James Tyler Guitars | Dan Huff Original Classic - 3 Tone Sunburst

James Tyler is a name synonymous with innovation and craftsmanship in the world of electric guitars. Having started out in the early 1970s performing custom electric guitar work and repairs, Tyler quickly built a reputation for exceptional quality and precision. His work became highly sought after, especially by top session musicians and artists in the Los Angeles studio scene during the 1980s and 1990s. His dedication to listening to customers and pushing the boundaries of what electric guitars could do established him as a trusted name amongst discerning players. Decades of hands-on experience with thousands of guitars gave Tyler a unique understanding of how guitars work and what players truly want.

In 1982, Dann Huff met James Tyler and, impressed by the Tyler sound, brought his December 1964 Strat to Jim for modifications. Despite it being an invaluable vintage guitar, Dann insisted on having it "Tylerized." Jim replaced the frets, flattened the radius for a Floyd Rose, installed a Floyd, swapped the pickguard for a single-layer black one, added neck/middle stacks, an original JB 50mm, a Demeter preamp and midboost, and three series/parallel switches with a volume boost knob and tone control. A preamp bypass was placed under the boost knob, and a neck-on switch was added under the tone. Dann rarely turned off the preamp, and the guitar remained untouched until 1994, when David Graef replaced the Floyd with a Wilkinson VS100 and locking tuners.

This recreation of that guitar is a passion project from the folks at James Tyler Guitars. An Original Classic with all the modifications to make it just like Dann Huff's.

Body: The Original Classic is crafted from solid alder, a tonewood known for its balanced tonal response and light weight. This gives the guitar a lively resonance and a clear, punchy sound.

Neck and Fretboard: The neck is made from quartersawn maple, paired with an Indian rosewood fretboard. This combination provides exceptional stability, smooth playability, and a warm, rich tonal character. The fingerboard also features a 10"-12" compound radius as approved by Dann. Likewise, the DHOC has a Thin 59 neck shape that Dann finds is the best. Measuring .825" at the first fret and .950 at the 12th, and with a 1 5/8" nut width, it is supremely comfortable.

Pickups: The pickups on this guitar are actually Seymour Duncans like those in Dann's original. The Hot Stacks in neck and middle positions offer a powerful ceramic bar magnet with stacked coils, delivering more midrange and a stronger attack than standard single-coil pickups. Its overwound design, with a blade instead of rod magnets, ensures even string balance, no drop-outs during bends, and a beefed-up tone without the usual single-coil hum. The JB(50mm) is one of the most popular pickups on the market with its versatile tones thanks to the full low end, crisp highs, and upper-midrange bump.

Electronics: The control system features a 5-way blade switch, master volume, midboost preamp, and 250K master tone controls. The active midboost preamp is a high gain/low impedance circuit that gives you lower lows and higher highs with a 2dB volume increase - on top of this, you can utilise the midboost control to increase the mids and output further. This preamp can be bypassed easily in the 'up' position of the push-push volume pot for passive tones or added in to give some extra "oomf" at the perfect moments. Press the push-push tone pot to add both the neck and bridge pickups to your sound, no matter what position your pickup selector is in, for an ultimately versatile switching setup. On top of all this is a series/parallel switch corresponding to each of the pickups for an even more versatile array of tones.

Bridge and Hardware: The Original Classic is equipped with a Floyd Rose bridge for ultimate tuning stability and anything from expressive vibrato to extreme bends. Kluson tuners add to the guitar's reliability, ensuring that it stays in tune even during heavy playing sessions.

Case: The guitar comes with a Tyler Signature Hardshell Case, providing premium protection and durability.

This beloved recreation truly strikes the balance between faithful recreation whilst still keeping it a Tyler Guitar above all else. Now fans can experience the guitar that took Dann Huff through his recording career!