Xotic California Classic XSC 1 - Sea Foam Green - £1750 Boutique Strat Goodness

Boromedic

SOLD

This is a tough sell, because I missed the Feline Derrig I had and as soon as I saw this for sale I grabbed it. So why you may ask, is it for sale?

Well, put simply I have a number of HH guitars and I've never really bonded with the pickups in this, in fact I really don't like them now at all. Now you may ask why not just change the pickups? To be honest I considered it, but I think even with another set in it, and as good a guitar as this is, I would pick up my Les Paul first or my Tokai 335 which is what really nicked the Lions spot. I'm a sucker for feeling nitro under my hands and as playable as this Lion is, Jon did such a great job making my Gibson as good as it can be, that I invariably pick that.

Anyway, this is a superb guitar and I like green too, this looks great on a guitar hanger, but it's too good not to be used. Its pretty much in excellent condition, there's no worming to the back but there are some light scratches which would probably polish out, you really have to look to find them. There's no dents or dings, barely any fret wear, and the only blemish I can see isn't a dent as such but a literally tiny little sinkage of finish around the Feline logo which has shows as a small dimple, nothing more. For an 11-12 year old guitar it's is amazing condition. The top carve is lush.

Comes complete with it's branded Hiscox case and the certificate etc. it also includes the Dunlop Strap locks still boxed and unused (not pictured), when I dig them out!

My understanding (due to BKP not labelling things) is that the pickups are Riif Raffs based on the DC resistance measurements and chatting to Jon about it. They certainly fit that tonal description anyway. They metered at 7.2k Neck and 7.9k bridge which when you factor in them being wired in pretty much puts them nailed on at factory 7.4 and 8.2.

Weight is 7lbs 15oz - which for a single cut is nuts!

Specs below, looking for SOLD £2150 inclusive of insured shipping - I can arrange it to be shipped but would sooner not ideally as I'd hate for this to be damaged in transit. I'm happy to meet up within a short distance of Ibstock, Leicestershire and I'm currently driving to Nottingham for work so can meet around there too. 

Neck:

Pearl inlaid Feline logo on headstock

Sperzel locking machineheads

Earvana compensated tuning nut

3 piece quartersawn mahogany neck with volute and 2 way truss rod

Ebony Board with special split Mother of Pearl /Abalone inlays

Ivoroid Binding with Black tahiti pearl side dots

Deep set full width tenon joint - very strong and great tonal tansfer.

Feline all access neck joint - easy access to top frets

Dunlop 6000 fretwire 

Body:

5A flame or Quilted Maple tops on 2 piece mahogany body

Carefully weight relieved body to enhance tone and give target weight of 8-9(ish)lbs

the bare guitar weighs between 5-6lbs, the pickups and hardware weighs about 2lbs and the paint weighs nearly a pound (amazingly)

Bare Knuckle Pickups

TonePros bridge & TonePro Split Studs for tailpiece

Lightweight aluminium tailpiece - adds top end sizzle

Laser etched 20th anniversary logo on cover plate

Elecs:

CTS/Bare Knuckle custom taper 550k ohm control pots

Jensen /Bare Knuckle Paper in Oil capacitors for tone controls

Switchcraft jack socket

All cavities screened with nickel screening paint

Anodised Aluminium rear cover plates

Hiscox Branded Liteflite guitar case

Certificate of Authenticity

https://imgur.com/a/SOmN7Iw

Boromedic

This is actually really difficult to sell, because it's such a great guitar, in fact I can't articulate how good it is. Unfortunately I have 2 other stellar Strats and something needs to go, having had a play off today.... It's this one 

Xotic California Classic XSC 1 in Sea Foam Green, (it's greener than the pics show, such a hard colour to photograph, it looks amazing in the flesh!), hand made, lovely medium relic finish with some beautiful checking and a 4A flame maple neck that's a decent handful but easy to play due to the slinky finish, 12" radius, and asymmetric profile. They're listed as modern C, but if you look them up it's a bit chunkier than you think. The handwound RV50s are such great pickups, really 50s sounding and super sensitive they're almost like microphones, and very very Stratty (unsurprisingly!). The trem with RV springs and saddles is the lightest feeling, most responsive, and stable Strat style trem I've used.

The body is pretty much in as new condition (weird to say for a relic but I've studied the original pics so I'm pretty sure), the frets are fine too, unfortunately the only downside is that the fingerboard had some wear to it from someone's untrimmed finger nails I would guess, however I touched it in with some tru-oil (on Xotics say so) and polished it up and now it's almost blended in except for some darker patches on the fingerboard (pictured). There's also a couple of marks on the headstock but none of these things affect the playability and amazing tone of the guitar.

Weighs 7lb 9oz

Complete with original Hardcase, candy & fret protector.

Specs are as follows, pics below, I'm looking for £1750 PPG ON HOLD, I'd prefer collection or meeting somewhere but it may be possible to arrange shipping at cost.

