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  • Writer's pictureJohn Barton

Duesenberg Guitars


Where do I start?!! Two months ago Duesenberg guitars were merely a dot on my guitar radar screen. I had seen some ads in “Vintage Guitar” but really knew nothing about them. Then I saw a picture of Mike Campbell not only playing, but endorsing them. I had never known of Mike to endorse anything or play any instrument that was not old enough to vote. I became intrigued. A few weeks ago I was talking to Duncan Clark of Longhorn Leathers and he started raving about Duesenbergs. He had been talking with Nathan Fawley CEO of Duesenberg USA about guitar straps and referred me to him. Nathan is a great guy and a good friend of Mike’s and spends a lot of time with the Heartbreakers and the Stones. In fact Ron Wood is also endorsing the guitars. Glen Frey and Joe Walsh used Duesenbergs extensively on their Eagles latest recording. Nathan has been very generous with his time, experience and expertise. He has graciously appointed Friendly River to be his exclusive dealer for Maine and at this time we are his only dealer north of Boston. Duesenberg guitars are made in Germany in pretty limited quantities. They specialize in semi-hollow bodies and seem to embody some of my favorite qualities of Gretsch, Gibson and Fender guitars. Most models come equipped with one humbucker and their interpretation of the “P90”. They have developed a modern “Bigsby” that is very stable and a bit stiffer than the original. Duesenbergs have a Fender scale length which has some tonal advantages. While Duesenbergs are not cheap they are right in line with other German made instruments that we carry in terms of price and meticulous old world craftsmanship. In fact Mike Campbell wanted his signature to be as affordable as possible to make it more accessible to the working musician. The Duesenberg web site has a lot of information and sound samples. The Doozy’s are due to arrive soon. So, give us a call to make sure they are in the shop. Then come on over and take one for a test drive. Who knows, it may take all the way to the next Super Bowl! Drive On!


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