Koll Duo Glide Birdseye, Orange w/Novak Pickups

Description

"I didn't want to make Telecasters or Stratocasters or Les Paul copies, I wanted to do my own thing. Because these are original shapes, I had the flexibility to do anything I wanted." -Saul Koll

Saul Koll's "Glide" body shape continually proves to be a versatile and timeless design, a fact that's reinforced with every guitar we receive from the Portland, OR-based master builder. Whether exploring Paul Bigsby-esq builds that embody the essence of those early electric guitar experiments, to more futuristic designs involving collaborations with genre-busting players like David Torn, the consistent thread is the Glide design. 

Featured at the 2020 NAMM show, this truly stunning Duo Glide answers the question: What if Koll made an Airline/Kay inspired guitar? It's hard to know where to look first - the beautifully rendered round-up orange birdseye top? Custom Koll knobs...ah, who are we kidding. As beautiful as those features are, what the heck are those pickups, right? 

The pickups are Curtis Novak "Tissue Box" pickups, like the ones you'd find on early 60s Airline/Kay guitars (Barney Kessel was known to play these, too). If you've never encountered a set of these in person, they are incredible to behold as they're so foreign to our collective single coil/humbucker eyes - the reflective silver hidden under a transparent plastic cover...beautiful, unique stuff.

But the real question, of course, is how do they sound? More familiar than you might think given the look. Think a more midrange heavy P90 and you'll be in the ballpark. The attack of each note is a little different though - a little more like a goldfoil perhaps? Quick, round, really defined...they do both clean and overdriven with ease (well, we had it pretty fuzzed out a la Smashing Pumpkins to be honest). You can put it in a 50s spot, or, turn on all the pedals and explore your snottier punk / My Bloody Valentine side. Seriously, it'll do all of these tones with ease.

This unique, and masterfully executed, Koll Duo Glide melds Kay/Airline cool with exceptional craftsmanship. From the gorgeous birdseye maple top with a "primative" stamped F-hole to the Curtis Novak "Tissue Box" pickups...and oh those pickups...Saul Koll proves, yet again, why he's at the top of the boutique guitar mountain. Priced with hardshell case.