REVIEW: Terry C. McInturff "Polaris"
Cypher
Specs:
25 1/8" scale
1 11/16" nut width
Body: Double cutaway, one-piece pattern grade mahogany body
Neck: Set Mahogany w/ Indian Rosewood fretboard, graphite nut
Frets: Tall Dunlop 6155
Inlays: Abalone Dot
Electronics: Three-way blade-type switch, volume, tone
Pickups: twin Seymour Duncan "Seth Lover" humbucking pickups
Hardware: Grover Tuners (14:1), Schaller tune-o-matic w/ stop tail
Headstock: 3/3 configuration, straight string pull
Having been slightly disgusted with most of the twin-humbucker
offerings on the market today, I decided to take a chance on the "new
guy" in the guitar industry - Terry C. McInturff guitars. Recently,
I've heard a lot of good things about this guitar builder and after
reading a very favorable Guitar Player article on the "Polaris" model,
I decided to bite. I'm very happy I did.
I purchased this guitar from Doug Abrams and Eddie Berman at the Music
Loft in NC. They are located in the same area as the Terry C.
McInturff guitar factory. I'll throw in a plug here - The guys at
Indoor-Storm/Music Loft are some of the best guys I've ever dealt
with. Their level of customer service is unheard of in this business.
I'll definitely do business with them again.
First Impressions:
The body style of the Polaris is rather interesting the first time you
look at it. It doesn't really remind me of any other guitar on the
market and it makes you look twice. Mine came finished in a gorgeous
transparent cherry finish which really shows off the one-piece
mahogany body. The chrome hardware is stunning against this finish and
while the black "speed knobs" wouldn't be my first choice, they prove
to be most functional. Upon picking this guitar up, the first thing I
noticed was how solid and substantial it felt. The guitar truly feels
like a one-piece guitar. One can't help but notice the impeccable
workmanship and care that went into this guitar. A close examination
of the neck joint proves to be one of the best in the industry. The
abalone "dot" inlays are so perfectly set, that it looks like the wood
must have been cut by a laser. The finish work is simply flawless. I
can't find even one solitary flaw on this guitar and I have a pretty
picky eye. (Rumor has it that Terry himself finishes each and every
guitar himself.)
Neck:
The neck is a longer scale than you'd expect and it took me a little
time to get used to at first. (I'm used to a narrower neck.) The width
of the neck is perfect for people who play acoustic guitar on a
regular basis. The neck radius is somewhere between a PRS wide/thin
and wide/fat. This guitar finds a good balance between the two. The
fretboard is incredibly flat and easy to move around on. (One can't
help but notice the superb fret job on this guitar. These frets are
fat and tall and are cut perfectly. Running your finger along the side
of the fretboard produces no bumps or rough edges.) Upon getting used
to the unique scale and width of this neck I've found that it plays
like a finely tuned sports car. The action is very smooth and precise,
even using a heavier gauge of strings (this guitar came with 10's).
I'm very happy with the way this guitar came set-up.
Headstock:
The Polaris uses Terry C. McInturff's signature headstock. When I say
"signature", I mean SIGNATURE. Terry personally signs the headstock of
all of his guitars and the serial number is hand written on the back
of the headstock. The headstock is a 3/3 configuration with a straight
string pull. The straight string pull works with the graphite nut and
Grover tuners to produce a guitar that really stays in tune even with
the heaviest playing.
Body:
The solid one-piece mahogany body is not as heavy as you'd initially
think. It's not light, but it's no vintage Les Paul, either. While the
body may look a little odd-shaped, it's actually very easy to hold and
balance on your knee. The controls are well positioned and easy to
reach except for the three-way toggle which is at an odd place at the
bottom of the guitar.
Electronics:
The highlight of this guitar is it's well-voiced electronics. I'm not
one to play with the volume and tone controls much while I'm playing
but this guitar is the exception. First of all, the speed knobs are
probably the best choice considering how much you'll be using the
volume and tone knobs. The tone control isn't your typical muddy/clean
tone control. The sounds are completely useable at all tone control
settings. Same with the volume control, except the volume control
seems to add a bit of boost at the very top position. Both Tube and
Solid State amps seem to react well to the different tone/volume
settings on the guitar.
