Indie #5 - 'Shape' Tribal Extreme Tiger Eye



Here we have an Indie 'Shape' Tribal Extreme. Being a second generation Indie it's got the 3-a-side headstock and the top is more heavily carved than the early ones with the controls slightly inset.
Specification is similar to the Sun Extreme with the cosmetics being different.
  • Body: Mahogany, Quilted Maple Top, Abalone Binding
  • Neck: Set Neck w/Abalone Binding, Graphite Nut
  • Fingerboard: Rosewood 22 Fret
  • Headstock: Grover Machine Heads Abalone Binding
  • Hardware: Chrome, Tune-O-Matic Stop Tail
  • Pickups: Neck GR8, Bridge GR8
The body has what looks like the 'stringers' you'd find on a neck-through one but it's in fact abalone inlay. The obvious standout feature is the fretboard inlay which is reminiscent of a 'tribal' tattoo. It's certainly eye-catching but I prefer the inlays on the other Extremes.
The finish on the body is not the usual flame/quilted maple affair. I think it's their 'tiger eye' finish but hard to know given they've pulled this model from their website now.

The pickups on this particular one are Indie GR8s and more 'classic rock' than the 'heavy metal' of the Extreme pickups fitted to the others. Coil tap again is on a slightly ugly, overly functional mini switch given how beautifully the rest of the guitar executed. Indie seem prone to this on their high end models and I asked them once why they don't use push pots instead. In their opinion they are more practical and they have a point but this wasn't designed just to be practical it was designed to be looked at and lusted over too.

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