A deluxe short-scale solidbody that checks every box? It’s not too good to be true! The Duesenberg Fantom S, a specter that’s haunted Europe for some time, has now been sighted at Music Experience. The Fantom S’s vintage-voiced humbuckers pickups faithfully re-create classic humbucker tones, while short-scale features ensure surreal comfort and lightning-quick playability. It all starts with a single-cut body carved from mahogany topped with hand-selected flame maple. Deluxe inlays, 5-ply binding, and PUR lacquer frame the Fantom shape’s angles for a striking physique. Next comes the two Grand Vintage humbuckers onboard. These pickups feature Alnico II magnets and are carefully crafted to produce endlessly warm vintage tones comparable to prized pickup sets from the 1960s. Moreover, the Fantom line makes it easy to change tones on the fly with the inclusion of a “preset” volume knob cleverly located on the body cutaway’s horn. For short-scale perfection that exudes power and craftsmanship, Music Experience wholeheartedly recommends the Duesenberg Fantom S!

Sublime short-scale comfort 

Short-scale guitars are all about freedom and fun! Though once marketed to students and young players, short-scale solidbodies such as the Fantom S have gained quite a reputation among serious pros! The Fantom S’s rosewood fingerboard and 12-inch radius empower unfettered movement across a 24.6-inch-length scale. Meanwhile, a maple neck provides a snappy, quick response that players love, and it does so with a set-neck design that increases sustain. Speaking of frets, the fingerboard’s 22 jumbo frets make for fluent bends, and each fret is pre-Plek’d at the point of manufacture for a fingerboard that’s guaranteed to work with you, not against you.

Custom vintage-style pickups 

The Fantom S boasts a set of Duesenberg’s flagship humbucker: the Grand Vintage II. Activating Grand Vintage pickups is like strapping tone into a time machine and sending it back to the 1960s. These pickups offer all the warmth, maturity, and headroom that old-school tone chasers can’t get enough of, and they even utilize Alnico II magnets, which earns them big kudos from discerning ears! What’s more, the Fantom expands the control scheme with a clever preset knob for the neck pickup. This preset feature lets you pre-configure quality levels and facilitate quick changes live or in the studio.

Duesenberg: the 6-string pride of Deutschland

Founded by German guitar designer Dieter Gölsdorf in 1989, Duesenberg guitars represent a multinational mixing pot of American art deco aesthetics, hot-rod heritage, and exacting German engineering. Duesenberg’s utterly distinctive instruments — affectionately dubbed “Doozys” by their adherents — gleam with proprietary parts and pickups that merge the daring appointments of the early electric guitar age with the pinpoint precision of modern manufacturing excellence. From the iconic Starplayer semi-hollow guitars to basses, lap steels, and beyond, every Duesenberg that Music Experience carries embodies consummate artisanship. Fittingly, this unerring dedication has attracted more than a few luminaries, including the likes of Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Mike Campbell, John Mayer, and Tom Bukovac. For the musician who demands superlative performance, idiosyncratic innovation, and master-level musical detail in equal measure, only a Doozy will do.

What Duesenberg Says...

A unique blend of modern features and traditional craftsmanship, the "Fantom Series S" is for those who are searching to break out of the ordinary. The custom made "Grand Vintage II" pickups deliver warm and mellow tones deeply rooted in the sound of the past while delivering the definition and tonal fidelity of tomorrow. The control knob located at the cutaway horn enables you to pre-set a separate volume for the neck pickup, giving you a whole new world of tone when switching pickups. Made from premium mahogany combined with a maple top and rosewood fretboard, the fantom delivers the tonal power that you would expect from an instrument like this. Deluxe 5-ply binding, trusted Duesenberg nickel hardware, "Wing" fretboard inlays, as well as a transparent brown finish for the neck, sides and back (burst models only) make this instrument a companion for a lifetime.