Robben Ford Discussion

[Aeolian]

Too cool. The neck on my '84 is wider at the nut than a typical Fender (don't know the exact numbers) so it sounds like this is a faithful reproduction. Can't wait to hear how it holds up under pressure.
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[frank0936]

The neck on the Esprit is 1/8 inch wider at the nut than my Clapton Strat and my Tele, and 1/16 inch wider at the 12th fret. The bridge spacing appears to be identical. The one I got is the same color as the pictures on this thread-antique burst. The tone is full and seems to get better as I turn up the amp volume. I played it for quite a while last night and, while the feel is different from anything else I own, I like it better and better. I think it's going to a lot of gigs.
Frank

[JonyB]

Frank, how would you describe the neck profile on your Esprit ? I 'm considering buying one, but it's got to have a little meat on the neck for me to be comfortable playing it or I'd have to pass . Musicians Friend is advertising the Esprit for $399, is that what you gave for yours' ?
Thanks JonyB
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[frank0936]

JonyB, the neck is meatier than either my Clapton Strat or my '54 Custom Shop Strat. You can really tell that it's wider at the nut, too. It took me a couple of sessions with it to get used to it, but I'm starting to like it. I remember someone saying that the trouble with the Variac guitars is that no matter what setting you use, it's still the same guitar. The different feel of each guitar contributes to the way you play it. I like the feel of this guitar more and more. It's not as heavy as I have heard that the RF models are-but I haven't had a gig with it yet. I may change that statement later! I did pay $399 through MF. I would pay it again it a heartbeat. If you have a Guitar Center near you, they are supposed to have this in stock-if not now, then soon. It's hard to speak for someone else, but after playing this, I find it hard to believe any player wouldn't like it.
Frank

[JonyB]

Thanks for all your info Frank: There's a Guitar Center about 40 miles south of me. I'll ring um up and ask if they have the Esprit in stock yet; it sounds more tempting since your description. Naturally I'd prefer to play before I buy, but I may just take a chance and buy one anyway. JB
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[frank0936]

That's what I did (for the third time!). I bought a Tele off of Ebay, and a Strat and the Esprit from MF. So far, I've been happy with all three. From what I've heard, I've been lucky. I hope you like the Esprit, I think it's a dynamite guitar. I'd still love to hear how Robben thinks it compares to his former signature model.
Frank

[charliebrown]

I almost got one of the new Squires...played it and it was the most amazing "cheap" guitar I've tried...my wife was going to get it for me as an anniversary present when we spotted this used blonde/blonde Telecaster sitting in a corner at $300 clearance with the rest of the used stuff...it had a few minor chips in the body paint, but no dents, and it played like a dream and sounded fantastic...so...it's on my lap as I type this...I do know what my next purchase will be though...
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[frank0936]

I've done two gigs with the Esprit now. I like it better every time I play it. The set-neck allows easier access to the higher frets than either of my Strats ot the Tele. The action is good and the tone is great. I was going to swap the "Duncan Designed" pickups for Duncan 59's, but I think I'll just wait. I'm having a ball with this axe and it always turns heads.
Frank

[Bluelobster]

HI all, so i did have my Gas attack during these holidays and i am one happy owner of the squier Esprit. Mine is tobacco .
QUOTE :
The set-neck allows easier access to the higher frets than either of my Strats ot the Tele. The action is good and the tone is great. I was going to swap the "Duncan Designed" pickups for Duncan 59's, but I think I'll just wait.

I agree totally, this is a great neck , there is enough room for my fingers to achieve clean double stops without stumbling , the width allows me to feel at ease in (any pitch (?))in higher frets and the width at the nut is really useful to perform the trad. open licks in E à la voodoo child or J.LHooker.

QUOTE : The tone is full and seems to get better as I turn up the amp volume.

These Duncan designed PUP are really not bad , and you can get a lot of tones turning up or down PUP volumes.
I played this guitar with a 1970 Fender twin modded by Rivera in the 80's.
So now i've got it : No Dumble required (the twin was as good ) with this guitar : the other guitar player was playing a Les Paul in a Hugues Keltner
three channels Tube amp and sometimes he was jaw dropping with my tone ( I said TONE not Chops) (A kind of good test too).
Then i played over a cheap transistor amp : the guitar was still very good to play and made me forget the crappy sound.


