Black Label

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At Fret-King® we have a saying...

“Knowledge is Power.”

What does this mean?

Decades of listening to guitar players’ needs has taught us that while wehave some great ideas, it is your goals which must be ours too!

With a design team led by the legendary Trev Wilkinson, the father of Fret-King, we use our knowledge positively; we have a determination to produce guitars with flair, and creative innovations that give you an amazing, tactile and emotional guitar playing experience.

Our love for what we do means that we create with a passion.

Trev Wilkinson's decades of guitar building expertise and unrivalled guitarknow-how mean that we can go where other guitar makers don’t, using innovative, meticulous construction methods and premium materials and components throughout the whole Black Label building and finishingprocess.

We embrace obsession, follow our hearts, not our heads, and revel in detailto make Fret-King guitars stand apart, consistently outclass the establishedbenchmarks, yet be comfortable, friendly and familiar.

Our passion for thinking outside the usual constraints, while keeping a closeeye on the styling cues we are all comfortable with, and the classic tones weall enjoy produces guitars you’ll feel you’ve played all your life.

Our vision is to inspire you.

Black Label

Eclat Standard

Country SquireSemitone

EliseCountry SquireDe-Luxe

There are standards to be acknowledged, surpassed and improved upon.Fret-King meets these three tasks head on.

The result, Fret-King Black Label™ – the newest member of the Fret-Kingfamily.

Part of the Black Label design brief was to actually listen to pro players, and to work with them to create their ideal guitar.

Hugely experienced players like Jerry Donahue, Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell, Gordon Giltrap, and Geoff Whitehorn - all players who have definitely paidtheir dues and reflect a huge variety of styles. As well as being great players, they know a thing or two about guitars, and have collaborated withus to create a series of artist-inspired guitars featuring attributes that allplayers will find valuable, useful, and above all, musical.

Because you deserve the best, with no compromise, Black Label takes a fresh view of how to build in real custom shop high end features, the benefits they bring, and the advantages you get from instruments designedto be professional working tools.

Eclat faces up squarely to the acknowledged benchmark. With peerlessclassic looks, enhanced ergonomics and its sophisticated tonal palette, the Eclat is many guitars rolled in to one.

Country Squire, a magical fusion of the familiar, with contemporary, yetsubtle dynamic improvements, and tone circuitry which takes this familiarbody style into new territory while sticking like glue to its heart and soul.

Elise, a body style debuting with the new Fret-King Black Label,nods towards a guitar heritage that spans all musical styles. The Elise features a chambered mahogany body, solid maple cap, and Fret-King’ssignature ‘Vari-Coil’™ tone circuitry a for breath-taking breadth of tone.

Corona, a ‘moniker’ associated with high end, UK-built Fret-King guitars fortwo decades recognises the roots of the double cut, as refined by Fret-King.The Black Label Corona blends masterbuilt qualities, classic and contemporarytone, great feel, and, of course, that Wilkinson trademark, a vibrato with unrivalled return to pitch whether you play like your guitar is in the shadowsor covered in criss-cross black tape.

Super-hybrid illustrates Trev’s radical/sensible/useable ethic; 24 frets andsharp cutaways for speed-driven shredding, hard tail for ultimate tonal coupling, Hum/Single/Hum and ‘Vari-coil’™ for a million tones. Oh, want toplay acoustic too? No problem, just kick in the ‘Acoustibridge’™ for a journey from ‘...the driest levée’...’ to the ‘...dark side...’ in the spin of a knob.

Perception; a bass for real bass players and a name synonymous withbenchmark bass quality. The all new Black Label Perception four and fivestring basses have those Fret-King bass hallmarks; unshakeable journeymanbass player feel, perfect balance, high access necks, comfort-contouredbody and distinctive, instantly recognisable, rock solid tone.

Fret-King Black Label; moving forward in the footsteps of history.

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Corona SP Super-hybrid Perception 4-string

Perception 5-string

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"The way the Eclat DBC guitar rings,even acoustically, is just incredible. I love P90 pickups – and I have done ever since I saw Steve Marriott and Mick Ralphs using them – so the Wilkinson W90B is the business. The thumb scoop is a great idea too, and it allows me easy access to those high frets, even when the guitar is slung really low.

