Dark Kauri Strat

Strat-type guitar with two S-S very unique low impedence (hot and noiseless) pick-ups built by Langcaster. Body is a solid hunk of rare 35,000 year or older kauri wood from a New Zealand swamp... these are not lightweight guitars... mine weighs in at just over 10 lbs... Neck is maple with beautiful dark ebony fretboard. These necks are a smidge wider than the average Strat neck which ends up suiting me just fine -- I pluck/ finger pick/ chicken scratch a lot with my strumming (right) hand and this neck is perfect. I have medium sized hands and my left hand likes this neck - I can grab each string cleanly without stretching... truth is, I normally like chunkier necks and this neck is not chunky at all -- sort of a flat C Carvin-type neck... I was a little nervous about getting it but it's worked out GREAT. Built-in overdrive (tube screamer-style sound). Three-position blade, pull-pot for overdrive (level of overdrive) and an extra switch that drops -10db (this is a new Langcaster feature: these pick-ups are very hot and this switch allows you to switch guitars mid-show without having to turn your amp up considerably for your non-Langcaster guitar). Volume and tone pots/ knobs as well. Paua inlays for Langcaster logo, tops of knobs, and on three of the tuners -- the inlays are tasteful and beautiful, really nice attention to detail. Included hard case (not the nicest case in the world but functions) and great case candy - strap locks (a nice gift), polishing cloth, a certificate verifying dating of 35,000+-yr-old wood, even a guitar book concocted by Langcaster endorsing players, and more...

Guitar was set up by Joh before he shipped it to me. Came out of the case playing GREAT! The bridge has adjustable string spacers (apart from adjustable height/depth of course) which is great for me to give me more or less space between individual strings for my chicken-pickin. Pick-ups adjusted great. It is obvious that a lot of care went into making and tweaking this guitar. The craftsmanship is superb and attention to detail is impressive. My guitar does not look like it came off the Fender assembly line... It has character and it's obviously been attended to millimeter by millimeter... To me, this makes for super character and mojo.

These pick-ups are unique. I've had guitars with HOT pick-ups before but these Langcaster pick-ups are unique in that they give you HUGE detail and clarity. Combined with the ebony fretboard, this guitar reproduces every nuance of your playing. Within hours of getting it, I found myself playing more precisely than ever before. And, wonderfully, this guitar enabled me to hear each string in such detail that it actually inspired me to play differently -- suddenly I was hearing every string in such high definition that I started playing around with notes inside of chords I never paid much attention to before -- if that makes sense. It's really a fantastic thing to pick up a guitar and have it force you to 1) play at your best, and 2) it inspires you to try new things. I mainly play clean.  My Langcaster is hugely robust and full sounding. When at home I play through a lil blackface '64 Princeton. The clarity is fantastic. My lil blackface Princeton can't reproduce all the lows the Langcaster is putting out though -- because these pick-ups are so sharp, there's too much hi-mids coming from my amp and I end up rolling off the highs... I played it through a bigger, hotter amp with larger speakers and oh yes, there were the lows... You might find yourself adjusting your amp in new ways with this guitar to deal with just how much frequency response it puts out! I read some review where I think someone recommended matching a Bassman amp/ cab to a Langcaster -- that sounds like a great idea. These are single coils but fat and wide sounding. I prefer the sound to the many 70s Strats I've had and to the 60s Strats I've played... more variety and depth to them... Like I said, I mainly play clean - jazz, etc. But I've found myself rocking out a bit since I got the Langcaster simply because these pick-ups sound fantastic overdriven and with effects - effects that normally darken a guitar too much can't keep these pick-ups down...

Well-built. I will gig with it without a back-up.

I don't see myself shipping this guy back to Joh in New Zealand for anything(!). Luckily, I have fantastic guitar techs here in Los Angeles and it turns out my favorite one is actually an authorized installer of Langcaster pick-ups... I must say, I asked Joh a MILLION questions before I pulled the trigger on buying this guitar. I was a real pain. I asked to see the bodies he had coming down the line... I asked some really dumb questions about customizing a guitar (over and over)... Joh responded to each email with surprising swiftness and patience! And good advice. He's a really cool, nice nice guy. His customer support before my purchase was impeccable. I'm gonna keep emailing him just to say hello time to time...

Arright I might sound gushing in this review. I've never felt like writing a review before this guitar... Thing is: I will admit that the first thing that drew my attention to Langcaster guitars (many many many months ago - probably a year or two - when I first found em online) was the coolness of playing a piece of wood that grew 10,000 years before man walked the planet. Now that's vintage. And the look of them -- I cannot tell you how many afternoons I stared at the online pictures and listened to the sound clips of these gorgeous guitars. Each one is so unique, it was hard to choose which one struck me as MINE. I've gone through about 70 guitars in my life... I collected em for a while (hi my name's scott and i'm a recovering guitar collector)... I have always preferred vintage guitars. Old wood. I've bought exactly 3 guitars new in my life (sold off one quickly, have kept the other out of nostalgia, and the Langcaster is my 3rd). My Langcaster was a big investment for me -- I don't have that kinda money lying around. It was a big risk. Buying a $3000 guitar without playing it? It was the many questions Joh patiently answered for me -- and listening to sound clips -- that helped me decide... so, yes, these guitars are works of art and unique and unlike anything you'll find on this planet but -- the truth is, thank God, they play and sound like a dream! I've had it about a week (didn't want to write the review the first day) and this guitar is the best musical purchase I've made in my 35 years of playing. This guitar inspires me in three ways: the way it sounds, feels, and looks. If anyone in Los Angeles wants to play mine before buying one from Joh, contact Joh and ask him to give you my email address. You're welcome to come try it.

