Langcaster Dark Kauri Strat

This is my second Langcaster I regerted getting rid of the first one but what luck my friend found one for me a 2001.so where do I start lets see
1. The Kinman pick ups to me are the best sweet and know Humm
2. The wood is 35,000 years old
3. The neck is a Fender Strat with medium Frets
4. The locking tuners are Schaller which I love
5. The tail piece is a Fender with the whammy that has the Bear claw adjustments sweet

as far as the sound it is a classic sound great Fender action good tone from the Kinman PU I play through a Line 6 Vetta II Half stack but on my Carvin Legacy sounds much better on the clean and lower end again No humm at any volume great for blues and rock the only thing is that the body is a tad on the heavy side but once you start playing the Langcaster you forget about it because of the enjoyment of playing the best Strat out there I would put it up to any Showmaster out there

as far as the set up and action MINT

Well I cant say enough about this if you ever play a high end guitar that is made like a tank and looks like a Corvete enough said I do like to show it off

dont need it made to last

the prices are good quility is top notch playability is great this is my second one I have 9 other guitars I play

This is my second Langcaster.Again incredible 35,000 year old Dark Kauri wood this stuff is so beautiful!Cut like a Stratocaster.Has the new Langcaster LO pick ups (Low Impedance) and the build in Overdrive circuit.Has 3 Single coils, the one at the neck being an 8-pole Pickup for better sound pick up on string bends.5 way switch that gives you Neck Neck/Mid Neck/Bridge Mid/Bridge BridgeHas the Langcaster neck made from rock maple with the nicely carved, headstock and the cool string guides. Ebony board Profile of the neck is a flat C shape perhaps a little wider then usual. Earvana Nut (latest version)Locking Tuners (mini schallers?)Fixed Schaller bridge with multi adjustment points1 Vol, 1 Tone and 1 "soak" knob (for the overdrive) and an Overdrive on off button (plus LED indicator)Awesome case candy! Tweed case, all the documentation, Rubbing oil and cloth, strap locks and strap and coolest of all, nice long sleeve Langcaster T.

Well I was totally blown away by my first Langcaster and so I had to have one with the new Langcaster pick ups.
They behave different from my first one so at first I thought they didn't sound as good as the Kinman pick ups (they are awesome) but with a little changing of the settings on my amp. WOW These pick ups are better! Super nice vintage sound full rich articulate. Also with the bends, a very nice aggresive sound on the neck pick up excellent.
Pick ups have very little to no noise (Tone knob seems to affect this). Set to their max, these pick ups are brutal with very good bass response much better then the usual single coil.
Also I am glad that Joh kept intact the best setting of all, the Bridge with Neck, a cool crips mixing with the twang awesome!
Then it has the overdrive circuit. It goes from lightly soaked to heavy rock, it doesn't go into metal or fuzz. It is a very nice well behaved overdrive. Something that I would've expected but didn't happen was a volume boost when in overdrive (although perhaps my Hotplate counteracted it)
I use a Holland Brentwood amp loaded with KT 66s, also a Line 6 Stompbox (Distortion) Modeller. Usually with Humbuckers I overcompensate towards the treble and the highs and on single coils the reverse, but these pick ups are so good, I had to back off from that a bit and not "jack up" the bass as much.

Just got it new, everything is meticulous. A few spots perhaps where you can still see this is handmade perfection.
I had to get a bit used to the new neck since it is flatter and wider, but guitar overall plays great!
Pick ups were set up well, note that they are set up to work together in different settings, volume output will change a little bit from one setting to another.
Seriously buy this guitar .. it is a heartstopper when you open the case!

Well my first one is still rocking away. I imagine if this second one lasted at least for 35,000 years... ehh it should last a life time of mine and beyond. Rock rock hard this guitar body.
I don't gig much, but I'd entrust any gig to this guitar without a back up.

Joh is the best.
I was fortunate enough that he had several bodies available, so I could pick the body and any and all options.
Joh takes care of his customers .. and oh he never seems to sleep because he answers almost all my emails right away!

I've been playing guitar now for over 10 years and I've played a lot of different guitars. I can say with confidence you wont find a better single coil guitar in the world except for another Langcaster!
Actually I got right back in line to get myself a matching Cobra made can't wait! and if Joh were to come out with a Humbucker style singlecut, I'd get that too! Can't go wrong with this guy, he makes the best!.
If my guitar were stolen .. I'd sell my PRS Brazilian in a heartbeat and buy another one! (I would keep my GMP Pawnshop Deluxe!)

