James Tyler Guitars Studio Elite HDX – Black Shmear with Purple Tint

Information

Brand New w/ Warranty. We are an authorized Tyler Dealer.

Like what you see? All photos are of the exact instrument you will receive.

Either you know or you don’t… We are so very excited to let YOU know, Guitars To Be Played is an official James Tyler dealer! Tyler has been amongst the crème de la crème of boutique guitar builders since the start. Best known for their flagship Studio Elite model and wild ‘shmear' finishes, Tyler Guitars has always made their own rules. For years they have pushed the limits of boutique guitar design and innovation. Whether you are looking for a ‘back to basics’ Classic, a decked-out Studio Elite with all the bells and whistles, or an Ultimate Weapon for total sonic destruction, give us a call to spec out your dream Tyer!

What Does Cam Think?

We just received our latest James Tyler custom build, and boy, did it come out better than even I expected. It’s a Studio Elite HDX in a semi-gloss Black Shmear with Purple Tint. It’s hard to articulate just how incredible Tyler’s finish work is. There is 3D effect the shmear brings out while still feeling flat to the touch. We added matching purple inlays, which really ties the maple neck to the body. And the black 1-ply guard, knobs, and buttons set off the purple in a beautiful way.

In keeping with the high-performance nature of this guitar, we asked for a Super humbucker in the bridge, which is a high output pickup that eats high gain for breakfast. It’s punchy with a stout low end, but ever so slightly scooped in the mids for clarity. The JTS5500 singles are a great match with a juicy attack and fluid feel. They are Alnico 5, have a healthy amount of output, and work great clean or dirty!

The midboost circuit is a thing of magic. You can use it in many ways. The secret sauce is engaging it without even touching the boost volume. Just adding it in the circuit adds a bit of glass to the high end and a bit more in the midrange. Of course, you can play with the boost volume to add midrange and output to your sound. This is a great tool in the studio. Adding the neck and bridge to the middle position, especially with the bridge pickup in parallel, is the ultimate funky ‘80s tone (think ‘Billie Jean’ by MJ). And the bridge pickup’s ‘series/ parallel’ option is great for getting single coil tones without sacrificing volume and balance. Rounding things out is a master volume, master tone, and classic 5-way selector.

The 2-point trem is buttery smooth and stays in tune great. It is set up to float, so there is bit of pull-up available on the bar. It’s one of my favorite trem sytems, and this is coming from a Floyd Rose guy!

How Does It Play?

The string action sits at a little over 4/64” on the low E string and right at 4/64” on the high E string, measured at the 12^th fret. For unmatched ease of playability, we specified the X-Thin Neck profile, a straight 12” radius, and stainless-steel narrow/ tall frets. While we love the 10”-12” compound radius that is standard, we wanted to offer something just a little flatter. Now, I wouldn’t call the neck profile thin by any stretch, it’s just a little thinner overall than their ’64, which adds a bit of speediness. The satin finish on Tyler’s necks is nothing like I’ve ever felt before. It’s a super smooth finish that we absolutely love.

Weight: 7lbs 10.8oz

The G&G custom hard case pictured is included!

Specifications

Body: Alder

Bridge: Gotoh G2TS with Tyler Saddles

Pickups: Super Humbucker and JTS5500 Single Coils

Tuners: Hipshot Locking

Inlay: Purple Dot

Radius: 12” Straight

Scale Length: 25.5”

Neck: Quartersawn Maple

Fretboard: Maple

Frets: 22

Fretwire: Stainless Narrow/ Tall

Nut: 1 5/8”

Neck Profile: X-Thin

Hardware: Chrome

Knobs: Black Knobs and Buttons

Finish: Black Shmear with Purple Tint

Pickguard: 1-Ply Black

Headstock: Natural

Logo: Tyler Standard

Electronic: Master Volume, Master Tone, Midboost Level, 5-way switch, Midboost on/off, Add Neck/ Bridge, Bridge Series/ Parallel

Strings: 10 gauge

Tuning: E standard

Case: G&G Custom Tyler Signature Hardshell Case