DoctorPaul's Guitar Emporium - Sold Guitars

(SOLD)

2009 Nocturne NC1-KD Model (Kevin Dillard's Guitar)

"Nancy"

(No serial)

 

OK. So, this is a Nocturne NC1-KD. It was handmade in England by Jeremy Humberstone, and, being a KD model, is the signature guitar of my "internet-buddy" and Nocturne endorsee Kevin Dillard. Kevin, as well as being a thoroughly decent chap (and the sort of guy you'd happily invite over for Sunday lunch if he didn't live 4,000 miles away) is the brains behind the "Intelli-Shred" series of instructional books. Yes, I have them. And yes, they're tough.

 

So the NC1 is a peachy little luthier-made superstrat (kinda) with deep, chamfered cutaways, 27 frets, reverse banana-esque headstock and a German Schaller Floyd trem. This is essentially the same, but with the odd peculiarity to suit Kev's requirements, resulting in it being a "KD" as opposed to a regular NC1. I'm not entirely sure how many KD's were produced (I know of three ...) but I'm amused at the fact that this was Kev's own guitar, and one that he played regularly for a loooong time. Long enough to need a refret before he sold it on, at least. So it's providence is strong. That, however, is less important than the fact that it's a bloody gloriously good guitar!

 

We've got a 2-piece alder body, with the most obscene gold-flake-over-yellow nitrocellulose paint job (with the head painted to match), the aforementioned Schaller Floyd, a 3-piece 25.5" scale neck (with 27 frets ... count em ...) and a flat 14" radius Birdseye maple board, with a black mother of pearl crucifix inlay at the octave. I know that some (not me) will be put off by the crucifix, but at least it's a proper one ... none of that "inverted" bullshit. At least with THIS one, the chances of me burning for eternity are reduced, albeit only slightly.

 

Pickups are by DiMarzio (a chopper at the neck and an Evo at the bridge), both of which were wound specially to Kev's spec by Steve Blucher (DiMarzio's pickup guru and their head of R&D ... Kev is also a DiMarzio endorsee).  Pickups made by Steve Blucher? ... I'm smiling inside already.  The signal passes through a CTS volume pot, a Switchcraft three-way and output jack, and that's it ... what more do you need? So, swoopy curves, in-your-face paint, reverse headstock and a Floyd. Yeah ... that'll do nicely!

 

In use, this plays fast (... at least, as fast as my sausage fingers) and is as clear and crisp as winter morning. It's harmonically quite rich, with pinched harmonics jumping out everywhere (with a new set of Rotosounds). The neck is quite thin, and not particularly wide, and the fretwork is great. That Birdseye fretboard is also pretty funky.

 

Although the finish is beautiful, and the contrast with the coloured pickups is great, this WAS kinda tired when it arrived from the States ... lots of muck and chips. So, after a thorough clean up of the important bits (specifically the board, which was full to the brim of finger-based genetic material ... enough to grow potatoes in), I sat and had a ponder about the best way forward. I certainly wouldn't dream of refinishing it, nor did I really want to touch up any dings with paint ... like as if I could EVER find a match!). The decision, which I'm entirely happy with, is that it stays stock, original, and awesome.

 

Another great touch is that this came with one of DiMarzio's BEAUTIFUL Italian leather ClipLock straps ... and what a great strap it is. So, yeah, what a great guitar. Holds its place proudly in the "collection".