Though he’s been building custom instruments since 1993, these two models, the Ranchero and the El Camino, represent Mike Potvin’s first standard offerings, if you take standard in the sense of stock designs with a few options rather than completely custom built, that is (although there are still quite a few options available). If you take standard in the sense of routine, typical or conventional, then not so much. Our first up-close encounter with these guitars at the Montreal Guitar Show last July put us in mind of what might happen if you stuck an Esquire and a Junior in a dark place and let nature take its course. We were pleased to discover, though, that Potvin’s experiment in hybridization had gone well beyond the coolness of the idea, so we knew we’d be able to review more than a pair of eye-pleasing gimmicks. As luck would have it, the two guitars we received were the very same ones we’d had a chance to look over and play in Montreal—although Mike had made a few small changes in the meantime.
What is so impressive about the guitars (again beyond the cool-factor of this particular crisscross) is how unique they are. Both instruments are as unlike the guitars that inspired them as they are unlike each other. And, although it’s hard enough to imagine a more diametrically opposed set of energies than those of the rarified, exclusive cult of the modern boutique guitar and the blue-collar, workhorse vibe of the Fender Esquire and Gibson Les Paul Junior, Potvin has somehow managed to harness those engergies and make them work together. That he’s able to do that and offer a very healthy array of options, and still sell them at a price that won’t make a working musician blush … well, it sure impressed us.
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 | Download Example 1 El Camino rear selector pos. (regular tone control), Vol 2 up to full |
| Download Example 2 El Camino fwd selector (first cap, no tone control) Vol. full |
| Recorded with XITS Sadie Channel 1, Bass noon, Treb. 1 o'clock, Cut
9:30, Vol. full; AQDI ZeroCap cable; recorded on a Mac using Digidesign
MBox2. | |
Starting well within the Junior-style domain with a double-cutaway slab body of white limba (or korina)—made dramatic with dark grain filler—the El Camino reveals a number of upscale touches, from the pao ferro fretboard to the matching headstock overlay with black pinstripe, the five-ply pickguard and truss rod cover, black mother-of-pearl inlay logo and Gotoh 510 tuners. Though it clearly possesses the qualities of a well-thought-out, handbuilt guitar, it nevertheless retains a sense of downto- earth directness. The three-piece maple neck, instead of mahogany or korina, was unexpected, and there was a bit more mass in the shoulders than on most Gibsons, but the headstock angle, neck shape and scale length all combine to give it a familiar feel.
The pickup is one of Jason Lollar’s Special T series, and this bridge is a modern T-style, but a 3- or 6- saddle vintage bridge is available—for those who are more interested in mojo than intonation, as Potvin suggests. And, while the straight-ahead mojo of a korina guitar and a P-90 is pretty much inarguable, combining that body, neck and wood with a Tele/Esquire bridge and pickup seemed like uncharted territory. I’m happy to report a pleasant journey with some real surprise discoveries. Because of the Esquire switching, the El Camino turns out to be a seriously versatile instrument: forward engages the first capacitor (fixed-bass, no tone control); middle is the wide-open pickup, no tone control; and back engages the second cap with standard tone control. There is less snap and twang than the pickup would have in its more ordinary context, but there’s still plenty of sizzle. Somehow, through the alchemy of this particular combination of elements, Potvin has produced a no-bullshit, balls-out rock guitar. With the 3-way selector in the forward position, it’s pure classic rock beast with all the thick, sweet mid-focused punch you could ask for—think AC/DC and KISS. Although you can get it very crisp if you lay off the gain, you’d be forgiven for thinking there was no way it had a Tele pickup if you had your eyes closed. Throw the selector all the way back and roll the Tone control off just a bit for all bite and woolly swagger that goes from the Stones to MC5, depending on the gain. Somehow, with a Vox-voiced amp like the Xits Sadie dimed, the El Camino in the middle position even does the raunchy “bag of nails” overdrive jangle of the early Jam, like the Byrds on steroids. If you like it raucous and rebellious, you’ll definitely like the El Camino. The fact is, I’m unable to offer a detailed report on the quality of the guitar’s clean tones because … well, I only passed through them on my way to the dirt.
