What can I say…… he’s done it again! Master Luthier Douglas Harrison builds some of the best jazz guitars guitars in the world, and this new GB Custom is no exception. Its “Blister Maple” top is simply mesmerizing. I was in love with this guitar before I had even played it!
As impressive as this guitar is visually, it isn’t until you sit down and play it that you realize just how incredible it really is. Harrison is able to get an amazing amount of depth from a slim-boded guitar. Every GB Custom I’ve played has a level of low-end bloom that I typically associate with much larger guitars. Balancing out the round low end is a very clear attack transient. The detail that comes through in the high-end frequencies prevents the GB Custom from ever sounding tubby or muddy.
It all adds up to what I can only describe as a very “hi-fi” sound. Many guitar builders use a subtractive approach to shaping the sound of their guitars; making a guitar sound ‘warm’ by removing treble, or making a guitar sound ‘bright’ by removing bass. Harrison on the other hand has created a guitar that is far more multi-dimensional than that. The GB Custom is a guitar that rewards subtle playing. Ever nuance, every little twitch of your fingers results in a new expression or sound.
All in all, the Harrison GB Custom Blister Maple is an absolute joy to play and listen to.
Specs
- “Blister” figured maple top
- Tropical mahogany back and sides
- Ebony tailpiece, fretboard, pickguard, and bridge
- Seymour Duncan “Jazz” humbucking pickup
- Master volume, master tone control w/ push-pull switch for series/parallel settings
