– Press Release

No Island Media, a digital media production company specializing in reality programmes for and about creative professionals, is featuring Boston’s First Act guitars in the innovative reality/documentary series, The Search for the Perfect Guitar Tone, due out in July 2006.

Combining three mini-documentaries about each of the three Limited Edition guitars – the Sheena, Lola and Delia – with a visit to the First Act Chief Luthier, Kelly Butler, the total running time for this segment of the series will be two hours.

“I found First Act’s story to be very compelling,” says
No Island’s Executive Director Trevor Andrews. “One one hand, First Act is known for supporting entry-level music study via entry-level instruments, and on the other they have a solid reputation for creating high-end custom guitars. With there Limited Edition guitars, First Act is taking a bold move based on love of craft and founded on the vision of First Act Chief Luthier, Kelly Butler, a true individual craftsman. It is that meshing of corporate and personal vision combined with a clear desire to produce stellar instruments that makes this a great story.”

“I personally like stories about craftsman,” says Dina Walker, Executive Producer of No Island Media. “I really like stories about corporations that empower craftsman to experiment, achieve and explore for the benefit of the community at large. Personally, I want to see each guitar in the hands of lots of different people. Hear the musician’s story, see how they use the instruments, watch as the work of one craftsman helps the work of another. To me, when people explore and share, that is compelling television.”

Episodes of The Search for the Perfect Guitar Tone which focus on the Limited Edition guitars will combine performance, reality, “test drive” segments and a discussion about each with Kelly Butler.

ABOUT THE GUITARS

Delia
Meet Delia… a sweet semi-hollow body inspired by the semi-hollow bodies of the 1960s. The flame maple top, mahogany back and sides, and hand-cut f holes deliver superior resonance and sustain, and a fat acoustic tone. The body is finished in a warm, transparent brown, and the C-profile neck is flame maple with an ebony center, set into a carved heel for increased strength. Two Alnico humbuckers supply a thick, powerful sound. The low-profile bridge keeps individual string tones separate for a beautiful blend, and the patented through-the-body string retainer enhances warmth and depth. Controls include one tone and two volume knobs and a master switch. Sweet and sensual, Delia is designed for superior sound, comfort, and precision.

Sheena
The dynamic Sheena is a rocking, single-cutaway, solid-body electric. As warm and mellow as buttered sun and as scorching as a flamethrower, this guitar is seriously versatile. She can go from clean and twangy to raw and raunchy in the blink of an eye. Sheena’s solid alder body is finished in a warm, transparent amber. The D-profile neck is flame maple with an ebony center, set into a carved heel. The Birdseye Maple fret board is bound in black, and adorned with black fin inlays. First Act’s own luthier, John McGuire, designed the custom pick guard and six-in-line headstock. The single coil neck pickup and vintage classic hum bucker supply thick, powerful sound, and the low-profile bridge keeps individual string tones separate for a beautiful blend. The patented through-the-body string retainer enhances warmth and depth.

Lola
First Act Chief Luthier, Kelly Butler, set out with the First Act team to build the ultimate rock guitar, and created the lively and vivacious Lola. Lola’s hand-carved beveled mahogany body sports a low-profile bridge to keep string tones distinct. An innovative through-the-body string retainer enhances, sustains, and allows a truer vibration through the wood. Pearl inlays adorn a velvety rosewood fret board. Lola comes alive in your hands and is the perfect vessel for your expression. She longs to be unfettered, cranked up loud, wailed on… and once you pick her up, you won’t want to put her down.

Find out more about the series at http://www.noisland.net

More on First Act guitars at http://www.firstact.com/