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Threads posted on various forums about our guitars.

Rice #141 - "RoadKing"

New (to me) Rice Custom Telecaster #51

Rice custom guitars

Rice Custom Guitars Owners' Club

Best Rice Custom yet

Elgin Guitar Show on 9/27/09

Review on #138

NGD (to me)--Rice Custom

Review: Rice Custom Guitars Osprey

Rice Custom coming home soon!!

Rice Custom Guitars Osprey#127

NGD -- Rice and K-Line T's

New Rice on the way

Rice Custom Guitars

Rice Custom Build

Rice S Style Guitars ?

Played a way cool new Rice Custom model yesterday...

Style or lack thereof: you be the judge

Rice Custom Guitars Osprey, #102

Considering custom thinline Tele - Rice ?

Rice Custom Guitars

Kudos to my Rice Telecaster

Rice B-Bender Tele love

Rice Custom Guitars building Thinline Tele for me

Two Years Living With A Rice Custom Guitar

Check out what Chris Rice did to my Strat!!

Rice Custom Strat

Rice Custom #83 T-Style B-bender...wow!!

RiceCaster#069 - Review

Look at this pretty thing those Rice fellaz put together for me...

My new neck is almost done (Rice content)

#67

The Piney, #092

Review: Rice Custom Guitars #73

This one arrived today!

Rice Denim-caster in the house!

Fundraiser Prize Photos-- Rice "Denim" T-Style Guitar. WOW

Simple, yet beautiful... Rice Custom Guitars

Show your Rice Custom!

Broke down and bought a Rice Custom!

Just Hit The Rice Custom Site

The Rice Tele is done!!!

Rice Custom Guitars Thinline Tele.

Rice Nubcaster

Rich Rice b-bender ~ WOW !

Q: any new RICE guitars in works?

New eye candy

Rice Custom heading for Norway

New Rice Custom Tele on-the-way

Rice Custom Guitars B Bender tele... oh my!

Rice Custom ~ Have you seen this!

Rice Custom Guitars

costum builders?!

Living With a Rice Custom Guitar.....

Review on new Rice Tele style guitar

Rice Custom Tele in da house

My new Rice Custom Guitar . . .Cocobolo Bill

Rice Custom Has Arrived

Rice Guitar Appreciation Thread

The Beachcaster has arrived !

Photos of Rice Custom Guitars Giveaway Prize

A mojo interview with Chris Rice from Rice Custom Guitars...TDPRI

What Rice Guitars has in store for me

My J Beland Bendercaster arrived today-WOW


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"Rich, Chris, Ok, here it goes. When I gave Brian (since I'm such a good dad) your sunburst strat I went back to my Todd Krause masterbuilt 58 reissue with the Abby Handwounds and my Rory Gallagher strat since I did not have yours any more to enjoy. I was depressed!!!! I was never happy again with either fender. Thery were too harsh, too brittle, too tight in the neck and so on . So I went back to my trusty 82 Les Paul for a year. Then came the blue strat!!!!! Now I am happy again. It is everything like Brian's but more. A bit more bite in the pickups (just a bit but great for me with my pedals) , a perfect fit and action, unlimited bending and resonance and the real feeling of quality!!!!! I can not put it down. Even my wife loves to look at the guitar. You guys are fabulous. There is magic in the guitar!!!!!! Thank you again and believe me good things are worth waiting for!!!! All the best, Pete"

"Hey Guys, Just wanted to let you know the results of my extended review period of my Rice partscaster....AMAZING!!! I recently purchased a guitar custom built for another customer with some unusual specifications...many of which were appealing to me. The neck on this guitar was just outrageously large and just unwieldy for my average size hands (and tiny thumbs....sometimes we are tortured at birth ). Rich Rice offered to reshape the neck to my liking and boy did he ever!!!! This was not some run of the mill machine shop build to a number sort of job. This was a shape it till it felt perfect kind of job. I've played this guitar non-stop for two plus weeks (I took it on vacation with me much to the chagrin of my wife ) and I'm just in love with it. The guys at Rice Guitars spent hours working with me and getting things right (not just right...perfect). I can not recommend these guys any stronger....I have had really amazing direct experiences with a handful of amazing builders (Nick at Rocketfire, Ben Fargen, Andy Fuchs, to name a few), and Rich and Chris are right there with the top of the heap!!! Thanks again guys for making my guitar great and I'll be watching your site for a future build to steal from someone else . Cheers, Andy"

"I proudly sling #51. They are top notch guitars... "

"Did You Hear Me? Hello Rich: I just opened the box, and everything arrived safely. I am typing with one hand, so as to keep playing a little on the Osage tele! Everything is just perfect, and that Plush head is a great match with this guitar. Thanks for everything!"

"Rich and Chris, I wanted to drop you a line to thank you for the amazing S-Style guitar!!!! It arrived yesterday and it is the most full featured guitar I've ever owned. I am going to take months to get a true understanding of all the permutations, but I'm amazed all the tonal possibilities. You guys have done an amazing job with this guitar and I hope to put a more comprehensive review on the forum in a few weeks when I have a more in depth impression to share with others. Thanks a million guys!!! Andy "

"I've had a week to get acquainted with #126 - love the neck on this guitar! The asymmetrical carve is very cool, and I love the compound radius & the wider nut. Another beautiful one piece ash body, with the nitro sinking into the grain. Looks nice sitting next to #55."

"My Rice tele is 1.05" all the way from nut to last fret...Once I went fat I will never go back (only applies to guitar necks and tone). My other guitars with medium C necks feel like toys after I got used to that big neck. I have noticed less hand fatigue, fat tone and sustain, and I tend to pull fretted notes sharp less often."