My new Langcaster was made in April, 2004 in New Zealand by Joh Lang; the body was sculpted by Jaap Tediek. All the details can be found at www.langcaster.com. I?ll just give you a few of the highlights here.

Custom made Super Strat?. 35,000 year-old swamp Kauri body coated in epoxy and finished with laquer. 22 frets. Rock maple neck with 2-way adjustable truss rod, 2 graphite reinforcement bars and a modern flat/thin ?D?-shaped profile. Ebony fretboard. Tilted head stock with hand carved traditional Maori pattern, Nzl Jade inlay string trees and Paua shell inlay logo. Locking tuners. 3 custom Lancaster Ultimate Lo pickups with active electronics. Built-in adjustable overdrive. Hard tail.

Joh sent the guitar with a nice case and other ?goodies?.

The features of this guitar were quite complete and useful to me, with one exception: I personally have no use for the overdrive. It?s just a useless button and knob for me, since I prefer power-amp distortion and paid a lot of money to get some of the best amps for that purpose. Others will feel differently, but since it?s my review I have to deduct 1 point for this.

I play in a number of styles, including rock, blues, jazz fusion and jazz. This guitar is a super Strat?--I think it?s most suited to rock and blues, although some jazz fusion, a la Scott Henderson, is appropriate too. I use it with two lovely boutique, all-tube, vintage topology (power amp, not pre-amp distortion) amps: an Alessandro Black n? Tan; and a Maven Peal Zeeta. I use no effects, except for an MXR Smart Gate, which is not really necessary for this guitar, since the pickups are dead quiet.

The pickups are Joh?s latest: the Ultimate Lo?s. They?re stacked humbucking low impedance, custom made by Joh. I was first attacted to the Langcaster by the looks and the coolness of having 35,000 year old Kauri; however, the pickups have become my favourite feature. The sounds are similar to the traditional Strat? that it emulates, but brighter, cleaner and more articulate. It can be set to sound like your favourite Strat?, but with all the tone controls turned up full it can also take the fillings out of your teeth. Every harmonic available from the strings is faithfully reproduced. (This is good, since you can more easily take them out than add them in.)

I like the sound of this guitar.

(I can?t evaluate the sound of the overdrive, since I don?t use it.)

Set up is a personal thing, but I found my Langcaster was set up fine for my taste. The action was good, but not so low as to buzz.

The finish is very good. The only minor complaint I have is that the overdrive button and the panel covering the electronics are plastic. I hate plastic. This is, however, a very personal thing that I have. Lots of other good guitars, including my expensive PRS Custom 22 Soapbar, have plastic bits. Nevertheless, I?m going to deduct 1 point for the plastic. Other than that, I really can?t find fault with the finish.

No review of the Langcaster would be complete without some discussion of the 35,000 year old swamp Kauri wood body. It is unique looking and quite stunning. Be aware that the dark ?splotches? that you see in the pictures on Joh?s site are not just coloration, but are indented areas. These are filled with clear epoxy to bring the surface of the guitar up to a level. The lighter areas in the centres of these are some strangely textured stuff that must be an artefact of those 35,000 years under water with swamp microbes or something. Mine even has some small leaves included! The look of the Dark Kauri Langcaster body is not for the conservative guitar collector. It?s wilder looking in person than in the pictures and it surprised me a bit at first, but I?ve come to really like it.

I?ve just recently received my Langcaster and I don?t gig, so I can?t really comment on its reliability or durability except to say that it seems very well built to me.

I can?t comment on after sales support yet; however, I can say that Joh was great to deal with during the time I made my decision to buy and while he was building my guitar.

He stuck to his build schedule. It?s funny (sad) how rare that is. Not only that, but his estimate wasn?t six months or two years ? it was a couple of weeks! He had some bodies already carved, sent me pics to allow me to pick my favourite, got my preferences for pickups and went at it, building my guitar over the Easter weekend. He sent me pics of the work as it progressed too.

His email communication is exemplary and he has a quirky style all his own. I don?t know when he sleeps, since we are on opposite sides of the world but I?m sure that none of my emails went more than 6 hours before they were answered. Most were answered in minutes. Here?s a fun game to try with Joh: try to get the last email.

The warranty on the body is lifetime. I don?t know how long on the rest. (Joh ? I know you?re reading this. How long?)

Based on my experience to date, if I could give Joh an 11 in this category, I would.

I?ve been playing since I was 10; that?s 37 years. I?m not a pro, though.

