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If your question isn't answered below please feel free to call, email, or use our Feedback form -- we're pretty good about getting back and you can expect an answer within 24 hours. |
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What makes DTG different from other handcrafted guitar makers?
Aside from my own line of handcrafted guitars, I've rebuilt, repaired, restored, setup and professionally played thousands of guitars and basses over the last 40+ years -- a great many of them electrics from the 1950s. Along the way I've made it a point to study the better examples (there's also a lot to be learned from the not-so-good instruments). Although no two manufactured models were exactly alike, and while the manufacturing standards drifted a great deal over the years, there are common denominators in the "keepers" -- including instruments that have what I call "the magic."
Some of the more magical vintage electrics have revealed a lot to me -- how they were put together, wood and cut selections, finishing techniques, weight and balance, pickup compositions and setups, trem adjustments, nut treatments, and a long shopping list of lesser known, and perhaps more obscure details. As a result of these experiences I've discovered many subtle luthier tricks and tweaks that result in not just better but substantially improved tone and player comfort.
I craft each Spirit Series guitar one at a time (or two at a time in the case of "twins"), with an absolute minimum use of machinery -- so that I can feel the wood and draw the best out of each instrument. I realize that that can sound like a cliché, but that's how I look at it. Each guitar gets my full attention, including hours of playing and tweaking before it leaves the shop. If requested, I also fit your guitar to your specific playing style.*
My ultimate goal is to create a guitar that fits, feels and sounds so good, you’ll never need or want another. And based on the response, that goal has been achieved.
*This process requires one-on-one discussion, including analyzing your attack of the strings and your fret-hand positioning. Those unable to come into the studio may send a video tape. There is no extra charge for this service. |
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Are Michael's Spirit Series guitars exact replicas of early Leo Fender designs?
Currently I craft two models, the DeTemple '56™ -- a variant of the mid-50s Stratocaster® -- and the DeTemple '52™ -- a variant of the early 50s Telecaster®. [Editor's note: Michael is now working on a variant of the early P-Bass®, as well.] Aficionados are aware of the fact that Fender's® manufacturing techniques wandered considerably, especially during the early years. In that light, my Spirit Series™ capture what I consider to be the best-of-the-best of that era. And I personally feel that there are no better guitars than Fender's® 1950s era models.
We chose to name these guitars the "Spirit Series™" for a very good reason. The idea is that they capture the essence, or "spirit" of the originals. And they are essentially a composite of the cream of that period. These instruments deliver the sought after tone of vintage guitars.
My guitars are extremely light weight. I select the wood through a pain-staking process (see How does Michael select timber?). Each guitar has a translucent hand-rubbed, micro-layered nitrocellulose finish, vintage-spec controls and hardware, fossilized ivory nut, SweetSpot™ Pickups made to my exacting specifications (or your choice of any of the great boutique pickups available), and a matchless setup -- which includes a number of proprietary modifications that I've accumulated over the years that improve the guitar's tone and feel. I am frequently told, especially from seasoned, veteran players, that my guitars have an immediate "old friend" feel. And that's exactly what I set out to accomplish.
The only major alteration not from that period is the truss rod design, which has been reengineered to work better, last longer and remain absolutely silent (no rattling around!). The design change also allows for easier truss rod servicing.
These are incredible instruments! I do not believe it is possible to build a better guitar. Your Spirit Series™ guitar will be the ultimate player's guitar. |
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Why do you make your own guitar necks and bodies?
There are a lot of manufacturing facilities that do a fine job of shaping bodies and necks -- but I choose to sculpt each piece, mostly by hand, with an absolute minimal use of machines. The results are noticeably better. I carefully study each piece of timber before deciding upon the optimum cut. Wood is an organic substance, each piece must be selected and sculpted in such a way to agree with, and enhance, its natural tonal qualities. It's a process that unfortunately gets lost in automated processes.
The subtle nuances of working with woods specific to instruments benefit from a lifetime of skill and knowledge. I'll go as far as to select and tune the timber for specific tonal qualities. The process is known in the fine art of violin making as "tap-tuning." It may seem that I carry it to the extreme, but these instruments are literally in tune before the strings are put on. It may seem remarkable, but after the setup is complete each string jumps to, and locks onto its correct pitch -- you've never seen (or heard) anything like it.
