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| PAT WILKINS
WRS Classic Series
Stratocaster
HAND BUILT BY
PAT WILKINS
2005*
“The best Stratocaster.”
“Extraordinary Stratocaster”
“Some guitars you want to caress. Some you want to admire. Some you want to play. The Wilkins scores a ten in all three categories.”
NOTE TO STRATOCASTER BUYERS: If you are considering buying a new “Strat style guitar anytime soon-consider this one. Believe me it plays better than a John Suhr, Fender, Tom Smith, LSL, Tyler and all the others.
USED.
FINISHED by Pat Wilkins.
Custom “Shell Pink”
(Note about color-this guitar appears to me more of a “putty” finish” that has a yellowish tone).
ABOUT PAT WILKINS.
Pat Wilkins is world renown for his incredible finish work on guitars and bases. And now, he is becoming equally renowned for building high quality professional guitars and basses.
From Pat’s website:
The Wilkins WRS Series is the realization of years of research to create the finest electric guitars available. Each instrument is the result of years of speaking with working musicians to find out what works best in real world conditions. Traditional and exotic woods are carefully combined to create stunning beauty and tonal characteristics that excel in live and studio settings. Careful measurements of historical examples are applied to modern construction methods to set tolerance standards unavailable in previous times. All WRS Series instruments are finished with the finest modern finishes and colors available. Our period correct colors are unmatched for accuracy and beauty. Our custom finishes and colors represent decades of experience and dedication to detail. Wilkins. Finished with the finest hardware available, the WRS Series guitar has redefined the art of guitar making.
Here is one of Pat’s STRATOCASTER CUSTOM builds from my collection.
It is stunning in appearance, high quality in construction, and one of the best STRATOCASTER guitars you will ever play.
This Strat has three DAN ARMSTRONG Model SLV-10R pickups (.KENT ARMSTRONG® POCKET ROCKET - MINI SPLIT-TUBE® - CHROME RW/RP). They sound amazing on this guitar.
The following online review of this Stratocaster is very informative:
(PREMIER) SEPTEMBER 7, 2004
Gleaming, smooth, player-friendly and finely-crafted guitars are a labor of love for Pat Wilkins, widely known as the master of guitar finishes and paint - a report by The G-Man.
Seeing Pat Wilkins' NAMM booth featuring guitar finishes didn't prepare me for his guitar-building prowess. A quick glance at the Pat Wilkins Strat-style six-string is deceiving. You are apt to think you're looking at something that's very traditional. While not ordinary (it's too pretty for that), the instrument appears to be a very straightforward piece of gear. And then you come closer and you discover you're wrong, for this is an extraordinary instrument.
A gleaming, state-of-the-art appearance is certainly what you'd expect from the man who owns Wilkins Guitar Finishes, but the overall superior quality of the axe leads to a continual state of astonishment as you put it through its paces. The more you play it, the more you discover about its sweet synergy of design concepts. It's as if every aspect of the guitar-builder's craft was tweaked into top shape before being allowed to touch his luthier's workbench.
The unusual thing about the ultra-high standards of the Wilkins guitar is the stock nature of almost all the parts. "You won't find anything that I invented on this guitar," Wilkins states, "I just took what I believe are the best solutions for making a bolt-on solidbody and incorporated every one of them into my design." The result of his having combined several different methodologies is one slick axe that plays like a dream.
If you order a custom-built Wilkins, you can specify almost any combination of fingerboard, fret wire, pickups, bridge, and finish, but his current "Standard" (which might be called a Pat-Strat or perhaps a Patocaster) is the kind of thing you hope gets built on a regular basis.
For his part, Wilkins admits he would enjoy selling more of his guitars. "I began formulating my design concepts in the early nineteen eighties," Wilkins states, "but some of my 'one-only' guitars seemed too radical for most players. One of them looked 'too evil,' according to many who saw it, and it played too sweetly for the metal performers who liked the way it looked."
It was that reaction that prompted his decision to work in a more straightforward style, but utilize the finest components available for guitar-makers. That means carefully-selected woods for the body and neck, drying of the wood until it reaches the optimum moisture content, and precision woodcutting for alignment that is right on-the-money. The entire guitar feels like it is a single entity since all parts contribute to the whole in a harmonious relationship. Pun intended.
The body is contoured to snuggle up against you as if it's an extension of your torso. It is a joy to hold and you can play it for hours without any fatigue. Part of the reason is the sleek fingerboard which has a compound radius that's 10 inches at the nut and 16 inches at the last fret. The headstock utilizes staggered tuning gears to avoid the use of string trees, and the six-in-line tuners permit a straight string-pull from the carefully crafted nut. Frets are slotted evenly and inserted carefully to offer superb intonation. When you strum the Pat-Strat unplugged, you feel the controlled vibration up into your chest and under your fingers. The guitar seems to be alive from the end strap-button to the tip of the headstock. It's a great feeling.
