Solar Guitars debuts signature model for Coroner guitarist Tommy Vetterli, the Type A1.6Coroner

Solar Guitars, the brand established by Ola Englund, has announced a new Tommy Vetterli signature model, the Type A1.6Coroner.

Vetterli is a respected producer and engineer, but is perhaps best known in his role as guitarist for the Swiss thrash metal band Coroner. As such, his signature guitar is an uncompromising metal monster.

The most obvious and striking features on the A1.6Coroner are the, frankly, viciously sculpted points on the guitar’s horns. It’s a standard feature of the Type A Solar body, but the matte black finish somehow makes them seem meaner here.

They look like they could have the eyes out of uncautious head bangers, but then we assume a level of mild peril is, er, the point. 

In terms of the build, it’s an alder body, paired with a three-piece maple neck and an ebony fingerboard. There are no regular fret-markings on the ‘board, but you do get a set of fluorescent markers on the side, courtesy of the Luminlay dots. 

At the bridge end, there’s a Gotoh GE1996T vibrato (with 12 mm thick / 33 mm long brass block), while at the other end of the neck, you’ll find Solar’s own-brand locking tuners and a Coroner logo on the headstock. There’s also a set of locking strap pins thrown in.

Electronics on offer include a pair of Fishman Fluence Modern active pickups and a three-way blade switch pickup selector, and while there’s only a single volume knob, you get a choice of voicing on the Fluence Moderns, selected by a push-pull on the volume control.

Everything is finished in a Carbon (i.e. matt black) tone. In fact the only contrasting feature is the white Solar logo inlay on the fretboard. 

The Type A1.6Coroner is available now via the Solar website and has a suggested street price of $1,399.