While spanking children has been recently discouraged by a ten-year study conducted by the Ontario Ministry of Health, we don't trust a single thing that Canadians say. Speaking of "single things": the American-made Gadow American Deluxe series guitars now feature spankin'-clean single coils as a pickup option!

The American Deluxe series are Gadow's "affordable" guitar model, but like the name says, they're still made right here in the good, relatively-new (let's be honest) U.S.of A. North Carolina to be exact. Durham, N.C. to be even more exact. The Gadow factory in Durham, N.C. to be as exact as we can without starting to guess at things (i.e., "they've got their belt-sander right by the door!" or "Flatfish-Phil likes to sand kerfs while looking out at the majestic Blue Hill Mountains, so we set up his station on the back porch!").

By "affordable" Gadow means "around $1000." Still, when you consider that fact that the economy is collapsing around us, that's still pretty damn expensive the American Deluxe is a custom-shop quality instrument. . . OK, it's still some coin. That what you pay for to get real, American-quality care and craftsmanship.

The American features a poplar body (winner of the poplar vote!), figured maple top, maple neck and Indian (not Native American) rosewood fingerboard. Classy hardware includes Sperzel graduated tuners, a tone-pros wraparound bridge and a dual-action truss rod. And let's not forget about those pickups: hand-wound Gadow single coils. "Purty," as the Durham natives describe their sound (I've never been to Durham).