Kavanagh Customs

After spending well over a year in development, the unveiling of the Gem, KavanaghCustoms' first full-production signature guitar, was a proud moment for everyone involved.

Limited to only 100 pieces, most Gems very quickly found their way into the hands of keen-eyed collectors and working musicians alike, making many appearances at a number of high-profile gigs (sometimes even to our own surprise!), both in the UK and abroad.

This guitar was completed at the very end of last year, this and a small number of other Gems have only become available now due to complications with the original client. The Gem is a limited edition run of only 100 guitars - all of which sold out within three weeks of being released last summer - going into the homes of keen-eyed collectors and professional performers alike so this is a rare opportunity to get your hands on a brand new, low-numbered and highly sort-after signature British guitar.

Each Gem guitar was built from start to finish by just one skilled member of our team with all their time and energies spent ensuring that each instrument meets the high quality standards that our customers have come to expect from us. Each guitar is 'autographed' and dated on the back of the headstock by the builder upon completion.

This sort of attention to detail on a 'production' guitar is almost unheard of in today's world of mass-production. Each one takes up to three months to complete and really is a true labour of love for the builder.

The body is made completely from hand-selected African Mahogany, with two tone chambers and central mahogany core. The quilted mahogany top on this particular model gives this even more appeal - an additional £210 option from our original specification sheets, this makes for one of the most visually stunning guitars available.

Finished from neck to body in thin layers of rich red-tinted nitrocellulose, this acts to bring out the 3D quilting in the mahogany top yet further without compromising the tonal qualities of the wood or hardware. The neck and body are bound in a single thin strip of ebony binding, adding another level of class and reliability against knocks and bumps on the road.

The neck is again, mahogany, with a thick slab of rich Indian rosewood and custom split mother of pearl inlays, the 12" radius, 24.75" scale and thin C contour lead to a very fast-playing and slick neck, featuring Jim Dunlop 6105 stainless steel frets to ensure lastability and quick access.

All the hardware is made by Wilkinson (Japan) - from our own experience this is the very highest quality hardware available on the market, the wrap-over bridge (another additional option over standard spec) also allows for a greater transference of string vibration to the mahogany core, whilst allowing for quick and easy string changes.

All electronics are USA Switchcraft and CTS - again the highest quality we could find and won't interfere with the tone of your instrument. All pots are rated at 500k to handle the higher-output pickups, allowing for a crisper and clearer signal without degradation at higher volumes and multiple amplifications.

The pickups are hand-wound right here and were designed specifically for the Gem. In true jazz fashion these are narrower chrome-covered units which have been specifically wound to give a clear and rich tone - ideally suited for jazz and rock, although versatile enough to cope with almost all styles of music. Coupled with the CTS electronics, the mahogany tone wood and the nitrocellulose finish, the sounds available at your fingertips are very versatile, allowing for thick jazz-like humbucker tones, right through to stinging Stratocaster or Telecaster lead-work at the roll of the tone dial.

As with all out work, the timbers used in the Gem come from sustainable sources - from the beautifully fast-playing rosewood neck, to the tonally-perfect chambered African Mahogany body - all carefully hand selected and of the very highest quality.

Each Gem ships with a second-hand over-sized tolex case, intended as a giveaway rather than part of the purchase (oversized to allow bubble wrapping around the neck inside the case: not necessarily suitable for day-to-day use) to ensure that the guitar arrives with you safely and in perfect condition.

Click here to visit the Gem homepage. Please click on the thumbnails above for high-resolution images - photographs are of the actual guitar for sale.

We can also additionally provide a relicing service for this item if you aren't happy doing such things yourself yet still want a true used vintage appearance, just contact us to find out more!

Please note that this is not a Fender product, nor is it made in a sweatshop in the Far East by children getting paid 10p a day - it's much, much better than that. Like all our items, it has been carefully hand built to exacting standards and dimensions to ensure the highest possible quality, and the perfect fit for Fender, Squier and 98% of the Fender-copy market. We comply directly with Fender's own neck pocket dimensions (see the diagram on the left), although there may still be a small amount of work necessary to ensure a perfect fit.

If you have any doubt over whether any of our work is suitable or not for you, drop us a line, we're always happy to help.

This neck has been left undrilled at both the heel and headstock (apart from machine head holes) to ensure maximum compatibility with anyone and everyone's needs: you can fit it to a three-bolt or four-bolt body, you can use one or two string trees, and you can use any type of machinehead you desire without having holes to refill or build the rest of your guitar around.

Don't see exactly the part you're after?

We can build it for you to your exact specifications - nothing is too weird or whacky!

Contact us for a totally free quote and a chat about your requirements, and click here to see our price lists for custom-builds.

We can also supply all the parts you need to complete your guitar project, from fretwire and string trees to custom-wound pickups and polishing cloths! We will be expanding our shop in the near future so that you can conveniently purchase all these items at once but for the moment, contact us and tell us what it is you're after and we will happily arrange or source the parts you need for you.