I have four electric guitars: my new Langcaster; a PRS Custom 22 Soapbar (quite an unusual PRS); a vintage Gibson Les Paul Recording (my initiation to low impedance stacked humbucker pickups); and a Fender jap-FatStrat? that will now be up for sale. Two amps right now: an Alessandro Black n? Tan; and a Maven Peal Zeeta.

I bought this guitar to take the Strat? place in my arsenal. I?m very happy with it.

Actually I just wanted to add an extra note here.
Oh and I am sorry I posted this in a new category, I guess this still falls under the Dark Kaori Strat.
But back to Features... I had this one button that I didn't know what it did. I asked Joh and he told me it is to blend in the Neck Pick Up at any time!
AWESOME. When I have it on Bridge I get a really nice vintage twang, but when I blend in the bridge then I get Twang with an ATTITUDE (I didn't care too much for all three pick ups active but you can do that too, I think maybe it is out of phase that way and so it doesn't sound as cool)
I have to admit Joh (builder) is a GENIUS! I love this sound!

This is an early Langcaster #1 Stratocaster.
I think it was made around 2000 by Joh Lang in New Zealand.
This guitar is made out of amazing totally solid fossilized 35,000 year old Kaori wood. Super color figure and astonishing looking, oh it also is Rock Hard!
You can see some pics of it on this page.
http://home.comcast.net/~pkrchung/Auctions/MyGuitars.htm
Setup is like a Strat with some major differences!.
3 Hum Cancelling Kinman pick ups (these are da Bomb) that have been hard mounted to the body.
5 way switch
Trem spring (cutom designed I think) and his custom designed bridge
Earvana nut
Maple neck, double action truss, ebony board, gotoh tuners, frets feel medium not too sure.

I guess it really has pretty much all the standard strat features, but the Kaori wood puts it way over the top at an 11!

This guitar is amazing.
First of all this guitar has sustain to boot. But it isn't some empty ring that comes out of this guitar. This combo of single coils put out sweet sounds. Twang, mellow, deep, high, shrieking, you think of it it can do it. Sounds rich, full, bright has lots of power.
I have several other excellent guitars (you can see some on that page) this one stands way above all!
As for amps I've put this through Fender super reverb, fender stage 160, Mesa DC-3 and my current mainstay a Holland Brentwood (sweet amp!)

Everything was immaculate.
Perfectly set up, fast and easy to play
Frets were sticking out a little but that went away after some acclimation.
The only minus is the Earvana nut that sticks out (can be painful if you do a lot of barring back and forth) but that can be sanded down.
Still an oversight that shouldn't be! 2 points off.

Well the body is so rock hard, if it wasn't for the finish, I think I could build a shed with this guitar hammering in nails!
This guitar truly is like a rock. And since it lasted 35,000 years so far I imagine it'll be around when I am long gone to heaven!

Joh is a great guy, always available with an email (I am NOT calling New Zealand just to chat sorry).
Lots of insight and he'll keep you up to date all in all a swell guy (and he's dutch!)

Well this has to be my favorite Electric.
I own a PRS Singlecut Brazilian Rosewood neck, a Zachary Z1 (very nice guitar) and I am awaiting my Brian Moore C90P.13 (with spalted maple top) and a Mayes Model C
I love those Brian Moore guitars they are really something different!
But (maybe this will change after I try out the Mayes) this Lang is my #1 guitar, always the first to be pulled out to play.
If this were stolen oh boy I'd cry buckets because I would never find one again I think (he makes them slightly different now) and I would have to custom order one from Joh.
This Lang looks great, plays great and sounds incredibly. The Kaori wood is stunning, the Kinman pick ups just blow you away.
There are some seriously talented guitar builders out there, Joh is one of the top class ones!

Made 2002
Langcaster guitars are made from stunng 35000 year old swamp Kauri .
22 frets hand carved head stock with hand made Jade inlay string trees.
Ebony precision finger board with a double action truss rod re-enforced with 2 carbon rods.
Medium jumbo frets size and a modern oval ( Carvin like) neck.

The tuners are Schaller locking tuner .
The bridge is Schaller.

The nut is the Latest invention form Ervarna and a must on all Langcasters, ware ever you play on the neck it is always in tune.

The 5 way switch is linked to a mixer blender pot, you can mix the neck or middle pickup with the bridge and that way you have 7 sounds.

The volume pot is wired with a treble by pass filter so when lower in volume you have no loss of high tones.
The pickups are Lancaster pickups with a 11 pole pickups in the neck , great when bending strings and the sound is fantastic and a novel idea!.

