Anderson Hollow T

I have owned several Andersons, and have posted reviews of some, including my Hollow Classic and my Hollow T Classic. What makes this guitar unique and worthy of a review is that it has three P-90 pickups. I haven't seen many, if any, Anderson guitars with P-90s reviewed on HC.

This guitar is serial number 11-21-04A, so it was made in 2004. It has a killer flamed maple top on Swamp Ash body in Tobacco Fade finish, with a maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, and matching headstock. Pickups are P1R-P1-P3, with a 5 way switch and push/pull tone knob that adds the bridge P3 pickup. Essentially this is a strat style pickup configuration with P-90's. It has a fixed bridge, Anderson split key tuners, and Buzz Feiten tuning system. Single volume and tone knobs The standard Anderson package.

The entire reason I am posting is to review the tone of the Anderson P-90's. I have played through Mesa gear for 20 years. My older reviews cite my Mark IV. For the past 3 years I have played through a Road king Recto head. Now, I have slimmed down to the Rectoverb combo. It is a 50 watt, 2x6L6 combo with a pristine clean channel and a Rectifier Lead channel.

So, here goes with the guitar. If you have never played through P-90's- go do it. They are pure single coil, so there is hum, but you get more punch and power than a traditional single coil pickup. These are thicker and more powerful sounding than a single coil, but brighter and lighter than a humbucker. They are perfect for R&B, classic rock, blues, rock. They won't get as dirty or snarly as you would need for metal or thrash or dropped tunings cranked through a deathmetal amp. They aren't quite as "sproingy" as a clean strat through a clean Fender amp. However, they cut a little more than a single coil when you want to overdrive or push a little harder. They are brighter for distorted, overdriven sounds than a humbucker, so they cut through a little clearer. Playing in a cover band with a keyboardist, these pickups allow me to cut through the mix a little better. They have a great, lively tone that screams "listen to me." I tired a couple Hamers, one with Duncan P-90's and the other with Dimarzio Virtual P-90's (humbucker dual coil). The band members all really liked the tone in general. Then I played the Anderson and they all just nodded. Even the drummer could tell the audible difference and liked the tone.

Now, these are true single coil pickups and have the associated hum. You can get hum cancelling P-90s from Dimarzio. However, these Anderson P-90's have a unique voice. If strats don't quite overdrive or push hard enough or if your Les Paul style humbuckers just seem muddy or thick and don't cut through, then you owe it to yourself to try P-90's. With the powerful mid range and low end of the Mesa Rectoverb (with Celestion Vintage 30), these are just about the perfect pickup for that huge range of sound between pristine jazz clean and death metal distortion. if you back off the volume knob a little, they clean up immaculately. Full on, they add a hint of power and overdrive to an amp on the edge of clean. In tube overdrive, they sing for leads, with a bit of brightness and openness that you don't usually get with a humbucker. The only criticism is of the hum that is unavoidable with the pure single coil design.

I have owned 7 Andersons over the years. They are uniformly built to the highest quality standards. The fit and finish are world class. Every review I have ever read of an Anderson guitar says they don't come any better than Anderson. This one is no different. The flame maple top is stunning, perfectly matched. All parts are perfectly installed, the neck joint is flawless. Anderson takes pride in building world class quality guitars and it shows. They aren't cheap, but they are worth the price.

I play live in a dance/party/cover band. This is a professional instrument, built to last. It proudly sits on stage with my Anderson Hollow Classic (strat) and my (other manufacturer) 335 style semi hollow body.

I have worked with Roy at Anderson to build a custom guitar. I have toured the factory and had upgrades on done on guitars. They can be hard to get a hold of, as they are a small operation, but once you get a hold of someone, they will spend all day with you if need be to help you. They are a great company.

I have been playing guitar for 30+ years, and performing live since I was 16. Because I play in a cover band, and have to cover a wide variety of tones, I have always played a strat style, a 335 style and a Les Paul style guitar. Until I got this P-90 loaded Anderson, I always felt that if I could only take one guitar on stage, it would be my Anderson Hollow Classic Strat, as it was the most versatile. Now, I think the one guitar I would use would be this Hollow T. The P-90's can clean up to cover the strat sounds, especially with the three pickup configuration, and they can rock hard enough for the harder edged numbers. The light hollow body enables me to get an airy feeling close enough to work for neck pickup jazz/mellow numbers, and the three pickup configuration with the 7 combinations enable me to get so many tones. If you seek versatility in a guitar, I have come to the conclusion that this three P-90 pickup Anderson is as flexible and versatile as you can possibly ever want.

