ROYALE PRESENT

ANDY POWELL & WISHBONE ASH SECTION

SWORDSTRESS PAGE

Swordstress©
MODELS

Details of the different models can be found if you scroll to the bottom of the page:

This is the Swordstress Prototype

SPECIFICATIONS
The Swordstress prototype has a 25 1/2" scale length with 24 frets, the top nut is 1 5/8".
For hardware there is a satin chrome finished Wilkinson VS100 trem unit with Graphtech piezo saddles feeding a Graphtech preamp, satin chrome Sperzel locking machines in a 4+2 configuration, Royale Pickups as standard -  a CP-86 Eagle Humbucker at the bridge and a pair of VP-54 Kite Single coils, using a 5-way through body selector switch.
(This guitar above is however fitted with Seymour Duncans)
There is a volume control for the 'magnetic' pickups and a volume control for the piezo pickup.
(There is no tone control, but one could be fitted if required.)
There is a stereo output jack to feed two separate amplifiers - for the magnetics and the piezo - there is no summed mono output. When plugging in a mono lead the magnetics work in the normal fashion.
A PP3 battery is required to power the preamp.
The construction is traditional with a glued in neck and 'laid back' headstock.
The body for the Prototype is lightweight Obishi, the neck is Maple with an Ebony fingerboard and the head-face is black reinforced fibre to give extra strength.
The colour of this particular guitar is "Champagne Metallic" with the back-plates coloured to match.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.

Click for the Swordstress Range of Models
or
Scroll down for more pix of the Swordstress Prototype
 

Note the rear of the headstock is black and the back-plates are coloured to match the body.

Headstock detail: Inlayed brass Royale Crown logo. (The Dove inlay in MOP is optional)

Headstock rear detail: Showing Volute, black back and Sperzel machines.

This picture shows the headstock angle.

Detail of the bridge, pickups, volume control access, scratchplate detail and the 'full access' of the neck.

Sleek and sexy body contours with the smooth heel construction and flush fitted backplates.
The 9V battery is accessed through the  lower backplate.
 

The Swordstress Range

There are several Swordstress models being built using the same styling and constructional techniques as the prototype but with different features, hardware and woods.
Outlined below are the basic models, but most options of wood, hardware and colour are possible on request:

The Swordstress Junior:
... having a 24 3/4" scale length with 22 frets and 1 11/16" top nut, a vintage style 'wrap-over' type bridge and a single Royale VP-52 Falcon ("P90" style) or Royale VP-52 Fire Falcon (Hot "P90" style) pickup with volume and tone controls, 'vintage' Grover machines in 4+2 configuration.
The body and neck are Mahogany with a Rosewood fingerboard and Ebony head-face.
Hardware:
Chrome or 'vintage' Nickel.
Colour options:
Cherry or Blue  translucent stains, "TV" or natural finish. Other colours on request.
Scratchplate options:
Black, White or Cream including single or 3 ply types. Scratchplate style as the prototype above.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.
 

The Swordstress Special:
... having a 24 3/4" scale length with 22 frets and 1 11/16" top nut, a vintage style 'wrap-over' type bridge (or Trem to Custom Order), standard Grover machines in 4+2 configuration in Chrome or 'vintage' Nickel.
The body and neck are Mahogany with a Rosewood fingerboard and Ebony head-face.
Colour options:
Cherry or Blue  translucent stains, "TV" or natural finish. Other colours on request.
Scratchplate options:
Black, White or Cream including single or 3 ply types.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.
There are Two Versions either :
Special II in "P90"/"P90" style or Special III in "P90"/S/S style.

Special II
 A pair of Royale VP-52 Falcon ("P90" style) or VP-52 Fire Falcon (Hot "P90" style) pickups
with 3 way toggle feeding volume and tone controls with a small scratchplate.

Special III
Royale VP-52 Falcon and a pair of Royale VP-54 Kites ("S-Type" single coils)
or
Royale VP-52 Fire Falcon and a pair of Royale VP-54 Red Kites (Hot "S-Type" single coils) with a 5-way through body selector feeding volume and tone controls with a large scratchplate.
CLICK FOR MORE INFO
 

The Swordstress Deluxe:
... having a 24 3/4" scale length with 24 frets and a 1 11/16" top nut, a 'Tun*matic' type bridge with through-body stringing (or Trem to Custom Order), two Royale VP-57 Merlin moderate output 'vintage' type humbuckers with an LR Baggs Piezo pickup option available on request. Two volume and two tone controls with a 3-way toggle or mini toggle option. Small Scratchplate.
Hardware:
'Vintage' Nickel or Gold. Grover machines.
The body and neck are Korina (or Mahogany) with a 'bound' Ebony fingerboard and Ebony head-face.
Colour options:
Cherry or Blue  translucent stains, "TV" or natural finish. Other colours on request.
Scratchplate options:
Black, White or Cream including single or 3 ply types.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.
 

