What makes this guitar worth your attention?
I've always believed that a serious guitar collection should cover four basic voices: something Strat-like, something Les Paul-like, something ES-335-like and something Telecaster-like. The Choptank is Joe Knaggs' interpretation of that last category, but this particular guitar takes the idea considerably further.
I had Joe build two very unusual Choptanks for Artistic Guitars using a figured-mahogany lamination layer, and #25 is one of those two. Underneath is an alder body, but Joe added carved curly maple and the figured mahogany to create something visually—and structurally—quite different from a conventional Tele-style instrument.
The woods and appointments on this guitar are exceptional. The figured Rock maple neck and headstock are beautiful, and the dark Brazilian rosewood fingerboard is particularly nice. Joe used the upgraded gold-surround diamond inlays with the boat at the 12th fret, while the ebony pickguard with purfling and gold hardware give the guitar a very distinctive, almost formal appearance.
But this isn't simply a collector's guitar. I've played #25, and it's a killer player. The three Fralin Blues Special single coils give it the Tele-style twang I want, while the Nashville three-pickup configuration provides considerably more versatility than a traditional two-pickup Tele.
That's what I like most about this guitar. It's an unusual early Tier 1 Knaggs with Brazilian rosewood and a construction Joe used on only two Choptanks he built for Artistic Guitars, but underneath all of that it's still a very usable, great-sounding guitar.
It has the craftsmanship and woods I expect from Joe, the unmistakable character of a great Tele-style guitar, and enough individuality that you're unlikely to confuse it with anything else.
— Gary Thomas