Reviewed By: Jac Harrison
Purchased from: Manufacturer
Street Price: $2,000 USD with case + shipping
About:
Malinoski Guitars is a Manufacturer of handcrafted
custom boutique American built electric guitars.
This Nova model #131 at 24 -3/4" scale has
an acrylic lacquer and oiled Spanish Cedar body w/oiled reclaimed Douglas
Fir pickup plate attached to an oiled Birdseye Maple and Cherry neck
thickness 7/8" medium "C" shaped w/
Padauk fretboard featuring 24 large frets topped with a 1
11/16" Delrin nut. The Nova weighs in at 6 lbs.
Hardware:
Sperzel tuners Hipshot SS bridge @ 2-1/8", thru-body
strings
Electronics:
Malinoski Type 2 HB neck 43 awg alnico5, 3/8"x
3/4", Type 4 blade HB 42 awg alnico 8 bridge pick-ups w/passive
bridge transducer. Push-pull single volume pot with push/pull piezo activation
single tone pot with 5-way selector under the bridge.
Sound
Amp Used:
Bogner Alchemist 2 x 12
Cable:
Intex
Selector position Just Neck:
Warm and thin very vintage Strat like with more of a bottom
end.
Selector position Neck & Bridge Parallel:
Bright almost Tele like.
Selector position Neck & Bridge Series:
Full and warm like a Strat on neck and middle almost
humbucker warm.
Selector position Neck & Bridge Reverse Phase:
Out of phase, just what you would expect.
Selector position Just Neck:
Tex Mex bridge with more volume and sustain.
Piezo element:
Very acoustic with all the good and none of the feedback,
farts, quacks, or pops.
Action, Fit & Finish:
Everything on this guitar was hand made excluding the
bridge, tuners, knobs and pots. The pickups, pickup covers, body, neck,
fretboard, etc. This is really a playable piece of art. The action was low
without buzz, and the intonation was dead on. The finish was natural and
beautiful without a flaw. The guitar felt like it was built with care and
attention to detail.
Reliability & Durability:
The guitar is well built. There was no pick-up humor
crackles from the electronics--all knobs and hardware installed snug and
proper.
Impression:
This is the second guitar I have had the chance to play by
this lutiher and it keeps getting better. I love everything about
this guitar, from its sleek lines to it's abstract art like body -- it just
fits the players body better then any other traditional design I have
found to date. The light weight construction of just 6 lbs might
have you thinking that it would lack in tone -- but that is not the case
at all. I was able to dial in a wide variety
of different tones from country twang,
to Clapton blues to modern rock and metal -- even
some bluegrass with the piezeo bridge. One of my
favorite features of the this guitar was the Padauk fretboard. Its
natural, faded red color added a unique twist to it's green body. I
just can not say enough about this guitar, it is by far one of if not the
most amazing and unique guitars I have ever played.
What I would change:
Nothing, this guitar is so unique that I wouldn't want to
change anything and take away from its beauty or playability.
My advice:
I have the same advice as I did with the last Malinoski
guitar I reviewed. If you are a collector, or you are looking for that unique
guitar that will make you stand out this is it. If you are a touring/gigging
musician that uses more then one guitar during your set including an acoustic,
this guitar is all you need. So my advice is buy one.
Contact:
Peter Malinoski Guitars
MD, United States
MD, United States
Posted 11/2012
