DeTemple Spirit Series Guitars
“Listen to the acoustic quality — it really rings — it’s very loud acoustically. The finish is beautiful. Great! a one-piece body. What fine craftsmanship, I didn’t know you built guitars like this! You’re one of the few guys around that really cares. This is the finest Strat-style guitar I’ve played in years!”
— Dan Armstrong
“My DeTemple ’56™ has arrived safely here in the UK. I am speechless. It was at least an hour before I plugged the guitar in as it was so beautiful I just wanted to look at it and touch it. It looks superb and it feels gorgeous, I am so happy! I then plugged it in and was blown away. Tone, feel, tone and more tone. I’m Hendrix, I’m Clapton, I’m Cropper, I’m Robertson but most important I’m [name withheld by request] with the best guitar on the planet. I really am staggered by the sound of this guitar and the different tones that I have discovered already. It makes me sound more accomplished than I am and I cannot stop smiling. Michael, what can I say, thank you so much. I have enjoyed the whole process, I’ve enjoyed waiting for the guitar and talking to you and I will enjoy the guitar for years. The personal touch that you give right through to the manual is second to none and has made this a fantastic experience in a world where not many people have time for anyone and are not prepared to work with the patience commitment skill and good grace that you have. Now we must discuss a DeTemple ’52™!!!!!!”
— Name withheld by request
“This owner’s manual adds $1,000.00 to the value of this instrument. It’s like a Ferrari owner’s manual. This is the best thing I’ve seen.”
— Andy Brauer
“I plugged into my Bruno Cow Tipper 45, admittedly with a bit of trepidation. I guess I was worried about 60 cycle hum and nervous too, that like other single-coil instruments I’ve owned, the bridge pickup would be like an ice-pick in the forehead.
“What a relief!! Mike, in my book, you are the only guy doing single-coil the right way. Your SweetSpot™ Pickups are easily the greatest pickups I have ever heard. They are thick and meaty and twangy and chewy and responsive and so perfectly musical that I want them in every instrument I own. Really, I am blown away at how amazing these things are. And the balance between neck and bridge is spot on. I wish I had a book of new adjectives to describe how perfect your pickups sound.
“In a Talking Heads song, David Byrne once sang “some things do not exist in any language, they can never be uttered by a human mouth.” That is how I feel about your pickups. That is how I feel about your guitars. I cannot adequately describe them, but they are perfection.
“The arrival of your wonderful instruments has re-awakened my musicality. They have revitalized my passion for the instrument and even for life. I have not stopped smiling since I opened the box. And I am sure they will make me a better guitarist.
“Finally, thank you for the personal and thoughtful letter you included with the owners manual. In it, you mentioned that I put my “faith and trust” in your hands. Yes, I did. And I have been rewarded with the best guitars it has been my pleasure to play. Fourteen months ago, you were just another ad in Vintage Guitar Magazine to me. Since then you have become my friend and a valuable contributor to my musical journey through life. Thank you Mike. The world needs more men like you.”
— Steven Dembroski
“Since the other day, when I played that (damn) guitar, I just can’t get it out of my mind. Nothing else feels the same, and I’m a vintage pig. I’m putting my order in right now! I sold my ’57 (Strat) and bought a Ferrari and a DeTemple.”
— Andy Brauer
“You know, Michael, I sell wood to all these guys that make Strat- and Tele-style guitars. You make the best of all of them by far!”
— Jeff Lunsford
“I emailed a few guys who bought and own your DeTemple ’56™. They reviewed them on harmony central, all 3 of them said your guitars are the greatest they’ve ever played or seen period! They all love them as much as the day they first got them! They said wait till you get yours, you will be blown away! They are easily worth every penny and the wait! I’m very excited!’
— Joe Shellem
“The DeTemple P55 Bass™ you made for me is FANTASTIC! The balance is so incredible. It is the most prestigious instrument I own. I thank you again and again.”
— Paul “Schelly” Schifanelli
“Michael was building guitars long before he started building guitars.”