See Stringkiller's Telecaster shootout
This model was the winner - The best period.
As Guitar Player demonstrated in their Tele shoot out article.

Everysound you want from a Telecaster (that already a lot)
Then some more.
Cuts through any mix.

As with every Tom Anderson guitars I've payed, this Hollow T has a perfect neck body joint (1 minute 5 Seconds). The craftman's workmanship on this guitar is 100 % - the stability of the neck and the intonation is beautiful and precise. If you have not played a Tom Anderson and you are into guitars you owe it to yourself to check them out.
It's hollow so you can play for hours and hours and still have a striaght back and walk normally (joke)
Look at that quilt top - no it is not for sale.
http://www.geocities.com/BourbonStreet/4089/guitars.html#A7

Rock solid.
This is 100%.
Intonates and sounds great play a bum note on it and EVERYONE will notice ;-)

No need - I'm in France, customer care doesn't exist ;-(

http://www.geocities.com/alecds/ts1.html
Winner of my 1998 Telecaster shootout
The others contenders were
Fender Telecaster 52
Reissue model (1990)
Thibaut's Telecaster 1999
Fender Telecaster Custom 62 Reissue model
G&L ASAT Early 90s model
All great guitars - just this Tom Anderson is the best.

Born on 7-14-02 it's a Tortoise Burst with Binding, Quilted Maple on Alder, Maple neck with a Rosewood fretboard, matching headstock, satin back, 1 11/16" nut, heavy frets, .050" oversized neck, Buzz Feiten, fixed chrome Fishman PowerBridge, PUP's H1-, SA1, H2+, Switcheroo. Every feature I ordered, this is the end all guitars for me. Never had it any better!

I've been a big Tele fan for a long time, I currently own two. Up till I got this, I had been playing a 99' AS tele for the last 3 years.

This guitar has so many tones, I can't imagine needing much more. I have a few good amps to play through and you can't get a bad sound out of it. Mesa Tremoverb head, Early MKIV(no verb FS) combo w/ EV12l, Heartbreaker, 64 Fender Bandmaster head w tremelo, Tweed Hot Rod DeVille 4x10, Carvin X(?)-60 head(5881's?), Blues Jr.

I've run a project studio since 1989 and have collected alot of gear. I just tried the Fishman PUP last weekend. I'm recording some basic guide tracks for a session in late November. I sent the Fishman through a Demeter Tube pre-amp direct to tape along with the mic'd Marshall 4x12 cabinet both on separate tracks. I used the MKIV's external speaker out to feed the Marshall and combining both track at certain points produced a articulate thick tone for the track I was working on.

The PUPs are passive so there is the inherant noise, but they produce really good emulations of single coil sounds. The bridge pup has a good Tele character and when switched to full HB it rips! The switcheroo is great! You can set the pups to be full HB(stacked in the middle sc), single coils or parallel for the HBs. I've always like the option of having my neck pup wired in parallel. With the switcheroo, you can choose any combo and at any time hit the blower switch to get bridge HB full strength.

I play all kinds of music, I love Hendrix and the middle in sc mode sound pretty close to the ultimate Jimi tone.

Not much else to say, It RULES!

Everything is perfect. I do my own set-ups and the thing arrived perfect. It's been over two months and everything is still perfect.

It's built like no other guitar I've ever played. The workmanship and assembly is perfect.

I decided to match the headstock a few months after I ordered it, all I had to do was to email tom and ask him to change it, DONE!

Both hTom, Roy and all the folks at TA should be very proud of the guitars they make!

Best guitar I own!

Born on 7-14-02 it's a Tortoise Burst with Binding, Quilted Maple on Alder, Maple neck with a Rosewood fretboard, matching headstock, satin back, 1 11/16" nut, heavy frets, .050" oversized neck, Buzz Feiten, fixed chrome Fishman PowerBridge, PUP's H1-, SA1, H2+, Switcheroo. Every feature I ordered, this is the end all guitars for me. Never had it any better!

I've been a big Tele fan for a long time, I currently own two. Up till I got this, I had been playing a 99' AS tele for the last 3 years.

