Langcaster Dark Kauri Strat

Strat-type guitar with two S-S very unique low impedence (hot and noiseless) pick-ups built by Langcaster. Body is a solid hunk of rare 35,000 year or older kauri wood from a New Zealand swamp... these are not lightweight guitars... mine weighs in at just over 10 lbs... Neck is maple with beautiful dark ebony fretboard. These necks are a smidge wider than the average Strat neck which ends up suiting me just fine -- I pluck/ finger pick/ chicken scratch a lot with my strumming (right) hand and this neck is perfect. I have medium sized hands and my left hand likes this neck - I can grab each string cleanly without stretching... truth is, I normally like chunkier necks and this neck is not chunky at all -- sort of a flat C Carvin-type neck... I was a little nervous about getting it but it's worked out GREAT.

Built-in overdrive (tube screamer-style sound). Three-position blade, pull-pot for overdrive (level of overdrive) and an extra switch that drops -10db (this is a new Langcaster feature: these pick-ups are very hot and this switch allows you to switch guitars mid-show without having to turn your amp up considerably for your non-Langcaster guitar). Volume and tone pots/ knobs as well. Paua inlays for Langcaster logo, tops of knobs, and on three of the tuners -- the inlays are tasteful and beautiful, really nice attention to detail.

Included hard case (not the nicest case in the world but functions) and great case candy - strap locks (a nice gift), polishing cloth, a certificate verifying dating of 35,000+-yr-old wood, even a guitar book concocted by Langcaster endorsing players, and more...

These pick-ups are unique. I've had guitars with HOT pick-ups before but these Langcaster pick-ups are unique in that they give you HUGE detail and clarity. Combined with the ebony fretboard, this guitar reproduces every nuance of your playing. Within hours of getting it, I found myself playing more precisely than ever before. And, wonderfully, this guitar enabled me to hear each string in such detail that it actually inspired me to play differently -- suddenly I was hearing every string in such high definition that I started playing around with notes inside of chords I never paid much attention to before -- if that makes sense. It's really a fantastic thing to pick up a guitar and have it force you to 1) play at your best, and 2) it inspires you to try new things.

I mainly play clean. My Langcaster is hugely robust and full sounding. When at home I play through a lil blackface '64 Princeton. The clarity is fantastic. My lil blackface Princeton can't reproduce all the lows the Langcaster is putting out though -- because these pick-ups are so sharp, there's too much hi-mids coming from my amp and I end up rolling off the highs... I played it through a bigger, hotter amp with larger speakers and oh yes, there were the lows... You might find yourself adjusting your amp in new ways with this guitar to deal with just how much frequency response it puts out! I read some review where I think someone recommended matching a Bassman amp/ cab to a Langcaster -- that sounds like a great idea.

These are single coils but fat and wide sounding. I prefer the sound to the many 70s Strats I've had and to the 60s Strats I've played... more variety and depth to them...

Like I said, I mainly play clean - jazz, etc. But I've found myself rocking out a bit since I got the Langcaster simply because these pick-ups sound fantastic overdriven and with effects - effects that normally darken a guitar too much can't keep these pick-ups down...

Guitar was set up by Joh before he shipped it to me. Came out of the case playing GREAT! The bridge has adjustable string spacers (apart from adjustable height/depth of course) which is great for me to give me more or less space between individual strings for my chicken-pickin. Pick-ups adjusted great. It is obvious that a lot of care went into making and tweaking this guitar. The craftsmanship is superb and attention to detail is impressive. My guitar does not look like it came off the Fender assembly line... It has character and it's obviously been attended to millimeter by millimeter... To me, this makes for super character and mojo.

Well-built. I will gig with it without a back-up.

I don't see myself shipping this guy back to Joh in New Zealand for anything(!). Luckily, I have fantastic guitar techs here in Los Angeles and it turns out my favorite one is actually an authorized installer of Langcaster pick-ups...

