Chandler LectraSlide

early to mid 2000 model in white with hsc case (non original). Bought this exclusively to play slide and got it used for 750 plus the case that purchased later. I love Landreth, Cooder ect and this thing really has so many tonal aspects that s;id3e players crave. These where at one time over 1K... I remeber seeing advertisements back in the day but I think they became sleepers so many of them were marked way down in order to sell them... regardless they are a well kept secret, and for my tastes one of the nicest slide instruments available at a reasonnable price.

Excellent craftsmanship... I actually did some extra shielding to minimize a little of the hum but that is it.

used extensively on stage and in the recording studio...

Year 2000 model California-made guitar, particularly with a slide guitarist in mind. Short-scale maple neck with pao ferro (rosewood) fingerboard. Stop tailpiece like an old Gibson, non-compensated (compensated bridge available for extra price). Two Chandler double-coil pickups with a 6(!) position selector switch and one volume knob, one tone knob. Alder body with a hole routed in the upper side where you stow the slide (provided)! Good cheap tuners, upgrade tuners available. Bought from Guitar Center w/o a case. Case is about $100 more. I'm giving it a 7 because the 6-position switch really makes the guitar special: the variety of tones that are available. p.s.: Mother-of-toilet seat pickguard emulates the appearance of a resophonic guitar with all the perforations and such, but looks like it would make "under the hood" work a little tough (I think you'd have to have the strings off).

This is a guitar that I really wanted to love forever, but instead, it was like a hot, intense fling. The multiplicity of tones that are available are astounding in a guitar of this price range. The neck and bridge pickups by themselves emulate a Gibson tone, the single coil settings do a good job of emulating a Strat neck pickup and the two "in-between" settings on a Strat. Every combination sounds good, but, as you might expect, the single coil settings exhibit more hum. I think the shielding could be better. My main dislike, and the reason I no longer have this guitar is that it just doesn't "cut" in a group setting. I found myself turning it up, turning it up, with difficulty getting any oomph, even in a three-man setting. Pickups sounded weaker than my Telecasters. Made me think of Gibson Melody Maker pickups, which didn't sound as good as the Chandler, but had the same characteristic of disappearing in the mix. Still, I'm giving it a 7 because the TONES are great! Playing in the store, people were stopping and checking it out and nodding.

Excellent setup. Tight bolt-on neck pocket, smooth electronics, good action. Although this is designed to be an inexpensive guitar, the workmanship is excellent.

I'm a little concerned about the exposure of the pickup coils under the bobbin, but hey, people with Gibsons don't sweat this. Good hardware, and this guitar is made to take a lickin' and show its scars with pride. I didn't have it long enough to gig with it, though, and there are other things about it that would keep it from being the only guitar on a gig for me, just yet.

I called Chandler about the case, which wasn't sold at Guitar Center, and they were good folks. I'd say they'd be better than a big company, but I can't give a valid opinion here.

I've been playing, geez, 28 years. I own a Les Paul w/P90's, a Gibson ES-347 semi-hollow, two Teles (a '71 and a mid-80's '52 Vintage Reissue), an old beat-up Gretsch Anniversary, and a weird Custom Shop Gibson. I loved the tones of this Chandler guitar and the fact that it ISN'T a Fender or Gibson. It catches the eye, and you want to love this guitar like a used guitar you find in a pawn shop, but it's new! The tones and the short scale make it fun to play, and it sure catches the ear and eye. I guess the death knell for it, though, was when I compared the output of the pickups to my '71 Tele, and it was much, weaker. It kind of made me decide that this was a guitar bought on a lark, and not a keeper. Thank goodness, GC has a 30-day satisifaction guarantee. If I were playing solo, or dedicated to slide/blues style, I'd have kept this guitar. However, there are better places to sink my money right now.