— Rick Turner
“I like your no-holds barred approach to building guitars that a pro can purchase with no doubts they are getting a work of art that can be used immediately in the studio or on stage.”
— Robert “Bobby” Nichols
“The DeTemple ’56™ could be the greatest sounding guitar of this type I’ve ever played. It is so musical. Great guitar, and I’m not just blowin’ smoke, I mean it. Anybody who thinks they can buy a vintage ’50s instrument better than this is out of their @#$&% mind!”
— Tommy Kay
“The DeTemple ’52 should be the benchmark for all Telecaster-like guitars. Hey, do you have about 7 minutes? I want you to hear the sustain on this guitar. If this was my guitar it’s all I’d play!”
— Tommy Kay
“I’ve tried so many guitars, even the high-end custom shop guitars, and they don’t come close to this guitar. It sounds so warm and feels so comfortable to play. I wish I had the words to tell how I feel about this guitar. But it’s more than I ever expected.”
— Dr. Neil Buchbinder
“That guitar!… The neck!… The frets!… The finish! But most of all the sound — it feels like new money! I gotta get one!”
— Jack “Guitar Jack” Wargo
“Michael, what a great guitar! First I started using PRSs instead of my old Gibsons and now I’ve retired my old Strats to use my DeTemple ’56™. The vintage market is in trouble!
“P.S. I guess my ’51 Tele is next to be replaced.”
— Al Vontz
“The DeTemple ’56™ is made with the same reverence to style, grace and craftsmanship as seen in today’s finest archtops built by the master luthiers. The attention to detail is unparalleled. My guitar was built with the focus, respect and honor of its heritage. This is the guitar for someone who loves ’50s vintage guitars!”
— Craig Snyder
“Dear Diary: Day 2 of my DeTemple ’56™ is better than Day 1! It’s usually about this time when the fun starts to wear off and the flaws of the instrument start to shine on through… by Day 3 it’s usually already getting mug-shot for eBay… Day 2 is usually when that sick feeling begins to mount in my stomach… the “I know this guitar sucks but I just got it feeling”… can’t tell my wife… gotta pretend…. This Day 2 is different… I LOOOOOOVVVVVVVVVEEEEEEEEE THIS GUITAR! WOW! This thing is just gets better and better every minute! I can’t get over the pickups! I never knew that a Strat-like guitar could have 5 distinctive tones! Usually they all sound the same… position 1 is a waste… 2 is a non-starter… 3 is thin… 4 is twangy… 5 is ok… with your guitar I have done something I’ve never done before… play 30 min in position 2! LOVE IT! Also LOVE the push-push pot!… adds 3 more tones!… all good! Most Strat-like guitars have just an excuse for a neck pickup… this one’s pickups are like having 5 different guitars! Thanks for curing me of G.A.S. (Gear Acquisition Syndrome)! I played this next to my mint Fender ’56 Strat and yours is a better playing/sounding/feeling instrument… more balanced pickups… smooth tone… better build quality… much better playability. Thanks so much for your quality work & service! I’m a customer for life!”
— Jim Pollatta
“I am absolutely loving this my DeTemple ’56™. It is all I wanted and more. You are a wonderful guy who makes wonderful guitars. More gushing later. The manual is a great touch, too. Will talk to you soon. BRAVO!”
— Michael Pyle
“I think there is a DeTemple ’52™ in my future. My DeTemple ’56™ blows my mind.”
— Michael Pyle
“I am loving this guitar more each day! The problem is I’ve gotten so used to the neck, it takes me a while to adjust to my other guitars. Looks like you’re gonna have to make me a DeTemple ’52™ someday. Next year I hope. I’ve played this DeTemple ’56™ next to a few others and yours ‘out Fenders the Fenders!’ It’s amazing. Even my ’67 Tele, which really has a soft ping and what I thought was a lot of ‘air’ sounds absolutely flat next to your guitar. Thank you again. I do believe I’m going to get rid of the push-push pot though. The pot itself is very loose (spins easily) and can get out of whack when playing. Do you have replacement pots, or can I pick those up anywhere? Also, I find there is such a variety of tones with the standard 5-way I don’t think I really need it. But if it was a tighter pot I would just keep it. Me thinks. Do your Teles sound as good as this guitar? Yikes!!
