Bravewood Guitars 60's S Type

Covered on previous reviews already.

Sound's just like my old Stratocaster!

Great set up. Smooth butterry action.

This guitar is tough! I have used mine to block incoming beer bottles at our local biker bar. I heard it can stop a .45 cal bullet also at close range, although I would hate to be there to find out!

John guarantees his work, unless the user modifies their guitars.

Been playin' for 40 plus years. The Bravewood is my current road guitar. Still have my 58' Strat and 67 Tele that use once in a while but not on tour anymore because it was almost stolen once. We caught the person in the act and I think he still uses handicap parking on a regular basis. He was lucky!

John's guitars are great! Don't really care for the vintage guitar so called "expert" opinion. I play them because they sound like my old ones, they just happen to be relic styled! Mine has a NOS finish and she's doin' just fine.

If this was stolen...My posse will hunt the person down and I hope they pray the cops get to them first.

Reproduction of 1961 strat, aged or antiqued or relicd finish .. whichever term you choose. Alder body, maple neck with rosewood slab type fingerboard.

Sounds great - like a very good example of a pre cbs strat .. owned, fiexed, played many over the last 35 yrs.

Action well set up, finish is s battered worn old strat .. very realistic on the body ,.. NOT on the neck. Exaggerated orange colour on the neck lacqeur .. it just does not look like any of the literally hundreds of vintage strats I have examined in detail over many years .. or like 10 or so I have access to all the time.

Now .. the guitar is great as a guitar to play .. I have examined 3 of these bravewoods now .. all really good ... all have fabulous paintwork on the bodies .. but if you are expecting a nguitar that is indistinguishable from a pre cbs strat .. these are very obviously not original .. and most peiople with a good eye and genuine experience with old strats will see this from a distance.. because ..

the headstock is subtly but obviously different .. difficlut to describe but in photos of side by side comparison there is a very obvious characteristic to ALL pre cbs strats .. bear in mind the headstocks all vary slightly becauase they were hand sanded and cut by band saws .. but every one i have seen in my hand and in photos exhiits this subtle feature in the shape of the headstock along the bottom edge below the decal .. the 3 bravewoods ALL miss that ..

KNOBS and switch tip .. he has used modern repros with the wrong font .. numbers much larger than pre 1976 knobs .. (1955 - 1976 knobs and tip were identical .. I know CBS tokk over in 1965 before you say it) switch tip incorrect shape .. accurate repros are available but cost maybe 80 usd for a set.

Bridge saddles ... inaccurate repros .. very red and rusty .. looked totally artificial .. there are ow highyl accurate but expensiev repros available .. but the aging process takes time if you want them to look realistic .. the ones that came on the guitar looked instantly very very fake .. shame because the paint is astonishing.

string guide ... nothing like a pre 1965 string guide/butterfly .. modenr fender repros are same as 1965 on .. pre 65 are different .. I have not seen any on the market which are the same shape yet.

scratchplate/pickguard .. looks very good but is modenr plastic NOT celluloid nitrate

neck plate .. serial number consistent with year but wrong size and actuakl font on the numbers .. again accurate repros are available although they usually have holes slightly too smal

screws .. neck screws .. originals were 2 inch philips 8 .. these are 1 3/4

BODY .... shape and contours excellent .. paintwork externally excellent on all 3 .. 2 daphne blue and 1 fiesta red .. BUT .. when the guitars were opened up and we look inside under the scratchplate .. the pick and control cavities do not look like any original precsb strat I have had access to .. again subtle things but the cavities usually do NOT vary greatly .. they were not sanded on orig gtrs .. they may vary due to wear on the original router bearings and bit or simply the workmanshipof the operator but as they followed a brass template with an overhead pin router tyhey wre pretty consistent inside .. outside not, headstock shape also varied but internal cavities not much ..

OK .. nail holes .. they are none and the paint has NOT been faded or discoloured/yellowed etc externally leaving the paint under the scratchplate brighter so as to simulate the effect of 45 years of use, uv etc etc ..

Neck pocket ... this was always painted on originals ... not on these 3.

Truss rod .. appears to be a 10/32 thread on the truss rod nut (probably a stewmac rod).. the originals were 8/32 on a slightly thinner rod. neck date does not correspond with serial number and appropriate year .. to be expected .. these are NOT fakes .. they are repros.

fingerbaord and dots .. the "clay" dots a\s they have become known are very realistic in comparison to some pre cbs gtrs .. I have seen 2 distinct materials used that look very differet and are without doubt on my part original from the factory .. these ones look very like one of these 2 types of dots .. but the less common typ

should last forever

No idea .. never dealt with them directly

All in all great guitar to play .. looks great .. the little inaccuracte details bug me .. I know nobody out there is trying to trick anyone .. but you could not fool anyone with one of these even if you bought ALL original hardware and fitted it .. the truss rod nut is different, routings different, there are extra tooling holes in the body that never appear on original pre cbs strats, tooling holes in neck wrong .. one missing, other marks missing ... if you are trying to embarass your "vintage" dealer mate you will only make yourself look silly .. now you know !

