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Micro-Frets Calibra Reviews  5 / 5 based on 1 reviewsI was in a bar about thirty years ago listening to a band and the guitar sound was amazing, the guitarist was playing a guitar I had never seen before so I asked him about it, he let me try it out and I spent the next three years hunting for one. One eventually turned up in a local music store and I had to have it. I paid £80 for it which in 1971 was about the price of a used telecaster.
I loved the guitar as soon as I heard it. I had never seen a guitar with a fully adjustable nut before and realised the implications of this (perfect intonation all the way up the neck) The pick-ups were designed by Bill Lawrence and the action was truly unbeleivable. This guitar had the slimmest neck I had ever played on up to then and probably since. The pickups were so in your face the sound just seemed to jump out as soon as you touched the guitar and the stunning array of tones completely blew me away.
The guitar wasnt the best looking instrument I had ever owned the neck to body joint could have been a little more refined but this was more than compensated for by the sound and playability. I did a bit of research and found the guitar was made in maryland and designed by a guy called raiph jones who apparently died around 1973 and the company was taken over a couple of times but never did make anymore innovatory instruments. The company apparently was in business from 1967-1974 and made less than 3000 instruments, mine was constructed around 1969 and still plays like a dream
The guitar body was made up of lots of laminated blocks of alder and the neck was of rock maple with a beautiful rosewood fingerboard. The pick-ups incredibly powerful single coil Bill Lawrence design are some of the best Ive ever heard and can still hold their own against any modern guitar. As I said it wasn,t the prettiest guitar I ever saw but it was certainly the best sounding.
Its funny because the reason Im here writing this review is because I was searching for current pricing of these instruments with a view to selling it on ebay. Its made me realise just how wonderful this guitar is and why I couldn,t possibly think of selling it anymore. It had taken a back seat to a couple of top end guitars Ive bought since but after playing them all the micro-frets is by far the better instrument. Im to polite to mention the make of these other american made guitars... Kevin Curzon rated this unit on 2003-01-19.
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