"Hello guys, I just wanted to send you compliments on your Mr. T Pickups. I just bought a parts tele with a set installed and I'm blown away by the clarity and definition. I'm just starting to build up a parts Strat, and when I'm ready for pickups I'm coming for your Mr. S set. Again, kudos on these great pickups. All Best, Tim Durkin ps - the tele in question is pictured in the attachments. The former owner tells me she's named "The Prom Queen.""

"Hi Rich, I received the guitar with no issues. It looks, plays, and sounds fantastic! I gigged it last night and it performed flawlessly. It's my first tele and I'm delighted by how versatile and fun it is. I was also very pleased with the quality of the communication I had with you guys throughout the build process and your attention to detail and the trouble you took to get things right. I'm now a huge fan of Rice Guitars! Best, Martin"

"Hey Chris! Wanted to report in that I'm a very happy dude with your work on my SoloCaster and the Tulip! I've had both now in live settings and each does what I asked you to do or bought knowing they'd do! Of course somewhere my list of wants may changed and I'll be buggin' you again but for now very happy! I held of sending a big THANK YOU until I was able to put each through the ranks of practice, rehearsing, and gigging. Now it's due! THANK YOU!!!!! Nick"

"The Fed Ex man delivered my guitar today, and what a beauty!"

"I love these guitars"

"Rich and Chris, I played both Rices at my band practice last night, and I still have a big smile on my face. For anything a little more rockin', #145 with the Fralins Blues is a perfect call, and for anything calling for a cleaner shimmery tone, #126 is perfect. Among other attributes, that trem system (Gotoh) is the best I have ever had. I am sure your nut, neck thickness, etc takes credit for that too. Man, I am in guitar heaven. John"

"this is really an amazing pair of guitars. I have one ash body tele with strat pups and a whammy, and one rosewood board mahogany body more traditional tele. Man, I have never had my two guitars complement each other so well. I am planning to run with this! Thanks for the great deals."

"It is perfect. PERFECT. I should probably keep my mouth shut, but right now I feel like the reason I have bought and sold 70 or so guitars in the last 4 years was just so I could eventually get to this one and actually be able to appreciate it. Do you guys know how awesome this guitar is? I know you made it, but do you realize how incredible it is?"

"Hi Rich and Chris: Hope things are going well for you and your family. Sorry I didn't get to this sooner but just wanted to tell you that the guitar is wonderful. Really enjoying the instrument and still in the process of getting to know the guitar. Love the tone .. it really sparkles. I really like the humbucker and it can get a bit nasty or scale it back to nicer warmer tone. Very nice. This a very versatile guitar and will be a keeper for years to come. When I first picked it up even though I knew it would be light I was still surprised as how light it is. Its balanced and has a very nice feel to it as well. I'm very pleased with my decision to get a Rice. Thanks again Mary"

"Wow, what a guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It is a beast. The tele shape makes me feel like it is a tele, and even the pups don't make it feel like a strat. But I love having the 5 positions. The trem is sweet! All of the gear action I have put myself through was worth it just to get this guitar. I will try to wait a few days before I rave to the whole of creation, but what a joy it is to play a guitar like this. "

"sorry my feedback was so late but i wanted to play it in a live setting before responding. the guitar is great, definitely the best fender style guitar i have ever played to me its sounding thicker and less piercing than other teles iv played and i noticed immediately how rich it sounded, it came set up perfectly out of the box, the only thing that took some getting used to was the neck was a little thicker than what i normally play but iv gotten used to it and its pretty comfy for chording. anyway thanks so much for the guitar, if i need another i will let you know jacob"

"what an amazing Rice TELECASTER. Gorgeous ash body, fat maple neck, high end pickups, tuners, saddles, electronics; masterful setup and component matching. It is way more of a true telecaster than any Fender I have played. Sustain, depth, bite, oh man, when you sink your teeth into a guitar like this....."

"Thanks Chris, I got it yesterday. It looks and sounds great."

"Well I got the guitar today.... Wow. Everything I wanted and more. First of all, it feels "real", like it was made by a person and not stamped out my a machine on an assembly line in a giant factory. It plays and sounds amazing. I have 3 amps I've played it through, a '75 Traynor YGL3 with weber aluminium cone ceramic california 12's, Dr.Z mazjr 210 with proprietary 10's, Dr.Z Z28 112 with 25w greenback. Different shades of gorgeous sounds. My fingers hurt right now so I'll have to get back to you in a week of two when I get more time into it. I love it. I love the the way is plays, sounds, feels, and of course looks too! The "branded" name on the headstock is really cool. Everything I wanted and more. Thank you guys so very much! Happy happy happy customer, Austin"

"I just love the neck on this guitar, and I'm starting to toy with idea of getting another guitar with the same - or a similar - neck profile and frets. Obviously, you guys are a no brainer becuase you built such a wonderful neck to begin with. I am trying to think through doing another tele with a different sound or a strat style guitar."

"hi chris well the sambora arrived and it have to say...you nailed it"

"Incredible.........I have never heard any guitar that sound like #100. What an organic sound! It arrived in great shape and was wonderfully set up by you guys. Thanks....it seems just like the sound I imagined but could never have explained to you. Bill"

"Hey Guys, First of all thank you so much for putting together such a fantastic instrument. I have been playing most of the day and just cant get over the feel and tone that this guitar posses'! The neck carve is perfect and smooth as silk. The configuration of the different pickups and controls is awesome, there are so many different tones in there its crazy. So thanks again for making my first custom guitar a very special one. I just have a couple questions, first, is there anything special I need to do to take care of the nitro finish? And, which type of strings do you use because I love the tone I am getting with these? So thanks again guys the whole experience has been phenomenal from the start to the finish, you might just have me in line for a tele in a couple years! Jeremy"

