Duesenberg rarely pulls punches when it comes to aesthetics. In fact, many guitarists argue its 6-string designs are among the most idiosyncratic and elegant models on the market. Still, the Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic is truly a cut above even the most extravagant standard Duesenberg models. This guitar’s foundation essentially mirrors the time-tested Starplayer TV’s bones, consisting of a responsive spruce top, cutting maple back and sides, and a solid centerblock to eliminate feedback issues. And despite their eye-catching “Phonico” covers, the Starplayer TV Phonic’s pickups constitute the Starplayer-standard combo of a Domino P-90 and a GrandVintage humbucker. So, what separates the Phonic from the traditional Starplayer? Simple: every inch of this instrument is decked to the nines in the most high-class appointments that Duesenberg can muster, including glittering golden hardware, Duesenberg wing inlays on the Medium “D” maple neck’s rosewood fingerboard, and lavish pearloid binding on the body, neck, and headstock. Sure to demand the attention of your audience’s eyes (and ears), the Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic represents the peak of Duesenberg panache.
Encased in high-class “Phonico” metal covers, the Duesenberg Starplayer TV Phonic’s immensely versatile H/S pickup pairing delivers sonic flexibility nearly unmatched in the semi-hollow realm. First up, the Starplayer TV Phonic comes equipped with a modern spin on an all-time-classic pickup. The Domino P-90 single-coil boasts a supremely clear, warm, and creamy tonality that tackles everything from raspy blues to ultra-clean jazz without breaking a sweat. To complement the single-coil neck pickup, the Starplayer TV Phonic’s bridge position harbors a GrandVintage pickup voiced to capture the dynamic and responsive sound of an old-school humbucker. Lastly, the Starplayer TV Phonic’s 4-position rotary switch gives you access to standard middle-position sounds and a unique filtered middle-position setting that cuts out lower frequencies for a funkier and more articulate tone.
Mixing the best of vintage-style semi-hollow construction and modern performance-minded enhancements, the Starplayer TV Phonic’s body — comprising a spruce top and maple back and sides — slightly slims down the big-bodied semi-hollows of yore for a more comfortable feel and lighter weight. A solid center block runs through the middle of the Starplayer TV Phonic’s body, dramatically reducing feedback and enhancing natural sustain. The body is paired with an equally luxurious 1-piece maple set-neck carved into a Medium “D” profile. The neck is not quite the chunky “D” you’d find on a vintage semi-hollow, but just large enough to fill out your grip when navigating the rosewood fingerboard’s compound radius.
Founded by German guitar designer Dieter Gölsdorf in 1989, Duesenberg guitars represent a multinational mixing pot of American art deco aesthetics, hot-rod heritage, and exacting German engineering. Duesenberg’s utterly distinctive instruments — affectionately dubbed “Doozys” by their adherents — gleam with proprietary parts and pickups that merge the daring appointments of the early electric guitar age with the pinpoint precision of modern manufacturing excellence. From the iconic Starplayer semi-hollow guitars to basses, lap steels, and beyond, every Duesenberg that Music Experience carries embodies consummate artisanship. Fittingly, this unerring dedication has attracted more than a few luminaries, including the likes of Bob Dylan, Joe Walsh, Mike Campbell, John Mayer, and Tom Bukovac. For the musician who demands superlative performance, idiosyncratic innovation, and master-level musical detail in equal measure, only a Doozy will do.
Beauty. Clarity. Reliability. The clear and flexible sound of the Starplayer TV is at home in every genre. It wasn't designed to do one job well. It was designed to bring something new to the game everywhere. Because it was created for artists who want to develop their own voice and not be limited in their art. And it brings a lot of tools to help you along the way.
Our smooth Z-tuners are located on the elegant, black headstock. These tuners not only work extremely precisely, but also allow the sharp string ends to be hidden in the tuner shaft so that they cannot damage your case, gig bag or your fingertips. Lifetime maintenance-free guaranteed!
