#6063 – Duesenberg Double Cat – black – used/2020

I’ve now sold new and used Duesenberg Guitars for over 20 years – In that time I’ve seen the company expand their product range and improve their build quality – I’ve had a soft spot for them during this time – They somehow grab a piece of Gretsch and Rickenbacker, yet equally add something from the European/German brands of the 50’s and 60’s – ie Hofner and Framus – Yet at the same time they’ve managed to add some of their own identity, whilst adopting more than a hint of ‘Vorsprung Durch Technik’  as they’ve looked to enhance the playability of such retro style guitars, with a vastly superior build quality, along with modern tweaks to the hardware – So time to introduce you to this used Duesenberg Double Cat, from 2020 – Black finish and complete with the deluxe Duesenberg case

Additional info relating to this used 2020 Double Cat :-

• Whole guitar weighs 7lbs and 14oz
• Medium depth C profile – measures .825″ around the top nut end and fattens out to .945″ around the 12th fret – It posses some girth, but certainly not fat – Similar neck dimensions to some Rickenbacker guitars, but chunky frets, that have no lacquer on them (as per a Ricky) so that makes them so much more ‘friendly’ to play and handle in my opinion
• Re-strung with 10-52 gauge strings and a sensible easy action – Not to low – The ‘heavier wound strings suit the guitar and its scale length, as it makes the low strings more rigid, hence far less zip or rattle when attacking riffs, chords and boogie style walking bass lines and riffs
• Condition wise it is on the clean side, but certainly not mint – Black will show up any graze blemish, more so than any other colour – Just about ding free, but the shiny gloss finish does possess swirl grazes and/or scuffs to the very top surface of the finish – More so on the rear of the body – Not compression grazes as such from belt buckle, but light surface scuffs/grazes – Not even a scratch – More a surface scuff as such
• Includes the deluxe Duesenberg case as well as a host of tags plus Plek set-up info

The list of guitar players who can now be seen playing a Duesenberg guitar is growing, with Paul Carrack, John Mayer, Bob Dylan, Brian Ray (Paul McCartney), Dave Stewart and Vince Gill, joining the ranks of Doozie owners and players – Whilst the following players have now owned one for a while :- The Kooks (Hugh Harris), The Hooters (Eric Brazilian) Tom Bukovac, Andy Powell (Wishbone Ash), Placebo (Alex Lee), Mike Campbell (Tom Petty) as well as Ron Wood and Billy Gibbons, plus of course Mr Jack Sparrow aka Johnny Depp – Joe Walsh can regularly be seen playing a Duesenberg with The Eagles, whilst he pretty much used a Starplayer TV on a large chunk of his Analog Man, solo album – His mates in The Eagles also own and play various Duesenberg models

Click here to read more about The Double Cat, via Duesenberg’s own web site – The Double Cat might not be quite an identical twin to the best selling Starplayer TV, but they are certainly close siblings – The main difference is a chambered body (Double Cat) v Semi Hollow (Starplayer TV) – Plus Alder body with maple top (Double Cat) v Maple back + rim + Spruce Top (Starplayer TV) – Otherwise the two guitars are identical, regarding hardware, pick-ups, scale length, neck profile etc etc – Both receive the Plek set-up before they are placed in their case, ready to be sold to you  – The solid alder chambered body, supports a maple top – Both of which are then finished in black, including the one piece maple neck – Dark rosewood fingerboard – 25.5″ scale length Chunky frets – 12″ fingerboard radius – 42.5 nut width

Equipped with a pair of custom wound and voiced pick-ups with a  P90 style single coil (Domino)  in the neck position, plus a Grand Vintage humbucker in the bridge position – Both pick-ups utilise alnico magnets to provide plenty of warmth  yet this pick-up combination along with the chambered body ensures the guitar has a natural crisp, full bodied and lively tone, which is even more noticeable when both pick-ups are on together (3 way switch in the middle position) for Duesenberg’s own blend of ‘twang’ – Fitted with chrome plated hardware including the Super ‘Tremola’ vibrato system, so another retro feature there for you – Sure the Doozie has taken some influences from Rickenbacker, Gretsch and Hofner Guitars, amongst others, but it still has its own character, including its ‘3 step’ art decor styling, which you’ll find throughout the guitar – Scratchplate, truss rod cover, pick-up rings, jack socket plate, logo etc –  The Duesenberg Diamond Deluxe Vibrola has become a good talking point in its own right – You can now buy it as an accessory in its own right to fit on many guitars, instead of a Bigsby – It is a similar concept – But it just feels more positive and more responsive – And with far better tuning stability – Even a re-string is quicker and easier, as it threads through the ‘spindle’ as against trying to keep it hooked onto a small ‘post’

On clean amp settings the guitar leans towards the tones required for blues, rock ‘n’ roll, jingly jangly pop, country and Indie/Brit Pop styles, yet it will allow you to delve nicely into a jazz if required – Add a touch of overdrive for some great crunch rhythm tones or for those more simple, tuneful solos – As an overview and in my opinion, the Double Cat works better on clean and more subtle rock overdriven amp settings, as against saturating the amp with brutal levels of gain  – A case of less is more, so you can fully hear the character of the guitar – Saying that, the Doozie is not short of body, punch and clarity, so on hi-gain amp settings, the bridge pick-up can really kick dirt on power chords and riffs – Think Foo Fighters on steroids – Maybe hard to exactly nail down what a Doozie does deliver, or indeed what it isn’t – In my opinion it is not a EVH speed machine, or indeed a SRV blues machine – But for more melodic licks and riffs, think Fleetwood Mac (Lindsay Buckingham) REM, Crowded House, Tom Petty, Beatles, Squeeze etc etc were the solo is about the melody that supports the song, then I think the Double Cat excels – Or think boogie woogie 50’s black era blues shuffle, ie John Lee Hooker etc and again the Doozie is on home turf – But with any guitar , it is good to explore and push the boundaries

EXPRESS MAIL ORDER - click here for card payment & additional delivery info

For additional product info, to arrange a showroom visit + viewing, or indeed any other questions, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Call: 01335 345777 or email: mark@guitars4you.co.uk. Please note that showrooms visits are strictly by appointment only.

Please read below

Guitars4You is not another corporate high street guitar store - My selection of premium grade guitars is about quality not quantity. Every guitar has been selected, inspected and approved by me, with particular attention to the set-up and playing performance. Every sale, phone call, email and mail order transaction is handled by me. A journey that is now over 40 years old, has fuelled my knowledge, experience, love, devotion and passion for exceptionally fine guitars.