buy another so I can have two.

Beautiful 6120 Orange Hollow Drop Top Classic,Switcheroo,SA1R,SA1,H2. Madagasgar rosewood, vintage trem, chrome hardware, matching head stock. Wonderful instrument, was blown away when Brian (dealer) opened the case. He waited to open the box until I arrived. This guitar is quite loud unpluged, which had me excited to plug it in.

Scream's in the amp. Also Big and Fat clean, like a jazz box. Roll the tone back, and it does the trick. Lot's of twang when I need it. Can knock out strat like smooth & bite. Out does any Les Paul or 335 sounds, when dialed in properly. Suits any musical style.

Breath taking Quilt,with a pearl pickguard. This is my third Anderson, and they never fail to amaze me. No flaws, no half ass workmanship. Just perfection. And this was not a special order, it was a stock piece I decided on before it hit the store. There is no difference between stock and special orders, and that BLEW MY MIND.

If it's anything like my others, I know it will just keep getting better everyday. They feel 30 years old, and like butter.

I could go on and on about Tom , Roy and the others at Anderson. They make it a joy to see that some others still care and stand behind thier work. I'm sick of seeing horrrible products coming out the other "custom shops". These guy's make it right the first time. Also the guy's at The Brook-Mays Pro Shop have been making me very happy(and very poor). It's great to have a dealer that pulls no punches, if it sucks, they will say so and not just try to make a sale. They are the ones who brought me to Anderson in the first place, and I'm grateful.

If you have a dealer around, go try one and compare it to what you are thinking about buying. Call and get a catalog if you don't have a dealer near you(805-498-1747). It has changed the way I play and think about guitars. I don't feel like there could be anything missing, and that makes me feel good about spending the money.

Straight out of Cali to my basement in New Jersey, I have found my true love after all these years. Born on 3-14-98P (I have the date memorized, and I don't even know my dad's birthday. Sad, no, Amazing!) She's got beautiful contours from her contoured heel down to her sexy headstock. Pickups are SA1R neck (hot single coil, reverse polarity), SA1 middle (hot single coil), and a very nice H2 (medium hot humbucker) in the bridge. Body is basswood with a dropped translucent-yellow flame maple top. Very nice pinkish beige binding as well. Heavy frets, locking Grovers, vintage tremelo, switcheroo system, vintage voicing, and a wonderfully smooth but not sticky satin finish maple neck. This guitar is a work of art, all the features are very usable, top quality, and blend together in what is the best guitar I have ever experienced to date. I was a bit worried about the ease of use of the switcheroo system, but the versatility and control is worth it. It lets you control each pickup individual, and combine them anyway you choose. You can even modify switches on the back of the guitar (covered, of course) which allow you to choose whether the each switch will switch to parallel or split coil in the up position. Series is always in the down position, and the middle positon is off. And then there's the blower, which cuts out from the individual pickup switch settings to the bridge humbucker in series. One more aside, however, in the case of this guitar, the Buzz Feiten tuning system does not result in perfect intonation of open strings relative to fretted strings. I do not know if I expect more than is physically possible, but this was my hope. This does not detract from the jaw-dropping wonder I experience when I plug this baby in, we're really only talking about cherries on top of the icing on top of the cake here.

This guitar sounds amazing, and that's all there is to it. I play my Tom Anderson through a Fender Hot Rod DeVille and can get a variety of beautiful sounds from this setup. The strat sounds are definitely there, from delicate clean articulations to sharp but soaring bends. The guitar seems to breathe in between notes. It's really unbelievable, I've never played a vintage strat, but this guitar seems to be the ultimate. Besides the strat sounds, it is very versatile in general. You can get smooth, rich, jazz tones and wailing hot lead sounds. The tone knob has a very useful sweep range, and is quite usable from its minimum to maximum range of motion. On top of this guitar's wonderful resonant qualities, pickups, and electronics, the switcheroo allows total control. A good analogy would be that you can mix tones like a painters mixes colors on a palette; you are not restricted to a predetermined, limited amount of combinations. You can quickly and easily select any combination. This instrument combines the best of the tones and craftmanship that make the American electric guitar tradition what it is, while adding real advances that add to its capabilities, rather than hokey gimmicks that are more complex than useful.

Factory setup was very good, great feel, but as I mentionned earlier, the Buzz Feiten tuning system was a bit of a let down for me. Certainly not any worse than any standard temperment tuned guitar, though. The pickup balance and height is perfectly calibrated, and the only finishing flaw I have seen is a very small plugged hole on the back of the headstock. Makes me wonder, but certainly no biggie. The feel is super-smooth, the best I've ever tasted.

It would really, really hurt if something happenned to this guitar, so I plan to really baby it. I think it might be better if it had straplocks, but it's going to take some REALLY strong resolve or some really blatant stupidity before I alter this guitar in any way. The finish and neck seem like they will certainly hold up, but because this is a hollow body guitar, I seriously doubt that it would hold up under intense abuse as well as say, a strat. Perhaps it's stronger, you know, like your bones are stronger because they're hollow, but I doubt it. The hollow sound chambers really do add something to its resonance, so for me, it's a worthwhile tradeoff. Maybe when I can afford another Anderson, I'll gig with a backup, but for now, it's going to be a long time before I can afford even an American Standard as a backup.

The Tom Anderson Guitarworks company know that that they make a quality product, and they stand behind it 100%. I had some questions about the locking Grovers, called up, and Ron helped me figure out my problem on the phone. He was very friendly, thanked me for buying an Anderson, didn't put me on hold, and was very patient with my questions. Knowing that you're buying from a company like this makes you almost feel good to drop >$2000 on one of their guitars. Almost. Just kidding, Anderson are well worth the money, go buy one.

I have been playing for about four years now, and have played a wide variety of solidbody electric guitars. This is far and away the best instrument I have ever played, it's got everything I want in a guitar. I am sure that we will be through many adventures together. I love everything about it, hate, or even dislike, nothing. I'm a fool in love, what can I say. I tried everything I could get my grimy little hands on in NYC and NJ before I laid my bucks down, and it blew everything else out of the water. All Fender production strats and G&Ls did not compare. They are great instruments, but the Andersons are truly on whole different level in my view. I became momentarily infatuated with a PRS Swamp Ash Special I saw at Rudy's Music across the street, but realized when I played the Anderson again that my thing with the PRS was only a crush. In playing guitar and making music in general, you can only take to an instrument what you bring to it, and while my playing is limited, this guitar will take me to new horizons. It is inspiring to hear, hold, and look at an instrument at this level of craftsmanship. Some may believe that it is obscene to plunk down big bucks for a top-quality instrument, but if music is truly a passion and you are playing the game for keeps, there is no other choice. I feel very strongly about this guitar company, I have owned three other guitars including a Korean Fender Esquire (piece of plywood sh!t), a Washburn LesPaulocaster thing, and a Epiphone Les Paul, and now the Les Paul is lent out and the other two will sit in their cases for a long time. Believe me, if you are looking for the ulimate "number One", save up and buy an Anderson, cause believe me, it's worth it. And no, I am not being paid to write this.