Paoletti Alfa Lounge HSS “Stratospheric” S-Style Guitar– 3-Tone Sunburst

Information

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

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

Formerly known as the Stratospheric, the Alfa model is Paoletti's S-Style guitar featuring 130-150 year old reclaimed chestnut body and superb custom hardware appointments. It is available in SSS, HSS and HH configurations and in both the solid body "Loft" and thinline "Lounge" variations. 

What Does Parker Think?

I am in love with this Paoletti Alfa Lounge! As a Strat guy this totally checks the boxes for me. The thinline body made of 130+ year old reclaimed chestnut sets it apart from other Strats and gives it a fresh spin, yet it still excels at the classic tones.

The neck pickup is as Strat as it gets. For everything from Stevie Ray Vaughan to Gilmour this pickup will do it all. Strat-lovers rejoice! It is full and fat, but with that slight mid scoop that every good Strat has. I also love the air that the thinline body lends, it gives the neck pickup an excellent sparkle on the top end that is hard to live without!

The middle pickup surprised me, as I don’t normally love the middle pickup on a Strat in isolation. This one is particularly good, as it has a very balanced tonal response with the best way I could describe it being “even”. It has a clear top end, but also is not thin-sounding with enough bass to still feel full. Interestingly, I do like that there is perhaps a bit less mid-scoop in the middle position, which sounded great for nice even rhythm tones.

The bridge humbucker is a welcome addition to an already great guitar and makes this Paoletti feel extremely versatile. I really like how much sparkle there is. When played through a clean amp it is brilliant and clear without ever getting harsh. With drive it has that perfect midrange honk that makes it a winner. Paoletti winds these specially to operate on 250k pots just like your single coils, so you don’t have to sacrifice the tone of either your singles or your humbucker.

Lastly the in-between positions all still sound quintessentially Stratty, which is a relief as sometimes HSS guitars lose that quality when combining the middle and bridge pickups. Position 4 is perfect for all over your John Mayer needs, and position 2 quacks just like Knopfler.

How Does It Play?

This Alfa Lounge plays like butter! The C shaped neck is very comfortable, it isn’t too thin but also fills the hand just right without getting chunky. The 12” radius is very easy to play and never fights back. It makes string bending a breeze, and plays low with no buzz up and down the neck. The string action measures just 4/64” on the low E string at the 12^th and even lower on the high strings.

Weight: 7lb 3.9oz

The Paoletti hardshell case pictured is included.

Specifications

BODY MATERIAL: Aged Chestnut Wood

BODY COLOR: 300 Three-Tone Sunburst

NECK MATERIAL: Canadian Roasted Maple

NECK SHAPE: Medium "C" Profile

NECK DIMENSIONS: 21mm 1^st fret, 24mm 12^th fret

FRETBOARD MATERIAL: Pau Ferro

FRETS: Dunlop 6110

FRETS NUMBER: 22

FINGERBOARD RADIUS: 12"

SCALE LENGTH: 648 mm

NUT: Bone

ELECTRONIC: Volume/Tone/Tone CTS Pots 250K / CRL 5Way Switch

TUNING MACHINES: Kluson Deluxe

NECK PICKUP: Paoletti 60's – 7.5K Alnico 5

MIDDLE PICKUP: Paoletti 60's – 7.5K Alnico 5

BRIDGE PICKUP: Paoletti Rock II – 7.8K Alnico 5

BRIDGE: Paoletti 6-Screw Tremolo

PICKGUARD: Paoletti Brass

CASE: Hard Case

MISC: Certificate of Warranty & Authenticity