I must say, I asked Joh a MILLION questions before I pulled the trigger on buying this guitar. I was a real pain. I asked to see the bodies he had coming down the line... I asked some really dumb questions about customizing a guitar (over and over)... Joh responded to each email with surprising swiftness and patience! And good advice. He's a really cool, nice nice guy. His customer support before my purchase was impeccable. I'm gonna keep emailing him just to say hello time to time...

Arright I might sound gushing in this review. I've never felt like writing a review before this guitar... Thing is:

I will admit that the first thing that drew my attention to Langcaster guitars (many many many months ago - probably a year or two - when I first found em online) was the coolness of playing a piece of wood that grew 10,000 years before man walked the planet. Now that's vintage. And the look of them -- I cannot tell you how many afternoons I stared at the online pictures and listened to the sound clips of these gorgeous guitars. Each one is so unique, it was hard to choose which one struck me as MINE. I've gone through about 70 guitars in my life... I collected em for a while (hi my name's scott and i'm a recovering guitar collector)... I have always preferred vintage guitars. Old wood. I've bought exactly 3 guitars new in my life (sold off one quickly, have kept the other out of nostalgia, and the Langcaster is my 3rd). My Langcaster was a big investment for me -- I don't have that kinda money lying around. It was a big risk. Buying a $3000 guitar without playing it? It was the many questions Joh patiently answered for me -- and listening to sound clips -- that helped me decide... so, yes, these guitars are works of art and unique and unlike anything you'll find on this planet but -- the truth is, thank God, they play and sound like a dream!

I've had it about a week (didn't want to write the review the first day) and this guitar is the best musical purchase I've made in my 35 years of playing.

This guitar inspires me in three ways: the way it sounds, feels, and looks.

If anyone in Los Angeles wants to play mine before buying one from Joh, contact Joh and ask him to give you my email address. You're welcome to come try it.

Modified solid Strat body, very smooth epoxy finish on very rare and very beautiful 35.000 year old Kauri wood, very appealing to the eye even sometimes with fossils in them. Schaller hardware with tromolo and paua shell inlays. Three singlecoil low impedance pickups (100 ohm) and preamp with which you have the full soundspectrum (very wide!) of the guitar brought to life. Built-in overdrivepossibility. Overdriveswitch, overdrivelevelknob, volumepot, treblepot. Locking tuners. Tolex guitarcase and certificate for the woods. Carbon reinforced rockmaple neck and rosewood fretboard, beautifully carved tilted headstock for better sustain. Made in New Zealand. 22 frets.

This Langcaster Strat is the best Strat I ever played on, and those were a lot! Very nice full crisp bright sound, great for every style, from jazz/fusion till blues/funk. I play this guitar on a Holland Bassman (Gibb Droll) 40 Watts. This configuration gives me every sound for every style! Very powerfull and very dynamic unheard guitarsound!

The guitar was set up nicely neutral. As with any guitar I had to set it up for my playingstyle. Every detail on this guitar has been professionally worked on. No flaws! The bodywood is really astonishing! I've never seen such beauties before! Fretjob superb! A real eyecatcher.

This guitar will blow every (!) Fenderguiatr from stage! No exception! The sound is just as the Fendersound should be. Beautifull custom gold hardware. The guitar looks as a rock! It's right on stage and will hold it's ground, qua looks AND sound! Gold straplockers. No backup guitar needed, however I also play a Langcaster Cobra Tele for its particular sound and drop-D tunings. Because of the built-in preamp and beautiful overdrive you can put it directly into the PA.

No experience with this. Very helpfull manufacturer who knows what you need/want! No bla bla...

I've been playing for over 35 years now. I tried many guitars and amps but sold the whole bunch. I only play custom built guitars now, the Langcaster Kauri Strat, the Langcaster Cobra Tele and a Theo Scharpach Vienna Archtop and in some time a Galama Les Paul. For all these guitars I use a Holland Bassman tube amp. to rock, jazz or blues. For the archtop I also use an Acoustic Image FET amp. My effects are mostly 2 very vintage sounding overdrives, 1 Siegmund Double Drive preamp/overdrive pedal, the Silvermachine wah and the TC Electronic G-system for the other effects like chorus and delay. If my Langcaster would be stolen I'd immediately order some new Langcasters. I love every aspect of these guitars. They really stand out in the crowd!

