Magazine \ Daily News \ New Products \ Kauer Guitars Debut With Daylighter Line

Kauer Guitars Debut With Daylighter Line

Premier Guitar

Kauer Guitars launches with offset-body Daylighter line, which includes solidbody, semi-hollow and hollowbody versions.
  RSS  EMAIL   SHARE   LINK   PRINT  COMMENTS
Elk Grove, CA (February 5, 2010) -- Kauer Guitars has introduced the Daylighter, the new flagship guitar from the Elk Grove, California company. With the Daylighter, the company seeks to fuse offset balance and aesthetics with classic set neck construction and carved top appointments for a blend of beauty and great playability.

Kauer is building a variety of Daylighters, from the bare-bones Daylighter Express to the woody and ES-tinged vibe of the Hollowbody Daylighter. Here's some more information Kauer Guitars and the Daylighter from the company:

Standard Specs:
Body: African Mahogany
Cap: Wormy Maple (except the Express)
Neck: African Mahogany
Fretboard: Wenge, Pau Ferro, Cocobolo
Binding: Wood
Scale: 24 3/4"
Frets: 22
Radius: 12"
Neck Profiles: Vary Open Request, standards are "59LP Fat D" (.92-1.0), Medium C (.89-.99) and Hard V (.92-1.02)
Bridge: TonePros AVR-2 or ATV2 Wraparound
Tailpiece: TonePros
Tuners: Sperzel SoundLoc
Inlays: Mother of Pearl
Pickups: P-90, Humbuckers

MSRP:
Daylighter Express: $2300
Daylighter STD: $3400
Daylighter Semi Hollow: $3850
Daylighter Hollowbody: $4500

Kauer Guitars is a family run business started by Doug and Rick Kauer. With over 15 years experience in wood-working, Doug was able to capitalize on his experience with CNC machinery to do precision work such as fret slotting, bridge placement, body shape and more. In tandem with the precise work our CNC machines offer, Doug still uses an overall hands-on approach to more delicate matters such as shaping necks, contours, fretwork, finishing and final setup.

Rick Kauer's extensive 20 year history in the same field allows him to be vital to the machining and quality control for each instrument. Rick's expertise allows each and every Kauer Guitar to be as consistent as the ones before.

For more information:
kauerguitars.com

     



Comments

 (17 comments) display by
UsernameComment
vanderlei kauer
on 05/27/2010 		vanderlei kauer meu e-mail é vanderleikauer@hotmail.com
vanderlei kauer
on 05/27/2010 		sou brasileiro minha filha gostaria de ganhar uma guitarra eka tem 13 anos eu tenho 56 anos.
moro na cidade de cachoeirinha rio grande do sul brasil
obrigado
um grande abraço
SteveL
on 02/12/2010 		I've played a daylighter amazing thick chunky neck hella tone! Well built. It put my 58ri to shame sonically speaking
Scott
on 02/07/2010 		Almost Forgot...Here's the link to the video I made of this guitar. It was done straight into a Roland Cube 60 to demonstrate how the guitar sounds against multiple amp types.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v =91E385L110Q
Scott
on 02/07/2010 		I kind of feel like I've participated in something unique and great here. I am the "left handed" fellow who cut the video of the Daylighter. And as far as I know, I was one of the first customers D. Kauer had for the Daylighter line.

Mine is the semi hollow version with a '59 neck profile, wenge fretboard, and a top that Doug allowed me to personally select. This was my first experience with a custom shop guitar....it does not disappoint. The action and playability of this guitar is unlike anything else I've ever used. (I also own 2 Gibson Les Pauls, including a fully restored 1980 Custom.) The guitar, as a semi hollow is also light in spite of its size...mine weighs just under 8 pounds which makes it ideal for playing multiple sets at shows. Mine was also given a special wiring configuration...it has 2 volumes along with a push/pull against the neck in set in a reverse phase with a set of WB Firewater pickups. It's a great setup because I can go from a tone that sings like a strat in the neck to another tone that snarls like a Les Paul with the flip of the toggle switch.

