Friedman Cali Guitar, Ebony Fretboard, Hardtail Bridge, Medium-Aged Black
PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE
A true nod to hot-rodded guitars of old, this absolutely killer Friedman Cali "Superstrat"-style axe marries old-school hard rock tone with impeccable playability. This one's in a tasteful Medium-Aged Black finish.
The Classic humbucker pickups are modeled after the holy grail of all pickups, a PAF, and they sound very accurate but they definitely pack a little extra punch. There's enough juice to hit pedals and amps hard, while still having the warmth, vintage clarity, and balance that some of today's overwound pickups tend to lack. The mahogany body and ebony fingerboard add some vintage-style warmth and cut to the tone, as well!
The rock-solid hardtail bridge and Gotoh locking tuners is a rock-solid marriage for impeccable tuning stability. The overall fit and finish of the guitar is incredibly noteworthy. The fretwork is great, and fast runs and riffs on this instrument are simply effortless. The neck is a comfortable level of thin, and the compound radius helps allow for limitless bends up high and easy chord shapes down low.
As also seen with his renowned series of amps, Dave Friedman is a man who really seems to turn anything he touches to gold. His guitar-building endeavor is no different. These are some real-deal guitars that sound phenomenal and feel amazing to play!
MANUFACTURER'S DESCRIPTION
Spirit of San Dimas.
Vintage Feel - Modern playability.
Classic Hot Rod Design.
Necks – Select eastern hard maple with your choice of Indian Rosewood, Maple, Birdseye Maple, Ebony and Pau Ferro fingerboard is available.
Frets – Leveling and overall setup, and ensures maximum modern playability of all Friedman guitars.
Compound Radius – The fingerboard geometry is based on a conical shape rather than cylindrical. The significance is tangible and substantial – a 10”-14” compound radius fingerboard allows for maximum playability with no chance of your strings fretting out when bending. The compound radius is time-consuming and laborious to get exactly right, yet worth-it – and featured on every Friedman CALI.
Tight Pocket and Exclusive Zero-Shift Neck Pins – Neck shifting results in incorrect string alignment and is a challenge for many guitars. A tight neck pocket helps, but in-and-of-itself does not eliminate the problem. CALI guitars raise the bar with the exclusive Zero-Shift Neck Pin design; whereby, two military-grade precision steel dowel pins align the body and neck, eliminating shift altogether. The tonal benefit of this connection is a virtual fusion of the body and neck whereby the transference of vibration is maximized.
Tuners and Bridge – This CALI utilizes modern locking tuners and features a nickel hardtail bridge.
Aged Nitrocellulose Finish – Friedman guitars wear a thin nitro finish allowing the wood to breathe.
Custom Friedman Pickups – The Friedman Classic Humbucker is a 'tip-of-the-hat' to the legendary PAF Humbucker... smooth and sweet.
Case included – All Friedman guitars come in a custom G&G case.
Certificate of Authenticity – Friedman carefully inspects each guitar prior to shipping. A serial numbered Certificate of Authenticity is included.
SPECIFICATIONS
Body
- Model: Cali
- Body Wood: Mahogany
- Aging: Medium
- Color: Black
Neck
- Neck Wood: Maple
- Scale Length: 25.5”
- Fretboard Wood: Ebony
- Fretboard Inlays: Pearl/Abalone Dots
- Frets: 22 Jescar
- Nut: Bone
Hardware
- Bridge: Hardtail
- Tuners: Gotoh Locking Tuners
- Hardware Color: Chrome/Nickel
Electronics
- Neck Pickup: Friedman Classic Humbucker
- Bridge Pickup: Friedman Classic Plus Humbucker
- Controls: Volume, 3-Way Toggle
Misc.
- Case: Custom G&G Case Included
- Instrument Weight: 7.1 lbs
- Serial #: 0123-2360
OVERALL CONDITION
Music Store Live is proud to be an authorized dealer for Friedman. This Cali is 100% brand new and is being sold with a full manufacturer's warranty. Photos are of the exact guitar you'll receive.
Our in-house guitar tech will inspect, test, set up, and clean all of our instruments on site prior to shipping. All of our instruments are guaranteed to be fully functional upon arrival.