OK so I couldn't afford a fancy 35000 year old Langcaster, so on boxing day 2005 Joh set out to make me up a cheaper version (The Yellow Strat). He set it up just the right way for me as I described my requirements via email and what he indicated by photo. All the way from the rosewood neck, stock shape, machine head layout, scratch pad, awesome Lo impedance pickups, over drive and body layout is of the highest quality. Joh I feel like you gave me the best Christmas present ever. The finished product beautiful and very user friendly to play. I am stoked.
Also thanks for the Alluminium case - perfect!

Rich Full sound, does not really need any other effects box accessories.
Watch out these babies are loud.
Tremelo bar included but not really needed - the sound is too clear to want to distort too much I find.

Fits me like a glove - love it!

Probably not as good as the 35000 year old swamp Kauri for endurance but I feel happy about putting it down on the stand during band breaks and Its already been baptised in Glenfiddich (just a little bit Joh No biggy)

On Ya Joh - many happy Christmases to you and your family Mate!

I have been playing acoustic guitars for 32 years and electric on and off during that time. I love my axes and the best in the quiver is a 150 year centennial D18 Martin 6 string fishman equiped - I havent played it since the Strat arrived but I will soon.
What a wonderful complement to my quiver of axes this Yellow Strat is.
Thankyou Joh and keep rockin'

This is a brand new model made by New Zealand's master luthier and inventor Joh Lang.This model is a 2 pup strat,made from 35,000 year old kauri wood,compleate with fossils embedded in the body.The pickups are the ultimate lo's,which imho are the best in the world.These pup's are noise free and have such a wide frequency range that I like to call them high definition pickup's.You make a mistake on these pup's and you hear it.But what makes this guitar so special is the FX part.This guitar has built in overdrive(standard on Langcasters),built in chorus and digital delay.Other hardware included are earvana nut,schaller locking tuners,schaller 3d bridge.It also came with a Nady wireless system.The neck is AAA rock maple with ebony fingerboard,with 2 graphite reinforcement rods and a 2 way adjustable truss rod.

The controls are 1-volume,2-overdrive gain,there is a push/push button for the overdrive next to the pickup toggle.The pup selector is a toggle like the Les Pauls,etc.
3 and 4 are push/push pots with both having a lower ring pot.3 is push/push for FX on and for mixing the wet/dry sound,the lower ring is for the length of chorus,4 is push/push for chorus/delay,with the top pot setting speed of chorus/delay,the bottom ring is for setting the amount of echo from 2 repeats to 10+.

Let me say right off the bat these effects are killer.The overdrive sounds like the best tube screamer you've ever heard,the chorus is rich with a lil slapback delay,the digital delay reminds me of my old Echoplex but way quieter.Infact with all effects on it is noisefree.Great for recording!! You can't have the chorus and delay on at the same time,but the chorus has a fast slapback echo built in so you dont miss that combo.
Without the FX on the guitar has a Strat/Tele/Paul vibe going.Remember this is a 2 pup strat so you dont get those out of phase strat sounds and with this guitar I dont miss em either.With or without the effects you can play pretty much any musical style you want.I'm mostly a blues/classic rock player with some jazz and classical thrown in,and this guitar can handle it all.With the FX on I was able to nail a Gilmour sound right off the bat!!!

Topnotch setup,I asked for .009-042 for my strings and low action and that's what I got.The guitar plays like butter,and feels almost fretless.This is the way all guitars should be made!!!The guitar finish is flawless and is a work of art.

Like another Langcaster reviewer said "Hell it lasted the ice age" I have used Langcasters live and have had no worries.I forgot to mention that all Langcasters come with Schaller strap locks so no worries there.

This is my third Langcaster and I'm expecting a fourth later this week.Joh is a pleasure to work with and will work with you to create your own dream guitar.I don't think I'll ever need a repair other than a simple setup now and then.As far as repairs I'm sure Joh will stand by his work,try getting Fender or Gibson to do that.