Pickups:
The pickups in this guitar are very unique. The Seth Lover pickups
seem to work the best under high-gain, but are still impressive with
low-gain and clean settings. Under high-gain, these pickups literally
scream, but they keep their definition and don't become muddy. I've
never heard a high output pickup like these that didn't become muddy
under moderate gain setting. The Seth Lover pickups are supposed to be
slightly microphonic, but I haven't pushed them to squeal yet, even
with high volume settings. Another interesting thing about these
pickups is the sharp attack that they produce with each note that you
hit. They seem to pick up a lot of pick/finger noise, also. Add all
this together and you have a very classic sound, indeed. It's
difficult to describe these pickups with words. You really need to
hear them for yourself.
Hardware:
The chrome hardware was an excellent choice on this guitar. I can't
help but wonder what black-chrome hardware would look like against the
deep red color, though. The Grover tuners are very high-quality, as is
the Schaller bridge/tailpiece.
Fit and Finish:
Whoever finished this guitar paid great attention to detail. The
finish work on this guitar easily stands up to even the best finished
"boutique" guitars. The neck joint is perfect, as is all the fretwork,
etc... There's simply nothing negative that I can say about the build
quality of this guitar. The QC is excellent. If Terry McInturff pays
this much attention to detail on his lowest end guitar, I'd love to
see his finer instruments like the Zodiac and Glory models.
Case:
This guitar comes with a neat-o green case w/ black ends and gold
latches. The handle on the case is thick padded leather. A very high
quality case.
Overall:
This guitar is a great no-frills instrument. It does what it does well
- very well. It's fun to play but serious at the same time. The action
is smooth, tight and precise. The sound is very well balanced and
controllable. I'm extremely impressed by this up-and-coming guitar
builder. If all his instruments are this high-quality and well thought
out, he'll succeed as a guitar builder. I'm proud to own an early
model from this guitar builder and even happier to have one that was
displayed at the NAMM show.
Thumbs up!
-Cypher
Vicki & David Eastwood
>REVIEW: Terry C. McInturff "Polaris"
>
<rave review deleted.
For perspective, how much did it cost you?
------------------------------------------------------
David 'Threadkiller' Eastwood - dj...@worldnet.att.net
Darren
> >
> <rave review deleted.
>
> For perspective, how much did it cost you?
You can have one shipped to you for around $1100. Check out
www.indoorstorm.com
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
Cypher
<6orh03$k...@bgtnsc02.worldnet.att.net>...
>
>For perspective, how much did it cost you?
Slightly over $1000. They offer different finish options and maple tops that
can push the price up, though.
SEFSTRAT
<<<<<Neck:
The neck is a longer scale than you'd expect and it took me a little
time to get used to at first. (I'm used to a narrower neck.) The width
of the neck is perfect for people who play acoustic guitar on a
regular basis. The neck radius is somewhere between a PRS wide/thin
and wide/fat. This guitar finds a good balance between the two. The
fretboard is incredibly flat and easy to move around on. (One can't
help but notice the superb fret job on this guitar. These frets are
fat and tall and are cut perfectly. Running your finger along the side
of the fretboard produces no bumps or rough edges.) Upon getting used
to the unique scale and width of this neck I've found that it plays
like a finely tuned sports car. The action is very smooth and precise,
even using a heavier gauge of strings (this guitar came with 10's).
I'm very happy with the way this guitar came set-up.>>>>>>
(snip)
What's the finish on the back of the neck?
Steve
SEFSTRAT
Cypher
<199807210423...@ladder01.news.aol.com>...
>(great review snipped)
>
><<<<<Neck:
>What's the finish on the back of the neck?
The back of the neck is finished the same as the body.
stevi...@hotmail.com
sefs...@aol.com (SEFSTRAT) wrote:
>
> What's the finish on the back of the neck?