When you plug it in, the sound is perfectly adaptable to whatever sonic configuration you wish. Played straight into an amp, the Pat-Strat sings with a high shimmer, a meaty midrange and a hint of crunch at the bottom end. Tone controls give you a broad sweep, and the volume has no discernible drop-off.
The finish is award-winning. If you need to check your appearance before stepping out on stage, you won't need a mirror because you've got the Pat-Strat in which you can study your reflection.
This guitar is in excellent cosmetic and operational condition. There are slight scratches on the front and back from being played a few times. And small finish smear on the front lower bout.
It comes with a Strat style case.
TERMS OF THE SALE:
For buyers outside the continental USA, please ask for shipping quote before buying this item. Thank you.
Please remember to read our policies and procedures listed below.
The guarantee.
1. The guitar is in FAIR cosmetic condition and is as described in this ad.
2. The guitar is in fully operational condition.
3. Buyer has 48 hrs. to inspect the guitar or have it inspected. Any defects, damage, misrepresentations or other problems must be reported within that time period in writing to the Seller.
4. In the case of damage during shipment, Buyer shall immediately inform seller of such damage and will maintain all original packing materials and box for inspection by the transportation company.
5. If other problems are discovered, Seller will either arrange for repair etc. at a location near the Buyer or request that the Buyer return the guitar to the Seller (Seller will reimburse Buyer for cost of shipment of guitar back to Seller).
6. Seller will correct indicated problems and ship the guitar back to the Buyer within 7 days of receiving it.
7. In the event that the guitar cannot be repaired or replaced with a similar item from Seller’s inventory, the Seller will give the Buyer Credit toward current or future purchases from inventory of Seller.
8. 20% Restocking fee charged for all refunds or returns for Buyer Remorse or Buyer Mind Changing.
9. If there are any undisclosed physical attributes of this guitar that will prevent buyer from playing it successfully, e.g., neck to wide to be played with arthritic hands, guitar too heavy to be played due to back, shoulder, etc. problems, then we will, upon return of the guitar, issue a Credit Memo to Buyer in the amount paid for the guitar plus the cost of shipment paid by the Buyer against the future purchase of a guitar from us.
*This appears to be a custom build by Pat around 2005 but cannot verify that date.
PAYPAL.
SHIPPING CHARGES. The charges listed in this ad are for the continental US only. Shipment outside that area is at actual cost and Buyer must pay all tariffs, duties, and other charges that may be levied on the item when it is imported into its final destination. And for foreign buyers, please request a quote for shipping cost before you bid. No surprises are always good. And please do not ask that we use a lower value for an export shipment. NOTE: WE WILL NOT SHIP TO ANY THIRD PARTY AND WE WILL NOT DO SHIP TO ANY FIRM, SUCH AS Shop Airlines America or sekaimon WHO RESHIPS THE ITEM OUTSIDE THE USA. SHIPPING DAMAGE. Any external, or internal, shipping damage MUST BE REPORTED to Seller and to Carrier within 24 hours of receipt of delivery. IT IS THE BUYER?S RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY SELLER IMMEDIATELY IF THE INSTRUMENT HAS INCURRED ANY DAMAGE DURING SHIPMENT. IN THE EVENT OF SUCH DAMAGE, PLEASE RETAIN ALL SHIPPING MATERIALS FOR INSPECTION.NO EXCEPTION.
1. Payment must be received within five days of the end of the auction. 2. NO REFUNDS. Please ask your questions before you bid. As noted under "Shipping", we will repair any defective item. This does not apply to shipping damage or to damage after receipt. Please note that every guitar we sell has been fully audited, tested, set up,inspected, and photograph prior to shipment.
ABOUT TUNEYOURSOUND. Tune Your Sound Sound Your Tune Guitars make Sounds ! Guitar players make Tunes. But which guitar makes your Tune best?The beginning point in making a tune is You. The music in your head goes to your hands which form chords and notes. The end point is the Tune heard by those listening created by the Sounds of the instruments in between. Our job at TuneYourSound.com (TYS) is to fill in the middle. Or, in other words, "complete the chain". We are guitar players and collectors at TuneYourSound.com. Collectively we have personally owned and played over 1800 guitars. And we have seen guitar players play-from Jimi using his teeth to Jimmy using his bow. And now, we want to tell you what we have learned over the years and under the stages. First: There should be two primary guitars in your life. The one you start with (by choice or coincidence) and the one you finish with (once you find it, you'll know it and keep it). But of course, humans are acquisitive by nature, so we are prone to own more than we need-but a guitar player must have what he really needs. Two: Sometimes it's better for a guitar to be heard than seen and other times it's better for a guitar to be seen than heard. So, play it both ways. Buy a guitar that does both. Three: Avoid the hype. Especially now with the Internet overloading us with data. Buy a guitar that you trust from someone you trust. Four: Make it personal. Establish a relationship with your seller. That way you will never be disappointed-nor abandoned. After all, it is still about money-your money. And you deserve to get more than you give. At TuneYourSound.com, we have the answer!
Please contact us directly at ebay email system.
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| | |   Other images were obtained from NASAJPL-Caltech. | | | | |
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