The DBC is exactly what it says it is – a pure rock 'n' roll guitar, and I’m pure rock 'n' roll; I love it!"

Eclat DBC Specification. Body: two-piece, centre-jointed mahogany. Neck: mahogany. Fingerboard: rosewood, 12” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 24.75”/628mm. Nut: graphite. Pickup: WilkinsonWP90. Controls: volume, tone. Bridge: direct mounted wrapover tailpiece/bridge. Tuners: Wilkinson WJ15. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell

Black Label Eclat ‘DBC’A hard working and hard playing rock guitar-meister, Bucket’s talents have seenhim playing to thousands of fans across the globe in his tenures with PaulRodgers’ Bad Company, and working with the likes of Humble Pie. A songwriterof note too, Bucket has written for Iron Maiden, and latterly with his Bucket & Co.project cooperated with the likes of Steve Conte, Edwin McCain, Danny Bowes,Spike from The Quireboys, Jaz Lochrie and Adrian Smith.

The DBC is a no-fuss rock machine inspired by a workhorse instrument Buckethas played for years.

With its no-nonsense single Wilkinson W90 ‘Dog ear’ pickup, wrapover combinedbridge/tailpiece and its innovative thumb-scoop for great upper fret access, the DBC isa one-stop attitude machine.

Strap it on, feel the culmination of 50 years of guitar history rolled in to one and enjoy monstertone, monster fun and all out rock ‘n’ roll.

FKV1DCOriginal Classic Burst

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"I love playing both acoustic and electric guitar, and my Black Label Elise GG model brings together the best of both acoustic and electric worlds. I loved the whole process of working with Trev Wilkinson to design a guitar for my needs, and it looks like we’ve given birth to a classic and innovative design which will find favour with discerning players looking for the ultimate semi-acoustic hybrid guitar.”

FKV3GGCherry Red

Elise GG specification. Body: solid mahogany chambered body with double carved solid maple cap and figured flamed maple top. Neck: mahogany. Fingerboard: rosewood, 12” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearldots. Scale: 24.75”/628mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson WVC humbucker with solid nickel cover and backing plate, Wilkinson WP90, Wilkinson designed tune-o-matic piezo saddles. Controls: separate magneticand piezo volumes, passive magnetic tone, three band active for piezo circuit, three way toggle for magnetic pickups, and three way mini-toggle to select piezo/piezo, piezo/magnetic and magnetic/magnetic only.Hardware: direct mounted tune-o-matic style with stop tailpiece and Wilkinson WJ01 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Black Label Elise ‘GG’

Gordon is a contemporary of great players like Bert Jansch, John Renbourne, MikeOldfield, and John Etheridge. Throughout a career as a guitarist and composerwhich has crossed and combined styles and genres, spanned five decades, andover forty albums, Gordon has cooperated with the glitterati of the guitar world.

The Elise GG is capable of articulating Gordon’s unique mix of acoustic and electric playing with an incredible tonal palette. The neck-mounted P90and vintage voiced bridge humbucker provide traditional semi-acousticguitar voicings, but with additional breadth, complexity and versatility.

With comfortable familiarity, yet distinctive and forward-thinking design,the GG is vibrant, light, well balanced, and a joy to play.

The direct mounted tune-o-matic ‘Acoustibridge’™ piezo system faithfully reproduces the sonorous pure acoustic tones of the tuned,chambered, mahogany body.

All pickups are able to be used separately, or blended in almost limitlesscombinations to create a spectacular range of sounds from ‘50s rock, tosparkling acoustic, using traditional passive tone controls, and an activethree-band EQ.

The ‘cool-as’ single sided black faced headstock, metal tulip tuner buttons, doublecarved maple cap, and flame top add style and luxury.

Sure to introduce yet another generation to Gordon’s incredible talents, the GG will also inspire the creativity of many another guitarist.