>
> Steve
> SEFSTRAT
I think Mike Burns recently bought a McInturff. Not sure if it's a "Polaris".
Mike, you out there? We'd also like your take on Terry McInturff's guitars,
if you'd be so kind...
srd
-----== Posted via Deja News, The Leader in Internet Discussion ==-----
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Indoorstor
his spray booth, it's ridiculous! living here in raleigh (and selling his
guitars), we get to see terry pretty often, great guy. let us know if you'll
be in the area anytime and we can set up a tour of the factory for you!
tdevit3
Tony
Mike Burns
>
> Mike, you out there? We'd also like your take on Terry McInturff's guitars,
> if you'd be so kind...
Yeah, I'm out here, just swamped with work..
The McInturff is great! I did get the Polaris after finding out
the Polaris Pro had the McInturff pickups (I think made by DiMarzio)
instead of the Seth Lovers. I only wanted a three-way switch, with NO coil
tap, and I love the sound of the Seth Lovers, so the Polaris was for me.
I pretty much agree with a lot that Cypher said. I think it is
absolutely beautiful. The finish is a transparent reddish-orange over a
one-piece mahogany body. The grain in the mahogany is incredible. This
must have been a *very* carefully selected piece of wood. I couldn't find
one flaw in the finish anywhere. It's fairly light for a mahogany-bodied
guitar, at least much lighter than my one-piece mahogany Hamer was. The
body shape is different, yet very classy looking. The signature headstock
was a nice touch. Frets were impeccably leveled and polished, and the
mother-of-perl inlays were without flaw as well. What can I say, it
doesn't miss a thing cosmetically.
Tone-wise it's great. It's very smooth and very balanced. It's a
lot brighter, and has a lot more spank than you'd expect from a
two-humbucker mahogany guitar. I play it mostly clean, but still sounds
great with a bit of grind on the amp. I never play with high gain, so I
couldn't tell you it sounds through boogie-like distortion. The neck
pickup is very fat. Sounds great with chords, solos, anything. It would be
great for a jazz sound (although this is pretty far from a jazz guitar).
With a little bit of gain, it stays very clear. The bridge pickup is very
clear, yet non-offensive unlike some other humbucking bridge pickups. It
sounds great for chords, and even clean solos. I never liked humbuckers
for a clean-single note runs, but this sounds great... not like an icepick
in the ear. The bridge pickup really shines in a low gain setting. With my
Carmen Ghia cranked to about 1-2 o'clock on the volume, it screams.
Smooth as can be... and it sustains forever and a day. I wish the bridge
pickup had a little more bite to it, but I don't think it's possible to
get both that and the smoothness this pickup gets. For my style, I would
rather sacrifice smoothness for some meanness. It gets close through a
cranked Champ, though, and will probably sound even better through the
tweed deluxe I'm building, whenever that gets finished <G>.
Tone and Volume controls are good. Volume is actually excellent.
It provides a nice taper with virtually no sacrifice in high end. The tone
control is voiced so that the tones are usable throughout it's entire
range, but there isn't much range. between 4-10, there is virtually no
difference. At zero, it is a little muddier, but not so that it's not
usable. I like it, but I'd like a little more range on it. The location of
the controls is perfect. Terry must have played a lot of gigs in his days,
because they are exactly where I'd want them. I didn't notice until I read
Cypher's review, but the pickup selector is in a bit of an odd place. It's
a little hard to get to quickly while playing. It's just something that I
need to get used to though.
Overall, I'm happy with my purchase. I don't regret spending that
kind of cash whatsoever, especially after playing a bunch of gibson, PRS,
Guild, and Hamer offerings of the same style. I'm normally a single-coil
player, and this is the first dual-humbucker guitar *within my financial
reach* that has ever grabbed me.(I have liked a lot of $2000+ Les Pauls)
It's a nice contrast to my ASAT, although this ASAT is still my favorite
guitar.
