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DockStar Koa
$829.00
The PHRED instruments DockStar Koa gets its inspiration from Trey Anastasio’s Languedoc guitar. The fully hollow body features a dual humbucker setup, with discrete split coil switches and a 3-way pickup toggle for 8 different tone combinations! Our DockStar Koa is professionally setup with low action and D’Addario 10-46 strings, and the frets are leveled and milled here at our shop in California for a nice smooth and clean feel all around.
Order fulfillment is currently estimated at 12 months because we are working on fulfilling a backlog of pre-orders.
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Body
The fully hollow body with koa veneers on the front and back features a dual humbucker setup, with discrete split coil switches and a 3-way pickup toggle for 8 different tone combinations! There is one master volume and one master tone knob for dialing in your tone. The guitar strings pass over a floating bridge that is not anchored to the guitar body. Similar to a violin, banjo or mandolin bridge, the bridge simply rests on top of the body and is held in place by string tension. The ebony tailpiece is attached to the end of the guitar, holding the strings in place. There is one 1/4″ standard guitar output jack on the side of the guitar body. We offer an optional custom hard shell case to go with the DockStar Koa guitar.
Neck
The maple core neck is attached to the body using very strong wood glue. The back of the neck contour is a C-shape that feels somewhere in between a strat and an LP neck, not too thin, and not too chunky either. The 2-octave ebony fingerboard has 24 medium jumbo frets which are leveled and milled here at our shop in California for a nice smooth feel along the edge of the fretboard and all around. The fretboard features a 15 inch radius which is perfect for soloing and playing chords up and down the fretboard. Topping off the fretboard are custom pearloid inlays designed by PHRED instruments. At the top of the neck, you’ll find a bone nut for good sustain, and white binding all around the fingerboard for a clean look and feel. The tilt-back 6-inline headstock shape is a PHRED instruments trademark design. Under the fretboard is the adjustable double-expanding truss rod, keeping the neck stable in any climate.
4 reviews for DockStar Koa
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13-point Setup
Our 13-point setup and inspection ensures that every PHRED Instruments guitar we ship is professionally setup and ready to play when it’s delivered to you. Setup will include string-height adjustment, intonation, electronics inspection, and the frets are leveled, crowned, and polished, as outlined below.
Fretwork and Fingerboard
1. Debur Fret Edges
This process involves filing the edges of each fret such that the edge of the fretboard feels smooth as you play up and down the neck.
2. Level Frets
Leveling all the frets ensures that you can play at low string action and with clear and articulated notes on each fret.
3. Crown Frets
After leveling the frets, they are crowned. Crowning frets is a process by which the frets are rounded slightly at the top. This makes the frets feel nice and smooth all around, ensures smooth bends, and also makes it easy to slide up and down the fretboard.
4. Polish Frets
After crowning the frets, polishing makes them shine brightly. Polishing them also makes them even more smooth to the touch.
5. Condition the fingerboard
The fretboard wood is cleaned and conditioned using fretboard oil.
Setup
6. Adjust Truss Rod
The truss rod should be adjusted such that the neck is slightly concave.
7. Adjust Nut
The nut height is adjusted to the fingerboard, and the string slots are filed to a perfect height and width for the strings we install
8. Adjust the Bridge Height
As a part of setting the string action, the bridge height is adjusted to our standard measurement of 1.75mm above the 12th fret on the low E string, and 1.5mm above the 12th fret on the high E string. We leave a little bit of room if you want to adjust the bridge a bit lower than that.
9. Adjust the Bridge Saddles
Intonation is set by adjusting the bridge saddles. We tune up and stretch a fresh set of strings, and then adjust the bridge saddle position until the harmonic at the 12th fret compared to the note at the 12th fret.
Pickups
10. Adjust pickup height
The height of the pickup is adjusted such that the perceived volume is consistent between each of the pickups installed on the guitar.
Electronics
11. Inspect and test electronics
Whether you upgrade to our USA wiring option or go with the stock wiring and electronics, we are going to make sure all the electronics work properly prior to shipping. For guitars that have an OBEL jack, we wire it Tip=Send, Ring=Return.
Strings
12. Install D’Addario 10-46 gauge strings
We install D’Addario EXL 10-46 gauge strings on all guitars. If you prefer a different brand or string gauge, contact us and we can accommodate other brands and string gauges, and adjust the setup accordingly to the strings that you prefer to use.
Guitar Body & Hardware
13. Clean and polish the guitar body and hardware
Just before we package up a guitar for shipping, we clean and polish your guitar using StewMac Guitar Polish to make it shine.
