So what did I think of the gig and more to the point the guitar in question given that I got to see a signature guitar being demonstrated by the artist himself?
About 'Kingfish'!
Straight out of the legendary town of Clarksdale, Mississippi and endorsed by, one of my heroes, Buddy Guy, Christone Ingram at the age of 22 has become one of the shining stars of 21st Century Blues.
Rolling Stone declared that Kingfish "is one of the most exciting young guitarists in years, with a sound that encompasses B.B. King, Jimi Hendrix and Prince.”
What was Kingfish's gig like?
In June, I watched him play at the Islington Assembly Rooms in London as part of his tour to promote his latest album entitled 662.
All I can say is that he was fabulous! Up until this point I had only seen YouTube clips and to me he seemed like a quiet unassuming guy who let his guitar and velvety vocals do the talking. Whilst he did indeed do this on stage, he had a sass about him that said 'This is me, like me or not, I ain't changing!'
He opened the gig with the headline track on his album and I was blown away for the next hour and a half. Having seen Buddy Guy live a few times, I did notice some moves that reminded me of those shows, especially when Kingfish walked out into the crowd to an adoring audience and played a searing solo on his signature tele.
I came away from the show not only buzzing but also inspired by the fact that whilst Blues may not be mainstream anymore in terms of popular music, it is still alive and there are 22 year olds out there holding the torch up for this genre and doing it really well!
What was the Fender Kingfish Signature Telecaster Deluxe like in action?
As someone who owns a humbucker based telecaster (1972 Thinline Reissue Telecaster), I was already keen to see what Kingfish's guitar was like. What I don't like about mine is the bridge and I noticed that Kingfish has a two piece hard tail Adjusto-Matic bridge. I like this type of bridge as I have one on my PRS SE Starla and it works really well for me.
Kingfish's tele was equipped with what Fender calls 'Custom Kingfish Humbucking Pickups' which are voiced for growling overdriven lead lines and whilst it has a V shaped neck, the radius is quite flat at 12 inches making it eminently comfortable for fast paced lead work with the tone that comes from a rosewood neck. I really loved the purple 'Mississippi Night' finish which I thought looked stunning.
I absolutely loved that guitar in the hands of Kingfish but would I buy one?
Would I buy the Fender Kingfish Signature Telecaster Deluxe?
Let me say this first.. I absolutely want one! I haven't touched one, but I loved what I heard. That said, if I had it in my hands, it certainly wouldn't sound like Kingfish. I have to be honest I am not a fan of artist signature guitars. It's a great marketing ploy but for me would only end up in disappointment if buying it just because I want a connection between my music and an artist.
I always say that guitars should be bought when there is a connection between the player (purchaser) and the guitar, aka when it feels right.
I have many guitars and each one has a personal connection. My current tele, I don't even like the finish ( I am going to have it resprayed at some point) but I loved the playability and it is the cheaper Mexican made one that I compared with five or six American made ones! It has served me well and I have had it 15 years and still gig with it. It brings out something in me that is different to the other guitars and the effects they have on my music.
I did try a John Mayer signature PRS SE Silver Sky out of curiosity. I respect John Mayer for his guitar work but I am not a fan of his music, but I adored the Silver Sky and if I had the cash I would have been getting one ( I will write a review soon on it because it is something special).
For £2500, I wouldn't personally buy Kingfish's guitar, but there are some great alternatives if one is looking for a workhorse Fender Deluxe and I have popped some suggestions below:
The Fender American Professional ii Telecaster doesn't have the Adjusto-Matic bridge but would still be an awesome professional guitar for gigging etc.
The Squier Classic Vibe 70's Telecaster is a cost effective but well respected guitar. You wouldn't go far wrong if you took a punt on this £350 guitar!
Final comments.
Kingfish's music, his stage work and his guitar are all awesome. I absolutely love everything about this young guy giving us a faithful connection with the Blues greats. He is exciting to watch and is inspiring. I am not going to buy his guitar anytime soon as there are others that I would like to buy but if you did buy it purely because you wanted a decent tele then you will probably love it but you will be paying a premium for it.
At the end of the day the choice is yours!
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