*plug for the guitar store*
I picked this up at Flynn Guitars in Evanston, Il. Pete, one of the
owners, told me about the first Polaris they got on the phone. He said it
blew away every guitar in the store.(and if you saw this store, this is
*very* impressive) I went there to play it, but it was already on hold for
somebody. I saved up some cash, sold some guitars, and went and picked up
the next one that came it. They are great about the sale, and make sure
everything is set up perfectly before it goes out the door. These things
more quickly there. They had a Glory Standard that went it two days, and
this isn't a cheap guitar! They have a webpage
http://www.flynnguitars.com, and I think they have a Glory Standard in
now. Give them a call, they're great to work with.
If you have any questions, feel free to email me.
Mike
Steve
>
> The McInturff is great! I did get the Polaris after finding out
> the Polaris Pro had the McInturff pickups (I think made by DiMarzio)
> instead of the Seth Lovers. I only wanted a three-way switch, with NO coil
> tap, and I love the sound of the Seth Lovers, so the Polaris was for me.
I just wish the Polaris had the same *body shape* as the Monarch etc.--
Cypher
>> I think Mike Burns recently bought a McInturff. Not sure if it's a
"Polaris".
>>
>> Mike, you out there? We'd also like your take on Terry McInturff's
guitars,
>> if you'd be so kind...
>
> Yeah, I'm out here, just swamped with work..
>the Polaris Pro had the McInturff pickups (I think made by DiMarzio)
>instead of the Seth Lovers.
Thanks for the review, Mike. It's good to see someone else's point of view
on the Polaris. I'm very happy with my purchase and would definitely
recommend the Polaris to others. I can't believe that Indoor-Storm still has
these things in stock. I think they're priced less than a PRS CE and most
U.S. made Hamers, and they are custom-quality and pretty much hand built.
The only other guitar that I've played from Terry McIntruff is the Monarch.
It's a great guitar, also. The mini humbuckers really rock when hooked up to
a good amp like a Boogie or something.
BTW: You guys are driving me nutz with all this talk about the Carmen Ghia.
I've got to hear this amp! Maybe I'll just spring for one.... Does he make a
combo yet?
rdo...@my-dejanews.com
"Cypher" <guit...@geocities.com> wrote:
> Mike Burns wrote in message ...
> >> I think Mike Burns recently bought a McInturff. Not sure if it's a
> "Polaris".
> >>
> >> Mike, you out there? We'd also like your take on Terry McInturff's
> guitars,
> >> if you'd be so kind...
> >
> > Yeah, I'm out here, just swamped with work..
> > The McInturff is great! I did get the Polaris after finding out
> >the Polaris Pro had the McInturff pickups (I think made by DiMarzio)
> >instead of the Seth Lovers.
> <snip>
>
> Thanks for the review, Mike. It's good to see someone else's point of view
> on the Polaris.
ME TOO!
Thanks Mike. Exellent review. And you kept the GUSHING in check too.
> BTW: You guys are driving me nutz with all this talk about the Carmen Ghia.
> I've got to hear this amp! Maybe I'll just spring for one.... Does he make a
> combo yet?
You can get a "matching" cabinet for the head. Or Dr. Z will make you a
combo if you like or you could try the MAZ Jr. I think Mike Burns has both a
Ghia and a MAZ Jr. You seem to agree with his assessment of guitar stuff.
Ask him. Don't ask me, 'cause I'll just GUSH...
BYE!
>
> -Cypher
> http://www.cyberramp.net/~cypher/
Steve
>
>
> Go to www.tonefrenzy.com
> under gear
> there is a sample there.
>
I wouldn't judge the amp based on THAT sample!
Carlginger
>> under gear
>> there is a sample there.
>>
>
>I wouldn't judge the amp based on THAT sample!
Neither would I!!
Great examples of some very rare pedals there, such as the Jax Vibrachorus and
Hornsby Skews Treble Booster and Fuzz.
Carl
Mike Burns
On Thu, 23 Jul 1998 rdo...@my-dejanews.com wrote:
<snip>
> > BTW: You guys are driving me nutz with all this talk about the Carmen Ghia.
