When you are getting older, your expectations to a guitar is getting higher. And you are on the run for the perfect guitar, which is build for you. On the other side I really like old school looking guitars. So I would like to take you on my journey to the Siggi Braun Relic S-Type guitar.
The story starts at the Guitar summit 2022
The Guitar Summit in Mannheim is one of the best events which could be attened by a guitar player. So of course I went there for three days after the Covid years in 2022 and run directly into the booth of Siggi Braun Custom Shop guitars, which got my attention earlier. Besides some really great more Heavy Metal style looking guitars, the two relic models – the S- and T-Type, were fascinating me totally. Just by feeling the neck of the fair models I was blown away. I had to buy one of these machines.
Who is Siggi Braun?
Siggi Braun is a guitar luthier based in Göppingen in the south of Germany. Since nearly 30 years he’s building custom shop guitars. Since some years he offers a kind of vintage series guitar range, based on the T-Style and S-Style of the big F company.
Meeting Siggi
Siggi speaks the same language like I do. Not german, but swabian – a dialect from the south of Germany. We were immediatley on the same level and I described my wishes and feelings for a potential new guitar in my collection.
Ordering my Siggi Braun Relic S-Type
After the first general guitar talk it took only some minutes. Siggi had prepared a questionaire.
What kind of music do you play? Ah, classic rock and blues. I will pick the right combinations out of the Harry Häussel collection. I have already some ideas.
Siggi Braun during the ordering process
This was one of the first questions, I was asked for. For me this is the perfect question. Siggi takes a deep dive into the needs of the customer. I liked that from the very beginning.
I had quite clear ideas about my future guitar. So I told him, that I would like a maple neck and fretboard, three single coil pickups and a soft relic finish. And I got more detailed questions from him about my wishes regarding colour(s) starting from the general colour, up to colour choices of the pickguard, knobs and so on.
He offered me also the possibility to select other high end pickups, e.g. Kloppmann pickups. Therefore you are able to choose from the best pickups of all.
After our deep talk, I signed the order. Siggi told me that it would take take at least four to sixth month, before I could hold the guitar in my hands.
The waiting and the relief
In February 2023 I contacted Siggi for the first time to check the status of the guitar. He told me, that my guitar would probably be ready at the end of March. It took a little longer. End of April he got the confirmation that the guitar is on its way. After a shipping nightmare, because the delivery provider took more than a week, I could finally open the box.
What’s in the box?
When you open the well packed box a very nice tweed case will come up with golden closures. You are opening the box and the smell of a new guitar is unbelievable. My Siggi Braun Relic S-Type guitar was lying in dark red plush. I took a step back and when I grabbed the guitar I was totally in shock. The tuning was still perfect.
Besides the guitar you will get a Certificate, as well as keys for the case, some Allen keys and of course the whammy bar from Wilkenson.
How does it feel ?
The guitar is perfectly balanced. The neck feels smooth and fits totally in my hands. This is by far the best neck, which I have ever played. Neither too fat, nor too thin. The switches and knobs are build best in class. The volume control responds to every nuance. The sound is in the hands of the guitar player.
The Kluson vintage tuners keep the guitar in perfect tune. And the Wilkenson tremolo provides a wide variety of extra sounds. It is not made for heavy dive bombs. But just keep in my mind, what kind of guitar you are playing. The Siggi Braun Relic S-Type is made for classic rock and blues music.
She’s got the look
No this is not a tribute to the late Roxette singer Marie Fredriksson (R.I.P), but I think she would have loved this guitar as well. The finish is unbelievable. Classic Dakota Red Body with perfect relic style. Not too much for me, just right. The neck and the fretboard are also perfectly reliced. I love it!
The sound
This guitar provides the sound you are expecting from 3 single coil pickup. Perfect vintage Stratsound. The Harry Häussel pickups more than pay for themselves. Siggi promised me to make a selection based on my musical direction and wishes. I was not getting disappointed. On the contrary. My expectations have been far exceeded.
Crisp clean sounds can be teased out via the bridge pickup. The neck pickup delivers perfect blues and solo sounds.
Specifications of the Siggi Braun Relic S-Type
- Body: Red Alder, selected body in Dakota Red (soft relic)
- Hardware: Kluson Vintage Tuner, Wilkinson Tremolo (Steelblock)
- Neck: Hard maple neck, vintage tinted
- Fretboard: Maple Fretboard, 22 Jumbo Frets, Radius 10″
- Scale: 647 mm
- Nut: Bone
- Pickups: Häussel: SC Blues AL5 (Bridge), SC Classic AL5 (Middle), SC Blues AL2 (Neck)
- Colour: Dakota Red, Nitro Finish, Soft relic
- Electronics: 5-way switch, Volume with treble bleed, 2 x Tone
Summary
Plus
- Sound
- Building quality
- The neck, the look, everything – perfect
- Made in Baden-Württemberg! “Mir könnet alles, außer Hochdeutsch”
Minus
- It’s a long way to the top, if you wanna rock’n’roll
- You have to wait until its finished, but it is worth every day
- It could be possible, that you will order a second or a third one
