Blade Guitars California Custom

This is a Strat style guitar with ebony fret board with 22 jumbo frets, maple neck, sparzel trim lock tuners, swamp ash body with flame maple top, SSH pickups with split on the bridge humbucking, a Falcon tremolo bridge that really stays in tune, one volume, one tone, five way pickup switch, and a VSC switch where center is passive pickups, up is bass and treble boost, down is midrange boost.

I've been playing for 36 years and have owned Gibson 330, Les Pauls, 335, Fender telecaster, strat, and have played PRS, Brian Moore, Anderson well you get the idea. I play Rock, Blues, Heavy British Rock, Country, Swing, Jazz, Folk Rock. I use various amps with tube as well as solid state heads Peavy, Fender, Mesa, Marshall, Tech 21.
I bought this guitar used and had never heard or played one before so I didn't have a clue as to what to expect I still can't believe I bought it but I am shure GLAD I DID. This guitar responds to the player like a dream. I've never played anything that I like better.
I really have a hard time putting it down it's really amazing the sounds and the quality of sound (tones) that you create with this guitar. I enjoy it more each time I pick it up. (it's quite too)

The action, fit and finish is as good as it gets. Beautiful.

I'm shure this guitar will still be making beautiful music long after I'm gone.

I e-mailed Gary Levinson at Blade to see what would happen and the next day received a reply to my surprise. They seem to be very eager to help if there's a problem. Although I don't forsee any.

Overall I enjoy this instrument better than any I've ever played. I'm surprised more people don't know about them.

This is a Swiss made Strat-style guitar. Its a '96 or '97. The body is sen ash with a western broadleaf maple flamed top...stunning. 22 jumbo frets on an ebony fretboard. S_S_H Levinson pickup configuration. Sperzel locking tuners. Blade desiged trem system..lays flat but trems up and down...never goes out of tune...even when a string is broken!!! MOST excellent. 3 way electronics switch..up is for highs & lows..adjustable with a small screw driver thru holes in the back cover plate. Down is for Mids. Straight up is for by-passing the electronic stuff....great if you loose battery power. One volume, one tone control, 5 way switching. The tone control splits the humbucker when you tap it.

I play blues/rock and this guitar does everything nicely. Very balanced tone. The humbucker is creamy smooth. I have the Mid pot all the way up for a big boost when i toggle down and it screams thru the HB. I have the Highs set all the way up, and the bass up somewhat, and on the 2 SC's it really chimes/sparkles when i toggle up. You can make this guitar sound like anything...its extreemely versatile. There are literally hundreds of setting. I play thru an AC-30TB and Mesa Boogie Mark 3 in Sterio. The Mesa can be foot switched to drive a Fender Vibratone Leslie Cabinet. In my rack theres a Chandler Sterio digital Echo, and a Peavy Valverb. On the floor theres a Chandler Tube Driver, MXR Distortion II, Vox 810 Valvetone, and a Fultone Deja-VibeII. This guitar sounds great, especially thru the VOX, and is never noisy. I'm giving it a 9.5, because I can't get that '63 Strat sound out of it, but its as close as I'll ever be able to afford.

This guitar was not set up very well..I think someone else monkeyed with it before I got it from Musicians Friend. I had a tech do it up my way and no blems. Its very stable. The frets are perfect. The broadleaf maple top is matched absolutly perfect. The action, after adjustment, fit and finish are flawless. My guitar tech loved the trem bar setup..he couldnt get over it. He could NOT make it go out of tune. This is one beautiful guitar.

It seems very durable..just like a strat. I'm not sure of the electronics yet...so far no trouble. I like having the ability to bypass the electronics..I feel safer playing with no backup. I do have a 95 American Std Strat that I bring along, but it would suck if I had to use it..it has no tone. I'll give it an 8 because of the added complexity of the electronics. The guitar body itself, the neck, th finish, the hardware etc. deserves a 10.

I called up Blade and Gary Levinson the owner answered the phone. I wanted to be able to get all 7 combinations of the pickups. He sent me another push/push pot for the volume control, but no directions on how to wire it up! I just assume he forgot..I'll have to call again. But he did respond to my inquiry. I've never had to have anything repaired so I can't say how I'll be treated but it seems that it wouldnt be a problem. I'll give him an eight as he is in Switzerland, which will obviously make everything rather complicated.

Like I said earlier I have a Strat which I would never buy again as it has crappy tone. I'd really miss this Blade if it was ever stolen. I dont think my wife would let me buy another one..$$$$. This guitar is also very light, which makes it a dream to play, the neck is very fast, the pickups nicely balanced, the trem system is the best I've ever seen, the electronics are very versitile...I wouldnt change anything!!! Except maybe the 7 way switching...but I have not heard what this will sound like yet so I'm not sure thats its worth anything. I'd put this guitar up against anyones...PRS included.