I've been playing 45 years now,I have way too many guitars and amps to list here.Langcasters are the finest guitars out there I have 3 and a Langcaster Cobra is on the way,that's how much I love these guitars.If it was lost or stolen I'd cry ,order another,then hire merc's to track the culprit down.

This one of 2 Langcasters I bought,at the same time.The other is the dark kauri tele model that I'll review seperately.First off the guitar looks stunning,it just has to be seen to be believed.The pickups are Langcaster Ultimate Lo's with overdrive.Volume and tone,and gain pot.I had Joh Lang put a blend pot so I can blend in the neck pup with the bridge and middle pup's.Earvana nut,Schaller locking tuners,Schaller steel block tremolo,strap locks.If that's not enough paua shell inlay on the headstock,string trees and truss rod cover,copper shielded cavity and ebony fingerboard.The body is made from 35,000 year dark kauri.Almost forgot there is a lot of case candy thrown in too!

These guitars are not just a pretty face,they rock!!! Without plugging in the guitar has a almost accoustic quality to it,and nice sustain.I know it sounds strange but,this guitar wants to be played,maybe theres a lil mojo going on with the wood,but I had to force myself to put the guitar down.

For my amp tests I used a Pritchard Sword Of Satori,a Dr Z Maz 38,and a Crate V15.The only external effects I used were reverb and a Fulltone tape echo.I used a new Eric Johnson Fender Strat,to do side by side tests.I also plugged into a Behringer V-Amp with just headphones,mostly to get a idea of how the Langcaster would do in a recording situation.

The EJ strat is one of the better production Fenders out there,but in high gain settings it can get noisy unless you use the neck-mid or bridge-mid settings these are hum cancelling.It's also hottest Fender Strat I own.Using the Pritchard I put the Fender thru it's paces with a nice texas blues sound.Using the same settings I plugged in the Langcaster and nearly blew out my eardrums.This guitar is way hotter than the Fender,probably hotter than any guitar I own,and that's quite a few.

The sound is unreal,clean it is rich and full,but still bright enough to cut thru anything.Using the clean setting on the Pritchard I hit the built in overdrive and wow,it's like the best overdrive you've ever heard.This overdrive IMHO is the best I've heard.I have the tube screamer and the fulltone fulldrive and a few other boutique pedals and there is no need to pack those puppys in my gig bag anymore.

As for noise,there is none with the Ultimate Lo's,theres is nothing but pure tone.Using a high gain setting on the V-15 the Langcaster sustained like no other guitar in my arsenal.With the V-amp,clean sounds were spacious and the frequency response was almost bell like.Using some of the high gain sounds the Ultimate Lo's produced no noise at all.These were the same presets I had tried to use with the EJ strat and found them to be just to noisy and not pleasing to the ear.

The Langcaster sounds like a strat should,great for blues,country,jazz,and hard rock.You just can't get a bad tone from it period!!!!

The guitar was setup exactly as I asked,low without fretting out,and strung with .009's.Infact the strat was just about in tune,not bad considering it came from New Zealand.

The guitar is a work of art there are no flaws anywhere,a lot of love went into this guitar,and it shows in the workmanship.I have custom shop Fenders,Gretsch,and a custom shop Gibson doubleneck and they pale in comparison.The pickups are handmade by Joh Lang and can be ordered as replacements.These pup's are the best single coil's I've ever heard and I highly recommend them.

Hell this wood survived the ice age,probably survive Pete Townshends antics.
The only backup I'd use is my dark kauri tele,just in case I broke a string!!!!

Joh Lang is a pleasure to work with.He answered all my questions about options,and replied to all my e-mails.I received numerous updates on both guitars and I couldn't be happier with this purchase.

I doubt anything would crap out on this guitar,but if it did,I'm sure Joh would stand behind his work.That's something I wouldn't say about the big boys of the business.

I've been playing for over 45 years now,lets just say I have too many guitars and amps to list.