Lightweight Alder Body - Hand selected

4A-Grade Flame Roasted Maple neck Modern C Shape neck profile

12" radius

Jescar FW55090 frets

Gotoh vintage style staggered locking tuners

Gotoh vintage style bridge

RV Saddles

Xotic Raw Vintage RV-50 single coils

FelineGuitars

At the time we were making it so that there was a different set of BKPs in each of the 20th Anniversaries so we could assess the range  based on them being in very similar guitars.

These days I would possibly swap them out for a set of BKP PG Blues pickups which sound a lot richer to my ear, or a set of the Oil City Tube Snakes (which is what the Derrig inspired guitar had)

Boromedic

FelineGuitars said:

At the time we were making it so that there was a different set of BKPs in each of the 20th Anniversaries so we could assess the range  based on them being in very similar guitars.

These days I would possibly swap them out for a set of BKP PG Blues pickups which sound a lot richer to my ear, or a set of the Oil City Tube Snakes (which is what the Derrig inspired guitar had)

Hi Jon, I'd also go for them over the Riff Raffs got sure, or even Mules. The Mojo PAFs in the Tokai are so so good, I'd go for them tbh but obviously I have them already. Sorry again Jon, although it's a tough sell

FelineGuitars

Boromedic said:

FelineGuitars said:

At the time we were making it so that there was a different set of BKPs in each of the 20th Anniversaries so we could assess the range  based on them being in very similar guitars.

These days I would possibly swap them out for a set of BKP PG Blues pickups which sound a lot richer to my ear, or a set of the Oil City Tube Snakes (which is what the Derrig inspired guitar had)

Hi Jon, I'd also go for them over the Riff Raffs got sure, or even Mules. The Mojo PAFs in the Tokai are so so good, I'd go for them tbh but obviously I have them already. Sorry again Jon, although it's a tough sell

Oh - i'm learning not to feel upset when someone sells on one of my guitars . It simply means that someone else gets the fun of ownership. And maybe they make a pickup change or something and it becomes their go-to axe for a long while. 

The Derrig inspired Lion went through a few happy owners till it went back to one who regretted letting it go and I like to think it gave some fun to all of those who owned it

Boromedic

Bump - slight price drops, open to offers

wizbit81

I have two Felines. A lion 25th Anni and a 'burst Lion Supreme. They are absolutely top notch instruments and as good as anything in any price bracket. If I didn't have my bases covered I'd have the green one immediately. Don't sleep on these.

barneyd

wizbit81 said:

I have two Felines. A lion 25th Anni and a 'burst Lion Supreme. They are absolutely top notch instruments and as good as anything in any price bracket. If I didn't have my bases covered I'd have the green one immediately. Don't sleep on these.

Couldn't agree more! My 20th Anniversary Lion is the best guitar I've ever played, let alone owned. Jon makes amazing guitars!

Boromedic

Bump

Arfashandi

god that feline is absolutely to die for

Boromedic

Aye, it's lush thanx!! Crucially it's still available too

FelineGuitars

wizbit81 said:

I have two Felines. A lion 25th Anni and a 'burst Lion Supreme. They are absolutely top notch instruments and as good as anything in any price bracket. If I didn't have my bases covered I'd have the green one immediately. Don't sleep on these.

Don't you have a slim archtop 30th Anniversary now Chris, that you got from Steve ? - you had a flattop 25th before that as I recall.

FelineGuitars

The 20ths were a lovely run - see them all here https://felineguitars.com/pages/feline-guitars-20th-anniversary-guitars-gallery

5 of them are owned by players on this forum

Someone should snap this one up

RevMatt

Love green guitars, and I think if my PJE Macon had sold I'd be struggling to resist the Lion!

wizbit81

FelineGuitars said:

wizbit81 said:

I have two Felines. A lion 25th Anni and a 'burst Lion Supreme. They are absolutely top notch instruments and as good as anything in any price bracket. If I didn't have my bases covered I'd have the green one immediately. Don't sleep on these.

Don't you have a slim archtop 30th Anniversary now Chris, that you got from Steve ? - you had a flattop 25th before that as I recall.

That's it Jon! Mine's that 30th not a 25th anni. Quite right I had a flat top 25th which I traded to get the 30th. Stunning, all of them. I messaged you about picking up the 'burst 2014 Supreme on here so you could keep track. That's my other one along with bluey there.

FelineGuitars

My own 20th Anniversary is the 2nd left in this pic of Lion models

L >R : 25th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary, 30th Anniversary, Maple droptop, Droptop Cub

barneyd

FelineGuitars said:

My own 20th Anniversary is the 2nd left in this pic of Lion models

L >R : 25th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary, 30th Anniversary, Maple droptop, Droptop Cub

What a Collection! That Droptop Cub on the right is stunning!

rlw

'# ignore

sweepy

That Feline is lovely, GLWTS 

Boromedic

Cheers Ian, it is rather isn't it! Hoping it finds a good home, it had one for many years previously. Bump on the Xotic too, which is currently being overshadowed by the gorgeous Feline!

Boromedic

FelineGuitars said:

My own 20th Anniversary is the 2nd left in this pic of Lion models

L >R : 25th Anniversary, 20th Anniversary, 30th Anniversary, Maple droptop, Droptop Cub

Lovely them Jon, you need another one now, in a brighter shade!!