What does Gary Allan like about Australia? Well, surfing for sure, but also Tomkins Guitars!

So much so, that Gary and his whole band went home from their last trip 'down under' with a swag full of Tomkins' instruments, including the famous Tomkins Baritone guitar (see below). Gary is pictured left with his guitar which has a maple neck, vintage styled with special Gotoh adjustable post tuners. The body is Hoop pine with Tasmanian blackwood cap with binding and purflings. The bridge is the Fishman power bridge and preamp piezo set up. The pick ups are Lawrence vintage single coils. This guitar has a special designed hand carved leather pickguard fitted with contrasting colours. The body is finished in a brown burst nitrocellulose lacquer.

Pictured left: Jake Kelly - Jake's guitar has 23.75 inch scale neck made from Birdseye Maple and ebony finger board without any front markings. The body is made from Kauri pine, faced with figured Tasmanian blackwood. The front and back are bound and purfled; the front face has been routed out for an inlayed hand carved leather pickguard. The pick-ups are a custom filtertron style made by T V Jones in California, a bigsby tremelo unit is also fitted. Machine heads are Sperzel locking. The guitar is finished with a custom tobacco burst - this guitar has only a toggle switch and volume control fitted.

Right: Mike Fried with a Tomkins Baritone guitar which has 30 inch scale neck made from hard rock maple. The body is made from Kauri pine capped with figured Tasmanian blackwood which has binding and purflings on the front only. This body has special tone cavities and one 'F' hole fitted. It has been fitted with a Fishman Power bridge and pre-amp which is a piezo set up, the pick-ups are single blade Lawrence humbuckers. Tomkins have made a special 'B' riser for the second string, which is activated by a body lever. The guitar is finished with a special red brown nitrocellulose burst. The pickguard is a custom hand carved leather with black background and antique finish, the tuners are bored out locking sperzels.

Left: Jody Maphis with a Tomkins 'Diamondtina II' model, made from Deadare pine which has a natural satin oiled finish. It has Lawrence single coil vintage style pick upa, a vintage three saddle bridge, vintage tuners on a Maple neck also vintage styled. Once again the pickguard is custom hand carved leather.

Left: Jake Kelly and Gary Allan.
Gary Allan's guitar has maple neck, vintage styled with special Gotoh adjustable post tuners. The body is Hoop pine with Tasmanian blackwood cap with binding and purflings. The bridge is the Fishman power bridge and preamp piezo set up. The pick ups are Lawrence vintage single coils. This guitar has a special designed hand carved leather pickguard fitted with contrasting colours. The body is finished in a brown burst nitrocellulose lacquer.

N.B. All the above guitars have bolt on necks with a tapped heel and using special neck screw ferrules which allows easier accessabily to the higher registers.

For more details on Tomkins Custom Guitars and Basses . . .

Charlie Turner
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