Buy if...
you want real versatility in a uniquely styled and stripped-down workhorse.
Skip if...
you’re not looking to kick out the jams.
Rating...
Street $1750 - Potvin Guitars - potvinguitars.com |
Hit page 2 for our review of the Ranchero...
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| Download Example 1 Ranchero Tone 5, Vol. 3 up to 8; XITS Sadie Ch. 2 (EF86) Tone noon, Vol 3 o'clock |
| Download Example 2 Ranchero Tone 9, Vol 8; XITS Sadie Ch. 2 (EF86) Tone noon, Cut 9:30, Vol. 3 o'cl |
| Recorded through AQDI ZeroCap cable to XITS Sadie in Sound Studio on a Mac using Digidesign MBox2. | |
Early on, the Esquire-inspired body, retro pickguard and Junior-style electronics of the Ranchero made it a front-runner over the El Camino—for me anyway. Truth be told, I warm up more readily to Fender-style guitars. It’s not because I think they’re better, but just because I’ve owned more of them and spent more time playing them. I find the neck profile, the scale length and the string tension more familiar, even the way they balance. To be quite frank, though, the big, black dog-ear P-90 and wraparound tailpiece on a Tele-esque body with wonderfully grained swamp ash in vintage Butterscotch finish—it has to be among the coolest looking things I’ve seen this year, Fender and Gibson inspiration aside. It just looks like it sounds raw and keen. Mike Potvin will make it for you in korina or mahogany, with other vintage colors for the finish if you like, but why would you?
A 12"-radius African blackwood fretboard with pearl face and side markers is unmistakably nice, but the hidden treasure of this guitar is the bocote neck. You can also get a maple neck if you really want it, but you should definitely treat yourself to the bocote. It’s an oily wood, so Potvin has left it unfinished from behind the nut down to the heel—it’s neither slippery nor sticky, but actually very gratifying to play. I can’t find a better word than luxurious, both in the way it looks and the way it feels. If I could convince Mike Potvin to sell me just the bocote necks, I’d take three or four in a heartbeat.
Unexpected improvements aren’t limited to the benefits of the criss-crossed designs and that opulent neck. There is also that head-slapping moment of wonder and thoughts of “Hmmn, why didn’t this happen sooner?” when you go to plug the guitar in and realize that the Strat-type output jack has been mounted on the back of the guitar, just below the mid-point, but angled slightly upward rather than downward. It’s actually kind of remarkable how much difference a few inches can make in placement. The angle will minimize the chance of pulling the cord out by accident, but you’re not very likely to step on it anyway—at least not while wearing this guitar on a strap—since this setup actually works better than looping the cord through the strap to move it out of the way and keep it from getting underfoot, or being yanked out by a clumsy step. It also has the advantage of leaving the front of the guitar free of … well, clutter. Potvin won’t take credit for inventing it, and I’m inclined to believe him; it’s just that I can’t recall where I’ve come across this before. It should become a standard option on all kinds of solidbody guitars—another stroke of genius, really.
Like the El Camino, handling and inspecting the Ranchero reveals all the attention to details—in fretwork, nut, intonation, etc.—that is the calling card of a skilled builder. Playing it unplugged for a while first revealed some very positive signs: it’s just ringing with overtones and full of lively resonance. Plugged in to both an Xits 15W Sadie and a Mojo Tweed Deluxe replica, those characteristics made for a rich, chiming textured tone that’s a clean player’s delight. Although it doesn’t cover what I’d call a wide tonal territory, you can achieve a very precise control over it with just the two knobs and touch (and most of the time I played it, I didn’t mess with the Tone at all).
