Slowdive’s Neil Halstead has a new signature guitar
Meet Lucem Guitars’ The Unorthodox, an instrument that lives up to its name.
Neil Halstead’s two most well-known bands, Slowdive and Mojave 3, have made names for themselves on the fringes of the mainstream. And looks like the guitarist’s new signature six-string is no different.
Built by Lucem Guitars, a boutique luthiery in the UK, The Unorthodox looks like a Fender Jazzmaster hit it off with a vintage Teisco guitar and birthed a little axe of their own. In other words, it’s a wacky-looking model that would probably best fit Halstead’s own image as a shoegaze, dream pop and indie folk maestro.
Specs-wise, The Unorthodox keeps it surprisingly simple if slightly unusual. It has a one-piece, quarter-sawn sapele mahogany through-neck with poplar wings, a 25.5-inch scale length, and a Graphtec Res-o-lite hardtail bridge. And to power the whole thing, you have a pair of Lucem Storm Riders, which are modeled after traditional PAFs.
There are four finishes available—from Seafoam Green to Sonic Blue—but as the guitar is hand-built, Lucem allows you to specify a few custom tweaks, too.
The Unorthodox starts from GBP 2,460. For more information, check out lucemguitars.co.uk.