Peach Guitars | Spotlight | Xotic California Classic

Southern California is a hotbed for boutique guitar talent, the epi-centre for the latest and greatest to beaver away in their labs working on creating their own little slice of guitar history. 

Fender, Suhr, Tom Anderson and Schecter are some pretty illustrious names in our industry and you’re going to have to have something pretty special about you to operate and compete in the same area as these giants, right?

You bet, and Xotic certainly has that something special!

Back in '96, from a small garage in the San Fernando Valley of Southern Cali, Xotic was born. Initially they specialised in the production of high quality bass guitars and preamps. This one man operation, although small in size, was big in ideas. After launching the Tri-Logic Bass Preamp, Xotic's reputation for innovation and quality craftsmanship was catching the attention of gigging players and industry figures. 

They didn’t stop there though, and it’s here that we really want to focus on. We all know about the wicked selection of pedals they make, the EP Booster, SL Drive, RC Booster and Super Sweet to name just a few, but their guitars, well, that’s a whole different experience, and one I really want to share with you!

If you’ve followed Peach Guitars for any amount of time, you’ve probably heard us raving about the Xotic California Classic range, you’ll have seen our posts or watched a video and probably wondered what all the fuss is about. To keep it simple, these are some of the very finest vintage inspired guitars around, an absolute tone seekers dream.

We all know and love the classic S and T shapes, they are iconic and form the bedrock for pretty much everything that has come since. And while there are many companies that do stellar jobs of either keeping true to the vintage ideals, or pushing these designs into the future, it takes a special type of innovator to honour the legacy of these models, keeping them visually and tonally “vintage” while absolutely levelling up on everything. Materials, construction techniques, hardware, electronics, you name it, Xotic have found a way to craft a modern guitar that is for all intents a true vintage evolution.

We were fortunate enough to experience the magic of the Xotic factory recently, and you can check out some of our pictures and video clips below. We got a real flavour for the passion and dedication of the Xotic team and just how proud they are of what they are able to bring to market.

So to the California Classic Series and why we think you’re going to love it!

To really push this angle I want to focus specifically on 2 guitars that we currently have in stock, the XSC-2 in 3TSB and the XTC-1 in Butterscotch, you can find both of these guitars in the product bar at the side of this blog. 

This Xotic XSC-2 is one of the best examples we’ve had. Let’s start with the body, hand selected and acoustically resonant Alder, finished in a Super Heavy Aged 3-Tone Sunburst, it’s so loud, rich and perfectly balanced. Finished in nitro, it’s vintage to a fault and doesn’t stifle the natural tone like some heavy handed finishes can. 

The neck is where the real magic happens though. Let me hit you with the phrase “Master Grade”, the absolute pinnacle of timber grading, well that’s what this XSC-2 offers. Master Grade Flame Maple. The Rolls Royce of necks, this guitar features a Rosewood board, stainless steel frets and a 12” radius, it’s a stunning example.

Under the bonnet you’ll find a duo of Xotic RV-60 single coil pickups that deliver real vintage spank and super clarity. At the bridge you get the fantastic RV-PAF humbucker, with Alnico magnets, each pickup is hand wound on site in LA. They have a super wide tonal range with a really punchy low end. Check out Jack’s video below, you can hear the immense quality of each component working collectively to bring total tonal bliss to anybody listening!

The XTC-1 is an equally fitting tribute to another icon of electric guitar, the Telecaster. Infused with the same Xotic craftsmanship and construction quality, the XTC-1 also boasts an enviable selection of super resonant and highly graded timbers. Where the XTC-1 really delivers though is through the pickup selection.

I don’t know about you, but I find, despite the relative simplicity of the Telecaster, nobody can really capture the tonal magic of the real deal. Well, until you experience Xotic and their proprietary Raw Vintage pickups. They really capture the feel and vibe of that golden era of Tele tone, the ‘50s. Clinical and precise but with that delightful airyness that makes a Tele, the Raw Vintage TE Single coils are some of the best T-Style pickups around. A popular after-market mod, you can buy Raw Vintage pickups in sets direct from us here at Peach Guitars.

Be sure to head to the Xotic brand page of our website to explore all of our in stock Xotic guitars and pedals. There’s hi-res studio photography and listing videos for each guitar to give you the most comprehensive overview of each instrument. 

As always, you can buy with confidence from Peach Guitars. From meticulously inspecting each piece of equipment, professionally setting up each guitar, tracking every package, and delivering the best after-sales customer service, our team will do our best to make you feel welcome and offer genuine, professional advice.