Koll Super Glide Almighty Quilted Maple, w/TV Jones & New Rose Headstock

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

The Koll NAMM 2020 guitars are trickling in - we picked up 8 from the show - and much like trying to pick your favorite child, it's very hard to say which is our favorite. We're big fans of Saul Koll's guitars, each having its own personality and vibe, though there is a consistent thread between them - a Koll "thing" - that we find really appealing. 

Diplomacy aside, we can't help but be a little awestruck by this particular Super Glide Almighty. To us, the SGA model takes the best of both Les Pauls and Gretsch guitars and rolls them into something new, yet familiar. Meaning, these guitars can be used any place you'd reach for a Paul, but they have a wider range and aesthetic details similar to what you'd find on a great vintage Gretsch. Some of the details, and there are many, that jumped out as special are the New Rose headstock - you can look far and wide, there aren't many Koll's that feature this design - the multi-ply binding on the body, the triple TV Jones pickups, and of course, the Big Leaf Maple top. 

The interplay of Saul's original "Glide" body shape, New Rose headstock, multi-ply binding on the body, triple TV Jones pickups, rich brown hues, satin finish, and highly figured big leaf maple top make a strong visual statement that's hard to argue with - this guitar is as beautiful as it is outright cool. There's a warmth that emanates from this SGA visually that carries over to the feel of the guitar in your hands. We're big fans of the satin finish as it brings a warm, immediate, and tactile element to the playing experience that a gloss finish, while beautiful in its own right, simply can't match.

Speaking of TV Jones pickups, this SGA is loaded with TV's Magnatron, Classic, and Classic Plus pickups. Combined with a 3-way toggle, Volume, Tone, and a lower toggle for the middle pickup, there's a huge range of tones on tap. Clean to fuzzed-out, don't let the beauty of this guitar fool you - Koll guitars have an old-school/cranked Marshall soul. 

One of Saul's goals as a builder, beyond simply making beautiful instruments, is to make an instrument that you, the player, want to make music on. An instrument that immediately feels comfortable and makes you want to play - a musical ally, if you will. Mission (very much) accomplished! Priced with hardshell case.