Used 2005 Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom ’59 – Brazilian Rosewood

Sonic Evaluation

When I put this '05 Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom '59 down, I had to take a moment and just stare at it with a dumb expression on my face in utter shock and awe. I wondered if I had really heard some of the most perfect vintage PAF tone of my life, or did I dream it. I plugged it in again (y'know, for science), and yep, I really did. This guitar packs some of the sweetest vintage tones you can imagine! Before I can even get into that, I have to tell you how lively, rich, and responsive this guitar is. When you hit a pinch harmonic, it is almost DEAFENING! And, it has one of the widest dynamic ranges of any electric I've played. When you play softly, it sounds warm, smooth, vibrant, glassy, and sweet as spun sugar. When you dig into it becomes an eldritch Lovecraftian beast from another dimension ready to wreak havoc and destroy entire solar systems with its rock and roll power.

In more concrete terms, that means that the EQ sounds broad with wide response when you play gently, and focused and snarly when you dig in (you can especially hear this in the midrange). It also has a supremely satisfying sizzle whe nyou play hard. The overtone profile is downright beautiful, with tons of even-order harmonics that ring out and make each chord or note feel massive but without any tubbiness at all. The bridge pickup is punchy with a snarl that would make Cerberus whimper and cower to go with muscular low end and open, sparkling highs. The neck pickup is thick and juicy, with sonorous lows, broad singing midrange, and fat, glassy trebles. Both pickup positions exhibit exceptional richness while maintaining superior clarity.

If you're looking for vintage Kalamazoo-style tone with no weakness and only strengths, this Bluesmaster will make you wonder if you're dreaming, too!

Condition Report

This Johan Gustavsson Bluesmaster Custom '59 is uber-clean! The frets look fantastic with virtually zero signs of wear, and the finish shows hardly any signs of use. There are just a few small cosmetic imperfections: some faint scratches and tiny dings on the back, a chip on the butt edge near the control cover, a teeny chip on the headstock's top edge on the treble side, and some small dings on the back of the neck around the first and twelfth fret areas. The frets measure .103 inches by .045 inches, and the Wolfetone pickups measure 7.97k in the bridge and 8.07k in the neck. It comes with its original Hiscox hardshell case, too!