1998 Tomkins Custom Acoustic T-Style built for Jody Maphis.
This one comes with a story.
Jody Maphis, son of the legendary Joe Maphis, carried the family name into a long career of his ownworking stages with Johnny Cash and others, keeping that West Coast country and rockabilly energy alive. Not a museum piece kind of player a working musician. And this guitar fits that life.
Built by Tomkins as a custom for Jody, it takes a familiar Tele shape and pushes it into acoustic territory. Belly carve, string-thru body, piezo bridge with an onboard active preampits a clever setup that delivers a surprisingly convincing acoustic sound, but still feels like an electric in your hands. Easy to play, easy to control, and very usable on stage.
Its been played. Youll see lacquer checking, dings, dents, and honest wear throughout, but nothing that points to abuse. Just a guitar that did its job. The hand-tooled two-tone leather pickguard is a standout touch, the brass bridge cover has a nice natural tarnish, and one of the knobs appears to have been replaced along the way.
Maple neck with a slab rosewood board. The neck is straight, truss rod works both directions, and while there is some fretwear, its still very playable. Weve got the action set low, and it sounds great plugged ineven with a little bit of buzz in a few spots. The original string tree has been removed, so the open high E has that slight drop in sustain. Easy fix if you want to address it or leave it as part of the guitars personality.
Also included is a printed photo of Emmylou Harris playing this very guitar, alongside what appears to be Rose Lee Maphis. A cool piece of context to go with it.
Includes a hardshell case.
Available for a test drive in our Jamestown, Kentucky showroom, and we ship worldwide. Let us know if you have any questions.
Weight: 6lbs 6oz
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