The only regret I have is that I don't have enough money to buy the second Daylighter Doug made in his shop. Keep your eye on this luthier...he's just getting started....
Joe Losacco
on 02/07/2010 		I always wanted a Thunderbird bass but with some minor adjustments from the Gibson norm. Doug handcrafted me a bass that is absolutely mind blowing and honestly gives any Gibson more than a run for their money. The special attention to detail like the MOP Tbird shape inlay at the 12th fret, the strengthened scarf joint and the neck profile are the things that set this instrument apart from all others I've tried. If his guitars are anything along the lines of craftsmanship, customer service and communication then I'm dying to get my hands on one. Let me know when the bass version is available, I want to be the first and wanted serial no.1!!!!
Hush
on 02/06/2010 		The quality and playability of the Daylighter is truly amazing. I have never been a big fan of Gibson set neck guitars. I've always stayed with Fenders and Parkers. But, now that I have played more than one Daylighters, I will make one my next guitar. Very stable, and made just the way I want. I can hardly wait. I know that Doug and Rick Kauer make sure every Daylighter owner is thrilled with their purchase. Could be the "last" guitar I'll ever buy.
Steve Taylor
on 02/06/2010 		I own #5 (a semi hollow) and #17 (a hollow-body) and I can say without a doubt that they are my favorites in my 24 guitar collection. I've used them for every gig since I got them. Unbelievable quality and attention to detail. I love the finish, its not one of those thick plastic shells that you find on so many guitars now-a-days. Its almost like you can feel the wood but still have the high gloss. I have a modified V neck on mine with the wenge fretboard. The action is what ever you want it to be. I've played it so low that it would buzz on most guitars with without any fret noise. I've also tried setting them up SRV style with action you could throw a cat under and its still easy and comfortable to play. The tone is fabulous they really bring out the best of what ever PUs you use. I set mine up with quick connects on the PUs so I could try a large variety. I found that PU changes make huge differences in the tone. I've tried SDs, Greers, WB's, Gibsons, Toneriders, and TV Jones. All sounded great but all sounded really different from one another. My favorites are the TV Jones TV HTs (HiLotrons) on the Hallow-body and the WB's on the Semi-Hallow. I find that I can get a real acoustic sound (Think Taylor acoustic with peizo) with the TV HT and a little extra treble on my amp. Roll the tone off a little and you get the Gretsch sound, roll it off a little more and you get a great Jazz tone. The tone control is probably the most useful of any guitar I've ever played. I don't know why it works so well because its a simple passive setup but its really tuned to these guitars. If you are at a guitar show where Kauer guitars are being shown or you live near Sacramento CA, do yourself a favor and play one.
Ivan Parra
on 02/06/2010 		Ivan here... soon to be a proud daylighter owner. Doug is in the process of building mine at the moment... however, I've had the chance to play quite a few of them. Doug is a great guy, I sent him some emails to ask about the guitars and he invited me down to the shop to take one for a spin and talk gear. I've had the honor of playing a few of the very first daylighters built. I was immediately sold. The style, the tone... unmatched. Right now, I have solid body Daylighter #10 "on loan" from Doug (did i mention he's an awesome guy). I went in to pick out a block of limba and finalize the specs of my guitar and i walked out with #10 to jam on for a few days. I thought the guitar sounded great in his shop, but once i got it to our rehearsal space on my rig where I was able to a/b it with my guitars for a good long while... WOW! #10 is a beast! Its beautifully crafted, and perfectly balanced. My #1 guitar is a historic les paul, and i'm almost positive that my daylighter is going to take the new #1 position. This particular Daylighter has a bit more bottom end than my les paul, but a simple tweak of some amp settings and I was in business. Super articulate highs and lows, no mud at all. Sounds great perfectly clean and is a beast with high gain. The pickups and materials are all working in perfect balance. Tone is one thing, then there is the look and feel. the neck is super comfortable and the fretwork is perfect. The body has a beautiful burst finish over the sleek lines of the top carve. The offset body makes for a very well balanced and super comfortable guitar to play. Everything about the guitar just says "play me", and I'm happy to appease. My hat is off to the folks at Kauer. Thank you and keep up the good work.
Alan M
on 02/05/2010 		These are beautiful, high quality guitars built by great people. They do quality work with great attention to detail. The Kauers are also a pleasure to do business with.



Your Comment:  

All comments are subject to editing or deletion by the Premier Guitar staff.

Your Name:  


Please enter the text you see in the image:  
10