Description
VINTAGE JOE DOE JAILBIRD ELECTRIC GUITAR + TWEED CASE. Built on a vintage V52 classic this rare (only 100 built) is in excellent condition, virtually mint. Not only does it look fantastic it also plays brilliantly. It comes complete with a lovely tweed case and all the case candy including the certificate of authenticity. Here’s an opportunity to acquire a rare guitar that will only increase in value.
It can be played/viewed in Preston Lancashire, or delivered to any UK mainland address for £23
Joe Doe is the alter ego of Ben Court, a Brighton-based film and TV screenwriter who normally makes guitars as a sideline. They’re cool-looking instruments, each with a cinematic ‘backstory’ behind its distinctive design, but a one-man operation means small production numbers and not-so-small prices – and that’s where John Hornby Skewes comes in.
Teaming up with the powerhouse behind the Vintage brand has allowed Ben to apply his unique vision to a range of guitars produced in Asia on a much larger scale, and at much more tempting prices. Among the first fruits of that deal, on a limited run of 100 instruments, is the Jailbird.
This is a guitar with a fascinating provenance… and for once you don’t have to worry whether all of it is true, because you know none of it is. The tale involves an arsonist, a prison warder and a blues-inspired riot; you can read it all on the JHS website, or just enjoy the graphical flourishes on the guitar itself that evoke – quite successfully – the intimidating atmosphere of Ohio State Penitentiary circa 1967.
Guitar Magazine Review: Joe Doe by Vintage Jailbird
Indie spirit meets mainstream muscle in this quirky collaboration between Joe Doe Guitars and John Hornby Skewes… but is the Jailbird good enough to be a breakout hit?
Our verdict
A workmanlike T-type with talking-point looks and (mostly) cutting tones.
Joe Doe is the alter ego of Ben Court, a Brighton-based film and TV screenwriter who normally makes guitars as a sideline. They’re cool-looking instruments, each with a cinematic ‘backstory’ behind its distinctive design, but a one-man operation means small production numbers and not-so-small prices – and that’s where John Hornby Skewes comes in.
Teaming up with the powerhouse behind the Vintage brand has allowed Ben to apply his unique vision to a range of guitars produced in Asia on a much larger scale, and at much more tempting prices. Among the first fruits of that deal, on a limited run of 100 instruments, is the Jailbird.
This is a guitar with a fascinating provenance… and for once you don’t have to worry whether all of it is true, because you know none of it is. The tale involves an arsonist, a prison warder and a blues-inspired riot; you can read it all on the JHS website, or just enjoy the graphical flourishes on the guitar itself that evoke – quite successfully – the intimidating atmosphere of Ohio State Penitentiary circa 1967.
In fact, the only thing that doesn’t quite fit the story is the Jailbird’s most striking feature: its oval scratchplate. We don’t really mind, however, because it looks great. That aside, this guitar appears to be a straightforward T-type, which is confirmed by a decal at the tip of the headstock that reads ‘Built on a Vintage V52 chassis’. It’s nice to know, though it does detract ever so slightly from the vibe and it’s a shame they couldn’t have stuck it around the back.
If you’re thinking this looks more like an Esquire than a Telecaster, think again – there’s a ‘secret’ neck pickup under that ’guard. The paperwork says it’s a hot humbucker, but what’s actually fitted in there is a skinny single-coil – maybe the cost of routing out the standard Vintage body for anything bigger turned out to be impractical. It’s a pity, and we wonder how well this unit – with a DC resistance reading of less than 7k ohms – will manage to make itself heard from back there.
The alder body is described as ‘light’ but our review instrument is distinctly heavier than average for its type. Mind you, a lot of that might be down to the neck, which is a chunky piece of hard rock maple that pulls down quite insistently on the strap. It’s topped by a fretboard made of ‘lignum rosa’ (a wood-based material that Vintage has been using as a rosewood alternative since the whole CITES thing escalated in 2017) with 22 frets and prison-themed marker inlays.
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