I'm Typically Not a Strat Guy, But...

[Masta' C]

I just pulled the trigger on this hand-built oddity.

I know nothing about this guitar or the builder, Mark Siegle out of PA, but the damn thing is so dang quirky and unique that I have been stuck pondering it for months now! I finally had to see what it was about...

Here are some of the more unique features:

• Offset 3-bolt neck joint
• Single, rear-mounted pickup in the center position only!
• Figured maple top and back in a ghostly blue-wash finish
• Pearlescent epoxy "binding" around the body
• Glass slide storage built into the lower bout

...plus surprisingly top-end hardware like Gotoh tuners, a Hipshot bridge, Lace Deathbucker, and stainless steel frets!

I really don't know what to make of it. I'm half tempted to throw big strings on it and drop it down low for some nasty, heavy riffs!

Obviously, I'll know more when it gets here. Kind of excited, honestly!

 

[Artie]

Wow! That's pretty cool. Unique, to say the least.

 

[beaubrummels]

Seems made for slide work. Deathbuckers are clear. That position would work for both bright lead work and more vocal mellow playing just by moving your right hand position. But it's rear mount, so you can swap something else of your choice.

 

[GuitarStv]

That's a cool looking guitar! I think you made the right choice.

 

[Mincer]

That is odd in a really cool way.

 

[Fender_Punk]

Really cool guitar! I like that it's a hard tail too. Should sound and play as good as it looks.

 

[Masta' C]

Yeah, I thought the slide thing was rather unique!

The middle-pickup-only approach intrigued me, as well. Typically, I avoid middle pickups as they sometimes get in the way, but I'm really curious about having that as the only option and what it might bring to the table in terms of dynamics and creativity.

If the Deathbucker doesn't work out for some reason, I have a humbucker-sized DiMarzio Fantom P90 that I bet would be perfect in that middle spot. That said, the Deathbucker seems like a very intentional move by the builder, so I'll definitely give it a chance.

I also appreciated that the volume knob is well out of my playing arc. I don't know if it's because I have big hands or tend to pick closer to the bridge or what, but I always bump switches and knobs that are placed too close to the bridge pickup.

It'll be interesting to see how it feels and plays once I have it in my hands.

I reached out to the builder on FB to see what his thought process was behind this guitar, but he suddenly stopped posting a little over a year ago, so I hope he's still around!

 

[jeremy]

dont think ive seen some of those features before. curious how the slide pocket works out

 

[Mincer]

I love the idea of a rear-mounted pickup. More guitars should have that. It looks better than pickup rings.

 

[Masta' C]

Ok, the Siegle arrived today and...I love it!

Definitely not my usual cup of tea, but it's comfortable, balanced, decently resonant, and surprisingly fun to play!

There's zero neck dive and it's rather light at just 7.2 lbs. Keep in mind, the entire thing is solid figured maple...top, back, and neck!

I thought the middle-positioned pickup might be an issue when playing, but the smooth waterfall edges of the Deathbucker prevent it from becoming a pick barricade.

Neck profile is interesting...1.65" nut width and starts out as kind of a deep C shape (almost a very soft V), becoming more of a "modern" C toward the higher frets. Radius seems to be on the flatter side. Stainless frets are 6105 equivalent in size.

The satin top coat (TruOil maybe?) has aged a bit since the listing pics were taken a few years ago, so it appears more "mint" in color now.

There's some minor handling wear that wasn't disclosed by the shop, but that just means I won't have to baby it and, honestly, I really can't complain for the price I got it at!

Fret ends have just a touch of sprout to them, but the actual fretwork is pretty good up and down the board!

Only thing throwing me off is the proximity of the high-E to the edge of the board. Reminds me of a Tele I once had with a narrow nut and wide bridge. I might put a new nut on this at some point, but it's certainly playable as it sits.

Anyways, here she is (I'll try to get some better pics during the day this week):

 

[Coma]

Dang, that's a real looker!