The timber is particularly difficult to find. I've often had to wait months to find an ultra-light single body blank or two. Likewise, the quarter sawn flamed Maple neck timbers are continuously in short supply. I'll only build a guitar out of select pieces and if that timber is not available I'll wait until it is.
Spirit Series™ guitar necks have a number of uncommon, yet subtle comfort-enhancing angles and radiuses I've developed over the years. I've also experimented extensively with truss rod installation methods, designs and composition, as a result we make our own to very exacting specifications. The nut is made from fossilized ivory for its resonance qualities. The fret slots are cut to the same radius of the fingerboard and the same depth as the fret tang to eliminate any air pockets, voids, or dead frets. Frets are placed OVER the lacquer, not under it (as with almost all Maple fingerboard guitars); it's a much more time-consuming process to do it this way, but the beneficial affects on tone and playability are really noticeable.
Both the neck and body are finished in multiple micro-coats of hand-rubbed nitrocellulose lacquer -- thin and smoother than glass -- without that plastic feel of polyurethane and vinyl. Finishing typically requires two or three months, sometimes more depending upon our California climate, and how the nitro is setting up. Nitrocellulose lacquer, over time, becomes one with the wood as opposed to just a coating over it. I never use a buffing wheel because hand-rubbing allows for more subtle working of the finish and I believe results in a better overall feel. |
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Will Michael add other designs to the Spirit Series?
Other than the new bass (DeTemple P55™), no. The Spirit Series™ are a labor of love. Even on a good month the maximum production might reach 5 guitars, and that's rare. I baby each and every one of them into existence. I craft each guitar with the attitude that it's mine, and they're usually really difficult to let go of. These guitars are not common instruments, the DeTemple '52™ and '56™ are the best of breed. I don't believe it is possible to devote more attention or care into the making of these alive instruments. When you play one you'll see they have a voice all their own. |
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What is tap-tuning and why is it relevant to solid body electric guitar making?
Put simply, the instrument timbers are tuned before the strings go on. It's an old-world technique discovered and used for centuries by violin makers. Not many, if any, builders of solid body guitars tap tune. Although there are certainly a few of the higher-end arch- and flat-top acoustic guitar builders who include tap-tuning in their arsenal of trade secrets. Assembly line production guitars don't receive that kind of attention for obvious reasons. |
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How does Michael select its timber?
This may seem ridiculous but I literally pick each and every body and neck piece, one at a time. It's not uncommon for it to take months to come up with only enough to make a handful of bodies or necks. I spend a lot of time hunting down perfect specimens and have an established network of friends throughout the country who know timber and know exactly what I'm looking for. All timber is grown here in the USA. Ash typically comes from the most Southern states and our Maple from the North Eastern area. I do not use Maple from the North West.
Timber is selected for various qualities, including cut, weight and tone. Although figure is attractive, it's a secondary consideration. Bodies are one-piece swamp Ash or two-piece Alder (also one-piece Ponderosa Pine, as periodically used by Leo on early Fenders®) -- and VERY lightweight. The DeTemple '56™ bodies average an astonishing 3.5 lbs., and 6.7 to 7 lbs. for the complete guitar with a steel tremolo block. The DeTemple '52™ body is also extremely light at an average weight of 3 lbs. 12 oz., without "cheater" body routs.
Necks are quarter-sawn, flamed Maple for strength and stability. The "skunk strip" varies; these days I'm using mostly Bocote.
For those who are looking for something different, I maintain a selection of alternative and exotic woods for necks, bodies, tops and fingerboards -- some pieces have been aging for 50 years or more. Occasionally a client will request other exotic tone woods or timbers, which are also accommodated.
I have also harvested my own timber from local, California trees. |
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What should I know about the tonal qualities of Ash or Alder?
I strive to build guitars that are both lightweight and comfortable for the working musician/player. Of the many vintage guitars I've owned and/or played the lightweight variants displayed the most unique and exceptional tonal qualities. This isn't to say I won't build a heavier guitar, but my personal preference is lightweight.
Through the years I have weighed many Fender® Strat® Ash bodies that have been in excess of 5 lbs., although most Ash Strat® bodies from the '50s weighed 3 to 3.5 lbs. A few magical instruments were a mere 3 lbs. and under! That is what I aim for when selecting Swamp Ash, and I'm always in search of featherweight bodies.
