Here's a rare gem for the most discerning player. We've seen a few of these, but wow does this guitar not only look strikingly sharp with it's motorcycle-like black and silver aesthetic, but the feel and setup are spot-on and the tone is incredibly pleasing. As for now this Birdfish has it's three Teuffel-wound Humbucking pickups installed, though you can feel free to change one or two of them with the included Single Coils for a brighter, more spikey, Fullerton-style tone that excel in either the neck or bridge positions. The craftsmanship as well as R&D that went into this instrument is beyond words. Ulrich Teuffel's guitars are masterpieces, which include a mixture of both the best old world craftsmanship and modern processes to be built.Â
Here's what Ulrich Teuffel says about the design:Â
"In the Spring of 1995 I presented the birdfish for the first time at the Frankfurt MusikMesse. Mil Garofalo from Luxemburg was the first person to purchase a birdfish back then. Since then this guitar has become widely recognized. It has appeared in many books and has become a part of many private guitar collections. The British magazine „Guitarist“ picked it as one of the most important guitars of the 20th century. The birdfish has won three design awards and is on display in several museums. It is played by musicians such as David Torn, Henry Kaiser, Hans Zimmer, Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, Page Hamilton, Kirk Hammett, Amir Derakh and many others.
My original idea was to build a guitar which is constructed so that the fundamental elements, the tonewoods and the pickups, are put together in a modular fashion. This design not only allows unlimited tonal possibilities, but also results in a very lively and percussive tone. Billy Gibbons said about it: „It really shines on Mescalero because of that dirty, raunchy tone. I defy any other instrument, besides these odd-ball things, to get that crazy.“ (Guitar World 6/03)
Since 1995 I have overhauled the birdfish in four stages. In doing so, I have been very careful not to alter the identity of the birdfish. The birdfish series is limited to 500 instruments."
“The main elements, bird and fish, are made of aluminum. This material has the property of transferring vibrations almost without a filtering influence. What you hear with the birdfish is the tone of the neck and the tone bars.” - Ulrich Teuffel.
Specs:Â
Scale length: 25 1/2" (648mm)Â
Nut width: 1 11/16"
3 different humbuckers, covered with Ebony (in guitar)
2 different single coils, covered with Ebony (in case)
Selector switch: 5-Way Neck, N+M, Middle, N+B, Bridge
Neck: Hard/Rock maple covered with 1.5 mm of Ebony
Frets: 22 Dunlop 6105 stainless steel
Soft V Profile: .81"-.94"
Fingerboard Radius: Compound 13"-17"
1 set of tonebars from mahogany, covered in 1 mm of Ebony
1 set of tonebars from alpine maple, covered in 1 mm of Ebony
Inlay: Stainless Steel Teuffel logo
Comes in original high-quality flight case, made to fit this guitar model.
2 extra pickups are included (single coils) as are tools to adjust the instrument.Â
Weight: 7lbs 8.4oz