My guitar collection - G&L

 
 

The Doheny V12 shares a whole lot with the Doheny. G&L announced the Doheny V12 in November 2018, produced under its CLF Research label, and available in 2 versions both with the same body shape as the Doheny but slightly different specs. The first version has an okoumé body with a classy Old School Tobacco finish. This is the other version which has a basswood body, a wood also know as American tilia, with a glittery Pharaoh Gold Firemist finish. Both versions though have a Dual-Fulcrum Vibrato, 3-position pickup selector on the upper bout, black powder-coated aluminum pickguard housing the PTB circuit, hard-rock maple neck with 9½” radius Caribbean rosewood (aka Chechen) fingerboard, 1⅝” nut width, and closed tuning machines. Why would G&L expand the Doheny concept with humbuckers? Because it is entirely within the tradition of G&L. Leo would approve of Dave Jr and Johnny McLaren’s efforts to house a humbucker within the footprint of a Doheny single-coil pickup. But the Doheny V12 Magnetic Field Design (MFD) humbucker has some notable differences compared to its single-coil cousin. The bobbin of an individual pickup coil looks quite different: narrower, with a larger aperture, and longer pole pieces. But why stop there? The McLaren brothers intended to provide the player with optimal control of the pickups. Hence each can separately be utilized in series (up), parallel (down), or in single-coil mode (middle) using the 3-position mini-toggle switches found between the PTB controls. This provides for a whopping 15 different combinations, 3 for each pup separately plus 9 when combined. For a sound report in all these modes, see this rocking demo by G&L endorser JB Eckl or this more funky demo by G&L endorser Johnny Gomez, demonstrating the versatility of this model plain and clear. By May 2019, the line of Doheny V12 models had been extended with the Fullerton Deluxe Doheny HH which has 2 non-MFD humbuckers and just a single push-pull tone pot for single-coil tones. For the CLF Research Doheny V12 page on the G&L website, visit: http://glguitars.com/product/clf-research-doheny-v12/.

 

CLF Research Doheny V12

The story behind this guitar

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Although for the longest time I was leaning towards the Doheny V12 with the okoumé body and Old School Tobacco finish, in the end I went for the Pharaoh Gold Firemist. Mainly because the price point for the one offered by Ken Margiotta on Reverb was very enticing. But apparently the neck was intended for the other version. I leave the tone report over to the professionals in the videos referenced above. Beyond its versatility, just know it is also a fun guitar to play even though it has my least favorite fingerboard radius.

The story behind this guitar

2018

CLF1811105

10/18/1[8], marked ‘DOHENYV12-CLF-OST-CR’, ‘OKU’

none

D’Addario EXL110 Nickel Wound Regular Light (10-46)