Contact Us
Body
| Body Style | Hollow Body |
| Body Wood | Mahogany |
| Body Top Wood | Koa |
| Body Rear Wood | Koa |
| Body Binding | White with Black Stripe |
Neck
| Scale Length | 25 1/2" |
| Frets | 24 Medium Jumbo |
| Neck Wood | Maple with Center Lamination |
| Neck Binding | White with Black Dots |
| Fretboard Wood | Ebony |
| Fretboard Inlays | Pearloid Designs |
| Fretboard Radius | 14 inch |
| Neck Stabilization | Double-Expanding Truss Rod |
| Nut Width | 1 11/16" (43mm) |
| Nut Material | Bone |
Headstock
| Headstock Binding | White with Black Stripe |
| Tuning Machines | Unbranded Stock Tuners |
Pickups
| Neck Pickup | Humbucker (4-wire) |
| Neck Pickup Color | Chrome |
| Bridge Pickup | Humbucker (4-wire) |
| Bridge Pickup Color | Chrome |
Hardware
| Bridge Style | Archtop Style Wood Base, Tune-o-matic Bridge |
| Stop Tailpiece Style | Archtop Wood Tailpiece |
Control Knobs and Toggles
| Volume Knob(s) | 1 Main Volume Knob |
| Tone Knob(s) | 1 Tone Knob |
| Pickup Toggle | 3-way Pickup Toggle |
| Neck Pickup Toggle Switch | Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil) |
| Bridge Pickup Toggle Switch | Mini Toggle (Series/Split Coil) |
Output
| Output Jack(s) | 1 Standard Mono Guitar Output Jack |
Other Specs
| Guitar Strings | D'Addario EXL 110 Nickel Wound 10-46 |
| Guitar Dimensions | 40" (h) x 13.5" (w) x 2" (d) |
| Guitar Weight | Approx 7 lbs |
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Danny Myers –
After a few weeks of really exploring my DockStar Koa, I absolutely love it. The instrument is very well-made, extremely light-weight, and sounds great. Each upgrade was installed correctly, without issue, and the hardshell case was a perfect add-on as the case is conveniently sized as well as well-crafted. Overall, this one’s going to be a lifer and I look forward to playing it for years to come.
Anonymous –
This guitar is truly incredible for what it is. I’ve had a number of hollow and semi-hollow electrics over the years (Telecaster ’72 thinline, Gretsch 5420T, Epiphone Sheraton, Gibson 335) and the Dockstar takes a lot of the features that I love from all of these guitars and puts them together in one great package for a much more affordable price! I had been on the fence about ordering a dockstar koa for a long time and I couldn’t bring myself to spend the money without playing one first. My wife decided to surprise me for my birthday a few months ago and ordered me one. (Yes, she’s amazing) The set up out of the box was solid, and I only had to make a few very minor adjustments. Overall the guitar feels, looks, and sounds amazing. I am considering replacing the pickups in order to get a little extra something out of the guitar, but that being said, the stock pickups do a great job for the average enthusiast. Freddy provided a first class customer experience from start to finish. He was able to rush the order for my wife so that the guitar arrived (in Canada) by my birthday, and he kept her in the loop every step of the way – thanks Freddy!
Anonymous –
I’ve had this guitar for several months now, and I absolutely love it! I mainly played a Stratocaster before getting this guitar, but I was looking for a jazzier, hollow body guitar. Of course, I always loved the look of Trey Anastasio’s guitar because it was the best of both worlds! Basically, it’s a hollowed out strat! I decided to check a chance on Phred after hearing of them in an online forum. As soon as I got the guitar, I was in love. It plays really really well out of the box. I did have to do some intonation fixes (adjusted the bridge placement just a hair), but that’s pretty standard after getting a guitar shipped to you. Aside from that, I just had to plug it in and play! It should also be noted that I asked for slightly thicker strings (for jazz) and that could have messed with their usual guitar set-up. It has such a warm tone that is so unique. The totally hollow body feels so weird (in an awesome way) and is really fun to play without plugging in. My only complaint is that the stock pickups are really just ehh. They’re not the worst pick-ups ever, but they definitely don’t let the guitar release it’s full potential. I love this guitar. I can’t recommend it enough to somebody looking for a more adaptable hollow-body guitar.
Anonymous –
When I first received my Koa I was truly shocked how beautiful it was. I really didn’t know what to expect. I purchased the upgraded version (pick-ups 59’s, tuning heads, and wiring, i kept the bone nut) as I want to see the full versatility and tone spectrum. I have been playing guitar for 20 years and only ever played with one electric. A 1974 Les Paul Custom. I have been become so used to this guitar I was worried that i wouldn’t like the Koa in comparison. The bottom line: Customer Service: Fred was awesome. Personally answered many questions was extremely nice and it seems he really cares about doing good business. Always a good first sign, he also got the guitar to me in time for a big gig. It arrived a few dyas before. Total buy to receive time was about 30 days. Quality: For the price you are getting a very good build. Of course its not a vintage guitar from the 60’s or 70’s but you should not expect that. Comes with a great case. I wish teh wires were not visible but I got over that quickly. Feel: Being used to the Les Paul I was at first, nervous. The neck is wider and deeper and also longer. I have owned the guitar about 90 days, and played one gig and many hours of rehearsal and I really like the feel. Somedays I actually prefer it over the Les Paul. I had it set up by my guy and even lowered the action a tiny bit more. The one thing I noticed was that the floating bridge was set up a tad off. The high E was falling off the neck and it was very annoying. I put heavier strings on 11 gauge and the extra tension and professional setup seems to have fixed this issue of it sliding around. Tone: This is where I have been pretty blown away. I often switch back and forth from the LP and Koa to compare. At first I had some issues with feedback and finding the sweet spots but now I am really hitting a groove. The sustain is really amazing. I play through a 74 Twin Reverb and two tube screamers, I have a boss compressor but do not use it all the time because I hate losing the tone. The sweet spots of the hollow-body is a new thing for me, and there is no mistaking, once you find it you realize you have a guitar that can do things that the solid body cannot. i feel bad even saying that. The coil taps make it very versatile but I admit I usually go between bridge and neck. The bridge has serious bite and really has that vintage Trey tone. The neck also has a beautiful tone for chords and for fuller jazzier sounds. Overall: I am keeping it. The more I play it the more I like it. Very happy and now thinking about the Liger! Jay from Boomsoss! Jason DeAmato