Scott Walker Phoenix Custom Made for Steve Kimock Model Solid Body Electric Guitar (2009), made in Santa Cruz, CA, natural finish, Belize curly mahogany body, rosewood neck with Brazilian rosewood fingerboard, original hard shell case.
This is a really superb and unique instrument, the first prototype "Phoenix Custom" made by luthier Scott Walker specifically for and in collaboration with Steve Kimock, a highly respected player mostly widely known for his many connections to the legacy world of the Grateful Dead. Walker handcrafts his high-end, acoustically resonant electric guitars in Santa Cruz, California blending exquisite woodworking artistry with structural innovation and elaborate cutting-edge high-fidelity active electronics. After a long stint as master neck carver and shop foreman at Santa Cruz Guitar Company, Walker opened his own shop moving into the electric realm.
Walker's elaborate and beautiful instruments are largely associated with the jam-rock world, particularly associated with Steve Kimock and Barry Sless. This Phoenix model was born through a Collaboration between Scott Walker, Steve Kimock, John Cutler, and Jason Lollar. Kimock is renowned for his decades-long sonic contributions to the psychedelic rock and jam band circuits; arriving in the Bay Area in the mid-1970s he soon becoming a noted figure in the live music scene. Jerry Garcia once called Kimock his "favorite unknown guitarist". He has toured extensively with post-Dead bands including The Other Ones and Phil Lesh & Friends.
This Phoenix model dates in concept back to 2007 conversations about guitar ergonomics between Walker and Kimock. Jason Lollar was brought in to design new pickups based on the wider, flatter Jazzmaster shape but with a Charlie Christian style blade instead of individual poles. Blade pickups can increase output and sustain; Steve wanted the blade to extend beyond the strings so that there were no drop-outs when bending or drop in response from the high E string. Compared to the original Fender style Jazzmaster pickup these Lollars offer a fuller sound, a little more overall output and longer sustain.
Scott Walker spent two years designing this Phoenix following detailed consultations with Kimock, Lollar, and John Cutler who designed and built the elaborate dual preamps. The Phoenix took flight after many discussions of how an instrument should look, feel, and fit the human body. The beautifully sculpted offset body is made of highly figured mahogany, with a carved upper ornamental scroll. The strings feed through the body over an ebony bridge with a bone saddle, giving a more acoustic-like natural sound and feel. The pickguard is copper with a verdigris patina hand engraved by Scott; it also helps shield the electronics. The bolt-on neck is solid rosewood with a double action truss rod and Fender-like specs: a 25 1/2" scale, 21 frets and a 1 5/8" bone nut. The profile is a bit deeper than a typical Jazzmaster with a Martin-like volute behind the carved single-sided headstock, fitted with Kluson tuners.
The Phoenix has an incredibly elaborate electronics rig. It can be played in stereo with a "Y" cable or mono with a standard phono cable. The pickups are hum-canceling when combined. John Cutler created a unique two channel Unity Gain Buffer specifically for this Phoenix, based on the unit he originally built for Jerry Garcia's "Tiger". The Phoenix also incorporates a passive circuit for the best of both worlds, selectable at the flick of a switch. We have an elaborate instruction sheet available as to how these controls work, along with copies of handwritten notes from the builder showing the layout in progress. This guitar is a bit outside of our normal vintage vibe, but is a truly superb instrument for the player looking for an incredibly versatile sonically unique handcrafted instrument with some strong "Dead Zone" vibes. A copy of an email from Scott Walker to the last owner confirms this as the first Phoenix built in collaboration with Steve Kimock, the initial prototype for the model.
Overall length is 40 1/2 in. (102.9 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 11/16 in. (4.3 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 25 1/2 in. (648 mm.). Width of nut is 1 5/8 in. (41 mm.).
This guitar shows signs of play over the past 15 or so years but no heavy wear or damage. There are some very small dings and scuffs overall, and some minor wear and corrosion to the hardware most notably to the exposed blades on the pickups. The original frets show just some minimal wear inn the first position. The strap buttons are Straploks; there is a set of Fender style strap buttons in the case pocket along with a spare bone saddle and two more wooden knobs, likely originally mounted in the lower positions where plastic knobs are now. This is a superb player's instrument as would be expected, and has a range of sounds available that is beyond impressive. A super cool piece for the ambitious player, this unique guitar still rests in its original proprietary HSC with a couple Scott Walker stickers included. Overall Excellent Condition.
