From Deimel:
The best of two worlds
"The Deimel Firestar has been built as a new classic tool for creative and modern guitar music. A lot of people nowadays like the so-called »offset waist guitars« for their beautiful and ergonomic shape. As there are only a few well known designs Frank has developed his own offset waist body shape, called the Firestar.
The idea to literally make use of historic, classic guitar designs and build up a new design, is a process we don’t call hybrid, we would rather name it evolution. But indeed, ingredients of already existing perfect ideas, have been recombined here in our own unique design. There are many design features already so good, that there is no need to reinvent the wheel. But sometimes, you find great features in one guitar, but it misses another great feature from other guitars. Therefore, »best of both worlds« stands for uniting best qualities in order to come to another higher overall quality of the guitar. Our result is the Deimel Firestar guitar."
This Firestar by German Luthier duo Frank Deimel & Kora Junger is a gem of a guitar. The Firestar may be the perfect offset design for the modern, forward thinking musician; both in its standard configured format and fully customized iterations like this one. Perfectly balanced with great hardware and electronics that eliminate all of the ailments of past Offset designs. Deimel has certainly gotten it right with this model. Upon picking this guitar up, you know you have something special and of superior quality in your hands. These guitars just feel substantial, like every aspect has been thought out thoroughly, then perfectly executed.
Starting with the unique color scheme on this Firestar of metallic silver with filled black pores on a lightweight Swamp Ash body. It's stunning in person and has a great satiny feel. The open pore finish allows not only for the wood to breathe and resonate, but has a fine texture that is a joy to both look at and feel. No thick lacquer here. The finish is a unique super thin urethane that allows Frank to fill the pores with a secondary color. A work of art.
The guitar is very balanced seated or standing with a loud acoustic foundation. The Mastery bridge and vibrato work flawlessly with a great smooth feel. You can truly whale on this unit without falling out of the saddles, unlike many vintage offset bridge/vibrato designs. The feel of the neck carve and quality of the fretwork is immediately noticeable. The tangs of the frets are seated perfectly and the instrument plays with a comfortable low action of 3 & 4 64ths of an inch at the 12th fret E to E.
The neck has a beautiful black stain over highly figured Maple with a Ziricote Fingerboard that just pops with lively brown and orange hues. The Truss rod is adjustable at the end of the neck, yet there is a secondary side adjuster as well for small incremental adjustments useful for changes in the humidity, when a full setup isn't required. keeping your guitar always playing its best.
The pickups are wound by Mojo Pickups in the UK, they are thick, lively, airy and sparkly sounding, without being at all brash like some American/Fullerton CA Single Coil designs. Since they are the size of a traditional Jazzmaster pickup, there are many direct replacement options out there if you ever wish to try something different out; though we find that to be highly unlikely given their range and the quality of this guitars tone and performance. From fat biting JM style twang to deep airy and warm sounding Gold-Foil neck position tones. You're sure to be inspired by this set of pickups.
There are three slide switches aside from the three way toggle, which add even more versatility to the guitars tonal palate. From left to right we have a Piezo/acoustic pickup on/off switch, giving the player the option to make the guitar sound more like an Archtop, Resonator or Acoustic. It also allows for unusual tricks like rhythmic tapping on the body or neck and playing behind the bridge. As you lower the volume control, the Piezo pickup becomes more pronounced. it can also be used alone if you are in the neck or bridge position on the 3-way toggle; as the middle switch is a Series/Paralelll switch for the middle position of the magnetic pickups. When the switch is up, only the middle position of the Gold-Foils works. So you can use it as either a Kill switch with either the bridge or neck pickups on, or as a way to get the Piezo/acoustic discs tone alone. The Series/Para switch changes the middle position from the traditional middle position “parallel” tone, to having the two pickups wired in series for a fatter, hotter Humbucker style tone. The middle positions are also hum-cancelling. The third switch is a HPF (high pass filter) sending the lows to ground for a brighter sound that cuts through the mix, like on a Fender Jaguar. Very surfy vibes.
Lastly, this is the first Firestar adorned with the new half/guard shape. It's made of black anodized aluminum, as are the back plates. The guitar comes in its new and original Hiscox Hard Shell Case with hand signed COA.
Deimel Firestar Custom Specs:
Deimel Firestar »custom made« , serial number #033
Body: Swamp Ash, one piece
Neck: Figured maple, stained black
Fingerboard: Ziricote
Inlays: MOP
Frets: 21, Wagner Medium Jumbo
Nut: bone
Finish: Light Matt Urethane
Long Scale 25.5“ with compound radius 9.5“ to 12“
Medium fat 59JM .86”-.96”
Black fiber w/ pearl logo inlay, 6R
Hipshot open gear, satin nickel, black industrial tuners
Body Finish: Silver open grain with black pores
Guard: Black anodized aluminum (1 of a kind shape)
Plates: Black anodized aluminum
Pickups: Mojo JM Teisco Silverfoil, black cover
Mojo JM Teisco Silverfoil, black cover
Built in piezo w/ on/off switch
Bridge & Vibrato: Mastery
3-way toggle for pickup selection, 3 slider switches, black: piezo on/ off,
serial/parallel, surf switch/HPF
2 x witch hats, black, for volume + tone
Cotton push back, 7 stranded
Pota: CTS
Caps:Mojotone Pio, 22nf 22nf
Weight: 7lbs 6oz
Custom Hiscox HSC w/ COA
