Koll Troubadour "Blackguard" (2018)

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 Troubadour model from Koll Guitar Co. is Saul's take on Fullerton-style guitars - bolt-neck construction, 25 1/2" scale length, and alder or ash bodies (in this case ash). This beautiful single pickup 2018 "Blackguard" Troubadour is from the first batch of Troubadours that were re-released at the 2018 NAMM show and, in our humble opinion, brilliantly captures Saul's eye for design and what makes a Koll guitar special. 

Using the Koll "Glide" body shape, the Blackguard Troubadour looks at once utterly minimalist and modern, and, like something that might've been recently discovered in a secret vault of Fender prototypes. The classic butterscotch color, black bakelite guard, single Lollar J-Street pickup, and maple neck give you all the visual references you need to know what you're looking at at its core, but look closer and you'll see all kinds of incredibly hep details that reveal the mind of the masterful, design-focused builder behind this guitar: thumbnail fingerboard inlays w/a subtle marbling, large/vintage style knobs that conjure up the look of a Tele knob but are a lot more comfortable to use do to their enlarged footprint, Strat arm and tummy contours, an incredibly elegant "Tornado" style headstock design that achieves a straight string pull for tuning stability, 22 frets on a 10"-14" compound radius neck, and single Lollar J-Street pickup that packs a punch (~8.7K).

The build quality and playability are exactly what you'd expect from a world-class company - top notch. The neck has a subtle V feel that gives way to a C as you make your way towards the higher frets. It's a different carve from a standard Fender and one that we really love. Almost like a Gretsch crossed with a 50s Tele - chunky, but with far less shoulder than a lot of vintage Tele's. 

Condition: Excellent. Light pickguard wear; one very small indentation on the top; one small indentation on the back; hairline finish crack by the neck plate (in finish, not structural - see pics); very light fret wear starting to form on the first few frets. 

What we love most about Koll guitars is the blend of elegant, timeless design crossed with an old-school rock n roll soul. These are gorgeous, soulful guitars that aren't afraid to crank and let loose when asked. Brilliant.