Langcaster makes the best guitars bar none.I've played on Paul Reed Smiths,Andersons and I own a lot of guitars by different makers,nothing comes close.

If it was stolen God help the person ,because he would not want to deal with me!That said I'm already considering a third Langcaster.After all,you cant have too many guitars!!!!

An absolutely stunning high gloss finish applied to the most beautiful Kauri body. You will NOT see this ANYWHERE else, the body is in fact carved from 35,000 year old swamp Kauri (now that?s is real old!), this feature alone deserves a rating of 12 out of 10.
Then there is the hardware:
3 virtually noiseless yet unbelievably high gain Lo-Impedance pickups with overdrive, hand made by Joh Lang.
1 x push button for overdrive.
5 way Schaller selector switch.
1- volume pot, 1 x tone pot and 1 x o/drive pot, simple straightforward and effective.
Schaller 3 dimensional adjustable bridge.
Chrome metal work, string trees and switch plate also hand made by Joh.
Earvana nut for improved tuning up and across the whole fret board
Paua inlay of Langcaster logo
Schaller Locking Machine head with 1:16 gear ratio
Hard rock Maple neck
Double action truss rods and 2 Graphite reinforcement rods
Diamond ground precision Ebony fingerboard
22 Medium jumbo frets - 25 ? inch scale and 15 inch radius
Copper shielded cavity
Schaller Strap locks

Heaps of tone, plenty of adjustment and almost zero hum. Then you push a button and you think you?ve just stepped on the best sounding distortion / overdrive stomp box money can buy. You haven?t, it?s inside your guitar. As sweet sounding as a solid body guitar gets.

As already stated the guitar is visually stunning and gloss finish flawless.
The original action was a bit high for my personal taste, but that?s an individual thing and despite Joh being a genius he is not psychic (as far as I know). Anyway a small passing comment from me about lowering the action, Joh comes around picks the guitar up, takes it away, makes the required adjustment and its back home within the hour.

Solid as a rock, no problems to date and none predicted

I have been privileged over other reviewers. It happens to be that I live 5 minutes drive from Joh Lang. I didn?t know that when I bought the guitar, since then I?ve called into his place numerous times, I am always made to feel welcome and Joh is always keen to show me his projects. We talk about music, guitars and we swap DVD?s / CD?s for each other to have a listen. I now consider Joh to be a friend, but this review is independent of that fact and is about the guitar.

I was seriously considering a JEM10 before I came across my Langcaster. I would still love the JEM (and another 10 assorted quality guitars) but I know I made the right choice.
To quote a good friend of mine who makes his living in the music industry: ?when you open the case you just want to stare at it for two hours, when you pick it up and play it you just want to play it for two days?. ?No one can buy this guitar it is unique?, that?s what you get when you buy a Langcaster

Well I've made many submissions in regards to Langcaster guitars, but this is my first Third Generation Strat and I just wanted to put down some comparisons to his Current 4th Generation Strats.

This has most of the same specs as his 2nd Gen.
Incredibly looking dark Kaori body. Maple neck with his custom headstock, ebony board. Has all Schaller parts, strap locks, 3D adjustable Bridge, Locking tuners. This doesn't have the Overdrive like the 4th Generation. And it has his first generation noiseless pick ups, which features a 10 Pole pick up in the neck. This vs. his Lo Impedance pick ups in his 4th Generation.
It has 1 Volume 2 Tone. Obviously it is just like a strat not a lot of features.

The sound is probably the most important part.
He went from Kinmans (which are awesome pick ups) to these which are awesome pick ups to his Lo's (which I believe are his best pick ups to date)
These Langcaster pick ups have very good power, pretty hot in that sense similar to the Kinmans. They are noiseless and the one thing it adds is the 10 Pole neck pick up for minimal volume drop off when bending.
Langcaster guitars have incredible sustain, and these pick ups give it great tone. In general I feel Langcasters have incredible vintage Vibe to them, yet they come in a very modern package and with more power.

In general Langcasters are set with the action a little higher then "strings flat to the board" which suits me fine being an acoustic player as well. Fit and Finish just incredible.

