James Tyler Guitars | Dann Huff Black Classic

In 1982, Dann Huff met James Tyler and, impressed by the Tyler sound, brought his December 1964 Strat to Jim for modifications. Despite it being an invaluable vintage guitar, Dann insisted on having it "Tylerized." Jim replaced the frets, flattened the radius for a Floyd Rose, installed a Floyd, swapped the pickguard for a single-layer black one, added neck/middle stacks, an original JB 50mm, a Demeter preamp and midboost, and three series/parallel switches with a volume boost knob and tone control. A preamp bypass was placed under the boost knob, and a neck-on switch was added under the tone. Dann rarely turned off the preamp, and the guitar remained untouched until 1994, when David Graef replaced the Floyd with a Wilkinson VS100 and locking tuners.

This recreation of that guitar is a passion project from the folks at James Tyler Guitars. A Black Classic with all the modifications to make it like Dann Huff's but with a vintage trem instead.

Body: The Black Classic is crafted from solid alder, a tonewood known for its balanced tonal response and light weight. This gives the guitar a lively resonance and a clear, punchy sound.

Neck and Fretboard: The neck is made from quartersawn maple, paired with an Indian rosewood fretboard. This combination provides exceptional stability, smooth playability, and a warm, rich tonal character. The fingerboard also features a 10"-12" compound radius and narrow/tall nickel/silver frets, as approved by Dann. Likewise, the DHBC has a Standard 59 neck shape that Dann finds is the best. Measuring .845" at the first fret and .975 at the 12th, and with a 1 5/8" nut width, it is supremely comfortable.

Pickups: The neck and middle pickups on this guitar are actually Seymour Duncans like those in Dann's original. The Classic Stacks in neck and middle positions offer an alnico ii magnet with stacked coils, delivering a glassy tone without hum. The Super humbucker in the bridge provides a strong low end, plenty of top-end sparkle, and excels in high-gain settings, making it ideal for rock and modern music styles.

Electronics: The control system features a 5-way blade switch, master volume, midboost preamp, and 250K master tone controls. The active midboost preamp is a high gain/low impedance circuit that gives you lower lows and higher highs with a 2dB volume increase - on top of this, you can utilise the midboost control to increase the mids and output further. This preamp can be bypassed easily in the 'up' position of the push-push volume pot for passive tones or added in to give some extra "oomf" at the perfect moments. On top of all this is a series/parallel switch corresponding to each of the pickups for an even more versatile array of tones.

Bridge and Hardware: The DHBC is equipped with a Gotoh two-post tremolo with James Tyler branded bent steel saddles, offering excellent tuning stability and smooth performance. Locking Hipshot tuners add to the guitar's reliability, ensuring that it stays in tune even during heavy playing sessions.

Case: The guitar comes with a Tyler Signature Hardshell Case, providing premium protection and durability.

This beloved recreation truly strikes the balance between faithful recreation whilst still keeping it a Tyler Guitar above all else. Now fans can experience the guitar that took Dann Huff through his recording career!