It's a re-creation of a battered '61 Strat. Highly distressed & aged Olympic white centre joined 2 piece alder body, very dark possibly Brazilian slab board neck, Voodoo T60 pickups, totally vintage correct hardware and wiring.

I've owned countless Strats over the years, including an original '61 & '63, and whilst I wish I hadn't sold them all those years ago (penniless student excuses) the Bravewood has gone some considerable way to ease the heartache of losing those cherished original Fenders. I played many recent custom shop re-issues, and good & sometimes great though they are, they simply do not have the Bravewood attention to detail and sheer quality of workmanship. I was lucky enough to buy mine pre-owned, though that's irrelevant as this guitar has been relic'd pretty heavily- Mr Eliott describes it as about 3/10, 10/10 would be a totally pristine finish.

No flaws in any part of this instrument, finish is very convincing; and if you didn't know better, you'd swear you'd be looking at a genuine vintage Strat that had seen considerable action on the front line for many years! Fender custom shop couldn't make guitars like this- they'd be way too expensive- and essentially you're still buying a mass produced factory made instrument. Bravewood guitars are entirely hand made by one person, even much of the hardware is handmade - a real custom made instrument in the true sense of the word. If I had to be really picky, the nut was cut a little too low on the high E- easily remedied.

After a good set-up & neck tweak to my personal tastes - I played my first gig with the Bravewood in tow recently- I also took along my much loved Eric Johnson Strat just in case. I needn't of worried- the Bravewood stood up to my usual heavy handed assault, and barely needed re-tuning all night- awesome. It sounded chewier, darker than the EJ, with an almost Gibson like midrange sustain- no doubt due to the slab board- more SRV toned I guess- fabulous!

No opinion, as un-like most of Mr Eliott's clients, I was lucky enough to buy mine pre-owned at pretty much what the original owner bought it for- and I still consider it an amazing bargain. Though I suspect if I did have problems, Mr Eliott would be considerate.

I've been playing semi-professionally for over 30 years, and only my afore-mentioned early 1960's original Strats were actually possibly better tonally, but it's marginal, but I suspect the Bravewood too will improve with age- it's only a couple of years old, and all guitars played constantly imho sound better as they age.
I'm already smitten with this guitar, and if stolen I'd have to send $10-a-leg Fred after 'em with $30; In short, it's irreplaceable as every Bravewood is a total one-off, they're all handmade, they're all therefore different & unique.

Vintage Strat Features.

I front an original Blues band called The James Mann Band, and also a Stevie Ray Vaughan tribute called Cold Shot, my Bravewood puts all my other Strats(12 of them) to bed....period.

Has Voodoo p'ups, a unique half Ash half Alder body, amzingly resonant and articulate, every note comes out.

A little of John's soul definately goes into his guitars!!

Mine is a medium relic which I took to my local music shop and floored the entire staff including the guitar tech. who told me to make sure I didn't purchase a stolen vintage Strat. This guitar is bang on and plays much better than a real Strat.I know I own and have owned more than my share.

I'm sorry to any Fender Custom shop employees and fans, Bravewood guitars make Fender look like some of the amatures that permiate Ebay on a regular basis, without doubt.

4 Years of constant gigs and sessions, this guitar will passed on to my son upon my departure from this limited existance, it will stand the test of time, of this I'm sure.

John is very helpful, and has put up with my many questions.

A rel gentleman that loves what he does and it shows.

Been playing for 30 years,worked in Music stores and owned every brand of guitar and amplifier imaginable,this is one first class instrument that combines the great qualities of the past and the best of today.

If lost or stolen, instantly replaced.

All features are very identical to a Vintage early 60's Stratocaster

Ahhh...this is where you separate the men from the boys! Bare bones no frills and all tones! Nothing else can come close to his creations other than the original vintage strat's. And being a long time dealer and collector of vintage gear I can testify that not all vintage guitars sound great. Among the small die hard collectors out there, I can testify that no two vintage 60's strat sounds alike. I find the most worn out and beat up ones to have the best tones out there, and the ones that have been kept under the bed or locked up in the closet comes close but not quite. The road worn vintage strats sounds more open and vibrant, I have my theories but there are numerous reasons for this and it varies from player to player.

I guess my point here is that, John at Bravewood guitars has captured this ever elusive technique and tone in each of his creations. The S-type I received from him came just as ordered, well used but loved.

The sounds produced by this guitar are magical. I have played blues, country, jazz etc. on mine and it has not failed to deliver the goods every time.