The ideal body timber is cut from the reservoir section of the tree, the section that holds and stores water. The water is retained in these cells and become enlarged to hold more water. Upon harvesting and curing, the water evaporates and leaves the empty enlarged reservoir cells resulting in lighter wood.
Alder doesn't have as much air space as Ash. The character of the cellulose is lighter in weight but more dense. It's very rare to find large enough pieces of Alder to make one-piece bodies, so two-piece bodies are more common and usually a little heavier than the Ash bodies. As a reference, most manufactured guitars (not mine!) now laminate 3-pieces of Alder for their bodies. I'm still searching for the 2.5 lb. one-piece Alder body -- perhaps I'll find it one day....
To me the featherweight swamp Ash has a more wide-open sound. Whereas Alder is more focused in the mid-range. |
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What should I know about the tonal qualities of Ash or Alder?
I strive to build guitars that are both lightweight and comfortable for the working musician/player. Of the many vintage guitars I've owned and/or played the lightweight variants displayed the most unique and exceptional tonal qualities. This isn't to say I won't build a heavier guitar, but my personal preference is lightweight.
Through the years I have weighed many Fender® Strat® Ash bodies that have been in excess of 5 lbs., although most Ash Strat® bodies from the '50s weighed 3 to 3.5 lbs. A few magical instruments were a mere 3 lbs. and under! That is what I aim for when selecting Swamp Ash, and I'm always in search of featherweight bodies.
The ideal body timber is cut from the reservoir section of the tree, the section that holds and stores water. The water is retained in these cells and become enlarged to hold more water. Upon harvesting and curing, the water evaporates and leaves the empty enlarged reservoir cells resulting in lighter wood.
Alder doesn't have as much air space as Ash. The character of the cellulose is lighter in weight but more dense. It's very rare to find large enough pieces of Alder to make one-piece bodies, so two-piece bodies are more common and usually a little heavier than the Ash bodies. As a reference, most manufactured guitars (not mine!) now laminate 3-pieces of Alder for their bodies. I'm still searching for the 2.5 lb. one-piece Alder body -- perhaps I'll find it one day....
To me the featherweight swamp Ash has a more wide-open sound. Whereas Alder is more focused in the mid-range. |
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Neck woods -- one-piece Maple or Maple with Rosewood fingerboard?
Most of the instruments I build have one-piece, quarter-sawn, flamed Maple necks of the Hard Maple variety. I find there is much more tonal articulation and definition with the one-piece Maple design. A greater control of tone, just from your hands, is also possible with necks made of this timber.
Most musicians are aware that Rosewood fingerboards tend to have more mellow tone characteristics. For those who prefer a Rosewood fingerboard I maintain a few select pieces of Brazilian Rosewood. |
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Why does Michael use Kluson-style machine heads?
Tone and balance. Gotoh tuners really are the “right tool” for the job. There are a number of manufacturers who make them now but Gotohs are actually a better-made tuner than the old Kluson Deluxe made in Chicago for so many years. The Schaller company makes a tuner that looks similar, however they use a screw-on fitting from the top of the headstock to the machine on the back of the headstock and I feel that they are too heavy and alter the tone. Also the Schaller casings are cast and not stamped. I have also tried Grover vintage tuners, but in my opinion Gotoh makes the best. That is why I use them on my guitars. If I find tuners in the future that I feel offer better weight, tone and appearance I will not hesitate to use them." |
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Comments on locking tuners.
I don't use Sperzel trem lock tuners because they use a threaded nut that attaches through the headstock to the rear mounted tuner, and they add unnecessary weight to the peghead. I don't like to put Sperzels on my guitars because they act like clamps on the headstock and with an exceptionally articulate instrument the difference in sound and feel is quite evident. Also, a vintage style trem is not a dive bomber type trem but one that is used very subtly. That said, I have never had any problem with keeping my guitars in tune or intonated because of the tremolo not returning the strings back to proper *pitch. If you still feel locking tuners are necessary I would choose Gotoh Kluson-style locking tuners. They have a very similar appearance as well as having press fit bushings like the originals.
*Each Spirit Series™ guitar comes with a custom made, one-of-a-kind manual -- literally one for each guitar I build. In the manual I document a number of easy-to-follow methods to keep a guitar in tune with Kluson-style tuners. If you use my methods you'll find there is no need for locking tuners.
