It's safe to describe Jack White's Triplecaster as “ever-evolving”. After its highly anticipated release last year, the signature guitar has been slung by a fair few guitarists, including players as diverse as Vernon Reid, Eddie Vedder, and Otoboke Beaver's Yoyoyoshie. What’s more, a fully spec’d-out Blue Sparkle Triplecaster was also unveiled earlier this year at NAMM.
Now, the Triplecaster is evolving even further, with White himself unveiling a freshly baked semi-hollow Thinline version on social media, requested specifically by Kirk Hammett.
“Notice something different about this here Fender Triplecaster that the Detroit style guitar slinger Olivia Jean is riffing on?” writes White.
“This was dropped off to me yesterday by the Fender Custom Shop in Nashville. Why? Because Kirk Hammett (another great Filipino American guitar player like Mz. Olivia here, you may have heard of him) asked them if they could make him a Thinline version of the Triplecaster and if they could also ‘Make one for Jack too.’
“Kirk asked me if I approved and I of course fully endorse ANY mods done to any of my designs, let alone from the great Hammett,” he quips, “and this one is especially cool because a lot of folks don't know that the Triplecaster is already chambered! Which I added to the design to reduce weight from all the other metal objects happening on it.
“So all that was needed at the custom shop was to get the patterns out for the F hole and voila. Cool mod, and thank you Kirk for getting me one too, a great match with the CuNiFe wide range pickup like the old ’72 tele.”
In typical White fashion, he concludes with, “I hope this pisses off some more Tele purists! We have enough ‘regular’ boring guitars out there right folks?”
Over the years, White's Fender Low Rider Telecaster – which was later spiritually launched as the Triplecaster – has captured the imagination of many a gearhead, with mods such as its custom trio of pickups, subtly scalloped fretboard, and its B-Bender continuing to push the envelope of Tele design and engineering.