I had the option to have Kinman pickups but I'm glad I have the Langaster hand made pickups.
The covers are copper/chrome plated to eliminate hum.

The chrome pickup rings, switch plate and string trees are hand made .

The guitar was sent to me in 3 days by courier and a T-shirt and certificate of carbon dating was including.
I had lots photos of this guitar before I bought it, I have to say Joh Lang went out of his way to reply to all my questions.

The payment was a simple bank transfer, Joh could see on his banks website that the money was in his account the next day.
Joh do not like customers to give out there credit card details for safety for your sake !, I have to say far enough , special when you deal with a foreign country .
A bank transfer is save and gives you proof of payment.

This guitar has no hum and ideal to record with, special direct in the mixing desk.
The sound is warm, mixing with the bridge gives me all the tones I ever wanted.
The bridge pick up sound like Telecaster .
The sustain is the best I ever had .
I always wanted my own sound , and now I have it ! and 7 ways to pick from.
The guitar keeps ringing and the sound is clear and crisp! no muddy sounds on this baby!
On the Langcaster web site Joh has lots of sound samples and some video clips from when he was on the TV news with his latest lightwave guitars.
see www.lancaster.com

The guitar was set up with NO rattle and the Ebony finger board is a big improvement over rose wood.
The pickups have screws that fit in to brass nuts on the base plate .
The guitar had stunning patches of fossil like patches and is coated with a high gloss finish.
The body seems to be covered in glass like a very hard and durable material and last for ever and gives this clear sound.r.

This guitar is solid and has German made hard ware and strap locks are standard.

The waranty on the body is for live the neck and parts for one year

This is the e-mail I sent Joh after I tested the guitar.
----------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Bluesmaster3@cs.com
Date: Fri, 20 Sep 2002 21:04:12 EDT
Subject: Incredible Guitar!!!!!!!!!!
To: joh@langcaster.com

Joh!!
Wow!!!!! If you didn't hear me shout it, I just opened up one of the most incredible guitars I've ever laid my eyes on!!! I couldn't wait to get it tuned up and actually feel it in my hands to make music. This guitar has a sound unlike any of my other guitars, and I have quite a collection of unique guitars. I don't know if it is the density of the wood or the unique pickups that enrich the body or if it is a combination of the wood, the body, the ebony frets, or what it is.... I don't know. I've only begun to research this guitar and understand how you created such an instrument that can produce the most incredible sound that I"ve heard come from the guitar. I can't thank you enough for all of the sweat, hard work, and laborious hours you so graciously put into perfecting my instrument (that I can't put down), to my exact specifications! I wish I could meet you and shake your hand. From the e-mails that we have traded you sound like a class act, a real people person, and your craftsmanship says alot about you itself! Your expertise is beyond compare! I feel that I have not only gained a priceless instrument, but friend as well! Also, thank you for everything that you included with the guitar! It is above and beyond, but it sounds as though that is the quality of your sales....above and beyond!
If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you a few questions. How long have you been building the guitars and basses? Is it possible to give me an idea as to what number my guitar would be? I think maybe I might be able to create a lot of interest with my guitar. So, don't be surprised if you get e-mails from me about more sales in the future. I hope that just because the transaction is complete, we won't stop hearing from you.
Thanks a million! Larry .

* This stunning guitar was made in NewZealand .
* It has a walnut type of look and is made of 35000 year old Kauri swamp root and the oldest wood ever used in a guitar.
* It has a Strat shape and neck made from Maple with a rose wood finger board and a double action truss rod.
* It has 22 frets with Schaller locking tuners.
* Standard Fender type 5-way switch and the neck Kinman Avn 62 pickup can be mixed with the middle and bridge pickip done with the lower pot, This is a great way of using the lower tone pot no one is using anyway.
* The pickups are Kinman Blues set and the best I have ever herd in my live and the trade mark of Kinman and Joh Lang is NO HUMMMMM.
* The bridge is a classic fender made by Gotho and has a steel tremolo block to increase sustain.
* The Knob in the tremolo is also from wood.
* The body is shielded with real copper .
* The nut is a stunner to! it has the Earvana nut on it and now the guitar plays always in tune all over the neck.
* It has a wonderful spring claw like a gear box you can adjust the string tension with a Allen key true the back plate.
* The pick guard and back plate is white pear and custom made to.
* The head stock is covered with real shell this guitar had as an extra.
* Strap locks are standard.