Gordon Giltrap

With a career spanning over four decades, Geoff has featured in iconic, seminal rock bands like Crawler, where he filled

the shoes of the incomparable Paul Kossoff, he's been the long-timeguitar sound of Roger Chapman's band, and featured as Procol Harum's

lead guitarist since 1991. An in-demand and tasteful player, Geoff's also workedwith the likes of Eric Clapton, Sir Paul McCartney, Bad Company, The Who, Kevin

Ayers, Elkie Brooks, Manfred Mann, Billy Ocean, and many others, so if anyoneneeded a versatile, consistently high-performing guitar that cuts through the mix, it'sGeoff Whitehorn.

The 'GW' Corona is a thoughtful take on a classic, but with an edge, and like Geoff'splaying, is precise, melodic and articulate.

Sonically, with the somewhat unorthodox pickup combination of a P90 in the neckposition, a throaty single coil in the middle, and a roaring Wilkinson 'Prizefighter’™humbucker in the bridge position, the GW covers an immense range of fundamental tones.

With a control layout orthodox in appearance, but more comprehensive than meetsthe eye, the GW has master tone for the neck and middle pickups, and separate tonecontrol for the bridge humbucker.

Add to this a ‘push-push’ switch on the neck/middle pickup tone control which switches theneck and bridge pickup together, as well as a second ‘push-push’ switch on the bridge pickuptone control which taps the 'Prizefighter' to single coil and as Geoff says, "if you can't find the soundyou want with this guitar, maybe it doesn't exist."

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“I'm extremely proud to have a Fret-King with my name on it.The GW plays great, looks great, feels great, stays in tune,and the natural sustain is superb.”

Corona GW specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder body. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson humbucker WP90B, Wilkinson WHS vintage voiced single coil and WHHBCa ‘Prizefighter’. Controls: volume, two ‘push-push’ tone, and five way lever switch. Hardware: Wilkinson WVSbridge and WJ07 E-Z Lok tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Geoff Whitehorn

Black Label Corona ‘GW’

FKV6GWVintage White

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Country Squire JD specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder with bound ash top. Neck: custom profiled Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: maple, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, blackdots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: custom designed Wilkinson WJDTn/WJDTb single coils. Controls: volume & tone, custom wired 5 way lever switch. Hardware: Wilkinson WTBS bridge and WJ05tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Black Label Country Squire ‘JD’

Jerry Donahue, doyen of the string benders, and founder member – with Will Ray andJohn Jorgensen – of the legendary Hellecasters, is a player whose outstanding talentshave seen him feature with artists as diverse as Fairport Convention, Fotheringay,Joan Armatrading, Gerry Rafferty, Robert Plant, Elton John, The Proclaimers, JohnnyHallyday, George Harrison, Cliff Richard, Chris Rea, Warren Zevon, Bonnie Raitt,Hank Marvin, Roy Orbison, Nanci Griffith, The Beach Boys and The Yardbirds.Jerry knows a thing or two about tone, and when the opportunity to cooperate withFret-King and Trev Wilkinson to create a guitar he could be 100% happy witharose, the gauntlet was thrown down.

With its single coil pickups custom wound to Jerry’s exact recipe, and five wayswitch wired and tuned to his specification, the JD meets his vision of a single guitar which really can sound like all of the most instantly recognisable solid-body sounds of the last 50 years.

Country twang, to rich, dark midnite jazz chords, to that elusive ‘in-between quack-tone’ in just the flick of a switch, and more, it’s all there in spades.

“My JD cranks out five of the blazingest tones associatedwith the three most popular solid body guitars ever. Decades of tone in one guitar!

Of all the special guitar projects I’ve ever been involved with in my quest for the perfect guitar, the JD beats them all –at any price, it’s the best, and the most affordable… I couldn’t be happier!”

‘JD’ Pickup Selections

ONE: This neck pickup yields the rich,sparkling tone of the traditional three-pickup guitar. The result: that unmistakable single-coilsound that echoes the soaring, majestic bluestones of the '60s and '70s.

TWO: The neck pickup (now with a specialcap engaged) affords this position a special tonalquality you would ordinarily expect to hear from afull-body jazz guitar! Engage an overdrive and youcapture that classic late '60s ‘Woman Tone’.