“P.S. I have one of the coolest looking — sounding guitars on the planet!!”
— Michael Pyle
“The tone of my DeTemple ’56™ is amazing, Michael. I love it when you are playing and you feel the guitar resonate right through your belly. Playing in first position feels a lot like an acoustic to the left hand, great for working with picking and open chords. Moving up the neck lends itself to what you would do in those positions. When I first picked it up, the neck shape was almost disconcerting, and I wasn’t sure if I liked it. After playing it for a while, I can’t imagine anything else! It reminds me of the first time I drove a BMW motorcycle. The handle bars felt very odd. After some hard riding you realize that the engineering is perfect and well thought out.”
— Michael Pyle
“I want to say thanks for everything, and I really appreciate your patience in ‘hanging in there’ with me in getting this neck right for me. This guitar is really unbelievable. I’ve been playing the hell out of it since I got it, and it’s more fun each day I pick it up. It’s amazing how all the individual attributes (fossilized ivory nut/string tree, titanium saddles, tight neck pocket, great wood, outstanding pickups) collectively add up to such a resonant guitar! I can’t imagine what this guitar will be like after aging for 30-40 years, because it’s already so toneful. I hope we’re still around to find out! So many times when I’ve bought guitars over the past 30 years, they weren’t ‘quite’ everything I wanted. ‘Sounds great but the neck isn’t for me,’ or ‘neck’s right but I don’t like the tone,’ or ‘plays and sounds great, but it’s way too heavy.’ It’s great to finally have a guitar that I wouldn’t change at all, it’s 100% perfect. If my house was falling down around me, and I only had time to grab one guitar on the way out the door, my DeTemple ’56™ would be it. Also, the manual is unbelievable, what a great job. I can’t think of another detail you could put in there, although the neck saga got me a couple more pages than your other customers!”
— Cliff Goodwin
“Just want to drop another line and tell you again how great this guitar is. I’ve been playing it exclusively, keep a spare Strat around on gigs in case I break a string. That hasn’t happened since I “flossed” the bridge. This guitar sounds great and is truly a joy to play, thanks again.”
— Cliff Goodwin
“This guitar will never be stolen, because they’ll have to pry it from my cold, dead fingers, and that ain’t happening! This is the first time that I’ve bought a custom made guitar. The greatest thing about this guitar is that it’s EXACTLY what I wanted. The tone is right, the look is right, the neck is right, the weight is right. What else is there? This is truly a ‘rest of my life’ guitar.”
— Cliff Goodwin
“Words like ‘purchase’ and ‘buy’ seem an odd thing when I look at the instruments you’ve made for me. “Adoption” is more appropriate, I think, because I know how much of yourself you have invested into my guitars. And though it is a tired metaphor, my DeTemple ’52™ and DeTemple ’56™ are truly the children of your vision and your genius — ones that I welcome lovingly into my own musical family of ideas. Already they have become indispensable to the music I love to make and the ‘voice in which I speak.
It seems to me that every guitar I’ve owned has had a personality. Each has embodied something unique, perhaps the reflection of its origin. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised that mass-produced instruments would have a cold impersonal feel when held in warm human hands. That is why I think your guitars are so appropriately named ‘SPIRIT’ — because they do so fully embody the spirit of you, their creator, and the spirit of the life that lives within the wood. I can think of no honor greater for a tree than to be given a second life as a DeTemple instrument. In my hands, your guitars feel like old friends and they remind me of why I became a guitarist in the first place.
