Campbell American Caledonian Guitar Review
June 28, 2008Well, Dean and the boys at Campbell American have done it this time!! This guitar has become my fast favorite in the store. I bring you the Campbell American Caledonian. Single cutaway, swamp ash body (option), Seymour Duncan JB and Jazz humbuckers (option) with coil tap (option) all set off with a glossy lacquer subtle cherry burst finish. This sounds and looks awesome.
The Caledonian features a really contoured body unlike the more squared off UK 1 (see other review) which instantly gives this guitar a eye catching look and an even better feel. I decided to go with a Swamp Ash body to have something different from the more expected mahogany/maple combination typically found on single cutaway designs. I am very pleased with the results, instead of a dark, thick tone we get a nice spank out of the guitar with a pleasant midrange bite that can be darkened up if needed but has that clarity that is hard to achieve if it isn’t already in the guitar. This combination is the perfect choice for a player that enjoys the Les Paul styling but needs a guitar that has some chime and bite.
Of course, the Seymour Duncan perform as you’d expect and the coil tap yields some very usable tones. Sustain is no problem but not at the point what the notes thud and don’t ‘pop’. As with all Campbell Americans the electronics are not only top notch but extremely useful. I find myself setting up the amp with a fairly distorted tone and using the controls to achieve anywhere from that soupy (but still clear) ‘woman’ tone to full out scream to slightly dirty, Keith Richards friendly growl. I really love this guitar and will most likely order one for myself in the near future. It really is the type of guitar you can turn to again and again, a ‘go to’ kind of axe that covers all the basses.
Bob Campbell, Campbell’s Music Service