THREE: The neck and bridge pickups are ina customised parallel wiring, producing an enhanced, more contemporary version of the customary middle position timbre on the classictwo-pickup guitar.

FOUR: By combining both pickups with a capacitor and resistor in a controlled degree of reversed phase, this position offers the popular‘in-between quack tone’ found in this position onthree-pickup guitars.

FIVE: This is an updated stock-style bridgepickup with symmetrically staggered polepiecesfor great string balance and a special wind for increased sustain. It captures that amazing gutsylead sound found on the very best of those traditional two-pickup guitars!

FKBKJDNatural

Jerry Donahue

FKJDOCBOriginal Classic Burst

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Country Squire De-Luxe specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder body. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson humbucker WHHB3+3 (N) tapped single coil alnico WVOBT (B). Controls: volume & tone/coil split, 3-way lever. Hardware: Wilkinson WTB bridge & WJ05 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

FKV2BS De-LuxeButterscotchCountry

Squire

De-Luxe

The Fret-King Country Squire is a subtly and sensitively reworked timeless classic.

Built from the timbers which we’ve all come to accept as classic tonewoods the Country Squireuses traditional two-piece centre-jointed American alder body, Canadian hard rock maple neckand rosewood fingerboard to create a solid platform.

Continuing the legacy with well-considered design features, the Country Squire has a gently offset body with sculpted heel and slim horn, providing terrific balance, enhanced upper fret access, and an extended tenon neck/body join for outstanding sonic coupling, and solid stability.

Unique pickup and control configurations allow for the tonal character, which is the heart andsoul of this style of guitar, to be the bedrock of all Country Squire models, complemented by amyriad of additional and eminently useable tones.

Players like Fret-King because we give more than is expected, and the Country Squire De-Luxeand Semitone are no exception.

Improving upon classics is tricky, but with the Black Label Country Squires, Trev just may have done it!

Country Squire De-Luxe

Design details are important, and we like to do it all right; the beautiful Country SquireDe-Luxe’s first impression belies its versatility.

It’s got all the ‘classic’ tones – plus the staggered pole piece humbucker has a secret… check the tone pot, it’s a ‘push-push’ for neck humbucker down to neck single coil. Now, flick the selector switch down to the flat pole piece bridge pickup,and the same ‘push-push’ toggles between authentic vintage ’52 ‘Nashville Snap’,and a creamy, focused single coil sound with enhanced mids and increased power.

The Wilkinson WTB bridge features a steel baseplate which surrounds and enhancesthe magnetic field of the alnico V loaded bridge pickup.

Adjustable, pre-intonated barrel style natural brass saddles allow spot-on tuning, and twostrings per saddle solidly anchor the saddles to the bridge baseplate ensuring the maximum mechanical coupling so crucial to giving you all the power and tone you need.

Black Label Country Squire

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Country Squire Semitone specification. Body: semi acoustic chambered two-piece centre-jointed American alder body with tortoiseshell binding. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson WHHB3+3 (N) WHHB (B). Controls: volume, tone & Vari-coil (humbucker to single coil), 3-way Lever. Hardware:Wilkinson WTBS bridge and WJ05 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

FKV2HBK SemitoneBlack

Semitone

Country Squire Semitone

Elegant and capable, the semi-acoustic, chambered-bodied Country Squire Semitoneis traditional and versatile all at the same time.

Twin hum to the eye, the Semitone sports an extra mini knob controlling the Fret-King ‘Vari-coil’™ circuit, which progressively rolls back the humbuckers to custom voiced single coils, so in the spin of a knob you can go from roaring highoutput bridge humbucker, to sweet mellow neck single coil, then back again in an instant to that oh so familiar single coil bridge bite.

Lee Hodgson

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Eclat

Eclat Standard specification. Body: two-piece, centre-jointed mahogany with carved solid maple cap. Neck: mahogany. Fingerboard: rosewood, 12” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl crown. Scale: 24.75”/628mm.Nut: graphite Pickups: Wilkinson WVC humbuckers with solid nickel covers and backing plate. Controls: volume, tone, Vari-coil and 3-way toggle switch. Hardware: direct mounted tune-o-matic style with stop tailpieceand Wilkinson WJ01 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

The Eclat Standard is one of the electric guitar’smost enduring styles, and, for many players, a benchmark.

