T a u r u s S t a n d a r d T R e v i e w // T e r r y C. M c I n t u r f f G u i t a r s

TCM Taurus Standard T Review
Click the graphic to the left to get back to our home page.

Comes complete with a deluxe hardshell case and limited lifetime warranty.

Precision and Elegance to a "T"

Vintage Guitar Magazine
"Gear Reviews"
By Lisa Sharken
August 2001

Taurus Standard T

The new TCM Taurus Standard T by North Carolina luthier Terry McInturff is a fine, handcrafted solidbody electric. The guitar's attractive finish, reddish-brown rosewood fingerboard, and rainbow colors of the paua shell inlays demands an onlooker's full attention. The instrument we received was the original prototype model of this elite single-cutaway design. According to McInturff, the production models have a smaller control plate, but other than that, everything on the production model will be the same.

Details

Type of Guitar: Solidbody electric

Features: Solid Honduras mahogany body and neck, hand-carved AAAA curly maple top, graphite-reinforced neck, 22-fret Indian rosewood fingerboard, 25 1/8" scale length, custom Gotoh tremolo bridge, two TCM Zodiac humbucking pickups, five-way selector switch, two volume controls, master tone control, Sperzel tuners, graphite nut, Dunlop Strap-Locs, lifetime warranty to original owner.

Price: $3,400, including hardshell case

Construction

The body of the Standard T is made of one-piece Honduras mahogany with a book matched curly maple top carved from AAAA grade wood. The mahogany back is constructed with McInturff's exclusive "fan-shaped chambers" for finely tuned tonal response. The face of the body is trimmed similar to a PRS. The edges of the maple cap are left unstained, creating the appearance of binding. The top and headstock of our sample were finished in Deep Purple, while the back, sides and neck were finished in solid black, sealed with nitrocellulose lacquer.

The neck is 25 1/8" scale, made of one-piece pattern grade Honduras mahogany fitted with a stainless-steel truss rod and reinforced with graphite strips that extend from the ninth fret to the body joint. The neck and body joint is set, connecting at the 19th fret on the bass side. The headstock has a curly maple overlay that matches the figured wood on the body. The fingerboard is made of Indian rosewood sanded to a 12" radius and equipped with 22 medium-jumbo frets. The frets are nicely finished with a tall, rounded profile. The edges are super smooth and turned in, so you don't feel the frets at all when holding the sides of the neck. Fretboard inlays are paua shell, cleverly shaped to match the tip of the headstock. Side markers are abalone.

The truss rod cover is also made of paua shell, adding an elegant touch. The neck is outfitted with a hand-slotted graphite nut and Sperzel locking tuners.

The Standard T is equipped with a custom Gotoh tremolo bridge that provides smooth, accurate string bending and good sustain. Ton-wise, the response is closer to that of a guitar with a stop tailpiece. Dunlop Strap-Locs are stock, and also accommodate a standard non-locking strap.

Electronics

The guitar is loaded with a pair of TCM Zodiac humbucking pickups and a five-way selector. The switch is wired for (starting far left) neck in-series, neck outside coil, neck and bridge in-parallel, inside coils of both pickup in-parallel, bridge in-series. Each pickup has its own volume control, while a master tone knob governs both. The controls are easily accessible and positioned so that the player shouldn't accidentally hit any of the knobs or the pickup switch while strumming. The volume controls function independently, so you can set different levels for each of the pickups. The tone control is a master. An additional feature to point out is the shielded control cavity and neat wiring inside, which help to eliminate any noise. Furthermore, according to McInturff the bridge is carefully shock-protected by a special circuit that limits the amount of current sent to the strings, in the event of hazardous ground fault conditions. We decided to take his word and did not attempt to do further testing in that area. We'll leave that type of testing for a stunt on MTV's "Jackass."

Sound

Before cranking up an amp, we listened to the guitar itself. Our acoustic testing revealed the guitar's inherent tonal qualities before it was paired up with an amp. Acoustically, the guitar produces a rich tone with solid sustain, which is usually a sure sign of good wood, good hardware, and top notch construction. And often, it indicates the amplified sound will be equally gratifying.

For the electric test, we plugged into our faithful and familiar 100-watt Marshall plexi stack. The guitar's five-way switch enabled a practical variety of sounds, from the thicker humbucking tones of the pickups wired in series to the snappier split-coil pickup tones. Of course, the split sounds aren't going to have the same characteristics of a Strat or Tele, but they are valid tones that add to the guitar's color palate. The blade-style switch allows quick and quiet action when changing from one sound to another. So you can easily flip from a mild split neck pickup sound for playing a verse to a heavy full-on bridge humbucker for a ripping lead tone. The separate volume controls also help bring in more flavors. This is a great setup for a player who likes a wide selection of sounds.

Generally speaking, the guitar's overall tone was deep and vigorous on the low-end, the mids were rich and punchy, and the high-end cut through smoothly without being harsh. Even when playing full chords, all the strings are audible with great clarity and impressive definition of the individual notes. We added a Tube Screamer to the mix to investigate how the tone might change, and found the guitar's tonal qualities remained intact. The extra overdrive accentuated the high-end a bit, while the mids and lows remained as powerful and defined as with cleaner settings.

The Low Down

Obviously, the TCM Taurus Standard T is a nod to the classic Les Paul design. But rather than to simply echo the original motif or attempt to make a few improvements, McInturff has created a distinctive instrument with a similar, but different, structure. The Standard T offers useful features, such as the five-way pickup selector switch, functional tremolo, and Sperzel tuners. Finally, McInturff carefully fine-tuned the instrument's tone to bring out the best tonal qualities of the woods used.

The guitar is well balanced, but our sample was a bit heavy. Obviously, every guitar's weight will vary based on the weight of the wood, but having played other McInturff guitars of similar construction, we're confident the "poundage" isn't the norm. And because this is the prototype, we couldn't compare it to other examples.

The neck on our sample guitar has the largest profile McInturff offers, and it is a hefty one, which provides the right compliment to this particular guitar. Other neck shapes are available, so the player can select the one best suited to their style and personal preference. This one has a chunky "U" shape that fits comfortably in the hand and has a solid overall feel. You can really feel the notes resonate through the neck, as well as the body, when you play. Even the high E string makes a very strong vibration, typical of a rugged neck and well-sustaining instrument. Good stuff!

When shelling out serious cash for an instrument, a buyer expects beauty to run deeper than appearance. A high-end instrument should sound as good as it looks, and play like a dream. Some look great, but the sound may not always fulfill expectations. McInturff hits the mark on all points with the TCM Taurus Standard T. If you're a player mesmerized by the physical and tonal beauty of a top-of-the-line instrument with figured woods and meticulous craftsmanship, you'll want to explore the McInturff line.