OK so I couldn't afford a fancy 35000 year old Langcaster, so on boxing day 2005 Joh set out to make me up a cheaper version (The Yellow Strat). He set it up just the right way for me as I described my requirements via email and what he indicated by photo. All the way from the rosewood neck, stock shape, machine head layout, scratch pad, awesome Lo impedance pickups, over drive and body layout is of the highest quality. Joh I feel like you gave me the best Christmas present ever. The finished product beautiful and very user friendly to play. I am stoked. Also thanks for the Alluminium case - perfect!

Fits me like a glove - love it!

Rich Full sound, does not really need any other effects box accessories. Watch out these babies are loud. Tremelo bar included but not really needed - the sound is too clear to want to distort too much I find.

Probably not as good as the 35000 year old swamp Kauri for endurance but I feel happy about putting it down on the stand during band breaks and Its already been baptised in Glenfiddich (just a little bit Joh No biggy)

On Ya Joh - many happy Christmases to you and your family Mate!

I have been playing acoustic guitars for 32 years and electric on and off during that time. I love my axes and the best in the quiver is a 150 year centennial D18 Martin 6 string fishman equiped - I havent played it since the Strat arrived but I will soon. What a wonderful complement to my quiver of axes this Yellow Strat is. Thankyou Joh and keep rockin'

This one of 2 Langcasters I bought,at the same time.The other is the dark kauri tele model that I'll review seperately.First off the guitar looks stunning,it just has to be seen to be believed.The pickups are Langcaster Ultimate Lo's with overdrive.Volume and tone,and gain pot.I had Joh Lang put a blend pot so I can blend in the neck pup with the  bridge and middle pup's.Earvana nut,Schaller locking tuners,Schaller steel block tremolo,strap locks.If that's not enough paua shell inlay on the headstock,string trees and truss rod cover,copper shielded cavity and ebony fingerboard.The body is made from 35,000 year dark kauri.Almost forgot there is a lot of case candy thrown in too!

The guitar was setup exactly as I asked,low without fretting out,and strung with .009's.Infact the strat was just about in tune,not bad considering it came from New Zealand. The guitar is a work of art there are no flaws anywhere,a lot of love went into this guitar,and it shows in the workmanship.I have custom shop Fenders,Gretsch,and a custom shop Gibson doubleneck and they pale in comparison.The pickups are handmade by Joh Lang and can be ordered as replacements.These pup's are the best single coil's I've ever heard and I highly recommend them.

These guitars are not just a pretty face,they rock!!! Without plugging in the guitar has a almost accoustic quality to it,and nice sustain.I know it sounds strange but,this guitar wants to be played,maybe theres a lil mojo going on with the wood,but I had to force myself to put the guitar down. For my amp tests I used a Pritchard Sword Of Satori,a Dr Z Maz 38,and a Crate V15.The only external effects I used were reverb and a Fulltone tape echo.I used a new Eric Johnson Fender Strat,to do side by side tests.I also plugged into a Behringer V-Amp with just headphones,mostly to get a idea of how the Langcaster would do in a recording situation. The EJ strat is one of the better production Fenders out there,but in high gain settings it can get noisy unless you use the neck-mid or bridge-mid  settings these are hum cancelling.It's also hottest Fender Strat I own.Using the Pritchard I put the Fender thru it's paces with a nice texas blues sound.Using the same settings I plugged in the Langcaster and nearly blew out my eardrums.This guitar is way hotter than the Fender,probably hotter than any guitar I own,and that's quite a few. The sound is unreal,clean it is rich and full,but still bright enough to cut thru anything.Using the clean setting on the Pritchard I hit the built in overdrive and wow,it's like the best overdrive you've ever heard.This overdrive IMHO is the best I've heard.I have the tube screamer and the fulltone fulldrive and a few other boutique pedals and there is no need to pack those puppys in my gig bag anymore. As for noise,there is none with the Ultimate Lo's,theres is nothing but pure tone.Using a high gain setting on the V-15 the Langcaster sustained like no other guitar in my arsenal.With the V-amp,clean sounds were spacious and the frequency response was almost bell like.Using some of the high gain sounds the Ultimate Lo's produced no noise at all.These were the same presets I had tried to use with the EJ strat and found them to be just to noisy and not pleasing to the ear. The Langcaster sounds like a strat should,great for blues,country,jazz,and hard rock.You just can't get a bad tone from it period!!!!

Hell this wood survived the ice age,probably survive Pete Townshends antics.                           The only backup I'd use is my dark kauri tele,just in case I broke a string!!!!

Joh Lang is a pleasure to work with.He answered all my questions about options,and replied to all my e-mails.I received numerous updates on both guitars and I couldn't be happier with this purchase. I doubt anything would crap out on this guitar,but if it did,I'm sure Joh would stand behind his work.That's something I wouldn't say about the big boys of the business.

I've been playing for over 45 years now,lets just say I have too many guitars and amps to list. Langcaster makes the best guitars bar none.I've played on Paul Reed Smiths,Andersons and I own a lot of guitars by different makers,nothing comes close. If it was stolen God help the person ,because he would not want to deal with me!That said I'm already considering a third Langcaster.After all,you cant have too many guitars!!!!