“These past 14 months, since we first spoke, have been filled with a great number of personal setbacks and emotional hardships for me. Through it all your patience and guidance and enthusiasm and your seemingly endless knowledge of guitars has been an oasis, a welcome respite in an otherwise inhospitable period of my life. For this I want to thank you, as a friend and as one who admires your abilities greatly.
“A point-to-point comparison with other guitars clearly shows the refinement and understanding you bring to the process of luthiery. From the selection of superb light weight tone woods to the excellent fret work and setup — you have made the best choices and built the best guitars I have ever held. And still, I can’t help believe that it goes beyond this, to a deeper level than the purely observable. What I feel when I play your guitars is your intent and your desire to create on the highest level. And I am certain this is not just so you can sell guitars to guys like me, but rather, because you are an artist and your guitars are your legacy — representative of your lifelong passion for the things that stir your soul. In this, you have achieved the extraordinary.
“Now I realize that typical shop talk is usually relegated to hardware and pickup choice, et cetera, and that I am gushing on about things beyond the visible, but I cannot help myself. Your guitars have truly moved me.
“That said… here are some of my more pragmatic thoughts upon opening up the exquisite cases of my DeTemple ’52™ and DeTemple ’56™ guitars.
(cont’d next column)
“My God, these are beautiful, heart-stopping instruments. The finish is so perfectly applied, never obscuring, always highlighting the natural grain in the wood. In light or shadow they seem to take on the mood of the room and organically bond with it.
“Upon lifting them out of their cases I was immediately struck with a paradox. Your guitars are so light yet they seem so very solid. Compared to my Custom Shop Strat, my DeTemple ’56™ seems so much more substantial and well balanced. I trust this guitar. As for my DeTemple ’52™, all I need say is that I have never touched a guitar that has touched me back the way it does. It is a permanent extension of my hands.
“These guitars resonate so well, it is tempting to never plug into an amp. They have exceptional acoustic presence and clarity. Even un-amplified the notes are saturated with detail. It’s as if the wood is breathing life into the strings.
“Now, a word must be said about setup. Normally, I have my action a bit lower than you set it up. I guess it is a common misconception that low action equals ease of play. But this couldn’t be further from the truth, I’ve discovered. Even very fast passages are easy to navigate. In fact I find myself reaching for notes I normally wouldn’t reach for. It’s so obvious now how much more tone and sustain comes from a guitar set up your way. Since I play a lot of acoustic guitar, and I’m addicted to the feel of a dreadnought vibrating against me, I’ve always found my electrics less than satisfying. It seems that my technique never transferred to solid instruments as well as I would like and that I was always compensating for the way I instinctively play. Not so with your guitars. This is exactly the feel I’ve sought. Exactly!
“I’ve been putting lots of hours into playing the DeTemple ’52™. I’m even more enthusiastic than the day I wrote the letter. It’s just perfect for me. Thanks again.”
— Steven Dembroski
“The best Strat I’ve ever played wasn’t a Strat… It was a DeTemple ’56™! Sustain, warmth, clarity, and a soulful solidity; quite a remarkable collection of attributes for any single guitar. Oh, and also the DeTemple ’52™; I borrowed one for a session, and it was the star of the show. This ‘Tele’ pushes an amp like no other. Good work, Michael.”
— Dean Parks
“Gigging out with my DeTemple ’56™, can’t leave home without it. I don’t even bring a back-up anymore. If I break a string, (which I haven’t done since I ‘flossed’ the bridge plate), they’ll just have to wait until I throw a new one on.”
— Cliff Goodwin
“I took ‘our’ guitar to my tech to take some of the buzz out of the first 5 frets. He relaxed the truss rod and that did the trick. He was ‘Blown Away’ by the instrument and said it was an HONOR to work on it! And this is coming from a guy who also builds custom Strat-style guitars. I forget the name, but they advertise in Vintage Guitar Magazine also. I think it’s an Italian or Spanish name. He half jokingly said that when he took the screws out and started to remove the neck, he wondered if he forgot one of the screws!! He was very impressed, as I am every time I play this beauty.”