Here are some quotes from New Zealand Musician Magazine from July 2001.

After I had red the gear review I went to the Langcaster website and after talking to Joh on the phone I was sold !
The best buy I ever did.

REVIEW,
Joh Lang's 35,000 Year Old Langcaster Guitars

Joh has developed a new model guitar (with a few pickup/tremolo/colour options), and that to see one for the first time I didn't have to make an appointment to visit his workshop. That gives Joh Lang the upper hand when it comes to impulse buying and there are people to whom around $3,500 is small change, particularly for something as unusual, as gorgeous and as high-end as the Langcaster.

Obviously, this guitar evolved from a design by Saint Leo de Fender. Like many luthiers before him, Joh tried to come up with some improvements and the resulting guitar shares little in real terms or parts with the original. He has been developing the Langcaster seriously for around a year, the definitive difference being that body, but really, there are more trick parts on this puppy than on next doors purple Torana.

Starting with the wood 35,000 year-old swamp kauri (yes, 35 big ones!) has to be one of the most eye-catching woods you could imagine, though it does needs stabilising. This is achieved through a secret process known only to Joh and his associate, Jaap Tediek, a furniture craftsman. Each body is kiln-dried then immersed in a special epoxy solution, followed by several layers of lacquer, creating a rock-hard gloss, good for another thousand years protection Joh reckons.

It all makes for a heavier guitar than most this shape tend to be, but leaning more toward Les than Leo, one of Johs biggest passions is sustain more on which later.

Content that he has the bodies right, Joh lines the cavities with copper sheeting, then fits a maple neck with a rosewood fretboard, a 10 radius and double truss rods. The headstock of the guitar I sampled is faced with South Island pearl, making for a very classy look, contrasting beautifully with the rosewood and kauri. Due to customer requests, Joh is about to make a batch with no pick guard, highlighting the body further still.

In keeping with the standard he has set with the woodwork, Joh naturally desired the best hardware available for his Langcasters, and has sourced parts from around the world.

From Australia come Greg Kinmans pickups, which are already legendary for their tone and hum-free operation just ask Hank Marvin. Out of the States is the Sustainiac magnetic sustain device, which is an option on your Langcaster, if you like that sort of thing. Also from the US come the astounding Earvana adjustable compensating guitar nut. This allows extremely accurate tuning by repl

I like sustain and like the sound of Eric Johnson , Garry Moore, Steve Vay.
This guitar sings like a dream and I have never had one that sounds so loud and clean and has this bell ringing sound.
The Kinman Scn Bridge pickup kicks ass and in mix with the neck you have hollow sound to wawww.

I use Fender amps and most record direct in to my computer set up.
The main reason I wanted this guitar was it has no hummmm and that is what is now day's required with all the monitors round you.

I tried also the Langaster with the Stealth sustainer form Sustainiac ( Joh is the NZL Dealer for this as well for the Kinman pickups) this was what I wanted but it had to cost me more than my budget so I have one put in later.
Remember " Parisienne walk way " from Garry Moore!!, well ! no problem of having this sound and tone at room volume!
Amazing.

Nothing to dislike but I herd that the new Lancasters are now also made with out a pick guard to show more of this stunning wood but I could not wait and wanted this baby.

Joh set this up so that the Kinman pickups are 2 mm lower than the E -strings on the neck and middle.
The bridge is 1.5 mm.
No pickup can be so close and sound so direct if you turn !/2 lower all is warmer.
Joh told me that people make the mistake to lower the pickups like the rest and you lose 50% of your tone by doing this!
Reed the instruction and all is so sweet you can not stop playing.
I can not find a thing that contains any flaws at all.
And no hummm for sure!!

Langcaster have a live time warranty on the body and will last for an other 35000 years.
The hard ware is the best you can buy
The strap buttons are Schaller locking .
The Kinman pickups are well designed that and the wiring is solid

I have never dealt with Joh Lang but he went out of his way to see a smile on my face.
After 5 min my smile never went away.
A year warranty is standard here in New Zealand.

I have been playing for over 20 years.
You can not replace this guitar but I like to buy one more with out the pick guard and hard taill.
I love to look and see this also as a collectors itum you can not stop looking at this wood.
I have 3 Fenders and my 62 sounds a bit like this one but hums like madddd.
I had a top of the line Fender to test last week and this one sounded muddy and was more expensive to.
I have Kramer Striker cool but muddy sounding and even more hummm.
I wich I could have fitted the Stealth sustainer in it but do this later.