Our decades of knowledge in tonewood selection and attention to detail in construction methods, electronics and pickups are all crucial

in the creation of the Black Label Eclat Standard.

The solid, natural grain, ¾” maple cap, selected two-piece centre-jointed mahogany body, and mahogany neck with long-tenon neck joint all coalesce

to ensure the foundations of a guitar with amazing sustain.

The Eclat body features a rear contour and forearm scoop for an even more comfortable and fluid playing experience.

The subtly extended cutaway allows enhanced upper fret access while maintainingthe Eclat’s purity of line and traditional elegance.

Tonally, the Eclat is as authentic as you could ever hope for.

Legendary Wilkinson WVC humbuckers (built to the original recipe created by SethLover, and gifted to Trev in the ‘80s) give the Eclat a voice which speaks with allthe depth and clarity you’d expect from a signature twin humbucker single cut guitardesigned by Trev Wilkinson.

The Fret-King ‘Vari-coil’ control rolls those spectacular WVCs all the way down to single coil for a range of tones which go from searing, saturated bridge humbucker sustain, overloaded with delicious harmonics, all the way to tingling transparent single coilbridge tones.

The Eclat Standard is truly one of the most versatile and useable guitars on the planet.

Black Label Eclat Standard

James BellYoung Guitarist of the Year 2011

magazine

FKV1HBKBlack

FKV1HCSBCherry Sunburst

FKV1HTSBTobacco Sunburst

Elise

Elise specification. Body: solid mahogany chambered body, solid maple cap and tortoiseshell binding. Neck: mahogany. Fingerboard: rosewood, 12” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 24.75”/628mm.Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson WVC humbuckers with solid nickel covers and backing plate. Controls: volume, tone, Vari-coil and 3-way toggle switch. Hardware: direct mounted tune-o-matic style with stop tailpieceand Wilkinson WJ01 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

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Inspired by a long heritage of semi-acoustic excellence, the Elise is an incredibly light, yet exceptionally resonant guitar with superior sonic performance and versatility.

Carved from a solid mahogany blank, the Elise body has acousticallytuned chambers, a full length centre block, and double carved solidmaple cap to create a vibrant semi acoustic body.

The slick mahogany neck, with deluxe rosewood fingerboard, employsthe Fret-King ‘long-tenon’ neck joint, which mates precisely to the bodyunderneath the neck pickup, forming a rigid fixed bond between neckand body, maximising the retention and transmission of the Elise’s fundamental acoustic properties.

Wilkinson WVC humbuckers give the Elise a voice with unassailable authenticity, definition and the power required for everything from mellow jazzto full bore blues. Fitted with the Fret-King ‘Vari-coil’, the WVCs can be progressively wound back to emulate a P90, or produce sparkling traditional single coil tone.

The Elise sounds just like it looks, and then produces voicings never associated with thisstyle of guitar, but which would be at home on Ocean Boulevard or a Nashville ‘Honkey Tonk’.

FKV3HHBAsh Blonde

Black Label Elise

Natalie McCool

FKV3HTSBTobacco Sunburst

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Corona specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder body. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm Nut: graphite.Pickups: Wilkinson stacked humbucker WP90SKb and two Wilkinson WHS vintage voiced single coils. Controls: volume, tone, Vari-coil and five way lever switch. Hardware: Wilkinson WV6SB bridge and WJ07 E-ZLok tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

CoronaThe Corona SP is a tour de force, combining high-end building

techniques, premium materials, player-friendly innovations and classicvintage tones with the usual Fret-King twist of delivering more than looks

suggest.

Trev’s decades of hands-on experience with designing guitars and hardware have always had a focus on perfecting the vibrato bridge.