"Chris, I am going to give a complete review in the next week or so because a new amp is arriving today. In the meantime, I did want to update you on my impressions so far. To summarize – wow! First, aesthetically, #103 is beautiful. I like the very, very light aging to the body and hardware. It is a perfect amount for me. Heavy relics are really not my thing because I would never treat a guitar that way, and I would not buy a guitar that was really that worn. Even with very regular gigging and practicing, I’ve never seen the back of my guitar neck turn from a pleasant woody color to a raw black strip. That being said, the body on this guitar is beautifully done. It has all of the warmth and tiny imperfections of a well cared for and well used guitar. There are some tiny chips from the wood around the neck pocket, and a small accumulation of finish there, but overall I love it. Acoustically, this guitar sounds very articulate and sweet. I’ve heard many people say that pine sounds soft and sweet. I was concerned that this was code for dull and quiet. In this case, articulate and sweet accurately describe this guitar, and it’s anything but dull and quiet. The neck is outstanding. The neck profile – which is really a leap of faith when ordering without playing – is supremely comfortable to me. While it reminds me how much I’ve missed a big necked Tele, it also felt instantly comfortable like I’ve had one all of the time. The full back profile rests very well in the web of my fretting hand; it’s always there when I need it, but never in the way. The frets are equally well done – if not better. The fret work on this guitar is outstanding. After owning a lot of “boutique” guitars, I would definitely stack these frets up against any of them. In my experience, Don Grosh does the best fret job. Period. His frets have the very comfortable rounded over edges that nobody seems able achieve. The frets on this guitar, however, equal Don Grosh’s. They are very level and have the same great rounded over edges that are on the Grosh’s. The neck is so easy to play and so comfortable. It must take a lot of time to do well, because I hardly ever see frets dressed like these. Perfect. As I write this, it strikes me how often I’ve typed “comfortable.” That was not intentional, and I think it speaks volumes about this guitar’s spirit. You and your father have created an instrument that resonates comfort and warmth. It’s a new guitar, but it has an old soul. Many builders try to approximate an old soul by battering a new guitar, rusting the hardware, and dressing it up like an old instrument. Those feel like props. In contrast, #103 actually feels like an old soul. This is all very subjective and hard to explain. I could not give you a technical reason for why this guitar feels the way it does. In fact, I am not sure there is a recipe for this result. But, keep that jar of Rice mojo available so that when I order another one you can sprinkle it on that one too. At any rate, I hope to have a sonic report for you later this week. If it sounds anything like it looks and feels, then I know I’ll love it. This is my keeper. I hope you are enjoying the Vinetto and Princeton. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a cleaner and quieter running Princeton. Justin L. Jeter"

"got 114 in my hands today 12 noon ..she is Beautiful ... excellent work and craftmanship guys !! also I want to say I was freaked out with the huge neck at first, but after just finishing my third 30 minute session today with ol 114 I was struck like I never have before at how responsive that big neck is, seems like the fingerboard is more alive ... and all the notes play deeply and clearly ..never had a guitar that did this ... thanks !! Jeff"

"Hi Chris, Sorry to be so long replying - I've been in transit relocating from Japan to UK & was out of circulation for a long time. Then I wanted to spend some time with the guitar before giving you my feedback. Start here ! The SOUND - is really strong and characterful & it's clearly a happy combination of neck, body & pick-ups as a great guitar should be. The Don Mare's were a great recommendation & are colorful & definitely vintage sounding. Very lively, responsive & microphonic, so much so that I certainly have to adjust my playing to some extent, but that's great. I now have a new guitar that sounds like no other I have ( & I have 12 other electrics !) The SWITCHING - all 4 settings are very useful - thanks for your guidance on that option. The FRETBOARD & frets are great too - just right size & thats a beautiful piece of rosewood."

"The guitar is amazing, i spent four hours with it last night, I'm loving the neck and pickups!"

"Hi Rich (and Chris, when back from honeymoon :-) , by now I've spent some hours playing the #124, and I'll take it to a jam session tonight. I'm really impressed - it feels, looks, plays and sounds great. I love the feel of the neck. There seem to be no dead spots, fantastic sustain all over the place. Playing with correct intonations on the frets is not as easy as, say, on my 1990s strat, but the reward is great sound and expression. It's a very vibrant guitar, can be almost explosive. The killswitch does it's job perfectly, all three middle-positions of the PU selector have their own distinct and very usable sound. D-tuner works fine, it does slightly detune the A string, too, but I guess that's inevitable with a tele bridge. The bass cut side of the tone control is still to subtle for my taste, but Christ already pointed out that this is due to technical restraints of the dual pot (offering only 500k instead of 1meg of resistance). The traditional tone control (hi cut) side works perfectly. I also love the fact that the guitar has such a light weight. I'll post my experiences and maybe some clips on TGP in a couple of days. Best wishes, Sascha"

"Rich and Chris, Just a note to let you know how much I am loving Rice #110. I have never had a tele with such a great pickup combination. That Mare is just killer, and the Lollar '52 is equal to it. The body is the perfect weight, neck is beautiful--the soft V is working out just fine. Really loving the guitar."

"But one of the things I'm really enjoying just how nice it sounds unplugged. I wasn't expecting it. Not sure why I wasn't. I mean the action of the strings is still vibrations etc. But for some reason I expected it to be a deader sound. I thought (naively) that the amp was necessary even to practice decently. Once again, thank you. Todd"

"Chris and Rich - I just wanted to let you know I am thoroughly enjoying # 121. What an incredible guitar! If I can figure out how to send pictures I will send one of my setup. I also wanted to say the new web site looks great. Thanks again for #121 and # 059 and Happy Holidays.- Chris.
#059 and # 121 are settling in real well. I put a Weber Alnico 1225 in a Headstrong Blue Lamp amp ( 5e3 type) and get back ! Unbelievable tone with both. Thanks for your time.- Chris.
Chris- I just wanted to say " What have you guys done to me! " I am not getting my chores done because I can't seem to unplug her. What an absolutely incredible guitar. Notes fly off those strings I know I didn't hit. Thank you for #121 and thank you for letting me bug you during the build.- Chris."

