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The Same - Just Better
Want a Better Guitar? Buy It From Richards Guitars - If you are serious about the guitar please do find the time to read this. I promise you that anyone offering you next day delivery are not offering what we do! Behind every guitar sold is our meticulous quality control and personalized setup service. We literally leave no stone unturned. From geometric to cosmetic - every aspect is checked and adjusted as necessary... |
We want your guitar to INSPIRE you.
In this first video I introduce you to a customers guitar which is about to go into our workshop for setup and I show you just how many modifications and improvements will be made to the guitar.
This second video shows the guitar going through the workshop process. This process takes around an hour but dont worry - its just highlights!
Its Not Always A Happy Ending
One of my favorite adverts was one by Honda which said at Honda they don't use the word "OK" and instead they use the phrase "What If". I LOVED that advert and found it so inspiring. This is the premise of every guitar setup we undertake. If that means rejecting guitars and starting again - that is exactly what we do.
No Time To Watch the Videos? Here Is the Summary...
If you have bought a guitar before you will know all too well that not every guitar feels or plays the same. You may also know that due to the nature of the major component of the guitar (wood) that they can feel great one moment and awful the next (say for example after traveling half way around the globe on a boat - from some factory in the far east to the UK!) Richards Guitars offers a unique service offering the more discerning/knowledgeable buyer a host of "players benefits" which will ensure that ANY guitar purchased will give you years of enjoyment - regardless of the price paid. I can demonstrate that a guitar purchased from Richards Guitars will... Sound Better Feel Better Play Better Stay In Tune - Longer Look Better Want more reasons to buy from Richards Guitars? After Sales support A second guitar setup to your new guitars standard for just £35 - Got a guitar at home that you think could be improved? Drop it in and we will do over £55 worth of work for just £35 6 & 12 month checks and "re-sets". A *FREE follow up service for any of my customers. We will ensure your guitar plays like the day it left our store (minus your own wear and tear of course!) saving you £££ on pricey guitar technicians bills. If we find any parts that are failing that are not due to normal wear and tear we will replace them free of charge! Over the past 20 years I have worked hand in hand with suppliers, reporting back with fault "trends" and ways to improve products supplied to us. Companys I have dealt with have been listening intently over the years and we know what value our input has brought to their brands. To summarise, a guitar supplied by Richards Guitars will not just feel like a new guitar, it will feel like YOUR guitar. * Due to the need to check your intonation & adjust accordingly you must bring in your guitar with BRAND NEW strings fitted (original guage as setup when sold) OR pay our technician to remove your old strings and fit new ones - guide price £16 including strings. It is impossible to check intonation accurately with old strings. Past 2 Years Of Customers (Image only shows some of the UK!) Every red marker represents someone who I have supplied a guitar to, possibly starting with guidance and advice online, telephone or in store. I have provided a guitar meticulously quality controlled and set up to their personal specification. I have personally play tested prior to dispatch and have continued to provide back up and support via my live chat service... |
- Call us during office hours (Monday To Saturday 10-4pm) on 01789 263333
- Why not book an appointment and spend a morning or afternoon in total peace and privacy? All the advice will be on hand whenever you need it
- Live Help is available which is run by Jon, Jake & Richard most hours of the day 7 days a week
- Richard has written many advice blogs relating to this brand, which can be found at the bottom of the page
- Richard has provided many hours of advice via our Youtube page at www.youtube.com/richardsguitarshop
- Special highlights are often featured on our Instagram
Artisan B5 Element are the completely revamped group of basses that combines only the best elements from the highly popular Artisan B-class basses, including roasted maple fretboard on 5pc panga-panga / walnut neck, Bartolini® MK-1 pickups and Bartolini® MK-1 preamp set, and Hipshot® Ultralite tuners. Newly added are the new high-mass MetalCraft M5 bridges with dual string loading system that greatly enhances resonance and tone transfer, and a rounder ergonomic mahogany body with beautifully figured ash top that come in 3 different color options. The combination of right elements, together with Cort’s dedication to quality, makes the Artisan B5 Element an outstanding choice for pro musicians and enthusiasts alike.
Ash Top on Mahogany Body
Ash top on a mahogany body ensures a great balance of warm yet full and punchy sounding lows and bright, clear and transparent highs, not to mention ash’s beautiful wood grain for more a natural aesthetic.

Bartolini® MK-1 Pickups
The trademark Bartolini sound is preserved in the MK-1 while providing superb sound quality and value. The MK-1 delivers plenty of punchy and warm mids along with transparent and brilliant highs for a superbly balanced sound.
Bartolini® MK-1 Preamp
Bartolini’s renowned MK-1 preamp provides powerful yet transparent boost along with its trademark crisp high-end. The MK-1 transfers the natural liveliness of the bass through a flexible 3-band equalizer for a variety of applications ranging from studio recording to large concert halls. It also provides a switchable active/passive mode for a powerful modern active sound or an organic traditional passive sound.

MetalCraft M Bridge
The solid, high-mass MetalCraft M bridge was developed with more focus on ease-of-use and greater tone transfer. Depending on the thickness of the strings, the dual string loading system allows the strings to be loaded either through the body or from the top to find the best optimal string tension, resulting in enhanced sustain, greater playability and focused sound. Another big improvement for the tone transfer is the deep individual slots that hold the saddles rock-tight, preventing any unwanted movement and allows string vibrations to correctly transfer to the body. MetalCraft M4 and M5 now come with string spacing of 19mm for the 4-string M4, and 18mm (0.750” ) for the 5-string M5.
5pcs Panga Panga & Walnut Neck
The emphasis of the Panga Panga and Walnut combination is on tight and defined midrange that complements the bright and expansive tonal nature of the Mahogany body for an ideally balanced sound to round out the bass spectrum.

Hipshot® Ultralite
The Artisan B5 Element features Hipshot Ultralite tuners as standard equipment for tuning accuracy and stability.
Roasted Maple Fingerboard
By treating the Maple in an oxygen-free oven at a high temperature, the wood stabilizes and develops a golden-brownish look for enhanced stability as well as a more vintage type of look and a big bolder tone.

Specifications
CONSTRUCTION | Bolt-On |
---|---|
BODY | Mahogany |
TOP | Ash |
NECK | 5pcs Walnut & Panga Panga |
FRETBOARD | Roasted Maple Radius: 15.75"(400㎜) |
FRETS | 24 |
SCALE | 34"(864㎜) |
TUNERS | Hipshot® Ultralite |
BRIDGE | MetalCraft M5 - 18㎜ String spacing |
PICKUPS | Bartolini® MK-1 Pickup Set |
ELECTRONICS | Bartolini® MK-1 Electronics |
HARDWARE | Black |
STRINGS | D'Addario® EXL170-5SL |
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