First Act SFA Edition Lola Cherry 2006
First Act SFA Lola, gloss cherry, made in USA 2006. First Act did well in USA for quite a while, although they never made a whole lot of headway in Australia. They were lighting up the mid-00s guitar universe, collecting endorsements from artists like Mastodon, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Bring Me The Horizon, Franz Ferdinand and even Aerosmith. They had some instrument lines that were aimed at beginners and sold at the likes of Target and Walmart, but they also had a high end custom-shop style workshop in Boston USA, which was run by some staff that apparently used to work at Gibson Custom. The downtown-Boston operation was a proper retail storefront, with a luthier workshop making and repairing guitars, as well regular live shows on site. This guitar was made there, as part of the Studio For Artists (SFA) Edition line. It's not a one-off custom guitar, but these were made in pretty limited numbers by hand, and feature some pretty saucy specs: high grade mahogany and rosewood, custom wound Kent Armstrong pickups and high end hardware, and a nitro finish. The Lola body shape looks a bit like a Gibson L6-S mixed with an SG, with the comfy beveled edges and half pickguard. It's got a comfy 25" scale set neck, carved to a slim C that feels similar to stuff by PRS. The pickups are outstanding: amazing clarity and balance across the strings, super fast piano-like bass, airy midrange with complexity aplenty and an expansive bell-like top end. The tone-knob has a push/pull control to split the coils for a bit of extra slice and shimmer. This is a pretty unusual find in these parts, so if you're after something pretty special for a great dime, it's a remarkable score.
Model: First Act SFA Edition Lola
Made: 2006, Boston USA 'Studio For Artists'
Serial: F-0604089
Finish: cherry; gloss nitro
Body: high grade mahogany, 2-piece pancake style
Neck: high grade mahogany, rosewood fretboard, 12" radius, 25" scale, 43mm nut, slim C
Weight: 4.250kg
Mods: none
Pickups: 2 x Kent Armstrong Lola humbuckers
Accessories: basic gig bag
Cosmetic condition notes: minor finish wear. The headstock has minor scuffs on the edges and front around the tuners. The neck is clean and smooth in the hands, minor rub wear on the back only. The back has scuffs near the neck join and along the back edge and some dimples in the elbow area and around the control cavity. The sides have minor dimples on the top horn, elbow area and near the rear strap pin. The front has minor scuffs around the knobs, pickups and top horn and some play wear on and around the guard.
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 10/52 Moonshiners strings.
Fret Life: 8/10, minor wear only