"Hi Rich and Chris, Played a gig on the guitar yesterday and it sounded and played great. Definitely seems like the issues with the neck pocket/angle are resolved, but if I notice any problems I'll let you know. Dunno why, but the guitar seems to respond better to a glass slide than it did before. the fit and set-up of the guitar are great now. the guitar is very musical and responsive, the neck feels like an old friend, and I'm able to express what I want to with the guitar. The split-coil sounds still don't do much for me, but yesterday I was able to get everything I needed from the full humbucker and bridge--the tonal range of the guitar with those two pickups is really diverse. I'm really happy that you guys were willing to do what it takes to get it right, so thank you for being true to your warrantee. If i get any decent recordings I'll pass them along. Ben"

"I'm liking it very much. The neck is really starting to feel good and it's a real comfortable guitar to play. Beautiful array of sounds as well, especially the traditional tele ones. My only minor reservation is the "humbucker"/series setting is a bit warm and loose sounding for hard rock. I've actually been having better luck with the single bridge pickup for the heavier stuff. It's such a great sound. Best, Peter"

"Chris- #059 arrived in great shape. #059 is MIGHTY fine! What an incredible tone. I thought the neck size would take getting used to but it feels perfect for me. She has already got me thinking about a hardtail strat twin for her. Thank you and your father for your commitment to quality and tone at affordable prices. Thanks again.- Chris."

"Hi guys, The guitar arrived yesterday, got to play it a little last night. All I can say is THANK YOU! The neck feels just right in my hand, the frets feel perfect, no more railroad tracks! Great job on the finish too, the back of the neck is nice and comfortable, and looks pretty cool too. Chris, great job on the wiring, its nice to have controls turning the right way that actually work as advertised. Now you've done it, I'm gonna have to buy a whole guitar from you guys next! Thanks again, Kurt"

"Hi Rich and Chris, here's my first plug in review: first thing is WOW!!! , full and warm TONE, yesss I tried the different positions, and it has a very wide range of tones. The bender is perfect. Then I stop and I play with a Fender B-bender Nasvhille upgraded with Fralins and Callaham bridge (of which I was pretty satisfied). First thing I note is a higher output of #83, so I needed to increase the volume of the amp to have same level of #83 from the Fender, second is tone, #83 as a full tone, warmer than the Fender and complete on every frequency, lots of bass. the Fender is little brighter but sounds like the bass knob on the amp is turned completely off, it is hard for me to describe it, but in "acoustic" words the difference sounds like @83 is a Martin HD-28 (tone, power, volume -sometimes too loud-, dynamics) and the Fender is a 300 dollars acoustic guitar with small body, nice bright sound, nice dynamics, but hard to compare with the Martin. So I'm very happy, in the next days, I'll compare with the CS 63 and the partcaster with haussel pu's, and let you know. As soon as I have more time, I will record and post full reportage on tdpri and youtube! CIAO!!! Paolo"

"Chris/Rich, Got to be quick (at work). The guitar is simply perfect in every way. Chris set it up exactly how I wanted it. The guitar is a resonant, chimey, springy, twangy pleasure. The shape of the neck allows me to my higher register guitar parts much more comfortably than on a standard FAT C shape. I spent about 4 hours playing it yesterday. I am most interested in experimenting with the tone and volume controls as they certainly do play off eachother in a unique way. Thank you for all of the hard work and patience. I feel compelled to write a proper review, maybe on harmony-central. Can't now! Yesterday I felt like I was 6 years old on Christmas Day. -Steve"

"Hi Chris, Good to hear from you. I really like the new stuff you guys are working on. Let me tell you that it took every ounce of self control that I could muster to stop myself from buying that beautiful pine Tele that was up for sale. I badly wanted it but have way to many guitars. As far as the Charlie Christian pick up goes, I love it. To me it sounds big and clear. I can get great jazz tones out of it. It also matches up great with bridge pick up. I love the middle position. I do think that the great light weight ash body along with the perfect neck combined with the pick ups and other components come together to make one of my favorite guitars. Oh, I forgot to mention the finish. It is just beautiful. I love the color and the super thin nitro. It just plain feels good. I have actually started to sell some of my guitars but this one will never voluntarily leave my position. Best of luck with all of the new projects. Feel free to post this on your forum if you like. Take it easy, Paul"

"Hey Rich: Just wanted to tell you how much I am enjoying the guitar. It really sings. It has a hint of the Kenny Burrell jazz sound :) I might just have to find a tube amp to really get all of the tones for the blues I am playing. Best regards, Don C"

"Rich and Chris, I am so thrilled with the piney. It is a do-everything tele for me. I can get sweet jazzy tunes, right back to late '60s Who smackin' those D chords floating up the board on the high three strings. I was surprised how small the pine table was in the garage! It was like the Stonehenge moment from Spinal Tap--I was expecting it to me much larger. Anyway, it is a SWEET body wood, and just an amazing instrument. I would not change a single thing about it (and that is the first time I have felt like that). I am sure you are gathering by now I am blown away by the Piney. I just love the ingredients together--even the threaded steel saddles just seem perfect. Thanks again, John"

"I currently have, and often play, #68 (White Rice) which I purchased and posted about some time ago on TGP. It has been an outstanding buy and is one of my 'go to' guitars. When I bought it I was looking for a tele with a rosewood fretboard and a fairly substantial neck. I was not disappointed with my Rice and the Lollar pups help to round the package out nicely! P.S. Since getting #68 I have traded my Custom Shop Nocaster as it was a shame for it to be sitting in the case."