Locking tuners will slip when a string is pulled on to pre-stretch it after re-stringing. The cam mechanism locks the string for the minimal pull associated with a trem movement, but will not lock it with enough force to let you prepare your guitar for real world playing and string bending. I have stretched and stretched strings that never stopped stretching, only to see that as I pulled on a string it moved through the locking mechanism. I know that if you pre-stretch your strings correctly you should never have any problems with tuning. Assuming your guitar is set up correctly, correct string changing techniques as well as the pre-stretching allow it to very easy to get it in tune and stay in tune. |
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Tell me more about DeTemple Guitars neck shaping?
Unless otherwise requested, I reproduce the feel of vintage necks by providing the player with an ultra-comfortable unique feature I call "Soft-V -- Reverse Taper™." The Reverse Taper™ allows for a more relaxed access to the upper frets while the Soft-V (similar to Eric Clapton's "Blackie") follows the contour of the hand better than more conventional rounded neck back shapes. The quality and shaping of these necks is such that they take on the feel of an "old friend" in the hands of experienced players.
That's my sales pitch, but as each guitar is crafted to the specific requirements of the client, the back shapes and thicknesses of the neck can follow any contour you desire. Interestingly, I'm sculpting more "fat" necks these days -- a swing of the pendulum from the "thinner the better" patterns of recent years.
I use a number of methods to determine each neck's backshape, including impressions from your favorite guitar. It's an area you and I will spend a great deal of time in discussion over.
In the end the actual shape of the neck is up to you. Each neck is hand carved and sculpted, if I used machines you'd only have a couple of choices, but in this case there are absolutely no limits. And in extreme cases we will ship the neck to you during the shaping process to help ensure it's exactly what you are looking for. |
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What about fingerboard radii other than 7.25" or 9.5"?
I will make your neck to the specs that you are looking for. However, I do like to discuss the benefits or any possible short-comings that certain specs may bring to the table. Also, neck thicknesses are based on what you feel will work best for you. |
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What about other options or modifications?
Please see the Products section. We can customize or make certain modifications according to your preferred style. |
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Comments on fret wire sizes and neck radii
My two favorite sizes are the .041 X .085 and the .045 X .095. I feel that the larger wire makes it a little easier to bend your strings -- also giving slightly more sustain. The playability factor will be very good with either 7.25" or 9.5" radii because my treatment of the frets and fingerboard plane allow for nice clean bending without fretting out. I think one of the reasons for the change to a 9.5" radius was because it's easier for guitar manufacturers to get the guitar to play reasonably well with less set-up work. Of course I don't approach my building with the attitude of "what is the easiest is the way to go." I believe if you have knowledge of design idiosyncrasies or so-called problems, before you start building, that you can build them out of the instrument. So, you never have to deal with them. They just aren't there.
I believe the two decisions for fret wire and radius should be based on what you like to play, not what will be more vintage-like. I promise you that whichever way you go you will have a wonderful and inspirational instrument. |
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Which element, body or hardness of bridge plate/block, has more effect on a Strat's sound?
I think that the question is best answered by thinking of Ash and Alder bodied Strats®. If both of the instruments had the identical bridge components (machined cold rolled steel blocks, hardened steel bridge plates, and same material saddles) you would still hear a big difference between the two guitars. We know that the body material does play a large role in the end sound of the instrument. But there is also a tremendous difference heard in the block material that is being used. Tremolo bridges in the past thirty years have been manufactured out of different alloys and they each have their own sound. Most of the alloy bridges seem to deaden the sound of the guitar to my ears. I feel a difference in the response of the string to my touch as well.
To determine if a block is alloy or steel all you have to do is put a magnet up against it. If it sticks it is steel. If it doesn't, I would replace the block with a cold rolled steel block. Be aware, though. There are blocks manufactured that are hot rolled steel and the magnet will cling to them as well, however hot rolled steel has lead added to it in the manufacturing process. If you have ever clanged a piece of lead with a hammer you will know that it gives a very dull thud. Not musical at all. The bottom line is that you want a cold and not hot rolled steel block because it is more resonant.
I am quite critical in my assessment of what makes a guitar sound/respond to my expectations -- but I do trust in my ears and sense of touch. I have spent so much time with so many guitars -- forever analyzing their sound/response based on their often varied components. It is very clear to me that any combination of components that make up a Strat® are going to have an effect on the sound and playability/response. It is certainly not just one thing that makes a guitar sound great, but rather, a whole group of very apparent, and many not so apparent, factors that make that magic seem to just "be there."
