Pheo Facet Redux

Phil Sylvester will often rework his instruments if he gets an idea about how to squeeze even better performance out of them. Such is the case with the Facet. It's new incarnation is the Facet Redux, refinished, new pickguard, but most importantly, new, old pickups. Now the Facet has a vintage Dearmond in the neck position, and a Japanese DynaSonic at the bridge. The Facet is an amazingly bright, detailed guitar, and the smokiness of these two pickups compliments the acoustic response perfectly. With the exception of the neck, the Facet is made only with planes, no curves. The body is designed, despite the flat surfaces, to ergonomically fit the player's body. Construction is hollow, with an internal truss system to provide the necessary rigidity with the least material. The result is an incredibly light, acoustically alive body. The whole guitar weighs 5 lbs 3 oz. Top wood is Spanish Cedar. Back and sides are Indian Rosewood. The neck is maple, 25 1/2 inch scale, medium c profile, with a 7.25 inch radius. Controls are master volume, master tone, and a five way switching syste that gives neck, bridge, both, and two quack settings using unequal amounts of neck and bridge.

Price: $3500

Facet Redux Audio Sample

About Phil Sylvester
"My last twenty five years have been spent as a fine art painter, drawer, and sculptor. What I have learned from 20th Century master artists, Giacometti, Cezanne, Matisse, Johns, and others, is an economy of technique, doing what is necessary to get the job done, nothing more, nothing less. The work of these great artists is about expression above all, and all gratuitous craft is rigorously paired away. Most fine guitar making is obsessive about craft perfection. Mine is not. I strive to build instruments that sound exceptional, play beautifully, and are extremely interesting to look at. The instruments aren't gratuitously tidy or perfectionistic or consistent. I tear them apart and rebuild them until I find them exciting. Perfect guitars are great, but there are plenty of those. I'm searching for something more raw, more direct." - Phil Sylvester