Paul Rhoney's Paramour prototype guitar.

[Paul Rhoney]

Just finished this one up today, and I'm so happy with it. The particular set of features on this guitar is very unique, but the result is just an awesome tone. This is the prototype, but it couldn't be better for me, because it was ordered and paid for up front. I got to chase my muse courtesy of a wonderfully supportive client, and I just can't thank him enough. I hope he loves the guitar as much as I do!

I call this my Paramour Model guitar. It was designed essentially as my version of a Fender. That's a broad brush stroke so to speak, but when it comes down to it, that's what I was after. I wanted to make a guitar with a Jazzmaster-esque shape (my favorite Fender), bolt-on neck and 25.5" scale length. I was already building enough Fender-style instruments with that method of construction. Things like the headstock scoop, six-in-line tuners, arm and belly contours, I was already building lots of stuff like that, but I was sick of making guitars that weren't my own original design. I already had a set-neck, angled headstock, carved top, 24.625" scale length design with my Oceana Model guitar, but with all the tooling all set up for the Fender style building methods, I felt like I needed my own. I drew up the Paramour, and now I finally have the first one made.

Here's the basic specs rundown:

Scale length: 25.5"
Top: Plain hard rock Maple
Back: Slipmatched Sapele
Neck: Indian Rosewood
Fretboard: Indian Rosewood
Nut: Bone 1.6875″ width
Frets: LMI FW74 nickel/silver
Finish: Nitrocellulose lacquer clear coat with British Racing Green color top
Tuners: Gotoh staggered vintage Kluson-style
Pickups: Lollar Regal humbuckers
Bridge: ABM locking string-thru-body hardtail
Volume pots: 1meg rollers
Output jacks: Switchcraft on Electrosockets
Strap buttons: Oversized with black felt washers
Truss rod: Single-acting vintage style, made in-house
Fretboard radius: Compound radius roughly 8.364 at the nut, 12″ at the bridge
Number of frets: 21
Pickguard: B/W/B







And here it is with it's counterpart, an Oceana:

[Markku Nyytäjä]

That is a very nice guitar. The colour is delicious and the pointy upper horn gives the instrument a lot of character. The Oceana and the Paramour are quite clearly siblings. Elegant!

[Jason Rodgers]

Very cool, Paul! You have a serious groove going here. I like how the "sound hole" just opens up to the body wood, and gives you some nice grain and complementary color to look at.

[Mike Baker]

Lovely! I like that a lot!

[Paul Rhoney]

I like how the "sound hole" just opens up to the body wood, and gives you some nice grain and complementary color to look at.

It's a legit sound hole, Jason. The body is almost full hollow, the reason there's wood right inside the hole is because the belly carve is right there, carved inside and out. Here's a picture of the inside, before the top got glued on.

[Tom Pettingill]

I like that a lot! ... a bit familiar, but definitely has its own thing going on

[Tim Douglass]

That is full-on gorgeous! How are those roller pots from a players perspective and where did you find them? They look like they would be a really cool addition to a bass I'm working on.

[Paul Rhoney]

How are those roller pots from a players perspective and where did you find them? They look like they would be a really cool addition to a bass I'm working on.

I gotta say, the roller pots are pretty slick. You can get everything you need from AllParts. It uses a Jazzmaster post bracket, two mini pots, and the roller wheels.