I think I have done a bit of a disservice by not going into a bit more detail about the Elliott Tonemaster and would be willing to guess if you re reading these types of forums then every one here is a tone junkie. First I have been playing professionally for over 35 years but do not claim to be an expert on building guitars I built a warmoth style tele with a friend a few years back which turned out OK and in many cases if that is your budget then you can get a fine guitar, however what you do not get is a top of the line instrument much like a Honda will serve the same function but is not a Ferrari. Since it took about 4 months to build the Elliott guitar from start to finish Andy would call periodically to ask about certain preferences or to give the status of the guitar and I did learn quite a bit about his build process his vision and dedication to even the smallest detail Here is a synopsis of our discussions:
I looked up the definition of a master builder and there were certain criteria that needed to be met. First a level of experience obtained by the luthier and the same individual completes the guitar from start to finish. Andy is without a doubt a master builder. He selects the wood based on grain pattern, resonance and how these minute details can effect tone. (I do not have the knowledge to ask warmoth what grain pattern I wanted should I build a guitar and do not know if they would even do it!) Next is the radius and size of the neck how comfortable it is and how the radius impacts the ability to fret and bend strings, the sound difference the material for the nut makes and the size of the headstock as it relates to vibration and tone. He even specifically looks at the thickness of the amount of wood used for the rosewood on the maple neck and how it relates to sustain and comfort. The frets are glued in (another unique feature to Elliott guitars) and why this is better than traditional methods for truss rod adjustments. He picks particular tuners and believes they are superior to any other in the market. The neck pocket is tight as a drum and through years of repair work has seen just about every type of traditional and creative ways to secure the neck and chose his method to transfer tone. I mentioned about the pups and you could search for years but PS has done all of the work for you. No detail is too small to include the special fret markers that are easy to see on a dark stage. Each pot and switch is measured to insure accuracy and tolerance to insure the best tone possible. And lest you forget the deep 3d color of the guitar and how painstaking the process to make sure the wood grain is filled but not smothered before the final nitro finish is applied.
I would challenge anyone to get a better paint job, better playing or better sounding guitar. It is not a jazzmaster but a new creation that marries the best attributes of several designs to create a phenomenal guitar. It looks great, plays nice and easy and sings like only a top of the line instrument can