"The guitar is great. It's got beautiful tone and great sustain, and it looks wonderful too."

"Rich and Chris, Well it's a keeper! The bender is just flat amazing. And the weight! Compared to the 12 lb. Fender Parsons Green I used to have which was known not so affectionately as "The boat anchor" it's a Yugo against a Ferrari."

"I got the guitar this evening, and it's everything I could have hoped for. I've only gotten to play it, plugged in, for about 20 minutes. Sounds incredible through my Clark Beaufort -- no surprise; Teles + tweeds = goodness. I've got a bit of work to do, and then hopefully I'll get to play it some more. I've never had a 4-way switch before -- it will take some getting used to, but the sound of the pickups in series is worth it. And the finish! I've never seen or felt so thin a lacquer finish. I'm looking forwards to wearing it thinner over the years.... Thanks again. I'll be sure to send some pictures & post my joy on TGP. -- Zak Kramer Crazyquilt Arts & Music http://www.crazyquiltarts.com/"

"It's the best feeling Tele type guitar I have. Extremely resonant tone. I love it!"

"Hi Rich, She arived today. Awesome guitar. Definitely a she. Great tone, you're right very "Nancy"-ish. Matter of fact I named her "Sophia" after my late mother, she sounds and plays so good.Hey do you have a myspace website, I'd like to add you guys as a friend. Maybe also get a custom job done sometime in the future, like a Tele shape with Stephen Kersting's custom P90s (I love P90s) and body contouring, maybe a semihollow, anyway that will be next year maybe.... Thanks a million! I'll be playing her at our gig this Saturday night... Nick"

"OK guys, I fear I will go blind paying this guitar. I can't stop... I might need professional help. Really, I am loving the guitar, playing it loud, playing it soft, soaking it in tremelo... playing it hours on end. It's beautiful thing and it plays and sounds great. I've now bonded with the CC, and I love its nearly acoustic vibe. Rock solid. The whole thing just wreaks of vibe and attitude. Many sounds in here, many more to find yet. It sets a new standard for any electrics I play. I'm swapping out amps right now, and I picked up a used Super 17 from Richard Goodsell. It loves the CC Tele, gonna sound great on a record. Great job guys, the guitar really sings. Mark"

"Rich and Chris, I'm glad to report that the guitar made it to TX safely and I am extremely pleased with it. I played it for about an hour before even plugging it in and I can't believe how well the guitar resonates. Plugged in, it's now my favorite guitar for clean tones. You guys did a fantastic job. The attention to detail and quality of workmanship is evident as is your passion for crafting extraordinary guitars. I do have one question regarding the finish. I've never had a guitar with a hand rubbed polymerized finish. Can you provide further explanation of what exactly this finish involves and most importantly what I have to do to clean and maintain the finish? Thanks, Joe"

"I'm playing the new tele and living it, getting to know it well. It's a beauty and it sounds great, everything just right. I'm really loving playing the guitar right now."

"Hi Rich, I certainly am diggin' it. Playin' it every chance I get. Terrific tones all over the place. Great sonic transparency, being so low-noise. The fat neck and flatter fretboard give me a lot of new real estate to work with, and my left hand feels real good on it; yet the shape and feel are really new to my hand, so I'm busy bonding with it subconsciously. The fretwork and intonation are excellent. I see that Ms. Daphne rewards me for any efforts to maintain good form, particularly the left hand. Very cool! I have not yet played her real loud, but I'm looking forward to it a great deal. I hope to do so this weekend. I did try the effects loop this morning with a wah pedal. The results are sublime. I have a lot more tinkering to do with the loop and my analog effects. I can see that will be a real gas! When I first opened the case I was blown away by the finish on the top. Rich, it's stunning. But I couldn't wait another moment to plug it in and hear it. So I was off to the races after strapping on and tuning up. I played along to some backing tracks for several minutes, my jaw hanging open at the tones she gave up while putting my left hand through a liberating workout. The more I play it the more amazing it gets, and the more things I can write about it. Yes, I'm really enjoying Ms. Daphne. She's a real presence, with a personality, if you will. She's going to help me become a better guitar player. Remarkable work, you guys. Thanks Rich, Paul"

"Happy Birthday Chris! It is like birthday day here too, as I purchased Rice #62 for the second time (no good reason to have sold it, just GAS for something else at the time), and it arrived today. What an amazing instrument. I just sold a sweet Fender Custom Shop Telecaster to get this, and this one is a better guitar than the Fender, hands down (and the tele was beautiful). Even with the tele's nitro finish, that one seems like poly when compared to this one. This finish has a transparency to it that reveals the care (and time) that went into it, allowing the grain to burst through with brilliance, and retain all the "3D" character of the wood. There is none of that "plexiglass coating over the wood" feeling that some (even nice ones) guitars have. And the neck's nitro is also super thin and shows its care by its beauty. It is not nearly as sticky as the Fender, and just gets those fingers racing. It all adds up, so that the tone bursts out of this baby just like the grain would have you hope. I have said it before, but a Rice tele is just a new kind of heaven. This one was made for me and its so great to have it back....."

"I now have a Bill Bores P/W B bender on a Rice Custom Tele and it is the best sounding guitar I own. The P/W works like butter and stable as a rock."

"You did an amazing job. This was exactly what i was looking for. Thanks so much for your hard work, everything is perfect."