> > I've got to hear this amp! Maybe I'll just spring for one.... Does he make a
> > combo yet?
>
> You can get a "matching" cabinet for the head. Or Dr. Z will make you a
> combo if you like or you could try the MAZ Jr. I think Mike Burns has both a
> Ghia and a MAZ Jr. You seem to agree with his assessment of guitar stuff.
> Ask him. Don't ask me, 'cause I'll just GUSH...
I have the Dr.Z head/cab and a MAZ-38.(only wish I had the Jr. too :))
They are two completely different beasts. If you have any questions on
them, feel free to ask.
mike
Darren
> I have the Dr.Z head/cab and a MAZ-38.(only wish I had the Jr. too :))
> They are two completely different beasts. If you have any questions on
> them, feel free to ask.
> mike
I got a Carmen Ghia a few months ago and recently received my MAZ-18 Jr
head. Even the two 18 watt heads through the same cabinet('63 Tremolux
cab with Weber P10Qs) are very much different. BTW my Polaris sounds
fantastic through either one.
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
stevi...@hotmail.com
darre...@mindspring.com wrote:
>
>
> I got a Carmen Ghia a few months ago and recently received my MAZ-18 Jr
> head. Even the two 18 watt heads through the same cabinet('63 Tremolux
> cab with Weber P10Qs) are very much different. BTW my Polaris sounds
> fantastic through either one.
> --
> Darren
Please tell us more Darren. How do they sound different? Do you like one
better than the other. How do you like the Webers? Do like the Z amps better
through 10's than 12's?
srd
Darren
>
> In article <35B7CB3F...@mindspring.com>,
> darre...@mindspring.com wrote:
> >
> >
> > I got a Carmen Ghia a few months ago and recently received my MAZ-18 Jr
> > head. Even the two 18 watt heads through the same cabinet('63 Tremolux
> > cab with Weber P10Qs) are very much different. BTW my Polaris sounds
> > fantastic through either one.
> > --
> > Darren
>
> Please tell us more Darren. How do they sound different? Do you like one
> better than the other. How do you like the Webers? Do like the Z amps better
> through 10's than 12's?
>
> srd
(To me) the MAZ-18 Jr is a brighter sounding amp and has a bit more
headroom than the Ghia. I can get cleaner/louder with the MAZ. The MAZ
has a tighter response where the Ghia sags a little bit. I think this is
partially due to the different rectifiers (Ghia - 5Y3, MAZ - GZ34). And
of course the reverb is nice on the MAZ. While the Ghia has only one
tone knob, I'm amazed at the range of tones it allows. I've used the
Ghia a lot more and probably have'nt completely gotten to know the MAZ
well.
I am still partial to the Ghia. I like the Webers better than any other
replacement speakers I've heard. They took a while to arrive, but they
were well worth the wait. I played the Ghia through a basketweave
Marshall slant with G12H30s (16ohm). It was really dirty even at very
low volume where the Tremolux cab (4ohm) allows for clean tones at low
to moderate volume. Awesome if all you want is a good rock & roll tube
crunch. It was nearly impossible to get clean tones with humbuckers, and
even the strat got dirty at moderate volume. I haven't gotten a chance
to play the MAZ through 12s yet. I really want to try it with an
open-back cabinet.
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
Cypher
<199807230928...@ladder03.news.aol.com>...
>>BTW: You guys are driving me nutz with all this talk about the Carmen
Ghia.
>>I've got to hear this amp! Maybe I'll just spring for one.... Does he make
a
>>combo yet?
>>
>>http://w
Cool. Thanks for the tip, Carl. I'll check it out.
Cypher
>Mike Burns wrote:
>
>> I have the Dr.Z head/cab and a MAZ-38.(only wish I had the Jr. too :))
>> They are two completely different beasts. If you have any questions on
>> them, feel free to ask.
>> mike
>
>head. Even the two 18 watt heads through the same cabinet('63 Tremolux
>cab with Weber P10Qs) are very much different. BTW my Polaris sounds
>fantastic through either one.
