Lentz JR Reserve S, Daphne Blue

A superb Lentz JR Reserve S just arrived in the shop — which is always exciting — but I was especially thrilled when it came because the very first JR Reserve instrument we received at CR Guitars a number of years ago was a daphne blue S.

I love this uncommon color for an S style guitar, which is suble yet makes a highly individual aesthetic statement.  Daphne blue was a classic Cadillac color in the late 1950s, and became a Fender color in 1960. As many of you know, back in the 1950s and 1960s automobiles were an enormous influence on many aspects of American culture, and it should not be surprising that Fender took cues from the auto industry for paint colors. In fact, the only *in house* paint colors that Fender used back then were blond and sunburst, and many of the other colors came straight from car designs.

Generally though, when I have seen S or T reproductions with a daphne blue finish, the color is often different than the original, and if you have ever seen a well-preserved 1958 Cadillac DeVille in daphne blue you know what I mean!

But one of the things that really sets the Lentz team apart is a deep well of knowledge about the tradition and history of the guitars they make, and they have the resources to build historically accurate instruments, including knowing the correct recipe for daphne blue. Scott Lentz senior has been a master refinisher for 45 years, and has had some of the most valuable guitars in the world in his shop. When it comes to finishes, he has seen it all, and is able to draw from his vast experience to bring a masterful level of detail to each guitar that leaves the shop.

In fact, the accuracy and perfection of the finish work is a metaphor for everything the Lentz team does. I just expect a Lentz to feel and play and sound like the ideal S style guitar, and sometimes I take that for granted and forget that when I have one of their wonderful instruments in my hands, I am feeling and hearing the result of nearly 70 years of impassioned searching for what makes these particular guitars tick.

All those years led to this exceptional guitar, which feels like a great vintage instrument, but with a level of detail never accomplished in Fullerton, CA. The Reserve guitars all have the best-of-the-best components, 25 year cabinet aged woods, fine Brazilian rosewood fretboards, Callaham bridges and custom in-house-wound pick ups that are tailored to each instrument. The bridges are all placed with exacting precision, the woods all tone matched and the pickups custom wound for each instrument.

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 LENTZ GUITAR
Scott Lentz has an enduing reputation as a legendary guitar maker and restorer of vintage guitars. In fact, before he opened Lentz guitar in Southern California, he had restored hundreds of vintage instruments and had become widely known as "the" guy for vintage finish restorations. Lentz guitars are known for being deeply resonant, uncannily vintage in feel, and for having an expanded tonal pallet. Scott believes that the tone of great vintage guitars is due to the accretion of thousands of tiny details from (of course) the finest tone woods to the interaction of fretboard and neck materials. He is also one of the few electric guitar makers that takes the trouble to use hide glue in his guitars. He counts his vast experience with vintage guitars as the key to developing his ear for guitar tone, and for teaching him what a great guitar is all about. Scott is a restless spirit, ever in search of perfection, never content to rest on his laurels. He is the quintessential guitar maker as artist, passionate about bringing artful and musical guitars into the world. His son Scott, Jr. has now worked with his father for 20 years, and together they are the force behind some of the most finely crafted guitars you will find anywhere in the world.

ABOUT LENTZ SPECIAL RESERVE BESPOKE BUILDS
CR Guitars is incredibly fortunate to have Scott Lentz and his son Scott Jr craft a very select reserve line of classic S and T style guitars. Each one is built using only woods that have been cabinet aged a minimum of 25 years or more. These guitars are built with the deepest knowledge of what these legendary models could and should be. Decades of experience have gone into discovering and executing the elements that give the best of the vintage Fenders their magic. Scott's obsession with every detail has helped him unraveled all the nuances to the magic imbued in vintage Fenders. A Lentz is truly what a Masterbuilt guitar should be. Everything is just is as you'd dreamed it would be. No detail is overlooked, from the chemistry of the lacquer to the handwound pickups, every part and procedure is done for a reason. It's really exciting to be able to share Scott's vision and creations with you.