This guitar is not TOO heavy while being not very light , but VERY well balanced, you can play it sitting in a chair without strap ,it stays just on your leg and don't fall or jump (if u see what i mean).

This guitar is also great to play à la billy Gibbons, there is a strong les Paul feel depending the way you squeeze the neck with a strong overdrive.
I like the "Throat" sound comin' from the design. I feel this guitar emphasizes some frequencies , may be the same frequencies Robben like to emphasize on his amp.
Without forgetting that Robben FORD still sounds himself on any kind of gear .
This being said i was more than happy to play some Robbenish stuff with the best Robbenish sound i've ever had. LOL .

Now , i am not in a hurry to change PUP but i might mod them to perform single coil with a switch . It would be perfect to get clean strat kind of sound.

Now i would like to know if Robben were really involved in the making of the guitar ? Or did he just endorse a master serie ??????????

Any other happy owner?????????????????
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[henkholland]

Hi Blob,

Congrats with your new axe. It seems a beautiful and good quality guitar. Did you buy it in France? I'm curious about you experience in a live set up.
Henk

[JohnnyZ]

Way ta go, Blobby...
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[Aeolian]

Red Suede told me about one down at our local Guitar Showcase and I tried it last night. This thing is really great. I am shocked. RS has a Japanese made Ultra and I have an 84 dot neck, and the necks on these two feel similar. A fellow I know up in SF has a black Japanese Ultra that used to belong to Robben. The neck on the Squire Esprit feels like that guitar. A bit bigger and chunkier. And the tone feels like that guitar too. In spite of using different woods. It has that thick and woody sound of the spruce top guitars. Just played it in the store, but it feels and sounds like a guitar that won't give up the goods. The sound will hold together no matter how rough the going gets. It would be interesting to get Robben's opinion of this instrument.

Frank or Blob, if you pull the cover off the controls, is there a counterbore rounted behind the tone controls where the coil split switch goes on the regularl Ultras? I think this guitar would really benifit from the versatility of that switch. It is so thick and solid sounding, that it woundn't wimp out with the pickups split to single coil. Then of course it would be fun to put a PG/59 set up in it, although I agree with Blob that the "Duncan designed" are pretty good. I just think it could use a bit of that top end chime and openness that Robben gets out of his Pearly Gates at the neck.

Taking things Robben has said at various clinics, and my own research, here's what I've been able to put together as to the history of the instrument: Robben and Dan Smith starting putting the concept together around '81 as a smaller bodied alternative to a 335. Robben contributed the idea of the spruce top and chambers based on his background with archtops. Later discussions implyed that Gene Baker was also involved in these early designs, but there is conflicting info on this part. At any rate, around the time Dan Smith and company bought Fender back from CBS, they released these "Master Series" guitars in '84, made in the Hoshino factory in Japan. Either the Gibson like nature and poor sales, or getting lost in the shuffle of getting Fullerton back up and running, contributed to their cancellation the following year. Once Fender was back on it's feet, the RF model was reintroduced sometime around '89, still made in the Hoshino factory. At some later point (don't know this date) it was moved to the custom shop where Ken Baker and others were involved in building them. There are folks here who know more about that period and the folks involved.

So to answer Blob's question, yes, it appears that Robben was very involved in the creation of this guitar. Who came up with the body design, the shaped neck heel joint, and the rest of the details, who knows?
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[JackD]

When I was at GIT in 1983-84, Robben was primariliy playing a dot neck 335 and a red strat. One day, during one of his Friday lab sessions, he brought in the prototype for what would become the RF guitar. He talked about the chambers and the size and that it was made in Japan. I recall we compared it to my Ibanez artist semi-hollowbody (which has seymore duncans with coil taps). I got a chance to play the prototype, so that was kind of fun (and a little part of guitar history).

[bottom line]

To my knowledge, Dan Smith and John (?) Carruthers (spelling?) designed
the Esprit and Flame models, and Jimmy D'Aquisto designed the jazz-box model. I have never read or heard any mention of Robben playing a role in the design of the Esprit, although it would be interesting if it were true.
Perhaps Robben could shed some light(?)...

There is a new website with info about the '80's Fender Master Series guitars. Some forum members might find it interesting...

www.masterseriesguitars.com

[PierreL]