The Swordstress Standard:
... is essentially a modified version of the prototype having a 24 3/4" or 25 1/2" scale length, 22 or 24 frets with 1 11/16" or 1 5/8" top nut, Mahogany, Swamp Ash, Alder or Basswood body (depending on customer requirements), Maple or Mahogany neck with a 'bound' Rosewood or Ebony fingerboard and 'bound' Ebony head-face.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.
There are Two Versions either :
Standard II in H/H or Standard III in H/S/S configurations.

Standard II
A pair of Royale CP-86 Eagle or CP-86 Eagle Imperial Humbuckers
Hardware:
Standard Tun*matic Bridge and Tailpiece with Grover machines in Nickel or Chrome
or
Wilkinson trem and Sperzel machines in Satin Chrome (as above) or Satin Gold
(The Piezo system is optional on the above versions)
or
Kahler trem and string lock nut and Grover machines in Black, Gold or Chrome.
No Scratchplate.
Colour options:
Cherry or Blue  translucent stains. Other colours on request including most solids and metallics.

Standard III
Royale CP-86 Eagle "classic" humbucker (bridge) & a pair of VP-54 Kite single coils
or
Royale CP-86 Eagle Imperial "classic" humbucker (bridge) & a pair of VP-54 Red Kites.
Hardware:
Standard Tun*matic Bridge and Tailpiece with Grover machines in Nickel or Chrome
or
Wilkinson trem and Sperzel machines in Satin Chrome (as above) or Satin Gold
(The Piezo system is optional on the above versions)
or
Kahler trem and string lock nut and Grover machines in Black, Gold or Chrome.
Scratchplate style as the prototype above.
Colour options:
Cherry or Blue  translucent stains. Other colours on request including most solids and metallics.
Scratchplate options:
Black, White or Cream including single or 3 ply types.
 

The Swordstress XS:
... in XS-1, XS-2 and XS-3 formats having a 24 3/4" or 25 1/2" scale length, 24 frets,
1 11/16" top nut, Kahler trem unit with locking top nut, one, two or 3 Royale  pickups:

XS-1 with a Royale MP-98 Vulturine pickup (or EMG 81/85 active pickup if preferred)
XS-2 with a pair of Royale MP-98 Vulturine pickups (or EMG 81/85/60s by request)
XS-3 with sets of :Royale MP-98 Vulturines and VP-54 Red Kites in a choice of
HHH, HSH or HSS formats.
(In the HHH format the middle pickup is a VP-57 Merlin which compliments the MP-98 Vulturines
and can be brought in or out on an individual volume control.)

Grover or Schaller machines in 4+2 configuration, 3/5-way through body selector switch when appropriate with volume control and tone if required .
Hardware:
Chrome (Black or Gold is optional)
The body/neck construction is Mahogany/Mahogany or Basswood/Maple (depending on customer specifications) with a 'bound' Ebony or Rosewood fingerboard and 'bound' Ebony head-face.
Colour options:
Most colours on request including solids and metallics.
Special 'Camo' Colour options: Air, Sea, Desert & Jungle + Custom variations.
No Scratchplate.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.

The Swordstress Twelve:
... has a 25 1/2" scale length with 24 frets. There is an Allparts flat mounted 12 string bridge with individual intonation adjustment and a set of Grover 'vintage' machine heads.
There are two Royale humbuckers, two volume and two tone controls with a
3 way toggle (or mini toggle) switch.
Hardware:
Chrome.
The body is Mahogany, Basswood, Swamp Ash or Alder (depending on customer requirements), the neck is Maple with an Ebony fingerboard and the head-face is Ebony.
Colour options:
Colours on request including Cherry and Blue stains and most solids or metallics.
The scratchplate is the same style as the Swordstress Deluxe.
(We are currently working on a piezo system to work with this guitar bringing over the full dynamic range available from the 12 strings) and feature a suitable matching set of standard mag pups.
Supplied with Schaller straplocks, strap and Hiscox Liteflite case.

The Swordstress Deville and Swordstress Classic :
These have two versions of three single coil pickups.

The Swordstress Heritage and Swordstress Vintage:
The Swordstress Heritage and Swordstress Vintage models are also in the pipeline...
these are carved top variants.
The tops are carved by hand... not by copy router or CNC machines.

 "Custom" versions of the Swordstress to specific customer specifications including colour, hardware, pickups, inlays, top nut width (1 9/16", 1 5/8", 1 11/16" and 1 3/4"... or wider), fingerboard profile and neck taper, profile (including offset) & depth are available by request..... along with most models of "Custom" guitar.
Where applicable our hardware choices are:
Machines... Grovers/Schallers
Trems... Kahlers
Pickups... Royales
Strings... D'Addarios

SWORDSTRESS CUSTOM

Please use the "Contact Us" email link at the top of the page for any further information you require on any of these models.
Please note that other hardware options not mentioned above are available on request.

All the photographs of the Swordstress above are by Andy Preece.