Black Label 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 we have some great ideas, it is your goals which must be ours too! Black Label 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 guitar know-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 finishing process. We embrace obsession, follow our hearts, not our heads, and revel in detail to make Fret-King guitars stand apart, consistently outclass the established benchmarks, yet be comfortable, friendly and familiar. Our passion for thinking outside the usual constraints, while keeping a close eye on the styling cues we are all comfortable with, and the classic tones we all enjoy produces guitars you’ll feel you’ve played all your life. Our vision is to inspire you. Eclat Country Squire Country Squire Elise Standard De-Luxe Semitone 1 There are standards to be acknowledged, surpassed and improved upon. Eclat faces up squarely to the acknowledged benchmark. With peerless Fret-King meets these three tasks head on. classic looks, enhanced ergonomics and its sophisticated tonal palette, the Eclat is many guitars rolled in to one. The result, Fret-King Black Label™ – the newest member of the Fret-King family. Country Squire, a magical fusion of the familiar, with contemporary, yet subtle dynamic improvements, and tone circuitry which takes this familiar Part of the Black Label design brief was to actually listen to pro players, body style into new territory while sticking like glue to its heart and soul. and to work with them to create their ideal guitar. Elise, a body style debuting with the new Fret-King Black Label,nods Hugely experienced players like Jerry Donahue, Dave ‘Bucket’ Colwell, towards a guitar heritage that spans all musical styles. The Elise Gordon Giltrap, and Geoff Whitehorn - all players who have definitely paid features a chambered mahogany body, solid maple cap, and Fret-King’s their dues and reflect a huge variety of styles. As well as being great signature ‘Vari-Coil’™ tone circuitry a for breath-taking breadth of tone. players, they know a thing or two about guitars, and have collaborated with us to create a series of artist-inspired guitars featuring attributes that all Corona, a ‘moniker’ associated with high end, UK-built Fret-King guitars for players will find valuable, useful, and above all, musical. two decades recognises the roots of the double cut, as refined by Fret-King. The Black Label Corona blends masterbuilt qualities, classic and contemporary Because you deserve the best, with no compromise, Black Label takes tone, great feel, and, of course, that Wilkinson trademark, a vibrato with a fresh view of how to build in real custom shop high end features, the unrivalled return to pitch whether you play like your guitar is in the shadows benefits they bring, and the advantages you get from instruments designed or covered in criss-cross black tape. to be professional working tools. Super-hybrid illustrates Trev’s radical/sensible/useable ethic; 24 frets and sharp cutaways for speed-driven shredding, hard tail for ultimate tonal coupling, Hum/Single/Hum and ‘Vari-coil’™ for a million tones. Oh, want to play 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 with benchmark bass quality. The all new Black Label Perception four and five string basses have those Fret-King bass hallmarks; unshakeable journeyman bass player feel, perfect balance, high access necks, comfort-contoured body and distinctive, instantly recognisable, rock solid tone. Fret-King Black Label; moving forward in the footsteps of history. Corona SP Super-hybrid Perception Perception 4-string 5-string 2 FKV1DC Original Classic Burst "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!" ll lwe Co et’ ck Bu e ‘ av D Black Label Eclat ‘DBC’ A hard working and hard playing rock guitar-meister, Bucket’s talents have seen him playing to thousands of fans across the globe in his tenures with Paul Rodgers’ Bad Company, and working with the likes of Humble Pie. A songwriter of 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 Bucket has played for years. With its no-nonsense single Wilkinson W90 ‘Dog ear’ pickup, wrapover combined bridge/tailpiece and its innovative thumb-scoop for great upper fret access, the DBC is a one-stop attitude machine. Strap it on, feel the culmination of 50 years of guitar history rolled in to one and enjoy monster tone, monster fun and all out rock ‘n’ roll. 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: Wilkinson WP90. Controls: volume, tone. Bridge: direct mounted wrapover tailpiece/bridge. Tuners: Wilkinson WJ15. Luxury Fret-King carry bag included. 3 "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.” FKV3GG Cherry Red p n Giltra Gordo Black Label Elise ‘GG’ Gordon is a contemporary of great players like Bert Jansch, John Renbourne, Mike Oldfield, and John Etheridge. Throughout a career as a guitarist and composer which has crossed and combined styles and genres, spanned five decades, and over 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 P90 and vintage voiced bridge humbucker provide traditional semi-acoustic guitar 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 limitless combinations to create a spectacular range of sounds from ‘50s rock, to sparkling acoustic, using traditional passive tone controls, and an active three-band EQ. The ‘cool-as’ single sided black faced headstock, metal tulip tuner buttons, double carved 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. 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, pearl dots. 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 magnetic and 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. 4 “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.” FKV6GW Vintage White orn teh hi Black Label Corona ‘GW’ W With a career spanning over four decades, Geoff has ff featured in iconic, seminal rock bands like Crawler, where he filled o the shoes of the incomparable Paul Kossoff, he's been the long-time e guitar sound of Roger Chapman's band, and featured as Procol Harum's G lead guitarist since 1991. An in-demand and tasteful player, Geoff's also worked with 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 anyone needed a versatile, consistently high-performing guitar that cuts through the mix, it's Geoff Whitehorn. The 'GW' Corona is a thoughtful take on a classic, but with an edge, and like Geoff's playing, is precise, melodic and articulate.