— Mike Pyle
“I think there is a DeTemple ’52™ in my future. This guitar blows my mind. Will talk to you soon, before I review this in Harmony Central!”
— Tony Galla
“My offer still stands, if anybody locally wants to check out my guitar, send em’ over. Boppin around the music stores here, and in NY, aren’t as much fun anymore, because every strat I play can’t measure up, new or vintage. I’m so hooked on my DeTemple ’56™. It’s kinda weird, because it just seems to get better, or I get more connected to it, each time I play it. There was a guitarist in the audience at a local gig the other night, who was just standing in front of me while everybody was dancing, just staring at my DeTemple ’56™, mouth open, etc., trying to figure out what it was. I gave him one of your cards.”
— Cliff Goodwin
“I haven’t had a chance to use my DeTemple ’52™ with the group yet, but I wanted to send you some of my comments: I love the feel of my guitar. It already fits like an old shoe. It may become my #1 guitar. I think you are on to something with your new pickups. The balance between the 3 positions is near perfect. The bridge pickup has an incredible range of tones and the neck pickup is the more usable than any other Tele-style guitar that I have played. The superior acoustic resonance of the guitar seems to come through plugged in or not.”
— Al Vontz
“I haven’t been to Harmony Central to review my DeTemple ’56™ yet, but plan to in a couple of months when I feel I’ve gotten to know her better. It is the best Strat instrument I’ve played. The tone is beautiful and raucous all at the same time. The guitar is everything I’d hoped it would be. It has real vintage tone and then some. I have three gigs this weekend and I can hardly wait to crank it up a little. I gigged with it at a private party, but we were so volume sensitive it was pathetic. This weekend we will really hear it the way it was meant to be heard. Thanks for everything.”
— Ned Renz
“I just have to say that this guitar is absolutely the best sounding Strat I’ve ever seen or heard. We had four gigs last week and the only time the DeTemple ’56™ was out of my hands is when I broke the G string during the Sunday afternoon show. I’ve been beating and banging on it as the songs call for and alternately finger picking and strumming lightly and the tones are energizing not only to me, but also my band mates. I use the 5 position switch liberally. Every position sounds just like it should. I love the way the guitar jumps from 7.5 on the volume up to 10. It is beautiful; although it needs a shot of Maguire’s #9. I love the tones so much that even when we are rehearsing on Wednesday night and it is getting late, I still have energy to go more. The neck is so perfect!!!!! I love playing it. All I can say is GREAT JOB!!!!!!!!! It was worth the wait. It is pretty quiet, too. Big bonus. We play the Central Florida Fair on Saturday night from 7–11 on the main stage. I can’t wait. Here are a couple of pictures of her in action. Too bad the person playing it isn’t supermodel material. Never was, never will be. Great job Mike and your crew. I couldn’t love this anymore if it were made of gold and diamonds.”
— Ned Renz
“Thank you so much for your extra added touch and time. I can’t tell you enough how over the top this the DeTemple ’52™ & 56™ are. I can’t put them down and I think my wife is going to kick me out of the house. He he! I believe that some day these guitars will be like DeAngelico’s or ’59 Les Pauls, hard to find and very expensive when you do find them. You are the best!”
— Tony Galla
“I showed my DeTemple ’56™ to a couple of friends in Tampa Saturday night. One of them is a Gibson guy through and through. He loved it. It is the first ‘Strat’ he’s ever played that sustained. I couldn’t get it out of his hands. He owns 17 Gibsons beginning with a ’56 Jr. all the way up to the CA&H ’58 & ’59 and he was amazed at the tone. The other guy, who owns a Kibicki (I know I didn’t spell that right), he’s another fellow in California who has made some Strat-style guitars that apparently are sought after, was amazed at the beauty, tone and feel of my DeTemple ’56™.
