Yamaha Introduces The Wes Borland Signature Guitar

(Click for a close-up)	(Click for a close-up)

Yamaha Guitars adds a new signature model to its roster with the introduction of the Wes Borland signature electric guitar at Winter NAMM 2007. Designed at the Yamaha Artist Services Hollywood Guitar Custom Shop (formerly Yamaha Guitar Development), the CV820 WB delivers an amazing package of innovative features in a unique and contemporary body design.

Borland worked hand-in-hand with Yamaha's master guitar builder John Gaudesi on all specifications for the new model and was intensely involved in every aspect of the design process from conception to completion.

"Wes really wanted to make his dream guitar a reality, so he brought us a design and remained closely involved throughout every step of the process until he was completely satisfied and proud of his creation," said Gaudesi, senior design engineer, Yamaha Artist Services Hollywood Guitar Custom Shop.

Borland and Gaudesi have created a guitar that features a number of notable design elements. For one thing, the new model features a unique body shape that Borland carried around in his head for years.

The body construction, which Yamaha calls Takumi-Kezuri, is also unique. Takumi-Kezuri construction, which literally translates to "skillful carving," consists of carving the back, sides, and center block out of one block of wood, Alder in this case. A carved, two-piece top (Maple in this instance) finishes the guitar, making it a true semi-hollow body constructed of a single block of wood and a carved top. The work is carried out by skilled masters from the Yamaha Music Craft workshop in Hamamatsu.

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"The CV820 WB represents not just the addition of another incredible rock icon to our roster, but more importantly, it's another huge advancement in guitar design," said Bryan Savage, marketing manager, Yamaha Guitars, Pro Audio & Combo Division. "The construction technique will change the way builders approach semi-hollow design."

The guitar also includes Yamaha's patented Finger Clamp quick change tremolo system, which offers an ingenious way to change strings on a floating tremolo by incorporating a double-locking system that eliminates the need for tools. The guitar's pickups represent another original element. Two split-field humbucker pickups, designed by the Yamaha Artist Services Hollywood custom shop to conform to Borland's specifications, represent another original element to the CV820 WB. Yamaha has built custom pickups for individual artists for many years, but this is the first time the company is installing them on a production model.

The neck consists of three-piece, quarter-sawn maple with a 25.5" scale, 24-fret bound rosewood fingerboard. It comes standard with jumbo frets and a bound and inlayed 12-degree angled headstock. Other classic styling and features include bound F-holes and a fully bound and contoured body. The Wes Borland signature guitar furthers Yamaha's tradition of construction innovation, which includes the A.I.R. guitar body construction (Alternative Internal Resonance), featured on the futuristic RGX A2, and the A.R.T. pickup system (Acoustic Resonance Transducer) on the new APX and Compass acoustic electric line.

Former guitarist for the groundbreaking band Limp Bizkit, Borland has remained busy with a variety of projects. In addition to fronting the band Black Light Burns, for example, he also played bass on tour with rockers From First to Last. The CV820 WB (MSRP: $2,499.99) is scheduled to ship in March 2007.

For more information, visit their web site at www.yamaha.com.