DIAMOND SUPERLIGHT S-CLASSIC & HEARTBREAKER CUSTOM
You’d be forgiven for thinking that the world needs another set of boutique Strat and Tele clones like it needs a catastrophic asteroid impact, but five minutes with either of these instruments might just change your mind. What makes them different? For Macmull, it all starts with wood.
The brainchild of luthier Tal Macmull, producer/sound engineer Amit Sadras and pro guitarist Sharon Levi, Macmull Custom Guitars is based in Jerusalem, but its high-end wares were brought to our attention by The North American Guitar in London. The range currently comprises S- and T-style models and while the Superlight S-Classic on test here is an obvious homage to Fullerton’s golden era, the eye-catching two-tone Heartbreaker Custom has more of a hotrod, Cabronita aesthetic.
The Macmull team prides itself on its rigorous wood-selection criteria. In addition to hand-picking old-growth timber that’s light in weight and kiln-dried, the wood’s age when it was cut, its grain and texture are also regarded as key factors by the company. “We strongly believe that a wooden instrument has to be light weight in order to be dry-sounding and punchy with very sharp attack,” says Sharon Levi. “That is the starting point to all of our guitars. Our Superlight model is the lightest
