TV Jones' Spectra Sonic Guitars Arrive at TNAG HQ
We are delighted to welcome TV Jones to our roster of electric luthiers.
Thomas V. Jones has built a reputation as one of the world’s leading pickup makers, with his pickups found in a host of other luthiers’ guitars, including Fender and Gretsch. Thomas started as a luthier in southern California, but it is his incredible ear for tone that has brought his talent for pickup design to the masses.
It was back in 1998 when Tom, who had been working on Brian Setzer’s guitars since 1993, had his pickups chosen in a blind test by Setzer for Gretsch’s new Hot Rod guitar line. This started an association with Gretsch which ranged from guitar and pickup designer to artist liaison and conveying artists’ guitar needs to the Gretsch workshop.
But it was in 2000 that TV Jones partnered with Gretsch and Setzer to produce Tom’s Spectra Sonic model. Initially intended for Brian Setzer, the Spectra Sonic design has since been used by the likes of The Edge, Noel Gallagher, John Fogarty and Reverend Horton Heat.
Gretsch stopped production of the Spectra Sonic in 2005, and soon after TV Jones relaunched the Spectra Sonic model under his own name. Just like the Gretsch versions, the TV Jones Spectra Sonics are built in Japan, but are set up by Thomas himself and feature TV Jones’ own US-made pickups.
We have just received our first batch of six Spectra Sonic models, ranging from the ultra-cool satin black-finish Spectra Sonic Standard with TV Jones single coil T-90 FT pickups, to the Bigsby-equipped Spectra Sonic Supreme with TV Jones TV Classic pickups and stunning translucent finishes.
This week, Stuart Ryan demoed all of our new TV Jones guitars:
TV Jones Spectra Sonic Standard Electric Guitar, Matte Black - £1,850:
TV Jones Spectra Sonic Supreme Electric Guitars - £2,295: