Crews Maniac Sound KTR JM, natural finish, made in Japan 2017. This is an outstanding guitar. The Key to the Rock series, or KTR, is a collaboration between Tokyo-based electronics and custom guitar makers Crews, the Terada Gakki factory, and major Japan retailers Musicland Key. The idea was to take some classic golden era models and serve them up with modern hardware and electronics and some minor playability upgrades, all executed to an incredibly high standard. The Les Paul style offerings are the most visible online, but the F-flavoured models are just as good. This model references early Jazzmasters, but with a couple of twists. The woodwork is very impressive: two piece lightweight alder, joined so nicely you can barely tell, perfectly balanced against a rock maple and Madagascar rosewood neck. The finish is a called 'Cloudy Lacquer': a semi-gloss ultra thin nitro topcoat that catches the light in this soft, gloriously smooth way. The natural finish with a tort guard reminds me of the Elvis Costello model, which are pretty hard to find these days. The neck has an 8.25" radius, and the vibrato tailpiece is moved slightly closer to the bridge to eliminate the common break-angle related bridge buzz and string slippage issues. The guitar feels awesome: very loud unplugged, light and responsive, obvious integrity.  The pickups are made by Japanese handwinding specialists K&T. These guys do proper high end stuff: this set is called the Jivemaster Custom set, and the pair sells in Japan for ¥121000, around A$1500. They're styled after the 1959 'gold guard' era JM pickups, so they get a couple of special details: formvar wire, which allows for a thick core with a thin coating, lacquer insulated pole pieces, K&T's 'Very Low Tension' wind, and their proprietary non-paraffin house blend of wax potting. They sound unreal: all of the pancake-wind sparkle, shimmer and airy midrange you could ever ask for, paired with an amazing fat, fast, rounded bass response. This guitar sounds so, so good. There's no rhythm circuit on deck, which simplifies matters somewhat, but with the tasty pots and cap under the hood, you can dial all manner of goodness in with just the volume and tone controls. I'm seriously impressed with this one. If you're after a JM that will scare Fender  Custom Shop stuff without dropping buys-a-decent-car-dollars, this is your shot.

Model: Crews Maniac Sound KTR JM
Made: Japan, 2017, Terada factory
Serial: 170252
Finish: natural, semi-gloss 'cloudy lacquer' nitro
Body: alder, 2-piece centre join
Neck: USA rock maple, Madagascar rosewood fretboard, 252.5" scale, 8.25" radius, vintage C shape
Weight: 3.765kg
Mods: none
Pickups: K&T Jivemaster Custom pancake-wind single coil x2 (more info here)
Accessories: Crews padded gig bag, trem arm

Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has dimples on the end and scuffs on the bottom edge. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor dimples and some rub wear only. The back has scuffs on the top horn and elbow area. The sides have dimples on the top horn, elbow area and near the jack as well as some scuffs on the bottom  horn. The front has dimples along the back edge and elbow area, rub wear on the top edge and some play wear on the guard and horns.
Overall: excellent condition (9/10)

Playing condition notes: Action is low, neck is straight, intonation is good, truss rod works. All electronics tested and working properly. Wearing fresh 11/49 Moonshiners strings.
Fret life: 8/10, minor wear only