Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic Venetian White, 2017 [USED]

This Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic semi-hollow electric dates to 2017 and is in very good, clean and original condition showing only the lightest wear.  
 
Very well built, this guitar plays nicely, the 25.5 inch scale, 12 inch radius fingerboard with medium-jumbo frets and medium 'D' neck profile adding to a solid feel and easy, clean bends.  The Duesenberg 'Radiator' vibrato is extremely smooth and reliable, and has an extra string block making restringing much easier than on a standard Bigsby. 

The finish is named 'Venetian White'. While Duesenberg makes many visual and functional references to historic and vintage guitars from the USA, the 'TV' term doesn't refer directly to the Gibson 'TV' finish.  That finish was intended to help guitars show up better on black and white televisions.   This use of 'TV' refers to elements of the construction and hardware - 'Thinline' and 'Vibrato'. 

This particular model also takes visual cues from the classic Gretsch White Falcon, particularly in the use of gold plating, Art Deco inspired hardware, drum-cover plastics for binding and the quarter-circle fingerboard edge 'thumbnail' or 'wing' position markers.     As a 'Phonic' model, the back is flat, rather than arched. 

Sold with the original black Duesenberg archtop hard shell case by GWW containing its 'case candy' and documentation. 

Construction and Materials

The Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic is built in two places. The basic construction and finishing is done in Varazdin, Croatia and then the guitars are shipped to Hanover, Germany for PLEKing and assembly. 

The Starplayer TV body is semi-hollow using techniques pioneered in 1957 by Gibson for the ES-335 series.  The sides and flat back are laminated Maple and contain a solid Maple center block. The top, with one F-hole on the bass side,  is also laminated and arched, but is Spruce.  The neck is a single piece of Maple with a bound Indian Rosewood fingerboard.   The binding around the top, back and fingerboard is a pearloid drum plastic, while what appears to be headstock binding is the exposed (but with clear finish) maple used for the neck. 

The tuners are Duesenberg Z-tuners.  These take cues from vintage split 'Saf-T-Post' tuners found on Fender guitars, and are not otherwise locking.   

The bridge looks like a standard Tune-o-Matic model, but is designed to match the 12" fingerboard radius and pivot gently as the vibrato tailpiece moves.  The Duesenberg Radiator vibrato is very smooth, using needle bearings for both the string bar and the forward tension bar. The arm or handle is a bit longer than the typical Bigsby flat arm. 

The electronics start with a mixed pair of pickups, under identical rounded gold-plated 'Phonico' covers with textured grilles.  The neck position gets a Duesenberg 'Domino' P-90, and the bridge a Grand Vintage humbucker.  The controls include a four-position rotary pickup selector and master volume and tone controls, with an output jack on the side.  

There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here

DETAILS: 

• Instrument Model:  Starplayer TV Phonic
• Instrument Manufacturer:  Duesenberg
• Instrument year:  2017
• Instrument Finish:  Venetian White
• Instrument Class:  Semi-Hollow Electric Guitars
• Instrument serial number:  171512, dated to 2017 in Varazdin, Croatia and Hanover, Germany
• Country of Origin:  Germany
• Instrument Condition:  Very Good
• Right-handed 
• Instrument Weight Imperial: 7.92 lbs
• Instrument Weight Metric: 3.6 kgs
• Scale Length Imperial: 25.5  in
• Scale Length Metric:  647.7 mm
• Nut Width Imperial: 1.676 in
• Nut Width Metric:42.57 mm
• CITIES Documentation Required: No
• Case included: Yes
• Case original: Yes
• Items in Case: Keys, case candy including owner's manual, description, cloth, allen keys
• Case Type: Arched Top Hard Shell Duesenberg-branded by GWW
• Consignment: Yes
• Product ID: 190851

There are no refunds or returns on used items unless authorized in advance by a Twelfth Fret Sales Associate at time of sale. View Our Full Terms Here