James Tyler SE HD Barn Find Finish, 2021

Condition: Minty. This SE looks like the day it was originally sold. It still has the peel away plastic film on the pickguard and backplate.

James Tyler is one of the guitar world's iconoclasts, particularly when it comes to finishes. While aesthetic sensibilities in the industry turned to so-called ‘relic’ finishes over the last 10 years, Tyler has maintained his masterful finish technique, and instead of actually damaging his guitars to create the illusion of age, he has made unique works of art that are more of a homage to vintage instruments. They are perfectly built and finished guitars with unique visual elements that tip the hat to true vintage guitars and the history each one holds in its wood and metal.

James just comes at things from his own angle. If everyone else is looking at something one way, he'll take a few steps in another direction to look at that same thing from a different perspective. James is rather unique in that he makes guitars that are inspired by traditional S and T designs, but with some fiercely individual details that make his instruments very special. And in terms of his finishes, he is a like a modern artist, original and daring.

A perfect example of James' creative vision is this beautiful guitar, with the stunning finish he calls Barn Find, which was inspired by vintage car gems found rarely—and only very luckily—in old barns. I picture rummaging through an old dilapidated barn and finding, in a long untrodden corner, a case provocatively covered in dust. I imagine brushing off the dust which then hangs in the light streaming through a broken window, and finally open the case to find this spirited and lovely guitar. It's one of the coolest finishes I have ever seen on a Tyler (or any guitar for that matter) and is really a visual delight.

This guitar is so inspiring to play! As with all Tyler's Studio Elite models, it somehow is the essence of a old storied instrument while at the same time being a modern hot rod. You can really do anything with such a guitar, and at this caliber of artistry it will make you play better and love playing more.

The electric tone is lively and articulate with a strong voice, and very effective tone controls can bring the guitar from warm and round, to biting and intense. You can play articulate clean chordal passages with clarity and sweetness and then crank up the volume and play the most raucous distorted lines you can imagine. As mentioned before, I never make any pickup requests when James builds me a guitar—but rather ask him to match the pickups to the instrument, and once again he has found the perfect sonic mates for this guitar. Remember that many LA studio musicians have a particular fondness for this model because it is so versatile, allowing them to have a single instrument to cover nearly any situation.

Put the guitar in your hands and you feel like you are seated in the driver's seat of a hot rod, revving the engine as you wait for the green light, ready to put the pedal to the floor. But the guitar also has all the shimmering beauty of a great convertible gliding along a windy mountain road (just because you can put the pedal to the floor doesn't mean you have to!)

Working with James over so many years, watching him unravel the mystery of electric guitars, has been a great pleasure of my life in music. I am pleased and excited to offer another superlative instrument from a modern master luthier, and one with a spectacular new finish.

If you'd like to find out more about this item, just call or e-mail me. It would be my pleasure to talk to you about it.

ABOUT TYLER GUITARS
James Tyler has had a guitar in his hand almost every day since he first picked one up the summer after seventh grade, in 1964. In college, Jim studied Architecture, Design, Music, Photography and for a couple years, Theology. He paid his way through these years of collage doing guitar repair work at local guitar stores, and as a factory trained auto mechanic for Alfa Romeo, Lancia, BMW and Fiat. Later into the 1970’s, he got connected with the guys at Norman’s Rare Guitars in the San Fernando Valley, and became their main repair and restoration guy. Jim’s abilities continued to expand and soon he had enough experience and reputation that he opened his first repair shop in Reseda, CA in 1980. Since then its been a whirlwind of successes, including being chosen to be displayed among the great California guitar companies such as Fender, Rickenbacker, Mosrite and Charvel in the Museum of California's exhibit The Ultimate Guitar Show and building for artists such as Michael Landau, David Williams, Steve Lukather, Michael Anthony, and Dan Huff. James' design shapes and various ground breaking guitar finishes and most recently his line of pickups have virtually transformed the guitar building industry.