CP Thornton Guitars

msr13 · #1 08-10-2011, 11:26 PM

Other than a brief interview we did with Chuck last summer in Montreal, I have no connection to the man. But, I sure am starting to jones for one of his Hollows. I played the Jazz, and it led to a 17.5 % improvement in tone and a 22.6 % improvement in overall performance. Surely, I hyperbolize, but wonderful guitars. Chuck was also extremely knowledgeable, customer centric, and down to earth. The price I think is well deserved, but out of my current capacity, but a boy can dream, ehh? Check them out. Cool looking, great sounding, small-bodied archtops.

Innovations

cmajor9 · #2 08-11-2011, 07:35 AM

They're great-looking guitars. Looks like he uses top-shelf components; I like his ebony tailpiece. If you've been reading the forum, you've seen (or if not you could search) for plenty of thoughts & opinions on the use of carved woods vs. laminate, especially in a thinline guitar.

jzucker · #3 08-14-2011, 02:37 PM

can you point to a recorded example with brilliant jazz or fusion tone?

msr13 · #4 08-14-2011, 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

can you point to a recorded example with brilliant jazz or fusion tone?

No, I can't. Good question. I am basing my opinion off of personal experience with the guitar and liked it. However, I will email Chuck tomorrow and see if there are audio/ video clips he can direct us toward. I am sure he has something, or one of his clients does.

jaystrings · #5 08-19-2011, 01:36 PM

Matt -
Chuck's website can lead you to some great demo videos of his work.

I own 10 of Chuck's masterpieces. He is completing his first batch of a new model, the Improv - a jazzbox that has very similar specs to my D'Angelico NYL-2, which I just sold. I sold it because there is no way I will ever spend much time with it when my new Improv arrives in a few days.

Chuck just put the final touch, including Thomastik strings & final buff up. He is awaiting the photoshoot then it's off to the UPS depot. I visited Chuck back in May and was able to see the body, neck, appointments, etc before the neck, top, & body were all put together. What a work of art, just like his other creations.

In this first batch of 5 Improvs, 2 will have dual humbuckers & the others will have just a single neck pickup. Mine will have a single Shadow AZ 48; not sure if the other two are getting that exact pickup. He is completely blown away with this new model. He is now calling me with updates every few days, which tells you just how customer centric he really is. On that note, just let me say he is not only a master craftsman, he is one of he finest humans I've ever met in my 68 years.

I'll be posting pics of my Improv as soon as I get it. That will be a few days after he posts his gallery pics on his website. There are 5 of us who eagerly await this new bar-raising hollowbody, which caused me to broom out my Ibanez GB-10 and my 2 older D'Angelicos.

I think Chuck's policy for acquiring one of his masterpieces is about as liberal as there is anywhere. He requires a 50% down payment [I always use a credit card], then that gives about 6 - 8 months to get up the other half. And his 100% satisfaction policy is unbelievable and totally unlike other builders.

My advice: call him & talk it over.

jzucker · #6 08-19-2011, 02:22 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jaystrings

I think Chuck's policy for acquiring one of his masterpieces is about as liberal as there is anywhere. He requires a 50% down payment [I always use a credit card], then that gives about 6 - 8 months to get up the other half. And his 100% satisfaction policy is unbelievable and totally unlike other builders. Check that out on his site.

My advice: call him & talk it over.

What does 100% satisfaction policy mean? I couldn't find it on his site. The thing that kept me from getting a guitar from Rob Engel was that all sales were final and I couldn't try it before buying. That's a deal breaker for me on a $2k + custom instrument that has limited resale value.

jaystrings · #7 08-19-2011, 04:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jzucker

What does 100% satisfaction policy mean? I couldn't find it on his site. The thing that kept me from getting a guitar from Rob Engel was that all sales were final and I couldn't try it before buying. That's a deal breaker for me on a $2k + custom instrument that has limited resale value.

I've been through this several times with Chuck in the past, wondering WHY he does it. But he has always said he was going to keep it. Here is how he stated it to me. He requires 50% deposit when a guitar order is placed. He refunds that deposit in full WHEN a guitar sells in those cases where a guitar was ordered & circumstances happened in between which prevented the customer from being able to pay the other half due when finished. [job loss, etc]. That is an unbelievable policy to me; I just have never heard of such. The other builders AND music stores I've placed orders with had no refund policies for the deposit. Exceptions may be out there, but I've not found one.

His other satisfaction policy is that a customer gets 2 or 3 days [I forget which] to inspect & get to know a guitar. It was explained to me that a full refund would be given if the customer was disappointed with the guitar. Disappointment in a CpT masterpiece, of course, has never happend to me; but I love it that Chuck is willing to take back a guitar he built that someone could not even see or test drive in a store before placing the order. He is confident that his customer is going to love what he builds. He has good reason to feel so confident because he has built and sold over 300 guitars so far. And there many, many customers like me who own more than one. There are 3 other CpT owners within 4 hours of me, and between the 4 of us we own over 10% of the guitars Chuck has built.

Chuck is very easy to talk to and work with about custom guitars. One doesn't go out of his shop until it is perfect. I've owned guitars since 1963 and shopped in many stores from Maine to California. I've been to many guitar shows & talked with other guitar builders. I've ordered other custom built guitars. But no more. My search for the finest guitars and builder have ended in Sumner, Maine. I have bought 11 so far, and he's building 5 more for me right now - all due this year. Can I say more? No.