Set up was perfect out of the box. John have this incredible ability to know exactlySet up was perfect out of the box. John has this incredible ability to know exactly what you are looking for just by asking you simple questions prior to building your S-type. I told him was I was looking for as a challenge to him, he asked me a few key questions like, what sound, feel, finish, weight and materials etc. and what I got was more than I could ever ask for.

His vintage ageing techniques are SECOND TO NONE! Even folks at the Fender custom shop cannot even come close to his work. IMO!

He not only makes them realistic looking with period correct appointments, he also recreates the feel of a vintage strat, specially on his necks!

As stated above, I have thrown everything I could at this guitar and it has delivered the goods EVERYTIME!

And being a vintage stat replica you know it can go on for another 50 years, If don?t play it everyday like Stevie Ray and Jimi with his zippo and lighter fluid!!!!! It will last way over my life span.

John guarantees all his work and he is a very professional and modest person to deal with. A true down to earth family man. Plus the fact that he personally HAND BUILT each and everyone of his guitars from start to finish he can tell you what you needs to be adjusted before you even finish your questions.

I have never had a problem with mine and I have had this for almost 2 years with regular use 3-4 times a week at a local beer and blues joint.

I've been playing for over 30 years now. I have had numerous vintage guitars over the years especially before the vintage gear buying frenzy that drove the price to astronomical heights, and I would say this S-type is on the top of my very picky list. I have even retired my original 62' Strat in favor of this one, and surprisingly...it was not a tough choice for me.

I rent some of my vintage gear here and there to session players and I have even had some of my close friends play this Bravewood once in a while and I always get the same reaction, which is simply....AMAZING!

1962 fender stratocaster replica built in 2003 in UK.
21 frets, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fretboard.
Vol, tone, tone with a 5 way selector.
Voodoo Pickups ST60.
Bridge is a traditional vintage tremolo with a steel block.
Kluson tuners. Vintage frets.
With an asian tweed case.
Only what I was lookin' for...

I play blues,rythm n blues, rock for 17 years.
I plug my guitar through a boogie studio22+.
The sound is amazing, rich full sound in any position.Warm and detailed.
This guitar sounds just like a real good strat of the 60's.
Little hum but it is loaded with vintage style pickups...

The guitar was set up by John (bravewood), a one man guitar builder.
This guy is a musician, everything was at the top.

I think the guitar is built to last, it seems reliable and really a professional instrument.

What can I say ?
John is a "lord" among luthiers, very nice and easy to deal with.

I play for 17 years, I owned SRV Strat, LesPaul STD, custom made guitar, this one blows them all away.
I would buy it again if stolen, and I think I will buy another one in the future...
Just a strat... But a really good one, this the main difference !

You probably know what an S-type is so I won't labour on that. Mine has an alder body (Fiesta Red). Big Maple neck with a thick, dark rosewood slab board. It's a replica of a 60's S-type (lightly 'reliced') made in the UK by Bravewood Guitars, Redruth, Cornwall (John Elliot). It is fitted with three single coils called "Tweeds" made by a company called Wizard which are hand-wound, use braided wire, bevelled magnets etc - nice! John Elliott produces the bodies himself and finishes all the woodwork in nitro-cellulose. So, to all intents and purposes you have a guitar that looks and feels like it came of the production line in 1962.

Sound is something special - an S-type is a simple guitar, great design, never bettered but to make good one - it has to be good wood + thin finish = resonance and a musical tone with the emphasis on "musical". I play a mixture of styles which end somewhere around "blues" - no effects, just me, the guitar and 30 watts of hot valves. This guitar sings and what's really good is the tone stays when I turn the volume down. It's so resonant I play a note in the evening put the guitar away and it's still ringing in the morning!

A well built instrument - tight neck pocket, low action, rolled fingerboard and well-dressed frets. Pickup adjustment is a personal thing - take time - a quarter turn at a time from flat to the scratchplate - you'll find the spot for each pickup - and if you really want tone it will be further away from the strings than you think! Another important aspect is a steel trem block - takes a little longer to set ringing but once it is - it sustains a lot longer than the alloy version.

The S-tpe is a trusted design - not a lot to go wrong and designed to last. On mine the finish is already worn but I wanted it that way - there is a fine balance between durability and tone and I knew where I wanted to be. It came looking 40 years old and I expect it to outlast me!

Bravewood is a small company that builds to order and John Elliott was extremely helpful. I knew what I wanted and Bravewood built it - John gave advice where it was necessary and was patient when I changed my mind on a couple of things. He also wanted to be sure I was satisfied once the guitar was delivered (I am, it's the best guitar of it's type I've played - and there have been a few!)

If this guitar was lost or damaged I'd order another. If you, like me, drool over vintage S-type's, grab a piece of paper, write out your wish list and send it to Bravewood!