As you’d expect, the Lollar P-90 and TonePros wraparound tailpiece keep it from sounding particularly like an Esquire—there isn’t too much of the bright twanginess or stinging bite at the top end. What it does have, though, is one mean snarl and a snappy thickness that’s bold but not syrupy. Set clean, it’s balanced and full; set to overdrive an amp, it is forceful and lean, but easily tameable with just a touch of the Volume knob. At every volume the Ranchero refuses to become either achingly bright or roundly dull sounding. It’s likely that has a lot to do with the high-quality paper in oil cap we found lurking in the well shielded control cavity, but I suspect that the choice of wood here is also responsible for the guitar’s tonal balance. There’s a clearer attack and less of the mellow midranginess you often get from mahogany or korina guitars … which is not to say better, but still another interesting byproduct of a successful hyrbridization. There really isn’t anything to readily compare it to.
Considering its pedigree, it may seem strange to say I probably wouldn’t consider it first for either pure classic rock or country, but there’s a lot between those two that it could be perfect for, from roots music and folk rock to grunge and punk, where lack of versatility is no weakness, where earnest simplicity is a virtue, and where so much comes down to plain old-fashioned craftsmanship.
Buy if...
you want custom-built quality with unpretentious straightforwardness and dependability.
Skip if...
you want greater tonal versatility.
Rating...
Street $1750 - Potvin Guitars- potvinguitars.com |
Gibson originally launched the EB-6 model with the intention of serving consumers looking for a “tic-tac” bass sound.
The Gibson EB-6 was announced in 1959 and came into the world in 1960, not with a dual-horn body but with that of an elegant ES-335. They looked stately, with a thin, semi-hollow body, f-holes, and a sunburst finish. Our pick for this Vintage Vault column is one such first-year model, in about as original condition as you’re able to find today. “Why?” you may be asking. Well, read on....
When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye. The real competition were the Danelectro 6-string basses that seemed to have popped up out of nowhere and were suddenly being used on lots of hit records by the likes of Elvis, Patsy Cline, and other household names. Danos like the UB-2 (introduced in ’56), the Longhorn 4623 (’58), and the Shorthorn 3612 (’58) were the earliest attempts any company made at a 6-string bass in this style: not quite a standard electric bass, not quite a guitar, nor, for that matter, quite like a baritone guitar.
The only change this vintage EB-6 features is a replacement set of Kluson tuners.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
Gibson, Fender, and others during this era would in fact call these basses “baritone guitars,” to add to our confusion today. But these vintage “baritones” were all tuned one octave below a standard guitar, with scale lengths around 30", while most modern baritones are tuned B-to-B or A-to-A and have scale lengths between 26" and 30".)
At the time, those Danelectros were instrumental to what was called the “tic-tac” bass sound of Nashville records produced by Chet Atkins, or the “click-bass” tones made out west by producer Lee Hazlewood. Gibson wanted something for this market, and the EB-6 was born.
“When the EB-6 was introduced, the Bass VI was still a glimmer in Leo Fender’s eye.”
The 30.5" scale 1960 EB-6 has a single humbucking pickup, a volume knob, a tone knob, and a small, push-button “Tone Selector Switch” that engages a treble circuit for an instant tic-tac sound. (Without engaging that switch, you get a bass-heavy tone so deep that cowboy chords will sound like a muddy mess.)
The EB-6, for better or for worse, did not unseat the Danelectros, and a November 1959 price list from Gibson hints at why: The EB-6 retailed for $340, compared to Dano price tags that ranged from $85 to $150. Only a few dozen EB-6 basses were shipped in 1960, and only 67 total are known to have been built before Gibson changed the shape to the SG style in 1962.
Most players who come across an EB-6 today think it was a response to the Fender Bass VI, but the former actually beat the latter to the market by a full year.
Photo by Ken Lapworth
It’s sad that so few were built. Sure, it was a high-end model made to achieve the novelty tic-tac sound of cheaper instruments, but in its full-voiced glory, the EB-6 has a huge potential of tones. It would sound great in our contemporary guitar era where more players are exploring baritone ranges, and where so many people got back into the Bass VI after seeing the Beatles play one in the 2021 documentary, Get Back.