"Dear Rich and Chris. First of all I want to say thank you for taking me on as a client. I have had great expectations, and you have fulfilled them all. The process of coming up with my dream Thinline has been nothing but pleasure. The guitar looks great. The finish is incredible, the binding is awesome and the balance is spot on. The guitar feels great as well; the neck does easily par, or even exceed the standards of my Fender CS ones. It is fast and smooth, but with enough space to slap my paws on.
From the Wilkinson bridge, to the Gotho vintage tuners, this guitar is a pure pleasure to play. The wiring and control setup provides all the options I want and need from a guitar. The OC Duff’s 60’s pickups sound incredible. You really pay attention to the details, something I appreciate immensely.
I am proud to own one of your fine guitars and will not hesitate recommending your instruments to any musician. They are a perfect blend between beauty, playability and sound. Once again, I thank you both for coming up with a guitar I know will provide me many years of great sound and playing pleasure.
Sincerely Lars Ludwig Sandell"

"Thanks! Still loving #66! I can honestly say after playing it since Feb that it’s the best sounding guitar I own. Keep up the great work! Kurt"

"great to see your email, and be able to let you know i'm still rippin on the baritone, i'm getting really used to the differences now, and love the tone! if you ever make it out CO way, let me know all the best, dan"

"that's literally the nicest S type I've played since I used to hit a friend's original '65 back in the 70s. Fantastic neck, acoustic ring-out like I've NEVER heard, and incredible pickup match. Truly a rare and exceptional guitar."

"Ahh, how nice to be the guy who got that Blackguard tele. What's the opposite of a nightmare? A really good dream. I am fortunate to live near the Rice family, so I visited them and could play several of their wonderful guitars. When you can play an instrument, you know what it can do. And if I had not been able to hold and play it, I might have let this opportunity slip away, thinking I was set with my assortment of teles and G&Ls. I almost literally could not put the Blackguard down (despite its wonderfully light 6.5 lb. weight), and Chris asked if I wanted to take it home for a few hours. I think he meant "a few decades," but I was not about to let this guitar out of my grasp, and it is a dream indeed. I have never touched or played such a beautiful instrument before. I have a little review here in one of these "Luthier" threads ("Boutique" teles), and I posted a review at tdpri. Knowing what I know, I would get in line in a hurry for one of these!! Thanks so much to Chris and Rich. I know how you guys put your hearts (and not just your expertise) into this baby."

"Hi Rich, Thanks for your note. It's nice to know you're interested in what people think of your guitars. As far as customer service goes, dealing with you guys has been top notch. Your service has been as good as anyone I've dealt with, and I've dealt with some cool shops/luthiers. I really like your kingwood CSS. It's a great sounding guitar that's a combination of all the specs that I would look for in a guitar (one piece, lightweight swamp ash, big fat neck, nice figuring in the wood, great bridge, nice pickups, vintage style tuners, nitro finish, etc. --what more could you really want?). I've been playing it all weekend through all my amps and am getting much more accustomed to its tonal range. The guitar's as cool as hell."

"I tried that with the volume knob, and I agree that the tone is even better with it just slightly off. There is a great biting warm clarity to it. You really did a phenomental job gustomizing this guitar with these pups. This is the best sounding guitar I have ever played, with the BG right there with it, a little more raw and vintagey."

"I found my dream tele sound recently at Rice Custom Guitars in Arlington Heights, IL. I have been through a gamut of really nice teles in the past year: an American Series tele w/ash body, two American Ash (8502) teles; a '52 RI tele, and two G&L ASATs (one tribute). While these were each great guitars in their own right, none of them came close in tone, feel, and overall mojo to the Rice Custom "Blackguard" that I just bought from the Rices for $1500. Photos of this guitar are at the following link; but they do not show you how it looks when she is strapped on you, and you are looking down at her, and feeling her lightly vibrating against your chest as you strum. http://ricecustomguitars.com/instruments/BGuard.html . It is about 6.5 pounds in weight, with a fat “C” neck that is 1.05" the whole way down. This stunning guitar has changed everything for me and in one fell swoop it has rendered my beautiful ‘52 RI tele, and frankly all Fender guitars, completely irrelevant to me. The whole guitar is so amazingly beautiful that one can hardly believe it sounds better than it looks. The guitar is the product of Chris Rice, with the assistance of father Rich, as noted above. Chris knows what he is doing, and has a guitar sense that is wise beyond his years. The articulation and expression of the strings is unlike anything I have ever heard. As a I strum a chord progression with one finger, yes, I hear six strings ringing; but I seem to hear all sorts of harmonic two and three string interactions, ringing and weaving together. It is like some sort of harmonic rainbow is created when you get that strumming going just right, and it gives me goosebumps to hear it, and it challenges me to be good enough on this axe to be able to experience its magic like that. Not that it takes any special skill to bring this out, because I am finding that just about every technical device of a player–palm muting, hammering on, bending–produces its own unique magic on this guitar. The Don Mare 2324 “Roy Wrap” pickups are just perfect in this guitar. I have played through all the major Fender alnico 3 pickups, and as much as I like the '52 pups and nocaster pups, these Roy wraps are at another level entirely. The 2324s have a marvelous transparency, that makes me feel like I am seeing three dimensionally into the music. As Don says, his pickups have a microphonic quality that really brings out the acoustic properties of an instrument. This guitar has acoustic properties to such an extent that I need to play it unplugged almost as much as amplified. These pickups and this body and neck go together as if destined to be part of the same instrument. There is no feeling of whether these are the right pickups for this guitar. Rather, THESE ARE the pickups that MUST BE in this guitar. The bridge pickup in particular astonishes; never have I heard a pickup provide such a warm and rich yet bright exploration of the trebly zones than this one. I find myself listening with a sense of wonder to the treble tones evoked by this pup, tones that I did not quite know even existed. There are little clips and turns, grunts and sighs, a whole panoply of tones that dart and quake out of this guitar with that bridge pup. The real feel of a guitar comes from its neck. You could have the most beautiful girl in the world, but if you don’t like kissing her, what's the use? But if you DO like kissing her.... well, you may end up married with several kids. This is a neck that brings the whole thing together, and allows the entire expression and magic of this guitar to take place. It is at once the fattest and most comfortable neck I have ever played. The 9.5" radius board is so right for it. Chord play is just a dream on it, and there are no shoulders to pinch your hand on certain jazzy chords that can be uncomfortable on some guitars. The size of the neck challenges me to develop finger strength, and does not easily forgive sloppiness. The neck richly rewards proper form in the fingers and the whole left hand. It is indicative of the whole guitar, which forces its player to really try hard to be worthy of the instrument. Chris and Rich Rice are wonderful to deal with. They made buying this custom tele a really fulfilling experience in itself. I can't recommend their guitars (and the value of them) enough. Visit them at ricecustomguitars.com. I played a bunch of guitars that they have for sale and I could have been happy with any of them, I think. But I took the one that was a total dream to me."

