Eternal Guitars S-Type Heavy Relic Mid 50s style Strat Build Named 'Loretta' 2017

I purchased this amazing guitar back in July 2017 straight out of Eternal Guitars workshop but sold through 'Guitar Sound' guitar store based in Chichester, West Sussex. I'd been watching this particular build develop over the previous months through the Eternal Guitars Instagram and I can only describe what I was seeing being built was my all time dream strat! So on the day it arrived at the guitar shop I instantly got it, even before the owner of the shop had a chance to play it haha.. luckily it coincided with me just having the correct funds to get it - the stars aligned haha.. I've always lusted over later 50s strats, ever since I was 14 back in the 90s. I wanted a Fender USA 57 reissue strat in sunburst - the ones with the orangey/honey like over glazed maple necks. I'd always have my Waynes World moment staring at one in the local guitar shop. So this guitar made by Dave Walsh at Eternal Guitars has that type of neck but this guitar offers so so much more than those stock fenders. It kind of ticks every box with what I want out of a strat but its the relicing and that piece of ash that completely blows me away.

I love relic/heavy reliced guitars but I'm extremely picky with how the end result looks and how it feels to play. I've been studying fender custom shop relics for years and never found one I loved but the relicing done to this guitar is perfect. That combined with the most awesome selected piece of ash for the body is just insane - the grain lining is just perfect how straight and uniform the natural lining is. It's very very hard to get a piece of ash, to me that looks that perfect and incredible, combine that with the stunning sunburst nitro finish, its completely amazing! I think a fender custom shop equivalent would cost 3-4 times as much and I think Dave's relicing is much better! I have a custom shop heavy relic jazzmaster and the eternal is definitely more accurate to play wear and the level of nitro cracking. The attention to detail is incredible, the back of the neck wear is spot on and there is also the detail of cigarettes being held between the strings of the headstock. I'm also finding the neck is wearing with the nitro finish like a vintage guitar would with those lines starting to appear on the fretboard where you play the most. The neck will only look cooler and cooler the more you play it! I'm not a soloist/ lead guitarist so I've seen that starting to show nearer the headstock fret area where I play the most.

The sound and feel of the guitar is absolutely fabulous - awesome tone in all 5 positions.. I've not gigged this guitar, it's only been used at home, the rehearsal room and for recordings. The frets are all really good, any visible wear is pretty minimal and thats some frets near the headstock as I've played it down there the most, as I say I'm not a widdler. The only real wear other than the original relicing is the marking starting to form on the neck nitro through where I've been playing but that looks cool and will look even cooler with more playing and more of that marking all over the fretboard! Also, I suppose behind the neck is starting to create a slight different shade but that will happen the more you play and like I keep saying will only look and feel cooler the more you play it!

This excerpt is Eternal Guitars Description taken from their instagram/website:-

*Also, I need to credit Eternal Guitars for the last photo in my gallery as that is also from their Instagram page - and that is the promo photo of the guitar before my purchase*

There are also many more pics of this guitar on Eternal Guitars Instagram page - there are some, if you scroll back to 2017 of the process of it being built.

The guitar is strung with new Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 10-46 strings.. It also comes with a vintage tweed style hardcase (which I think maybe a stagg one - not sure on the make?!). The case has also been reliced but that was not done by Eternal Guitars but was done by the owner of the guitar shop to accompany this particular guitar.

You are probably asking - why are you selling it then if it's soo great/ your dream guitar?ha.. Well, to be honest it just doesn't get enough use as I predominantly use my jaguar and jazzmaster these days. I specifically mainly use a Johnny Marr Jaguar for playing/recording only because the vast array of sounds you can get out of it and it does a good strat bridge type tone. The eternal spends alot of time hanging on my living room wall so I seem cool haha - it is like a work of art to look at! I'm also wanting the funds to get an acoustic guitar that I can actually play.

I'm afraid I'm not accepting any offers on this guitar - if it doesn't sell it doesn't sell and I'm going to keep it.

Anyway, sorry for the waffle!

Thanks For Looking!

Si

UK ONLY LISTING

COLLECTION ONLY (At the moment - this may change if I can get packaging) FROM CHICHESTER, WEST SUSSEX.