These will last!

Joh's the best

Obviously I am very partial to Langcasters, but so far I have tried 2 1st Generation Langcasters, 1 2nd Generation, 1 3rd Generation and 3 4th Generation Langcasters and all of them bar none were incredible.
Joh Lang is a consumate perfectionist and makes incredible stuff.
My personal preference would be the 4th Generation guitars he's making now. But these 1st Generation pick ups are a little hotter. He also switched from a 10 pole to an 8 pole pick up in the neck in his latest generation pick ups.
My personal favorite is actually the Custom Dark Kaori Cobra he build for me ..

Langcaster Dark Kauri made by Joh Lang of Langcaster LTD. This is the second guitar I have purchased from Joh - check out my review on the Langcaster Cobra. First the specs and then the review from Heaven.

Strat style body made of 35,000 year old Swamp Kauri wood - native to New Zealand.
2- Passive pickups with 10 single coil magnets - wax vacuum-potted to stop microphonic and rattling.
Brass fine height adjustment bushes. NO HUMMMMM!!!!
Capacitor and Ferrite beads to stop those irritating radio frequencies.
5 way Schaller cold plated selector switch with a brass blender/mix tone knob.
1- brass volume knob
1- brass tone knob
Treble by-pass filter on the volume pot
Schaller 3 way adjustable bridge
The chrome rings around the pickups, the string trees and the switch plate are hand made by Joh.
Revolutionary Earvana nut - makes the guitar sound in tune across the fret board.
Hard rock Maple neck and a tilt back hand carved Moari designed headstock with Paua inlay logo, truss rod and hand made string trees.
Schaller Locking Machine head with 1:16 gear ratio
Double action truss rods and 2 Graphite reinforcement rods
Diamond ground precision Ebony fingerboard
22 Medium jumbo frets - 25 ? inch scale and 15 inch radius
Copper shielded cavity
Schaller Strap locks
Tung oil applied to neck for a smooth feel that your hands glide over.

Is there anything that Joh didn?t think about when making this one of the best guitar anyone could hope to own? I have the honor of having 1 of only 2 Dark Kauri?s that has the last of the vintage passive 10 pole pickups. This guitar is even more incredible with the Paua block inlay on the neck, truss rod, logo and string trees. Once again, I feel so pretty.

This guitar is absolutely the most impressive guitar in history. You will spend an hour looking at the body made from 35,000 year old Swamp Kauri wood. If you don?t have a spiritual moment holding an instrument made of wood that was here before man stepped foot on this earth, then you never will. There are deep crevasses in the wood that Joh has preserved by filling with clear epoxy that makes it flush with the body of the guitar. Look at these crevasse and you will see leaves and I am sure fossilized bugs that could start a Jurassic Theme Park. You will never see another guitar that will impress you more than the Langcaster Dark Kauri. The hard lacquer finish creates a hard, durable and brilliant shine. Take it out in the sun light and you will see how it changes the color intensity. Absolutely beautiful!!

This guitar has the most impressive sound I have ever heard. There is no hum or noise coming from these pickups. With the right adjustments, you can make beautiful sweet and mellow sounds and turn around and make it the Strat that it is suppose to be. My guitar does not have the overdrive but it isn?t needed. The five way switch has a blender knob to blend the neck pickup with the middle or bridge pickup. Seven different tones with just adjusting the knob. Incredible!!! All the Lancaster?s have a treble by-pass filter on the volume pot. You will never lose treble when you play with the lower volume. This guitar will make you sound better than you ever thought possible!

The guitar was absolutely perfect. The finish is flawless, The action was low and perfect for my needs. Once again, Joh always takes it a step further with the bolt on neck. Two screws beneath the plate and four on the plate makes for a very stable neck. As hard as I looked, I could not find one thing to complain about. Perfect in every way!

If the Kauri wood survived the glacier age, it will survive anything and with Joh?s patented finishing process, it is rock hard. This guitar will be around long after I am gone.