"Hi Guys! Just wanted to drop you a quick note and tell you how impressed I am with the new guitar. I have never tried a "relic" guitar, but I'm a believer now. The relicing is very tastefully done I particularly like the look of the neck and the body isn't overdone providing a very convincing look. The metal parts are also very nice, once again not overdone but just a nice sort of patina. I was also a bit concerned about a maple neck, never having owned one as I didn't like the slick feel that I remember from years ago. However this one has obviously had some work done as it feels great and doesn't have that varnish feel to it. Regarding the sound, you're right Rich, lots of twang but with a great fundamental tone that keeps it rich sounding. When I first played it Friday night I couldn't effectively get harmonics on the 5th fret, however I think it was just still not fully warmed up and now it's fine. Chris, great job selecting the pickups. I really like them both. The neck pickup is nice and round sounding, while the bridge pickup is nice and sharp but not harsh at all. I like the cutout you did on the bridge plate, it really does keep things out of the way. Great setup too! So, thanks for the great work. Now it's back to playing! Steve "

"Ok, got to play around a bit with it this weekend! First of all it’s the LOUDEST electric I own acoustically. The thing just feels alive. It resonates and vibrates like crazy. The fretwork is great and I’m digging the feel of the Kingswood too. The finish on the back of the neck is sweet too. Feels like silk. How much will the look and feel of it change over time since there is no glossy finish on it? I really like the look and feel of the body finish as well. You pretty much nailed what I had in mind!! I love how simple and pure the tone is. Through my ’71 Princeton Reverb it sounded amazing. Those Lollars sound real nice. I think that may be the best that amp has ever sounded!! I’ve been practicing my wah tone swells too!! This week I’ll plug straight into the Fargen Dual Classic, with no effects, and then next week I’ll give her the initiation through the pedal board. So far, so good! Thanks guys!!

"Hey Rich, Well, the guitar has been played by me (and others) for two days now through a number of amps. The neck pickup cover had worked loose - it was rocking from side to side. It did go back down however with a very gentle push. It had rose up so much on the treble side that the high E was actually hitting it. Man, l love that neck. This guitar is the easiest instrument to play I have ever laid my hands on. Tell Chris the pickup selection and configuration is fantastic. The VZ is a screamer - can be almost downright painful at high volumes. No squeal or shrillness at all. The Truetone and VZ together do have that slight snarl which I was looking for. I have been playing around with the Humbucker on full and tapped and both are working really well with my hybrid fingericking style. Nice warm, mid-range tone. Bought theonly thing that is not perfect is the neck fit on the lower bout where the pocket is not flush with the neck. It does not affect the playability and the neck sure as heck ain't going anywhere. [This is the Broadcaster lip and was intentional--Chris Rice] Anyway, I am at the point where I am seriously thinking of trading off my '58 Tele (just cannot bring myself to sell it). Am looking at getting either a '55 Twin or '65 Deluxe Reverb and maybe a Gibson acoustic and possibly another G&L. The guy also has a 1960 Tele bridge pup that was rewound years ago by W.L. Van Zandt but never used. I am thinking if I get it, I might want an Esquire built around it. Who knows, this whole trade will probably take alot of thought and haggling. Again, thanks for all. I am really enjoying the guitar. Thom"

"Rich & Chris I've been playing since 0830! Picked it off the belt and bolted out the door for home. Plugged into the DRRI--had to take a break and feed the Mrs, but it's a real beauty! Love the Voodoo pup. LOVE the pup! Excellent choice! The tonal range is amazing. Push the volume on the amp and IT IS a chrous of angels from Bakersfield shedding the mortal coils! The three way switch control really puts some nice twang on! NO NEED for a second pup, this one does the work of two. Wonderful sustain, excellent vibes! Colors are perfect. Fit & finish; impeccable. I was a bit worried that the vintage frets would be difficult to play. No Way. No buzz. Set-up is spot on for me. Love the polished nut! Classy touch. The neck is just the dogzbollocks. Not sticky or slippery but just enough surface to hold steady. Excellent shape. I am very pleased and happy with the way it turned out. You guys are terriffic craftsmen. We're off to the races, I'll let you know more when we get back. Thank you so much. Kevin L
Rich & Chris, The more this guitar is played, the better it gets. Yes, it does require some attention to finger placement with the vintage frets, but my playing is improving daily! And this guitar gets played every spare moment---it's that cool. It's next to me now, the cats all (4) come in the room whenever the strings are ringin'. Chris's wiring is dynamic and gets the Voodoo pup 'off planet'. Love to play the tone knob and the 3-way. It's exactly like having 3 different pups but it's all outta one! I'm really getting spoiled with the weight. This thing is a tonal feather after playing a standard Tele. The acoustic properties, un-amplified are beautiful. Through a tube amp, it's a whole other guitar for sure. This guitar just rips, growls, howls, rings and sings. Never rude. I am so pleased. Teacher didn't even notice it only had the one pup...didn't quite get to the LP 'buckers but for the blues we're doing it totally covered 12 bar rythm and lead. The neck is a pure work of art Rich. That shape is so fine; just enough not too much. Excellent for proper hand position. I am solid for the 150's. Great feel, easy to bend consistently. The string spacing is so good it's easy to do parallel string bends---that is some nice tone! I like johnnyqb's description..."organic". The nitro finish is settling in and it's like the wood is alive with color and texture. It was good when it arrived, it's even better now! It's going to age beautifully. For anyone that's interested, I'd never dreamed of 'ordering a guitar to spec' and didn't have clue one as to how much work went into building an instrument from scratch. I had to ask 'a lot' of questions and received the benefit of years of experience in the music field as professional musicians in response. Rich & Chris asked me lots of questions also but I have no where near the depth and breadth of experience they do so they had to settle for a general direction and concept based on johnnyqb's distressed Blackguard. Once again, totally pleased with the outcome. Just an immaculate instrument. Perfect fit and finish, only the best components balanced with the wood dynamics, neck radius and scale. A real pleasure to handle and play and uh, real easy on the eyes!"