Addendum: If you have trouble finding the right bridge components feel free to contact me as I use them in the guitars that I build. |
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Comments on the Feiten tuning system.
I really don’t feel that the Feiten tuning system is for everybody. I have talked to many experienced players that don’t like it -- as well as many that do. Think about this: When intonating a guitar you will play the octave harmonic at the 12th fret and then fret the string at the twelfth fret while plugged into a tuner. Conceivably the harmonic eliminates the frets and gives you the reading of just the string, played open, an octave higher that the natural note of the open string. When you then fret at the twelfth fret you are checking to see if the fretted note reads the same as the octave harmonic -- but here is the big question. Have you ever fretted the string at the twelfth fret and just slightly rocked your finger or pushed just a little harder on the string. If you have, you probably saw the tuner give you a sharp reading of the note before you rocked it or pressed a little harder. When we are playing and have to group three fingers behind a given fret the stings will read differently than if your were to fret each string by itself with your finger positioned just perfectly behind the fret. Grouping fingers behind a fret sometimes causes the fingers to be playing the string half way between the intended fret and the fret behind it. Fretting like this will usually give a sharp reading. The guitar is an imperfect instrument and that is one of the reasons it sounds different from player to player. It will never be in tune perfectly because of all the variables involved. The reason great players make guitars sound so good is that it is their ear and touch that instinctively makes them play the instrument in tune. I know how to get a guitar in tune so that it plays and responds to a player that is in tune. I have never had a person comment about the tuning of one of my guitars except to say that it "plays so in tune." |
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What's the SNAGG RFID system? |
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Click HERE to view SNAGG |
SNAGG Microchip is the leading provider of * RFID - based security, manufacturing logistics, and fraud protection systems to music instrument manufacturers. Since its inception, SNAGG has been recognized and featured in such music publications as Guitar World, Guitar Player, Guitar One, Vintage Guitar, Acoustic Guitar and Guitar Digest as well as major daily newspapers, the Los Angeles Times and San Diego Union-Tribune. SNAGG currently provides music instrument fraud protection to thousands of music instrument customers around the world. SNAGG is also a musical instrument identification registry and stolen asset recovery system based on a partnership between SNAGG Internet Registry, law enforcement, manufacturers, retail dealers of new and second-hand equipment, and repair shops.
All DeTemple Guitars™ contain SNAGG’s tiny hidden microchip. When scanned, SNAGG emits a 10-digit alpha-numeric radio signal code containing your guitar’s unique electronic serial number. The code is registered only to you and tells store owners, dealers, repairmen, pawnshops, law enforcement officials, etc., who the rightful owner really is.
The grain of rice-sized implant is hidden in your guitar and there is no known way to detect its specific location. Once the alphanumeric serial number is set at the factory, it cannot be changed.
When a thief tries to hock or trade your SNAGG-implanted instrument or amp at a shop, he/she will be in for a big surprise when the merchant scans it with the SNAGG scanner. One check at www.snagg.com and that number will reveal all information about that instrument as registered by its true owner.
Snagg enlisted the aid of the California State 2nd Hand Dealer Investigators Association (CSDIA) and the National Association of Property Recovery Investigators (NAPRI) in designing their Web site’s database. SNAGG makes both the scanners and chips available to retailers and police departments. SNAGG maintains thousands of instruments in its database, and has made preliminary arrangements for distribution of its technology to the European market.
This is the same system used by Fender’s Custom Shop, Martin as well as many boutique and custom guitar makers. SNAGG ensures product authenticity and proof of ownership should your instrument ever be lost or stolen.
To find out more, contact DeTemple Guitars™, or visit www.snagg.com.
*RFID = Radio Frequency Identity Device |
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Vintage bridge vs. the two-pivot point system.
I have worked on thousands of vintage style bridges over the years for customers and friends because they didn’t know how to set them up correctly. When a vintage style bridge is set up properly I have yet to hear a two pivot system sound as good. If you are only looking for the sound of the bridge and strings to be the basis for your tone then possibly the two pivot system is right for you. The inserts in the top of the guitar as well as the pivot studs do not interact in the same manner as the bridge plate contacting a relatively huge area of the wooden body. The sound of the body and neck is more apparent with the older style bridge when it is set up properly. Of course this is only my opinion. Which bottle of water tastes best to you is all in the taste buds. They all taste the best if you’re really thirsty though! |
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