In my Cobra review, I think I said it all but I will repeat myself. Joh is the most incredible person I have ever had the honor to know. They broke the mold with Joh Lang. He believes in what he does and is committed to making guitars that are not only beautiful but has the sound and power that will knock the big boys to their knees. He is not as interested in selling large numbers of guitars as he is in making sure the one?s he does produce will become a prized possession for anyone that has the pleasure to own one of these incredible guitars. No one is better than Joh Lang! He makes you feel like you are the only person in the world buying one of his guitars. You are the ?Dutch Man!?

If I could, I would give an overall rating of 20! I have a Fender Blues Junior - no bells or whistles - but with the blender/mix knob and a digital delay pedal, I have everything I need to make this guitar sing. No need to buy an expensive set up. Joh has put it all in his guitars. After getting over the shock of opening the case and seeing your new guitar, you get to pull out all the goodies he packs with the guitar. Buffing clothes, a bottle of conditioner to keep your baby looking good, a T-shirt (still wearing mine Joh), a letter of authenticity signed and numbered and page after page of information on the guitar. He has a DVD made and movies and sound samples on his website to prove what incredible guitars he makes. All were recorded with a simple setup and home computer.

If it was stolen, I would never be able to replace it because of the passive pickups but I would buy another Kauri in a heart beat with his Ultimate Lo impedance pickups. Another one of his inventions. Not only has he designed the pickups but also hand makes the chrome plates, rings and string trees. So much talent! I am so impressed with the Dark Kauri and Cobra that I will soon have his new baby called the FX. Do yourself a favor and visit his website. You can hear these incredible guitars as well as feasting your eyes on the most incredible guitars made. It doesn?t get any better than this!!!!

This is a handmade Langcaster Dark Kauri Strat by New Zealand luthier Joh Lang. I ordered it from Joh, built to my specification and delivered within a month. These guitars are not only beautiful works of art, but more importantly play and sound incredible. Made from 35,000 year old swamp Kauri, the guitar body is in a natural finish protected by a very hard clear lacquer which allows the unusual and highly detailed wood grain to show through. You have to see the pictures on the Langcaster website to fully appreciate this extraordinary finish. Mine is fitted with Joh Lang's newly developed Ultimate LO pickups which are virtually hum-free but high powered, arranged in a 3 single coil configuration. I also have the in-built overdrive which can be activated with a small switch by the selector switch. A small LED comes on when the overdrive is activated. Other controls are 5-way pick-up selector, one volume, one tone, and overdrive level knobs. Chrome hardware. Schaller tremolo bridge,locking tuners and straplocks. It has the ervana nut specially designed for consistant tuning across the whole fretboard. 22 frets with ebony fingerboard and full-size highly detailed Paua inlays. Paua also used on truss rod cover,string trees and headstock logo. The headstock is an unusual carved mauri symbol shape which won't appeal to those with conservative and traditional tastes, but fits well with the overall look of the guitar. Comes with a good quality hardshell case and loads of case candy including instructions, cleaning materials, T-shirt, and a certificate of authenticity for the 35,000 year old wood which has been carbon-dated by the University of Waikato.

I've always favoured humbucker-equipped Gibsons but I just had to have one of these Langcasters after seeing and hearing them on the web. These new LO pickups are just as Joh described. Extremely powerful and virtually noisless even at high gain/volume. They are also very bright and percussive which takes a bit of getting used to if like me you are more used to a darker sound. Every singly nuance of your playing is captured, even the mistakes, so if you are a sloppy player you will need to work on your technique to get the best out of this guitar, which isn't a bad thing! You can get a wide variety of strat and tele type sounds and clear cutting leads are no problem. Probably not the best Nu-metal axe, but good for pretty much everything else. The guitar sounds best plugged straight into a tube amp with the minimum of effects. The on-board overdrive is great for warming up the sound but for higher distortion levels you will probably need a pedal, or high-gain amp. To conclude, this guitar fitted with the Lo pick-ups gives a powerful, biting and transparent tone, which sound crystal clear at any volume, and clean or distorted. I'm giving it a ten because that is what it is designed for, it will not replicate the dark gibsonesque sound, but then it isn't meant to.