“My band does 4 numbers off of the new Delbert McClinton Live album and I start them off. The tone from the DeTemple ’56™ gets them kicked off with such energy and life that all six of us get a real boost from it. It’s inspiring. Alright, I know I’m gushing so I’ll leave you alone. Just wanted to tell you that when you say ‘Glad the guitar is right for you,’ it is the hugest understatement of the millennium.
“At 2AM last night I played ‘The Wind Cries Mary’ for about an hour. I couldn’t stop. There I go again. Thanks for the information and I promise, the next time I have a question, I’ll look in the manual.”
— Ned Renz
“Right now I have just one word to sum it up — WOW!!!!!!”
— Dennis “Rico” Rutkin
“I can’t tell you enough how incredible these guitars are! The more I play them the better they sound. It almost seems like they talk to me. I am discovering new tones and harmonics that I have never heard from any other guitar before and I haven’t changed anything about my gear. I’ve just added your guitars!!! Your truly producing the “Stradivarius” of guitars and that’s including my Tele. God has given you a gift….”
— Tony Galla
“The DeTemple ’56™ you built for me is and has been my go to guitar for months now. The tone is as good as it gets. I sat in with a local three piece band last Friday night at an outdoor gig at a very touristy upscale shopping/eating mall with a big courtyard and fountain. I just happened to have my DeTemple and amp with me (actually, the drummer from my band was filling in for their drummer and he told me to bring my rig). I played with them on a couple songs during their second set and the entire third set and must say that I felt embarrassed because during breaks and at the end of the gig I had a slew of people wanting to see the guitar up close and talk to me. They did a Hendrix version of Hey Joe and the DeTemple on the neck pup filled the air with electricity. It makes me a better player, Mike. There is no doubt of that. The band’s bass player and singer loved it. Their guitar player was pretty cold to me, but took a huge interest in my guitar. Who wouldn’t? I don’t want you to think I am some huge ego type of player. I was super careful to stick to laid back rhythm parts until the guitar player gave me the nod. I always do that, even in my own band. The neck is very straight on the guitar. It has moved just a hair, but it still sounds and plays great so I haven’t used the wrench on it yet. When people ask me what I paid for it I just tell them that you get what you pay for. It’s pretty hard to put a price on what I have at home in my brown faux alligator case. I have a couple of questions for you. First, I wore a red shirt (polyester, even) one night and now have a pink shadow (very light) on the ridge on the back of the guitar. I guess the lacquer was still curing. I’m not worried about it. Nobody knows, but me. Just wondered if there is any way to remove it easily. If not, it looks like I got my “pink guitar” after all. It is no big thing. I also saw on the Gear Page that someone stated Jason Lollar made your pickups. Again, no great shakes to me because if you designed them and he made them, I could care less. They sound awesome! You haven’t had a customer this happy ever! The neck you built for me is the best neck I could have asked for. Whether it was part mistake on my part or luck . . . whatever you want to say, I love this thing and will be buried with it. The body vibrates against my torso and the neck really vibrates in my hands. The feeling is incredible. Thank you and your crew there again for making the best possible guitar of its kind for me.”
— Ned Renz
“A friend called me yesterday to tell me that you quoted me in Vintage Guitar magazine. What a hoot! I hope all is well with you, your family and shop mates. Mike, nothing compares to my DeTemple ’56™. You got a great compliment from my drummer of all people. He is our band leader and toured and recorded with the Steve Miller Band for many years. This past Saturday night we played for a private party (about 250 people) in DC. He trailered up the PA, amps and brought my guitars in his vehicle. Before he left he made sure that I brought that ‘whitish colored guitar’ because when I played that he could feel it much like when he played the big venues with SM. Coming from Joey, that is a huge compliment. He is always making cracks because I bring three guitars to every gig. One is in E tuning for slide, the other two are there for contrast and in case I break a string so I don’t have to stop the show for a string change. He told me to bring whatever I wanted as long as the DeTemple ’56™ was one of them. Of course, I did and used it exclusively. Again last night, couldn’t sleep and picked it up and played unplugged for an hour and a half. Nothing vibrates and sounds like that. It would be cool if you could add Baby Blues Band after my name on the quote, but I know that can be difficult when camera ready copy is supplied and the ad is paid for already. Anyway, have a good one. I love this thing.”
