We’ve previously hailed Polish virtuoso Jakub Żytecki as the future of guitar playing for his shred-meets-ambient sound. Now, the guitarist has brought his progressive mindset to his first-ever signature guitar from Polish guitar company Mayones.
Hailed by the firm as “truly a signature guitar created from the ground up”, the Jassper Nidra may be inspired by classic Jazzmaster and Jaguar outlines, but it brings plenty of Żytecki’s own ideas to the table.
For one, there’s that PRS-esque cutaway on the body’s lower horn and some generous rear contouring to allow maximum upper-fret access, while the woods themselves utilize Mayones’ Tonally Enhanced Wood roasting process to promote resonance and stability: swamp ash for the body, hard-rock maple for the D-shaped neck and birdseye maple on the fretboard.
That fretboard is kitted out with 24 extra-jumbo stainless steel frets on a 12”-radius, with a Graph Tech TUSQ nut and the now-obligatory Luminlay side dots. Curiously, the scale length is 25.4”/645mm, 3mm shorter than your standard Fender.
In a Mayones first, the guitar boasts the company’s first-ever signature pickups: the Velvetrone Ironside + Exile, in an HS configuration – a major perk for anyone who’s struggled to balance woolier neck and brighter bridge humbuckers.
This is where things get interesting. A tiny slider switch activates Mayones’ Silk-R Intensity preamp. If you’re familiar with Żytecki’s cleaner-than-clean, almost koto-esque tapping techniques, this is the sound. You can hear it in his demo of the Aquila 6 below – it’s a bit like the sparkly nylon-string sim on Tim Henson’s signature Fishman Fluence humbuckers.
Other electronics include a Volume (with push/pull coil-split for the bridge humbucker), passive Tone, Silk-R intensity and a three-way pickup selector.
In a neat touch, the onboard preamp is chargeable via a small USB port on the base of the guitar.
Hardware is up to boutique industry standards, with a Gotoh 510 tremolo and locking tuners, Schaller security straps and Switchcraft jacks, and the whole thing comes in a Mayones hybrid case.
There are currently no finish options available other than Monolith Retro White. But when that looks this good – paired with a tortoiseshell pickguard and block inlays – we’re not complaining.
“The Jassper Nidra model is an instrument that strives for a dialogue between old and new,” says Żytecki. “The shape, the sound and the aesthetics evoke the approach of the past that perfectly merge with the ergonomics of a modern instrument. I can’t wait for you all to try it out.”
“I am thrilled to introduce our new model, co-created with our friend and longtime artist Jakub Żytecki,” Dawid Dziewulski, Mayones Co-owner/CEO adds. “This creation blends timeless, classic design with modern innovations found in our Aquila and Duvell models. I truly hope you enjoy what we have crafted together.”
We’ve been nagging, ahem, certain guitar companies for years to build classic-looking offset guitars with contemporary playability and tones, and we’re starting to see a real groundswell of electrics that fit this very bill.
Besides the likes of Balaguer and PJD Guitars – not to mention the odd Fender Japan offering – you’ve even got Mike Stringer and Lee Malia playing offset Jackson custom models.
But Mayones has struck upon a unique combination here: a classic look, with some stealthy modern features for players looking to harness unique cleans as well as heavier sounds. That said, we do hope Zytecki’s mooted eight-string version sees a release down the line…
Prices for the six-string Jassper Nidra vary, but we’re starting to see these surface at Chicago Music Exchange for $3,382 in the US, and £3,199 at Peach Guitars in the UK.
For more info, head to Mayones.com.