Delivered beautifully set up with a slightly higher action than I normally like, but it was a 5 minute job to change that. All the controls functioned great and the guitar was extremely well finished. The only minor niggle was a slightly off-axis overdrive level knob but this doesn't detract from an otherwise superbly presented instrument.

Whilst this is undoubtedly a beautiful collectible instrument, it was built first and foremost as a working guitar. It is meant to be played and played hard. The construction is solid and with the high quality hardware it feels capable of standing up to prolonged use and abuse. There is nothing delicate about the way it is built or the materials used, it all feels solid and robust.

This category deserves an 11 rating! Joh Lang is one of the friendliest, most affable guys you could ever hope to deal with. All emails are answered immediately, and nothing is too much trouble for this guy. He seems to have a passion for building honest, quality guitars for guitar players not collectors, although his instruments are so unique and beatifully crafted I suspect the majority will end up as collectors pieces which is a shame because they play even better than they look.

I've been playing for 25 years and have owned most types and makes of guitars. I always have at least 9 or 10 guitars. I will keep this Langcaster which has become an instant favourite. If it were stolen I would definitely get another. I might get another one anyway with the sustainer option. My favourite feature has to be the dark Kauri body, if only because of the amazing reaction it gets when people see it. The only thing I would like is perhaps another one with a humbucker pick-up for a darker mellower sound and a sustainer.

This is Number 5 of Joh Lang's hand made beauties! It is SOLID Kauri wood right from the peat swamps in New Zealand! For those of you who do not know about this, heads up! Ages ago this area was trapped in a HUGE glacier! When the glcier began to melt, the peat swamps began to form. Some of this wood is said to be over 35,000.00 years old! The pickups in this guitar are not to be trifled with! They are Joh's "Ultimate Lo pickups". I am a guitar dealer and I have been recommending these pickups to EVERYONE!!! They are really something special! From what i understand, there are only about 200 windings on each bobbin. Your standard Humbucker has over 500+! This makes them absolutely SILENT! There is no noise whatsoever made by this instrument other than what you play! I highly suggest that you call Joh directly for info or contact me via Email. I agreed to facilitate ANY sales in the US. I am wiling to help in any way that I can! I am so impressed with this guitar that I have gone well out of my way to promote this new design. The guitar boasts three single coils like a Strat with a BIG bite! Hidden on the switch plate is a active BOOST circuit that throws this thing into massive overdrive!! I'm talking the kind of sound that makes your Mom grab her hears and run out of the house :) The neck is Hard Rock Maple and is wide and flat! It plays like butter! It has a beautiful Signature inlay made from some of the most beautiful Abalone that i have ever seen. The neck is satin finished too! The body has THICK glossy epoxy like finish that is practically indestructable, Im not kidding! Do a search under Kauri wood and check out the parasites and fungi that live in the wood! THey are all preserved, right here inside the guitar!!! Under the clear coat you can see spots of sap, bug parts, rootlets, you name it....Stunning!!!! It is a piuece of art, no coubt! Talk about case candy, too much to even talk about, from certificates, to info, to artist profiles, its all there!

this guitar will sound exactly the way you want it to sound, no surprises here! I have played it with my Johnson Millenium Stack. My Marshakk JCM 2000, my Carr Imperial, and others. It sounds great in everything! The guitar is so flexable it is like a studio musicians dream come true!

The guitar showed up in PERFECT harmonic tuning! Everything was perfect! Absolutely Flawless!

this thing is built like a tank! It was here long before I was born snd it will be here LONG after I am gone, thats for sure!

Joh was the most pleasant person to deal with! I had so much fun speaking with him over the phone that I ran up a near 100.00 phone bill!!! Hows that for Manufacturer/Customer involvement?

This guitar was made on my 40th birthday! That has to count for something. I since bought another Kauri Strat. Now I own #s 5 and 10. I am trying to get #1 as well. I will most likely own others int he future!!!

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.