This guitar has so many tones, I can't imagine needing much more. I have a few good amps to play through and you can't get a bad sound out of it. Mesa Tremoverb head, Early MKIV(no verb FS) combo w/ EV12l, Heartbreaker, 64 Fender Bandmaster head w tremelo, Tweed Hot Rod DeVille 4x10, Carvin X(?)-60 head(5881's?), Blues Jr.

I've run a project studio since 1989 and have collected alot of gear. I just tried the Fishman PUP last weekend. I'm recording some basic guide tracks for a session in late November. I sent the Fishman through a Demeter Tube pre-amp direct to tape along with the mic'd Marshall 4x12 cabinet both on separate tracks. I used the MKIV's external speaker out to feed the Marshall and combining both track at certain points produced a articulate thick tone for the track I was working on.

The PUPs are passive so there is the inherant noise, but they produce really good emulations of single coil sounds. The bridge pup has a good Tele character and when switched to full HB it rips! The switcheroo is great! You can set the pups to be full HB(stacked in the middle sc), single coils or parallel for the HBs. I've always like the option of having my neck pup wired in parallel. With the switcheroo, you can choose any combo and at any time hit the blower switch to get bridge HB full strength.

I play all kinds of music, I love Hendrix and the middle in sc mode sound pretty close to the ultimate Jimi tone.

Not much else to say, It RULES!

Everything is perfect. I do my own set-ups and the thing arrived perfect. It's been over two months and everything is still perfect.

It's built like no other guitar I've ever played. The workmanship and assembly is perfect.

I decided to match the headstock a few months after I ordered it, all I had to do was to email tom and ask him to change it, DONE!

Both hTom, Roy and all the folks at TA should be very proud of the guitars they make!

Best guitar I own!

2002 model. Ordered the guitar last summer. I received it in May. Quilted Maple top on Swamp Ash body. Switcheroo electronics and vintage tremelo. Neck is Maple with Rosewood fretboard. Jumbo frets. The tuners are locking Gotoh. Came with hardshell case

Sounds like an Anderson. Fabulous. this guitar is a little brighter than my Hollow Drop Top Classic due to the swamp ash in lieu of basswood. Thats what I wanted. A guitar that would compliment my other Anderson, no mimic it. The guitar is quiet and the tone is full and very expressive with tons of clarity.

Andersons are unparalleled in this department. There isn't anything to say here. They are perfect. I don't like Elixer strings and wish they didn't come with them. But thats a personal preference thing.

I use my Andersons every week in gig situations. Indoor, outdoor, whatever. They hold up very well and this shouldn't be a concern in making your decision.

Support is VERY good.

I've played guitar for 23 years and have played professionally for 17. Andersons are the only guitars I will own.

The guitar is one of my best (I have 19 guitars) Sound is nice, Vol knob is to close to the E string. It alaways get turned down in the middle of a solo. If the vol. knob could be moved with notice I would move it in a heart beat.

Sound is ok. A little thin on top.

They must gige the good ones to there friends. You really dont know what your going to get.They should have Tom Anderson Sighn his GUITARS. He has so many other people making them.. Do you reall get a TOM ANDERSON GUITAR????

Guitar will stay in tune most of the time.

Good. except they have a hard time calling you back.. STAY ON THEIR ASS.

I'v been playing 30 years. Have had all the guitars made from Stela to Fender Broadcasters.The ANDERSON elect. guitar is nice but they should give you a little more to pick on bindings , Neck woods And if Tom is making these he should sighn them.. allartest sighn there art dont they??????

Hum Single Hum pickups with switcheroo. fixed bridge. excellent and easy to use live. basswood with maple top.

Tried this in Manny's in NYC thru a Fender 65 Delux Reverb and ordered the guitar to my spec straight away. took over 6 months but is worth it. this guitar sounds fantastic.

great clean sound and 'twangs' if u want and a sweet distortion. this is it! the search is over.

the best. i also have a Cobra and i had a guitar tech (i dont touch what im no good at!) complimented the guitar for being "very tidy inside and a really nice guitar".

feels like ive been playing it for years. quality is unsurpassed. wake up Gibson !

not had it long but ive no doubt itll last.

excellent. i ordered the guitar thru Steves in Toronto and also emailed Roy at Andersons to discuss detail. they are genuine and very helpful.

easily the best guitar i have. i have 10 incl 2 Schecters/ Les Paul/ Fender and the quality of this blows them away. the tone, with hollow sounds chambers, is beatifull.

this is easily my no. 1 guitar and i rarely play the others now (but ill still keep them). if i win the lottery ill but another 6-8 Andersons!