Whether you’re an electric or acoustic player,
the Professional Acoustic has playability characteristics that make both camps feel at home.
With a body depth of 1-3/4”, a 25” scale,
1-11/16”-wide bone nut, rounded C-neck
carve, 6100 jumbo frets and 16” fingerboard
radius, there is an instant familiarity when playing it. The semi-hollow design results in a relatively lightweight instrument ( 6 lbs 15 oz.) that
www.premierguitar.com
is not at all neck heavy and balances well in
every playing position. I especially appreciated
the brazen use of .011 – .048 strings, which
not only demonstrates the guitar’s exceptional
playability (full+ step bends are a breeze) but
also brings out the bold yet nuanced voice of
the instrument. The setup has just enough fight
in it to make one really want to dig in, either
in acoustic or electric mode. The heelless neck
joint design augments the instrument’s playability, offering easy access to upper fret registers.
Layout of the instrument’s controls is logical
and offers the flexibility to control the volume
of both the electric and acoustic pickups.
Axis 4: Tone
As you might guess, the tone achieves the
same high standard as the other attributes of
this acoustic/electric hybrid. Unplugged, the
guitar’s voice approximates that of the venerable Martin D- 18 with its mid-range emphasis,
natural sustain and blooming overtones. The
guitar is voiced with a pair of Fralin Unbuckers
along with a Graph Tech Ghost Acousti-Phonic
preamp system. The switching system allows
the player to play the guitar in acoustic mode,
electric mode or blended. The natural acoustic
tones of the guitar are brought out wonderfully
by this pickup system. In this mode, the guitar
produced a snappy, yet bold acoustic tone that
does not distort at high volumes.
Likewise, the Fralin Unbuckers are a fine choice
for its electric voice, as their uneven coil winds
augment the split coil modes, which blend
very nicely with the Ghost system. The 5-way
switch is as follows: pos. 5, neck humbucker
( 8.0K); pos. 4, neck split ( 4.5K); pos. 3, neck
and bridge humbuckers ( 8.0K, 9.2K); pos. 2,
neck and bridge split ( 4.5K, 5.2K); and pos. 1,
bridge humbucker ( 9.2K). The electric mode
offers up useable tones that range from jazz to
blues to classic rock. While the guitar did not
feed back at high volumes, high-gain applications left me wanting a little extra cut, which is
typical of most semi-hollow designs. I found the
blended tones quite appealing; as the electric
tones became livelier their frequency range
was extended by adding the Ghost system to
the mix.
The Final Mojo
I would encourage readers to consider the
offerings of CP Thornton and experience an
example of a guitar at the “Axis of Axes.”
you’re seeking a well-executed
acoustic-electric hybrid that you
can pass on to future generations.
Buy If...
Skip If...
your hair metal gig demands
high-gain lead tones along side
your acoustic intros.
Rating...
4. 5
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound clips
of the Professional Acoustic
in action.
CP Thornton Guitars
MSRP $4125 (base);
$5085 as reviewed
cpthorntonguitars.com