The clever Plek process allows an unusually flat string position while providing clean sound reproduction without fret brushing. The string position, i.e. the distance between the strings and the frets, can only be set flat if all frets are precisely at the same height. To achieve this, all Duesenberg instruments go through the ingenious Plek process, which adjusts the frets to an accuracy of 1/100th of a millimeter. Each fret is individually measured and processed to achieve optimal playability of the instrument. Our complex post-processing is carried out entirely by hand. Each individual fret is perfectly polished and the fingerboard edges are carefully rounded to create a pleasant playing feel. This provides the basis for our promise that a Duesenberg will always feel unique.
Fitted with our most popular pickup combination: GrandVintage Humbucker and Domino P90 covered by our elegant Phonico pickup covers in a striking gold finish. The 4-Way rotary switch offers a new pickup combination. With the Starplayer TV Phonic in an all-over bright Venetian White or all Black we are continuing our vision of truly independent hardware design. The Phonic comes with the award-winning set of a GrandVintage humbucker for the bridge and Domino P90 for the neck position. The new pickup selector allows you to choose between each pickup individually or two options of combining them. The first option lets both pickups run freely without touching the frequencies, while the second option filters certain frequencies to give your tone a unique and even more defined character.
The Duesenberg Radiator Tremola is the evolution of our own vibrato system design. It keeps everything that you love about about our original Diamond Deluxe Vibrato and delivers it in a new and exciting design. Buttery smooth action, reliable tuning stability and string changes that are a breeze are just the main aspects of our unique vibrato design. Heavy duty needle and nylon bearings give you the highly responsive Duesenberg feel when using the vibrato arm. The arm itself can be turned freely for 360° and can be adjusted to your preferred angle and length. The strings are simply guided through the holes in the bar underneath the arm-axis and can be lead to the tuners without hassle.
The Starplayer TV Phonic comes with an elegant, laminated spruce top. The neck is made from a single piece of the best maple, and the stunning flamed maple back impresses with its elegant black burst finish.
That's the number one feedback we receive from FOH once they start mixing our instruments during soundcheck. The Phonic delivers all the open, bright and defined tone that our instruments are known for. It is designed to sit right where a guitar has to sit in the mix while still providing every frequency needed to cut through.
A good suitcase is always more stable than its contents. Curtain up for the Duesenberg Custom Line series of cases! Indestructible like a flight case, classically cut to shape, built from high-quality materials and designed to withstand most realistic and unrealistic adversities. You can throw this case in the trunk of your car, in the luggage compartment of a train or in the hold of an airplane without having to give it or its contents another thought. The Duesenberg Custom Line Case is included with the purchase of this instrument.
| Body Type | Semi-hollowbody |
|---|---|
| Body Shape | Starplayer TV Phonic |
| Left-/Right-handed | Right-handed |
| Number of Strings | 6 |
| Body Material | Laminated Maple |
| Top Material | Laminated Spruce |
| Body Finish | PUR lacquer |
| Color | Venetian White |
| Neck Material | 1-piece Maple |
| Neck Shape | Medium "D" |
| Radius | 12"-14" Compound |
| Fingerboard Material | Indian Rosewood |
| Fingerboard Inlay | Wings |
| Number of Frets | 22 Jumbo |
| Scale Length | 25.5" |
| Nut Width | 1.673" |
| Nut Material | Synthetic Bone |
| Bridge/Tailpiece | Duesenberg Steel Saddle Bridge, Diamond Deluxe Tremola |
| Tuners | Duesenberg Z-Tuners |
| Neck Pickup | Duesenberg Domino P90 Single-coil |
| Bridge Pickup | Duesenberg Grand Vintage Humbucker |
| Controls | 1 x volume, 1 x tone |
| Switching | 4-way rotary pickup switch |
| Strings | Duesenberg Custom, .010-.050 |
| Case/Gig Bag | Hardshell Case |
| Manufacturer Part Number | DTV-PC-VNW |
