T
he Redtail DG Strat was a project completed in 2013
and it was influenced by one of my dad's favorite
guitarists. It wasn't meant to be a replica, but rather a
tribute with some eclectic elements, like most Redtail Guitars.
The guitar has found its way into many demos, since it has
such a unique tone and plays just how I like it, with an Earvana
compensated nut and plenty of tension with four springs on
the bridge.
This build was also a fun relic experiment. The alder body has
a well-worn black lacquer finish and the maple neck goes even
further with charcoal rubbed into the grain before finishing,
fretboard wear and even a little cigarette burn simulated with
a soldering iron! The plastic parts were soaked for a week
in a mix of tea and coffee, then sealed with a thin lacquer to
keep the tint in place. He also found that green Sharpie did
the trick in replicating the ink used in vintage Fender knobs.
The electronics were also Gilmour-inspired, the bridge pickup
is an ‘80s Duncan SSl-1 while the neck and middle are custom
wound 69s from RCI (sadly, Ryan Izon is no longer with us).
A cool feature is a mini switch that allows just the neck and
bridge pickups to be used together, or all three. This is just
one of the many guitars my father has lovingly made for me,
I'm honored to play it and thrilled to see so many viewers
comment when I bring it out for a demo. ~Andy
20
DROOLWORTHY //
Andy's Redtail DG Strat