Lentz Reserve S-Style '59 Gold Top

Description

"I think what sets Lentz guitars apart is my experience with so many guitars over the years. I've refinished hundreds of vintage Strat's and Tele's, not to mention several 50's Les Pauls. What this is has done for me is to give me an ear for certain nuances that I found to be the essence of guitar sounds I like." -Scott Lentz

It's funny how life works sometimes. We recently took delivery of another jaw-droopingly awesome Lentz Reserve S-style in a flawless '59 Gold Top not long after getting word that the legendary Dick Dale had passed. Anyone familiar with Dale's work - and really, who isn't? - knows he slung a very similar looking Strat for a good part of his career. Fate? Perhaps, but the timing was perfect and we cranked our reverb a little higher when checking this beauty out. 

Anyone who knows us knows we're huge Lentz fans. A quick poke around the internet will show we're not alone in our praise. The father / son pair (Scott Sr. and Scott Jr.) are known for being exceptional human beings with both stellar building chops and customer service chops. Their guitars consistently embody flawless build quality, tones that might just ruin you for other guitars, fat but comfortable neck carves, and a slinky feel. These guitars are simply the pinnacle of what a traditional S-Style guitar can be. 

This '59 Gold Top Reserve level build utilizes cabinet aged woods (25+ years is typical), a lightweight one piece Ash body (in this case 3.5 lbs), a Brazilian rosewood fretboard made from stock dating back to 1915, lower-output pickups wound specifically for this guitar, a 1-ply nitrate guard w/lacquer tint, and electronics that are carefully matched in order to achieve the best tones possible. 

What you notice immediately upon strumming your first chords is the resonance of this guitar. We've encountered few builders that consistently produce such exceptionally alive feeling instruments. As we've stated before, one can't overstate the importance of the "Lentz feel" - it's everything with these guitars and impossible to pinpoint, but it's addictive and one of the reasons these guitars as so highly regarded by so many.

Plugged in at rehearsal or stage volume? Stunning. 3-dimensional, nuanced, powerful tones. The tone controls work extremely well allowing you to really dial in the guitar to your rig.

Simply put, the next stop on the quest for the perfect Strat is a vintage one - but it'll set you back about 3 times as much money and a good year or two of searching / trying them. Honestly, we'd still take the Lentz! Priced with hardshell case.