Related Tags
Watch: Mule’s Mavis is an amalgam of resonator, solidbody and archtop designs
These hand-crafted guitars might be more than a little tough to get your hands on, but before you jump on that waiting list, here’s a listen.
Guitar.com recently had the opportunity to jam with the Mavis, a handcrafted resophonic-style electric guitar from Michigan-based Mule Resophonic Guitars.
The Mavis combines elements from resonator, solidbody and archtop guitar design and, while it might bear a passing resemblance to an acoustic resonator, this handcrafted piece of magic also features Mule’s Tomthumbucker mini-humbucker, master volume and tone controls. Sure, mic up the Mavis with an old ribbon microphone and you’ll be treated to something that sounds like a century-old blues recording. But when you plug it in, everything from garage-rock to Radiohead is possible with this versatile and hugely inspiring instrument.
At the time of writing, Mule instruments are a little hard to track down outside of North America. And since they’re handmade, the waiting list currently stands at 17 months. But, trust us, this one is worth the wait.
“It feels like both a songwriting companion and the launchpad for hundreds of new ideas,” Guitar.com‘s chief editor, Chris Vinnicombe said in his 9/10 review of the Mavis.
“Inspiration is an intensely personal thing, of course, but the sheer number of artists gravitating towards this guitar suggests that on some objective level [Mule luthier] Matt Eich is doing an awful lot right.”