Frankinstein Guitar Works El Binga

This is a custom guitar, designed and refined by myself and Seppo at Frankinstein Guitar Works in Woodstock, Ontario Canada in 2005. So you must understand that is is not like I just picked out a guitar after checking out what he had in stock. It was a process of defining, designing, educating and choosing what I wanted in a guitar. If you want to go try out 50 Strats to find a good one, then the local GC is the place for you. If you are past all that and really want a guitar that is you and what you want, then call Seppo NOW!! It is a PRS style body and headstock with a one piece Bubinga top on a one piece chambered Bubinga body. It is 24.75" scale length, set neck, Jumbo (as in Dunlop 6100 extra jumbo) frets, 3+3 headstock, Sperzel locking tuners, Corian nut, Schaller roller Tune-O-Matic bridge, string through body. The pickups are an H/S/H configuration with a Seymour Duncan EVH Black Back in the bridge, VIntage Alnico Tele neck pickup in the middle and a DiMarzio PAF Classic neck pickup. It is wired with a 5 way switch, one 500k volume pot and each humbucker has a 3-way mini switch so they can be selected in series, parallel and split. The tonal combos are almost to many to count. It is a hand rubbed oil finish and it came with Dunlop strap locks and a hardshell case. The neck is an amazing 5-piece flame maple, with wenge stripes, a tilt back headstock with a volute, Pao Ferro fretboard, flame maple headstock, 12" radius. Since I chose everything from the bottom up there is really only one rating and that is a 10.

I am a 20 year pro and have played all types of music. This axe can do it all!! I have several amps, my main gig rig is an ADA MP-1>Rocktron Itellifex> Alesis 3630 Compressor/Gate> Carvin 100 watt combo. I also have a 1971 Fender Bassman head (Blackface AB165 circuit mod) that goes into a tweed Carvin 2x12 cabinet and various other rack mount units, heads and combos. The sound of this guitar is bright and the sustain is unreal. The choice of the Tele neck pickup in the middle probably was not the best because it is a little muddy & dull, but I may slap a Kinman or Rio Grande in there and see if it is not just the pickup. The strings go through the body in a "V" shape behind the bridge creating an equal string length for all six strings. I am not sure what effect it has the guitar, but it looks really cool and the strings do have a very uniform feel and tension. With the pickup combo and switching there is not much sound you cannot get. I am really amazed at the variations a mini switch can put on a humbucker, add to that the 5-way and it is all there. Tele, Strat, Les Paul, Brown, Jazz you name it and this guitar can do it. The guitar is a bit noisy, but that could be my setup to.

This guitar came to me with Black Diamond Coated 10's on it with the action unreal low. I like low action, but I must admit I had to raise it a little. No buzz, the neck is/was flawless, the fret work is premium. The "D" string did break a few minutes after I opened the case, but that was a fluke. There are no flaws anywhere. There was a little glue seepage around the neck joint, but that was no big deal. Lets face it, this is real wood, with real tone. A hand rub oil finish is not the encased in plastic finish you get from the factories. It is the real deal, all the tone comes through without hinderance.

This guitar is built like a tank. I have and will gig with it again without a back up. It stays in tune solid as a rock. Everything about this guitar screams reliability.

Seppo is awesome to deal with. This is a real one on one exploration process. He has probably forgotten more about guitars than most people know. I cannot stress enough how different this is than any other guitar buying experience. This is truly a custom order instrument unlike any other. You cannot get this attention anywhere else. Think about it. What are the chances that the Fender Master Built shop will call you for consult and send you photos via e-mail every step of the way as they build your outrageously priced guitar???? ZERO!!! That is exactly what I received and more, for less than an off the shelf PRS or Gibson.

I have been playing for 20+ years. I have owned literally 100's of guitars and always have 5-8 in the collection, PRS, Les Pauls, Strats, Tele's Ibanez, etc.. None of the rest have been played in the 3 months or so that I have had this guitar. If it was stolen I would have it made again in a hurry. It has its own personality. Besides being very versatile it is still very much its own sound/guitar. I already have another custom Frankinstein on the way and another on the drawing board. Will I ever stop? Maybe not. I do know that my collection has gotten smaller now that I see what I was missing. If you are ready to get a guitar that you feel can be passed down to your children and grandchildren, then this is the place to get it from.