A One-of-a-Kind Guitar from a One-Man Shop
Serial number 54. That number tells you almost everything you need to know about this guitar — this is one of the earliest Phoenix Rising guitars David Thomas McNaught ever built, hand-crafted in Locust, North Carolina right at the turn of the millennium. McNaught is the kind of luthier who handles every part of the process himself: the designs, the woodworking, the inlays, the paint. What ends up in your hands is the direct result of one person's vision, skill, and obsession with detail.
This vintage McNaught Phoenix Rising is in Very Good condition. The guitar is fully functional and has been well preserved, with normal cosmetic wear including finish checking, scratches, dings, and other signs of age that are to be expected from a vintage instrument. It has may include light surface scratches, minor dings, and finish wear. Please review the photos carefully, as they provide the best representation of the instrument's overall condition.
The Phoenix Rising came in a striking Electric Red finish — a bold, color that suits the guitar's personality. With a C-shape neck, ebony fingerboard, wood binding over the entire body, Schaller tuners, and Seymour Duncan pickups paired with a 3-way selector and two mini-toggle coil-split switches, this guitar was built to cover serious tonal ground. It was clearly spec'd by someone who knew exactly what they wanted.
Pickups and Controls Built for Players Who Want Options
Seymour Duncan pickups are the heart of this guitar's voice, and the wiring setup here is more thoughtful than most. You get the standard 3-way selector switch to move between neck, middle, and bridge positions — but the two additional mini-toggle switches allow for coil splitting on each pickup independently. That's the difference between a guitar that does one thing well and one that genuinely covers clean single-coil clarity all the way through full humbucker output, without ever touching a pedal.
This kind of switching layout takes planning. It wasn't an afterthought — it's the work of someone who wanted a truly versatile instrument, and McNaught delivered it.
The Neck and Fingerboard
The neck profile here is a C-shape — one of the most comfortable and universally playable shapes out there. It works as well for rhythm playing as it does for lead work, sitting naturally in a wide range of hand sizes without demanding any adaptation. Pair that with an ebony fingerboard, which is known for its smooth, fast feel and bright, clear note definition, and you have a playing surface that responds precisely to how you play it.
The wood binding that runs over the entire guitar is a hallmark of the attention to detail McNaught puts into each instrument — this isn't a cost-cutting laminate edge strip, it's a real wood binding treatment that takes time and skill to execute properly.
Schaller Tuners and Vintage Provenance
Schaller tuners have long been a benchmark for stability and smooth action, and their presence on a custom instrument from this era signals that no compromises were made on the hardware side. On a 25-year-old guitar, solid tuner performance matters even more — reliable tuning stability is what keeps a vintage instrument genuinely playable rather than a display piece.
As serial number 54, this Phoenix Rising predates the vast majority of McNaught guitars you'll encounter on the used market. Early McNaught instruments are increasingly sought after by players and collectors who recognize the quality of what David Thomas McNaught was building in those formative years.
Product Features:
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Model: Phoenix Rising — solid body electric guitar by luthier David Thomas McNaught
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Year: 2000, serial number 54 (very early production)
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Finish: Peacock Blue with wood binding over the entire body
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Neck: C-shape profile
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Fingerboard: Ebony
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Pickups: Seymour Duncan (configuration per photos)
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Controls: 3-way selector switch + 2 mini-toggle switches for independent coil splitting
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Tuners: Schaller
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Construction: Solid body, hand-built by David Thomas McNaught in Locust, North Carolina
Brand: McNaught (David Thomas McNaught)
Model: Phoenix Rising
SKU: U-PHOENIX|54
Condition: Used
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