The Wilkinson WV6SB ‘Five plus One’ knife edge bridge has little touches like a delrinbushed, adjustable tension and height arm, which makes it so easy to use. The tempered steel base plate, steel tone block, and vintage spec bent steel saddles provide superior tone. The stagger drilled tone block and Wilkinson E-Z Lok™ staggered post height tuners need no string tree and guarantee the best return tozero you’ll find.

The bridge mounted Wilkinson P90 is stacked, and routed through a ‘Vari-coil’ control, allowing the pickup to be wound back to absolutely authentic bridge singlecoil. With tradition infusing the rest of the pickup and control layout the Corona willgive you all the tone you need to do justice to its effortlessly classic vibe and your music.

With a two-piece centre-jointed American alder body, Canadian hard rock maple neckand rosewood fingerboard, the Corona is tradition embodied.

Featuring a sculpted heel design for easy access to the upper frets, and with an extendedtenon neck/body join for outstanding stability and sonic coupling, the Corona SP is the journeymanplayer’s best friend.

Black Label Corona SP

FKV6SPBKBlack

FKV6SPOCBOriginal Classic Burst

FKV6SPFRFirenze Red

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Super-hybrid

Super-hybrid specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder body. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 24 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 25.5”/648mm. Nut: graphite.Pickups: Wilkinson WVC humbuckers in neck and bridge positions with single Wilkinson WHS vintage voiced single coil in centre. Controls: magnetic volume, magnetic tone control with ‘push-push’ pot for humbucker coil-tap, five way lever switch. Piezo volume and user configurable three way active EQ. Hardware: Wilkinson custom designed bridge and WJ05 tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Black Label Super-hybrid

The forward-thinking, unique design of the Super-hybrid offers a massive spectrum of soundsand this beautiful solid body electric/acoustic hybrid design gives the player a range of tonesfrom super saturated overdrive for scorching rock solos and speed driven shredding, tochunky rhythm chords, to the classic out of phase sounds, and all the way to delicateacoustic voices for picking, and strumming, all with the flick of a switch and the spin of a knob.

The split coil humbuckers and centre single coil pickups, supplemented by the piezoloaded Wilkinson ‘Acoustibridge’™ incorporated into a custom designed direct coupled bridge, provide truly inspiring tonal possibilities.

With volume, tone and coil-tap controls for the magnetic pickups, and separate volume control and user configurable three-band active EQ for the piezo system,controllability is excellent, making the Super-hybrid one of the most useable andversatile guitars ever created.

Traditionally constructed from two pieces of American alder, centre-jointed, and withtight edge radii, the Super-hybrid has deeper cutaways for easy access to the upperfrets.

The fast, low profile 25 1/2" scale Canadian hard rock maple 24 fret neck and close grainrosewood fingerboard gives this impressive and extremely capable cross category workhorse a great feel.

Acoustic-Electric excellence.

FKV6HYBKBlack

FKV6HYOCBOriginal Classic Burst

Perception specification. Body: two-piece centre-jointed American alder body. Neck: Canadian hard rock maple. Fingerboard: rosewood, 10” radius, 22 medium jumbo frets, pearl dots. Scale: 34”/863mm. Nut: graphite. Pickups: Wilkinson WJBR and WPB. Controls: two volume, master tone. Hardware: Wilkinson WBBC bridge and WJBL 750 mini tuners. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included.

Perception

There's a low-end rumble in the Fret-King jungle with the Black Label Perception.

A fabulous, versatile workhorse that stands up to everything a bass player can throw atit, the Perception lays the foundation for a great groove.

Built with a two-piece centre-jointed American alder body, Canadian hard rock maple neck andclose grain rosewood fingerboard, the Perception is traditional in feel yet contemporary in execution.

With a sleek neck profile, full width fingerboard, positive feel, enhanced upper fret accessand extended neck join, the Perception responds fluidly to your style and demands to beplayed.

The pickups, specially created for the Perception, emulate the very best of classic vintagetone, with bell-like clarity, depth and power to spare.

Notice too, the brass barrel saddles, which contribute so much to the positive tone of thePerception, fitted to a simple, stamped tempered steel base plate designed to transmit allthat string energy to the body for maximum tone.

