Bonneville guitars are handmade in Nashville, Tennessee, by Roland "Lindz" McKay. After years of studying, repairing, and refinishing vintage originals, McKay uses his extensive experience to build a limited number of guitars each year. Based on classic American templates, Bonneville guitars feature custom finishes that give each guitar its own unique character. Each Bonneville is a true handmade instrument constructed from the finest tonewoods and materials available. Using traditional methods and high-quality, USA-made parts (including hand-wound pickups), Bonneville captures the mojo and inspiration of treasured vintage guitars.
This Bonneville S-Style was completed recently, and it features a lightweight Alder body with a beautiful Desert Sand (a rare color Fender used in the '50s) lacquer finish. It has a maple neck with a carve that could be best described as, "Full 1958 profile." All of the finish and hardware have been aged and relic-ed to evoke the feel and character of a vintage instrument, but this guitar was handmade with modern-day precision. For hardware, it has a vintage-appropriate Kluson steel-block tremolo assembly and vintage-style Kluson tuners. The guitar includes a bone nut, slightly larger than vintage frets and plays perfectly.
For electronics, this S-Style is outfitted with Arcane "51 Exp" Strat pickups. Hand-wound in Los Angeles, these Arcane pickups produce clear, sweet strat tone in all positions on the 5-way switch. Overall, this guitar feels and sounds like a well-loved late '50s original. All of the aging and relic-ing is tasteful, and it looks authentic instead of over-the-top. The guitar includes a nice black hardshell case and the tremolo arm, of course.
