Musikmesse 08: European launch of Fret-King Green Label hand-built electrics

News
By published

Video: Designer Trev Wilkinson talks us through the Corona 60 HB and Esprit V models

Trev Wilkinson with his Esprit V guitar at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008
Trev Wilkinson with his Esprit V guitar at Frankfurt Musikmesse 2008

Following an enforced hiatus, Fret-King guitars re-launched in early 2008 with an exciting new range of electric guitar and bass models.

The brainchild of guitar design guru Trev Wilkinson, the new high-end Green Label instruments are hand-built at the Fret-King Custom Shop in Southport, Lancashire.

MusicRadar grabbed hold of Trev at Frankfurt Musikmesse who talked us through the thinking and the materials behind the new Esprit V (starting at £1249) and Corona 60 HB (starting at £1499) models.

Esprit V:

Corona 60 HB:

For more information, visit the official Fret-King website.

MusicRadar
MusicRadar

MusicRadar is the number one website for music-makers of all kinds, be they guitarists, drummers, keyboard players, DJs or producers...

  • GEAR: We help musicians find the best gear with top-ranking gear round-ups and high-quality, authoritative reviews by a wide team of highly experienced experts.
  • TIPS: We also provide tuition, from bite-sized tips to advanced work-outs and guidance from recognised musicians and stars.
  • STARS: We talk to musicians and stars about their creative processes, and the nuts and bolts of their gear and technique. We give fans an insight into the craft of music-making that no other music website can.
More about electric guitars
Gibson Les Paul Special with Mini Humbuckers Tobacco Burst: exclusively available direct from Gibson, these solid mahogany singlecuts remix the Special recipe with mini humbuckers, giving the singlecut a different voice.

“The mini humbucker fits into the same sized pickup cavity as a P-90 and delivers low-noise humbucking pickup performance and a slightly brighter and more open tone”: Gibson remixes the Les Paul Special with mini humbuckers
Gretsch Limited Edition Streamliner 2025: three limited edition semi-hollow electric guitars are pictured against a bank of studio hardware.

“Exceptional performance, sound, and style at an incredible value.”: Gretsch unveils trio of limited edition Streamliner electrics that offer Bigsby wobble, semi and hollow-bodied rock ’n’ roll mojo for $699
Will Smith salutes the crowd prior to the game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 26

Will Smith reveals the advice Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar gave to him before his music comeback
See more latest
Most Popular
Will Smith salutes the crowd prior to the game between the Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center on March 26
Will Smith reveals the advice Jay-Z and Kendrick Lamar gave to him before his music comeback
Mythos Pedals x That Pedal Show Argo Boost Deluxe
“Instead of pairing a new booster inside this new pedal, think of it as changing lanes inside the pedal”: Mythos and That Pedal Show team up for the Argo Boost Deluxe – an octave fuzz with a switchable boost
The Beatles
“I didn’t even realise it had synthesizer on it for decades”: This deep dive into The Beatles' Here Comes The Sun reveals 4 Moog Modular parts that we’d never even noticed before
Chris Hayes [left] wears a purple checked shirt and plays his 1957 Stratocaster in the studio; Michael J. Fox tears it up onstage as Marty McFly in the 1985 blockbuster Back To The Future.
“We’re looking at the movie going, ‘Urgh! It’s kinda cheesy. I don’t know if this is going to work”: How Chris Hayes wrote Huey Lewis and the News’ Back To The Future hit Power Of Love in his pyjamas
Noel Gallagher
“I thought it’d be a big deal, but I was a bit taken aback by just how much of a big deal it was”: Noel Gallagher finally speaks about Oasis ticket chaos
uli behringer
Uli Behringer speaks out on Behringer's pricing strategy: "Our competitors say 'how much could I charge and get away with it?' We take the cost, add a small margin and that's the sale price"
PinkPantheress
“Some people were questioning if I knew the genre and did my research, I guess because I’m young”: PinkPantheress says that having her authenticity doubted by dance music purists “was a bit annoying”
Jaco Pastorius
“I have never felt so ashamed to be onstage. If I never see you again, it's too soon!”: When John McLaughlin laid into Jaco Pastorius after an onstage meltdown
Eric Clapton sits on a cream sofa and plays one of his new signature Martin acoustics, with the other sitting on a stand beside him
“Over the past three decades, his partnership with Martin has produced some of the most sought-after signature guitars in the company’s history”: Martin recreates Eric Clapton’s MTV Unplugged acoustic for limited edition anniversary run
Joseph Quinn, Barry Keoghan, Harris Dickinson and Paul Mescal
“I can assure you there is still plenty left to explore and I think we found a way to do that”: On-screen Fab Four actors and release plan confirmed