Veillette Flyer Electric Acoustic

The Flyer is Veillette's truly unique take on the acoustic steel-string guitar, with a sound much bigger than its size. The Flyer's tone is bursting with personality, an intriguing blend of acoustic flavors, combining flattop, jazz archtop, resonator, and Macaferri-style elements. Echoes of vintage Stellas and classic blues sounds mix beautifully with the chop and responsiveness of a jazz box. The midrange is lively, open, and very vocal - incredible for slide playing, and excellent for complex fingerstyle where note definition is essential.

The solid Sitka spruce top is curved into a "radiused" arc shape, yielding a stiff but lightweight face that responds very differently from your average flattop guitar. The Flyer's solid maple back and extra-thick bent maple sides are designed and built to withstand the rigors of travel far better than traditional acoustics - making this the perfect traveling companion or touring guitar. The full-scale (25") 22-fret neck and compact body result in a very satisfying, full-sounding guitar.

Unplugged, the Flyer has much more volume and "cut" than its small size suggests, with projection that rivals many larger guitars. Plugged in, the Flyer's distinctive personality shines through the high-fidelity D-Tar onboard electronics, resulting in an incredibly playable and comfortable stage acoustic with a look and sound that really stand out.

Combining the ruggedness and portability of Veillette's classic Journeyman guitars with the response and character of their acoustic line, the Flyer is among Veillette's most unique and innovative instruments.

As a professional guitarist I've known about Veillette's wonderful guitars for years. I'm not alone. A lot of players love them (just check out his web site). Joeh has always had a reputation for building guitars that were refined tools for the professional musician on the road or in the studio.

There's a reason for this; Joe Veillette has a real gift for designing and building instruments for scratching an itch other guitars can't reach. If you heard a tone in your head that was a bit unique - be it a baritone to octave 12 string guitar - Veillette seemed to be the place you want to solve that specific musical need. What makes them cool is that they're able to fulfill that need, and at the same time, be affordable.

I really like his guitars. Period.

Another thing that appealed to me was that Joe was eager to do a custom version of the Flyer just for our shop.

What does that mean? Upgraded woods and esthetic, a beautifully contoured C-shape custom neck. No zero fret. The tailpiece, the fretboard, all were non-standard and upgraded for CR guitars.

It's a truly impressive instrument; one that makes the perfect couch guitar or a valuable companion while playing live. It brings together superb playability with remarkable versatility. I think the Veillette Flyer would be a perfect addition to any acoustic or electric player's arsenal.

Check out Guitar Player Review below: (And please note, their comments about the cosmetics do not apply to the custom version I had Joe V make for the shop.)
 

Guitar Player Review of the Veillette Flyer:
Built in Woodstock, New York, by a small team headed by lutheir Joe Veillette, this uniquely styled steel-string acoustic features elements inspired by archtop and Macaferri-style guitars along with traditional flat-top designs, with the goal of combining classic blues tonalities with the punch and presence of a jazz box. Carved into what Veillette calls a "radiused arc shape," the Flyer 13's solid spruce top is light, stiff, and highly responsive. Paired with solid maple back and sides, the combination results in a surprisingly girthy sounding instrument that's still compact enough to fit in an airliner's overhead baggage compartment.

The curves of the body make this guitar comfortable to hold either seated or strapped, and the workmanship is excellent across the board, as witnessed by the expertly carved bridge and tailpiece, polished, frets, and flawless finish. Cosmetics are minimal, but the binding that edges the body and oval soundhole is pin neat, and the abalone logo and amber buttons on the tuners look sweet against the gloss black facing of the headstock.

The Flyer 13's slender, full-sized neck feels great, and the setup and tuneful intonation make for an inspiring playing experience. Acoustically, the Flyer pumps out a rich tone with abundant midrange complexity, firm lows, and a crisp top-end. This would be a fine guitar for a singer-songwriter, though it also delivers the gutsiness and ringing attack for blues, as well as the buoyancy and stringy detail that a fingerstyle player would want. These sonic characteristics are well represented by the D-Tar electronics, which sounded balanced and well focused through combo amps-and small P.A. systems alike. The Volume and Tone controls located just inside the soundhole are easy to manipulate, though this is a guitar that requires very little fussing with EQ to get a good amplified sound.

Worth noting is that the Flyer l3 can be personalized to the nth degree, as it's available in a variety of colors and body woods that include spruce, maple, figured walnut, myrtle, and other exotic species. You can also specify black or gold hardware, as well as your preferred scale length, string gauge, nut width, fretboard material, and lots more. And if the Flyer l3 seems a little too diminutive for your tastes, Veillette is also offering it as a Flyer 14 (14" lower bout) with a body that's an inch wider for the same price.

One of the coolest choices around in a standard sized guitar that travels well, the Flyer is definitely worth an audition if style and sound are high on your list of priorities.

Kudos: Evocative look. Plays well. Sounds bigger and richer than its size might indicate.
Concerns: None.

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 VEILLETTE GUITARS
Veillette Guitars is a three-person shop, building 5 to 6 instruments a month in Woodstock, NY. A flexible approach fosters creativity, inventiveness, and curiosity. The pursuit of new ideas — both their own and their clients' — produces an uncommonly wide range of innovative instruments. Veillette has been very fortunate to attract a broad spectrum of players including: John Mayer, James Taylor, Dave Matthews, Kaki King, David Torn, Eddie Van Halen, Todd Rundgren, Colin Hay, Jeff "Skunk" Baxter, John Sebastian, Jimmy Vivino, Mike Gordon (Phish), and Mike McCready (Pearl Jam). With a list like that you know that something very special is going on at Veillette Guitars.