It’s sadder, still, how many original-era EB-6s have been parted out in the decades since. Remember earlier when I wrote that our Vintage Vaultpick was about as original as you could find? That’s because the model’s single humbucker is a PAF, its Kluson tuners are double-line, and its knobs are identical to those on Les Paul ’Bursts. So as people repaired broken ’Bursts, converted other LPs to ’Bursts, or otherwise sought to give other Gibsons a “Golden Era” sound and look ... they often stripped these forgotten EB-6 basses for parts.
This original EB-6 is up for sale now from Reverb seller Emerald City Guitars for a $16,950 asking price at the time of writing. The only thing that isn’t original about it is a replacement set of Kluson tuners, not because its originals were stolen but just to help preserve them. (They will be included in the case.)
With so few surviving 335-style EB-6 basses, Reverb doesn’t have a ton of sales data to compare prices to. Ten years ago, a lucky buyer found a nearly original 1960 EB-6 for about $7,000. But Emerald City’s $16,950 asking price is closer to more recent examples and asking prices.
Sources: Prices on Gibson Instruments, November 1, 1959, Tony Bacon’s “Danelectro’s UB-2 and the Early Days of 6-String Basses” Reverb News article, Gruhn’s Guide to Vintage Guitars, Tom Wheeler’s American Guitars: An Illustrated History, Reverb listings and Price Guide sales data.
Originally released in the 1980s, the Victory has long been a cult favorite among guitarists for its distinctive double cutaway design and excellent upper-fret access. These new models feature flexible electronics, enhanced body contours, improved weight and balance, and an Explorer headstock shape.
A Cult Classic Made Modern
The new Victory features refined body contours, improved weight and balance, and an updated headstock shape based on the popular Gibson Explorer.
Effortless Playing
With a fast-playing SlimTaper neck profile and ebony fretboard with a compound radius, the Victory delivers low action without fret buzz everywhere on the fretboard.
Flexible Electronics
The two 80s Tribute humbucker pickups are wired to push/pull master volume and tone controls for coil splitting and inner/outer coil selection when the coils are split.
For more information, please visit gibson.com.
Gibson Victory Figured Top Electric Guitar - Iguana Burst
Released in 1983, the Roland SDE-3000 rackmount delay was a staple for pro players of the era and remains revered for its rich analog/digital hybrid sound and distinctive modulation. BOSS reimagined this retro classic in 2023 with the acclaimed SDE-3000D and SDE-3000EVH, two wide-format pedals with stereo sound, advanced features, and expanded connectivity. The SDE-3 brings the authentic SDE-3000 vibe to a streamlined BOSS compact, enhanced with innovative creative tools for every musical style. The SDE-3 delivers evocative delay sounds that drip with warmth and musicality. The efficient panel provides the primary controls of its vintage benchmark—including delay time, feedback, and independent rate and depth knobs for the modulation—plus additional knobs for expanded sonic potential.
A wide range of tones are available, from basic mono delays and ’80s-style mod/delay combos to moody textures for ambient, chill, and lo-fi music. Along with reproducing the SDE-3000's original mono sound, the SDE-3 includes a powerful Offset knob to create interesting tones with two simultaneous delays. With one simple control, the user can instantly add a second delay to the primary delay. This provides a wealth of mono and stereo colors not available with other delay pedals, including unique doubled sounds and timed dual delays with tap tempo control. The versatile SDE-3 provides output configurations to suit any stage or studio scenario.
Two stereo modes include discrete left/right delays and a panning option for ultra-wide sounds that move across the stereo field. Dry and effect-only signals can be sent to two amps for wet/dry setups, and the direct sound can be muted for studio mixing and parallel effect rigs. The SDE-3 offers numerous control options to enhance live and studio performances. Tap tempo mode is available with a press and hold of the pedal switch, while the TRS MIDI input can be used to sync the delay time with clock signals from DAWs, pedals, and drum machines. Optional external footswitches provide on-demand access to tap tempo and a hold function for on-the-fly looping. Alternately, an expression pedal can be used to control the Level, Feedback, and Time knobs for delay mix adjustment, wild pitch effects, and dramatic self-oscillation.
The new BOSS SDE-3 Dual Delay Pedal will be available for purchase at authorized U.S. BOSS retailers in October for $219.99. To learn more, visit www.boss.info.