Fret-King gives the Black Label Country Squire Semitone Special a fresh new look

(Image credit: Fret-King / John Hornby Skewes & Co)

Fret-King has released its Black Country Country Squire Semitone Special in a cool new Blue Burst finish.

With its Thinline Tele vibe, the ever-popular semi-hollow electric is a favourite with country players and had hitherto only been available in Ash Green Burst. Aside from the finish, the guitar's spec is unchanged.

Designed with Trevor Wilkinson, the guitar has a two-piece alder body and a bolt-on maple neck, and Wilkinson hardware and pickups.

If Country Squire Semitone Special's S/S/H three-pickup configuration is a little unconventional, it nonetheless makes for one truly versatile guitar. 

The Country Squire Semitone Special has Fret-King WVC 3+3 double coil in the neck position, with a Fret-King WHS singlecoil in the middle and Fret-King WVOBT alnico singlecoil in the bridge. 

The WVC 3+3 is an original Seth Lover design that was gifted to  Wilkinson in the 1980s, and its thick, warm tones contrast nicely with the bright middle singlecoil and the 1950s-voiced singlecoil in the bridge.

With the Wilkinson Vari-coil control there are all kinds of tones to be had, from stinging ice-pick blues, through country twang, jazz, rock and even some of that out-of-phase Peter Green-esque mojo. It sure plays well with a slide, too.

Price is £599. See JHS for more details. 

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Jonathan Horsley

Jonathan Horsley has been writing about guitars and guitar culture since 2005, playing them since 1990, and regularly contributes to MusicRadar, Total Guitar and Guitar World. He uses Jazz III nylon picks, 10s during the week, 9s at the weekend, and shamefully still struggles with rhythm figure one of Van Halen’s Panama.