The Perception captures the solid, precise tonality that underpins so much music, and demonstrates just how versatile a passive bass can be.

Available in four and five string versions, this is a ‘go-to’ bass that players the world over will really appreciate.

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Black Label Perception

Jim Reece

FKV4VWVintage WhiteFKV4OCB

Original Classic Burst

FKV4BKBlack

FKV4+1BKBlack

FKV4+1OCBOriginal Classic Burst

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Protection...

Black Label Carry Bag

Luxury luggage is one of life’s pleasures; the designer carry bagwhich comes with every Fret-King Black Label guitar is no exception.

Elegant, and bespoke to each body shape, with suede andleather external details, the super padded, snug fitting ‘teddybear’ interior cossets your Fret-King, with zipped external storagespace and accessory pockets to keep damaging objects awayfrom your guitar.

The elements and travails of life are shrugged off by the hi-denier,water resistant rip stop fabric, and heavy duty zipped closure.

On the move, you’ll find an integral luggage hanger for easy storage, twin heavily padded ergonomically designed shoulderstraps, with hideaway flap, for easy portability, and if you’re handcarrying, the soft touch, suede handle cover makes carrying yourguitar a breeze.

Black Label™Tradition, blended with boutiquedesign, custom shop quality, proplayability and comfortable individuality. The Black Labeldesign brief was to prove thatit’s possible to create spectacularguitars that are totally acceptableas a real journeyman player’sworking tool, fit for the highestprofile player on the biggestarena stage in the world – andyet affordable to all. We love achallenge, so challenge yourself.You’ll be amazed at how farwe’ve raised the bar.

Blue Label™We’re all playing guitars designed in an earlier epoch:50, 60 or 70 years ago, with allthe limitations we’ve come tolive with and work around. Doyou think the geniuses whocame up with those benchmarkdesigns way back when didn’twant to innovate and improve?Sure they did, and they’d lovewhat’s possible today. And youcan have it; now. Exactly whatyou’re used to, with the improvements only Fret-Kingknows how to blend in, so youhardly even notice the traditionalgremlins have been banished.

Green Label™Exclusive, yet attainable. Eachyear we create a limited numberof hand-crafted guitars in theFret-King UK workshop. So subtly nuanced, these traditionaldesigns are fettled to feel likethe ‘go-to’ guitar you’ve playedevery day for 50 years, but imbued with modern reliabilityand all the benefits of Trev’sdecades of knowledge of hardware, pickup design, fit andfinish. Whatever high-end guitaryou thought you were going tobuy, avoid disappointment, andtry the best first.

STVDIO Series™Beyond exclusive, these uniqueatelier design exercises showcase the outside of the envelope of Fret-King’s capabilities. Created personallyby Trev Wilkinson and his master builder Mike Smith,these one-off instruments blurthe boundaries between guitarsand art with off-the-wall cosmetics, mind-blowing configurations, tonal capabilitiesthat will make the hairs stand upon the back of your neck, andplayability to die for.

Fret-King is the absolute pinnacle of British design, and we are dedicated to producing the best guitars you can buy, whatever the price.

Initially known for innovative hardware, Trev Wilkinson ‘designs in’ the kind of features and value to Fret-King guitars that all guitarists reallyappreciate.

Whatever we do, there’s a reason!

With four ranges to choose from, there’s a Fret-King for you.

www.jhs.co.ukWORLDWIDE TRADE DISTRIBUTORS: JOHN HORNBY SKEWES & CO. LTD., SALEM HOUSE, PARKINSON APPROACH, GARFORTH, LEEDS LS25 2HR, UK.©2012 JHS & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. Specifications and colours are subject to change without prior notice.Fret-King® is a registered trademark of JHS & Co. Ltd. Wilkinson® is a registered trademark of Trev Wilkinson Design Associates. Wilkaloid™, Vari-coil™, Acoustibridge™ are trademarks of Trev Wilkinson Design Associates.

Fret-King.com

"You'd be foolish not to audition the Black Label range – the bar has been raised!"

Dave Burrluck Gear Reviews Editor, Guitarist magazine.