— Ned Renz
“Your DeTemple ’52™ rules, I’m still thinking about how great it played!!”
— Rob Allen
“My God!!!! What an amazing instrument!!! I played yesterday with it as you set it. Then today I set it the way I usually set my Strat. Very slightly different. Not better or worse, but just different. I liked it both ways but am so used to having the trem set flat and firmly against the face as I rest my right hand on it while playing with a pick. If it’s floating I push it sharp constantly. A very old and cemented deficit of mine.
“Words cannot describe how grateful I am to play such an instrument. As I play it I can feel all of your ideas and where they came from. That place that you described when I was there. That place where our music comes from. The liveliness that the guitar has is the result of so many things that all come from that one place. Playing your guitar through my amp today was such treat. Thank you so much for sharing this magical guitar with me. I’ve never considered the instruments that I’ve played over the years to be possessions. All of the guitars that I’ve been fortunate to have played were always what I was able to connect with and interact with musically at the time. There is no negotiation or musical distraction of any kind for me when playing your guitar. The guitar simply responds in a very lively and playful manner to every invitation I can come up with. It’s dynamic and bouncy yet sings instantly when I hold a note for even the shortest period of time. Right away it goes to that second note. Always a happy note! Either a third, a fifth, or an octave and just sings. And sings for as long as I stay out of the way. What a wonderful experience! I can’t wait ’til Tuesday night to get to play out with this guitar and a band.”
— Jeff Snider
“Man my DeTemple ’56™ is just amazing. Had a couple of folks show up to the gig last night just to see and hear the guitar. They were nearly as excited as I was. The band dug it as well. Lot’s of ‘great tone’ remarks. Love the guitar!”
— Jeff Snider
“I want to thank you so much for your kindness and generosity in showing me your amazing guitars and allowing me to spend so much time playing them today. What a treat this was for me. I may not have clearly expressed to you when I was there but I am simply knocked out by your guitars. You are building the kind of guitars I’ve been hoping someone would build but until today I hadn’t really found them. I’ve played quite a few great ’50s Telecasters, Esquires and Strats. I can honestly say your guitars equal or better the best vintage Fenders I’ve played. There are so many things I loved about your blonde DeTemple ’52™, the neck shape, the feel, tone and thickness of the lacquer, the flame maple, the featherweight body, the beautiful thin finish, the hardware, it was all working. That guitar was exploding as I was playing it. And it was sounding just right through the EL-84 Blankenship amp. I’m looking forward to the time when I will be able to place an order for one of your guitars. I’m also looking forward to hearing you play. Please let me know if you’ll be gigging somewhere.”
— Jon Markowitz
“Got the guitar today! WOW! Better than ever! Don’t know what you did but it’s simply amazing. Never sounded better or played better. Just wonderful. Plugged it into my ’57 Tweed Pro and it’s magic. Just everything I had hoped for. Thank you for all the love and care you put into this instrument. Also, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to work on my guitar. It’s just WOW!… Simply WOW!”
— Jim Pollatta
“My Vibroverb and DeTemple ’56™ wait beckoning me to come, sit down and play. I got my ’56 well over a year ago and the neck is still straight as a string. I don’t think it will ever move. The lacquer is yellowing a bit, but the subtlety in the looks of this guitar is amazing. At a glance it is obviously a nice guitar, but then look at the grain under the blonde and the flame beneath the milk treatment on the neck and you begin to fall into its spell. If Rory Gallagher could play it he would sit in the middle pickup position and never move. It is so cool. The folks on the TheGearPage.net say the wait for a DeTemple has grown. Glad I got mine early. I continually tell them how great it is to have one in your hands. That it’s worth the wait… most of them are much younger than me anyway.”