Thorn Grantura Shoreline Gold w/Throbaks (USED, 2015)

Ron Thorn's refined take on the semi-hollow, in Shoreline Gold, with in-house pressed laminates and ThroBak ER-Custom pickups.

At its core, a semi-hollow guitar build is a negotiation between three things that pull against each other: the pressed laminate top and back plates that gives the body its shape and stiffness, the center block that manages feedback and sustain, and the neck joint that has to transfer everything into a body that's mostly air. Too much block and you've got a solid body with decorative f-holes. Too little and the guitar fights you the second things get loud.

Ron Thorn presses his own plates. That, plus a full-length maple and spruce center block and a dovetail neck joint of his own design, is the short version of why the Grantura behaves the way it does rather than just looking the way it does. Ron's been the sole inlay provider to the Fender Custom Shop since the mid '90s, launched Thorn Guitars in 2000, spent five years as the Custom Shop's first Principal Master Builder and later its Director of Master Builder Operations, and has since reopened his own California workshop. Meaning, the man knows a thing or two about building incredible instruments.

This Grantura is #LS-05, completed April 2015 in Shoreline Gold, which in some ways is a braver choice than it sounds. There's curly maple in that laminate and the metallic covers every bit of it, so the guitar has to work on shape and contrast instead instead of beautiful wood grain. For our money? It absolutely does.

The gold sits between champagne and warm brass depending on the light, the cream binding adds a clean line all the way around, and the Tri-Crown fingerboard inlays set off the dark Brazilian rosewood board beautifully. Less a 335 variant than something from a parallel 1962 where somebody at Gibson had access to Fender's paint booth.

The Wolfetone Dr. Vintage humbuckers, uncovered with cream bobbins, run through a simple two volume, one tone, three-way setup and cover the whole range you'd want. Round jazz warmth at the neck, real bite when you push the bridge. What stands out is the touch sensitivity and the top end. The guitar responds well no matter how hard you dig in rather than flattening everything out.

The feel matches. Korina neck in a medium/fat C at .860" to .960", 12" radius, rolled edges, and 6150 Jescar frets with Ron's hidden fret ends, so there's no tang running out to catch your hand. Overall it's slinky, malleable, lively - and most importantly - really musical.

If you've been circling the 335 idea and want something more considered without giving up the feel or the voice, come play this one, folks. It does not disappoint.