"I played the guitar loud tonight after a very good day. Wife and I are working hard on how to raise the teenage boy, and for this minute, we had a good day and I feel more optimistic. I say that by way of setting my good mood to play the guitar. I tilted the Bassman back against the wall, channels jumpered, neck pickup, tone rolled down about 5/8. Presence and mids all the way up on the amp. I was all blown away again by the tone of this monster. The harmonics, the clarity, the power. London Calling, Em, C, G, D, I had never heard anything so good. I went off into some fast (for me, anyway) strumming with an E7 in the second fret, alternating the bass note down to the G and at the G3, getting kind of a Radiohead vibe, and I was just in awe of the tone. I did this til my right arm got tired, and I kept going, because the guitar demanded it. Then the kid came down, and he took it, and just rocked, and I had goodebumps and I played drums while he did some Stevie Ray type stuff. I tell you, Chris, I swear that if Keith Richards, or Pete Townshend, or Carlos Santana played this guitar and heard it right then in my basement, they would have had goosebumps too, and they would want the guitar. I have been in relative shock over this guitar for nearly two weeks now, and it hasn't really calmed down. Thanks again, see you Friday. John"

" Hi Rich, It wasn't left at the door, I waited all day for that package to arrive. I spent the day reading a novel and napping, and when the horn woke me up, I met the driver at my front door. He didn't even ask for a signature. I bought two new pedals recently off the gear page, and I haven't tried either of them (Analogman Juicer and an Emma Discumbobulator), the guitar sounds so good clean that I'm in no hurry to try them out. I can't tell you how nice it is to have a guitar with humbuckers again. I have been playing through a limited edition Fargen Bastage, and it sounds so good I haven't plugged into any of the other amps yet. I think Tim Mills was right about the pickups, I almost went with a PAF type set, but he talked me out of it. The Mule set is a little hotter but not by much, they sound nice and creamy to me without being distorted or obnoxious. I would definitely put another set of Bare Knuckles into my other guitar. I still can't get over that finish you applied. I keep holding the guitar and looking at it from different angles and the figuring seems to pop out in different areas. Its almost like there is a hologram in the finish! Now that the guitar is nailed down, its time to sell off my Les Paul and a couple of amps. Later this week I'm going to try out a friend's old Marshall superlead with matching 4x12 cab. I think I want to go back to a Marshall sound, I'm debating between an 18 Watter and something Plexi-ish. I think this guitar is going to sound like a monster through a Marshall :-) Thanks! Tony "

"Hey Rich, I was going to write you, and here you are. It took me a while because I just got done playing the Tele for about 3 hours. Man, what a fantastic instrument, and the Stuart pups were absofreakinglootely the right choice (all of the big round Tele twang and growl without too much bite). The pups in series is awesome! I have all my Danos wired like that. The neck is just the right size, really fat without being ridiculous. I have definitely found a new #1 guitar. I have a tweed Victoria Champ clone that I record with, and they are a match made in heaven. This tele loves 6V6's. Thank you very much for the Birthday wishes and for making me such a great guitar. You and Chris do such excellent, thoughtful work. I will be dragging this Tele around with me on tour and will hopefully help get some more well deserved attention for your fine work. Take care - jv"

"I enjoyed the hell out of playing this guitar today, and it and I worked well together. When that happens with a guitar, there just simply isn't anything "wrong" about it."

"It's a very solid feeling and sounding guitar. The lows on it are great! I'm usually struggling to get the low end thing happening, and trying to control too much high end."

"The roll-off of the fingerboard edges, fretwork, and nut cut is excellent -- I honestly think it's as good as I've seen on any guitar I've owned."

"The guitar rings out real nicely unplugged, and the body is probably the lightest solidbody guitar I've ever worn."

"I am completely taken by this guitar. I have a lot of very expensive guitars to compare it to and believe me, it stands right up to all of them."

"I really like the color. I normally like clear or bursts finishes, but the dyes' a great hue and I really like the nitro finish."

"I love the guitar! I was a little curious about the neck, but it's really nice and comfortable. Sounds really good through my Fender Deluxe too."

"Quality parts, well-chosen and put together one hell of a lot better than I could do it (or pay a NYC luthier to do it for sure)."

"I'd say after playing it twice, it's a pretty amazing strat, especially for the price. I don't think you guys can be beat. I love the thin finish, this is actually the thinnest finish I've ever had on a guitar. It feels great, neck is nice and comfy. It's a great rhythm strat, has a big booming tone."

"I'm very happy with it. I'll be happy to recommend you guys to anyone."

"Guitar's so durable the Hulk wouldn't stand a chance! Had it 2 years and don't have a single dent in it. Hardware has been very reliable and I rely on it as my primary guitar."

"You guys are the most polite and engaged builders I think I've run across."
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