and woolly swagger that goes from the Stones
to MC5, depending on the gain. Somehow, with
a Vox-voiced amp like the Xits Sadie dimed, the
El Camino in the middle position even does the
raunchy “bag of nails” overdrive jangle of the
early Jam, like the Byrds on steroids. If you like
it raucous and rebellious, you’ll definitely like
the El Camino. The fact is, I’m unable to offer
a detailed report on the quality of the guitar’s
clean tones because … well, I only passed
through them on my way to the dirt.
you want real versatility in a uniquely
styled and stripped-down workhorse.
Buy If...
Skip If...
you’re not looking to kick out the jams.
Rating...
4.0
ONTHEWeb
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clips of the guitar in action at
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Potvin Guitar
Street $1750
potvinguitars.com
Ranchero
Early on, the Esquire-inspired body, retro
pickguard and Junior-style electronics of the
Ranchero made it a front-runner over the El
Camino—for me anyway. Truth be told, I warm
up more readily to Fender-style guitars. It’s not
because I think they’re better, but just because
I’ve owned more of them and spent more time
playing them. I find the neck profile, the scale
length and the string tension more familiar, even
the way they balance. To be quite frank, though,
the big, black dog-ear P- 90 and wraparound
tailpiece on a Tele-esque body with wonderfully grained swamp ash in vintage Butterscotch
finish—it has to be among the coolest looking
things I’ve seen this year, Fender and Gibson
inspiration aside. It just looks like it sounds raw
www.premierguitar.com
and keen. Mike Potvin will make it for you in
korina or mahogany, with other vintage colors
for the finish if you like, but why would you?
A 12"-radius African blackwood fretboard with
pearl face and side markers is unmistakably
nice, but the hidden treasure of this guitar is
the bocote neck. You can also get a maple neck
if you really want it, but you should definitely
treat yourself to the bocote. It’s an oily wood, so
Potvin has left it unfinished from behind the nut
down to the heel—it’s neither slippery nor sticky,
but actually very gratifying to play. I can’t find
a better word than luxurious, both in the way
it looks and the way it feels. If I could convince
Mike Potvin to sell me just the bocote necks, I’d
take three or four in a heartbeat.
Unexpected improvements aren’t limited to the
benefits of the criss-crossed designs and that
opulent neck. There is also that head-slapping
moment of wonder and thoughts of “Hmmn,
why didn’t this happen sooner?” when you go
to plug the guitar in and realize that the Strat-type output jack has been mounted on the
back of the guitar, just below the mid-point, but
angled slightly upward rather than downward.
It’s actually kind of remarkable how much difference a few inches can make in placement. The
angle will minimize the chance of pulling the
cord out by accident, but you’re not very likely
to step on it anyway—at least not while wearing
this guitar on a strap—since this setup actually
works better than looping the cord through
the strap to move it out of the way and keep it
from getting underfoot, or being yanked out by
a clumsy step. It also has the advantage of leaving the front of the guitar free of … well, clutter.
Potvin won’t take credit for inventing it, and I’m
inclined to believe him; it’s just that I can’t recall
where I’ve come across this before. It should
become a standard option on all kinds of solidbody guitars—another stroke of genius, really.
Like the El Camino, handling and inspecting the
Ranchero reveals all the attention to details—in
fretwork, nut, intonation, etc.—that is the calling
card of a skilled builder. Playing it unplugged for
a while first revealed some very positive signs:
it’s just ringing with overtones and full of lively
resonance. Plugged in to both an Xits 15W Sadie
and a Mojo Tweed Deluxe replica, those characteristics made for a rich, chiming textured tone
that’s a clean player’s delight. Although it doesn’t
cover what I’d call a wide tonal territory, you can
achieve a very precise control over it with just
the two knobs and touch (and most of the time I
played it, I didn’t mess with the Tone at all).
As you’d expect, the Lollar P- 90 and TonePros
wraparound tailpiece keep it from sounding
particularly like an Esquire—there isn’t too
much of the bright twanginess or stinging bite
at the top end. What it does have, though, is
one mean snarl and a snappy thickness that’s
bold but not syrupy. Set clean, it’s balanced
and full; set to overdrive an amp, it is forceful and lean, but easily tameable with just a
touch of the Volume knob. At every volume the
Ranchero refuses to become either achingly
bright or roundly dull sounding. It’s likely that
has a lot to do with the high-quality paper in
oil cap we found lurking in the well shielded
control cavity, but I suspect that the choice of
wood here is also responsible for the guitar’s
tonal balance. There’s a clearer attack and less
of the mellow midranginess you often get from
mahogany or korina guitars … which is not to
say better, but still another interesting byproduct of a successful hyrbridization. There really
isn’t anything to readily compare it to.
Considering its pedigree, it may seem strange
to say I probably wouldn’t consider it first for
either pure classic rock or country, but there’s a
lot between those two that it could be perfect
for, from roots music and folk rock to grunge
and punk, where lack of versatility is no weakness, where earnest simplicity is a virtue, and
where so much comes down to plain old-fashioned craftsmanship.
you want custom-built quality with
unpretentious straightforwardness
and dependability.
Buy If...
Skip If...
you want greater tonal versatility.
Rating...
4. 5
ONTHEWeb
Click here to hear sound
clips of the guitar in action at
premierguitar.com/reviews
Potvin Guitars
Street $1750
potvinguitars.com