I'm thinking about getting a Ghia... but the Maz-18 looks tempting, too. I
like the idea of having the reverb, but I just finished listening to a sound
clip of the Ghia and even though the sound clip is low quality, I can tell
that the amp has a lot of character and definition. I kind of like the true
clean sound. hmmmmm.. Maybe I'll get both... :)
Darren
> I'm thinking about getting a Ghia...
Although the ads are still running in Vintage Guitar magazine, DR Z told
me a few weeks ago that he was no longer taking orders for the Ghia (at
least for now). If you get a chance to buy one of these I'd really
reccommend going for it. Also he's coming out with some interesting new
models. Check them out at www.drzamps.com
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
Cypher
>>
>> I'm thinking about getting a Ghia...
>> -Cypher
>
>Although the ads are still running in Vintage Guitar magazine, DR Z told
>me a few weeks ago that he was no longer taking orders for the Ghia (at
>least for now). If you get a chance to buy one of these I'd really
>reccommend going for it. Also he's coming out with some interesting new
>models. Check them out at www.drzamps.com
Any ideas why he won't sell the Ghia?
rdo...@my-dejanews.com
Skinniest profit margin of anything he builds. Especially the Auxtralian
Ghias.
Darren
> >Although the ads are still running in Vintage Guitar magazine, DR Z told
> >me a few weeks ago that he was no longer taking orders for the Ghia (at
> >least for now). If you get a chance to buy one of these I'd really
> >reccommend going for it. Also he's coming out with some interesting new
> >models. Check them out at www.drzamps.com
> Any ideas why he won't sell the Ghia?
I think he is flooded with orders for the Ghia (an amp that he's not
making much $$$ building), and it's taking too much of his time away
from building his other models that are more profitable for him.
--
Darren http://www.mindspring.com/~darrenriley
Matthew Ivaliotes
>>me a few weeks ago that he was no longer taking orders for the Ghia (at
>>least for now). If you get a chance to buy one of these I'd really
>>reccommend going for it. Also he's coming out with some interesting new
>>models. Check them out at www.drzamps.com
>Any ideas why he won't sell the Ghia?
At the risk of putting words in Dr. Z's mouth, I'd guess margin. It's a
shame, in my opinion, because I think *any* manufacturer's low-power amps
are the ones best suited for everything I do. Of course, I still see
both the MAZ Jr and the Ghia on the web page, so maybe reports of the
Ghia's death are premature.
Matt I.
Mic Cullen
[snips]
>> Any ideas why he won't sell the Ghia?
>Skinniest profit margin of anything he builds. Especially the Auxtralian Ghias.
Can you say "negative margin" for the Auxtralian one? And there's a
Nashville Ghia, now as well - Mike was saying the other day that Brent
Mason has one, and apparently Brent's mates are all most interested...
cheers,
Stevie DejaToobNaziMi©
(The return address will work as is...)
tdevit3
>
> "Cypher" <guit...@geocities.com> writes:
> >Darren wrote in message <35B9DF00...@mindspring.com>...
> >>Although the ads are still running in Vintage Guitar magazine, DR Z told
> >>me a few weeks ago that he was no longer taking orders for the Ghia (at
> >>least for now). If you get a chance to buy one of these I'd really
> >>reccommend going for it. Also he's coming out with some interesting new
> >>models. Check them out at www.drzamps.com
>
> shame, in my opinion, because I think *any* manufacturer's low-power amps
> are the ones best suited for everything I do. Of course, I still see
> both the MAZ Jr and the Ghia on the web page, so maybe reports of the
> Ghia's death are premature.
>
> Matt I.
someone renames the thread.
Signed,
A TCM bigot
Steve
> Of course, I still see
> both the MAZ Jr and the Ghia on the web page, so maybe reports of the
> Ghia's death are premature.
The Ghia has died before and been ressurected....so who knows.
The orignal run was in red tolex, smaller chassis.
When he ran out of those chassis, the Ghia was suspended.
Then the second generation was born--larger chassis,
black tolex.