Duesenberg Starplayer TV

Duesenberg is an electric guitar, effects and amplifier maker founded in 1986 and located in Hannover, Germany. The company started out as a parts maker and was selling DIY guitar kits before deciding to create and market their own brand of guitars and basses. All their instruments are assembled in Germany and goes through the high tech PLEK machine for the awesome fret works and setup. The company is known for their nod to the past while incorporating modern designs in their guitars. The STARPLAYER TV is probably their most successful and popular guitar model.

The Starplayer TV is a small bodied thin semi-hollow guitar in a Les Paul shape.  The guitar is a solidly made guitar with impeccable workmanship. The guitar features a semi–hollow flat Spruce top construction, a Maple neck with Rosewood fingerboard, two pickups, one Grand Vintage humbucker and one P-90-style single coil  (both pickups are Duesenberg’s proprietary design) switched by utilising unconventional wiring, and numerous Art Deco style applications. With its classic designs and mostly unconventional colouring, Duesenberg instruments refer to the craftsmanship in guitar design of the 50’s and 60’s (Source: Duesenberg_Guitars).   On their standard TV model, the guitar is equipped with the Diamond Deluxe Tremola, their own redesign of the famous Bigsby Tremolo  and it is the smoothest tremolo design I’ve ever tried.

It was late last year or early this year when I first heard of the Duesenberg brand .  After a quick search on Youtube and watching several videos featuring the Duesenberg guitar, I was hooked. Unfortunately for me, the Duesenberg brand is rarely available here in the Philippines and the rare times I saw them available here in the 2nd hand market, I did not have the budget for it. My eldest son shares my passion for guitars and was also wowed by the Duesenberg. The guitar remained an elusive dream for me.

Several weeks ago, my wife and kids went out to visit my mom-in-law by themselves and during their conversation in the car ride, they were discussing how they will be celebrating my golden birthday late this year. My son happened to mention that I  wanted to save up for a Duesenberg and someone suggested that why don’t they all chip and get me a pre-loved one. So my son searched the music forums for a unit and found one in mint condition for sale. They planned the whole thing behind my back without me even catching a hint of their plan.

Early this week, my wife and I celebrated our wedding anniversary by booking the whole family for an overnight stay at a newly opened boutique hotel here in Manila and it was there that their hatched and executed their plan. My son and my daughter set an appointment to meet up with the seller the next morning (our anniversary day itself). That morning, after coming out of the shower and the whole family was there. They placed the guitar case on top of the bed. I intially didn’t noticed it and went about changing and preparing to go down to the cafe for our breakfast, they kept repeating “Happy anniversary and advanced happy birthday Pa”. So I looked at them perplexed and they said “Pa, didn’t you notice anything?” so I look around and imagine my shock and surprise to see a guitar case on top of the bed and my jaw dropped when I saw the Duesenberg logo on top of the case. I  was so overwhelmed by their gesture of love that I couldn’t help but shed tears. It was just one of the most overwhelming occassion I’ve experienced.

I could have never imagined them doing this and giving me something like this. A golden blessed moment for an advanced golden celebration.  God is so good to me! The gift here isn’t the guitar but my wife and kids. The guitar is simply the icing on the cake for my coming birthday later this year. 🙂

I found out that the previous owner is also a worship musician and had it stringed with my favorite string guage – 11s and had it setup by my fave luthier, the legendary guitar doctor – Arie Hipolito so the guitar was good to go, I simply lowered the action a little and adjusted the tremolo arm swing tension both to my preferred taste and it was good to go. It sounded heavenly!! Twangy, meaty, chimey, but with that extra air that only a semi-hollow guitar can produce.  I can’t wait to use this in church soon. 🙂

Here are some photos of this beauty. You can click on the photos for a better view. Photos were shot with a Nikon D810 and a Nikon 50mm f/1.4G. I would love to hear from you so please do drop me a line or two. God bless.

The Diamond Deluxe Tremola

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