The Retrospec's design is the brainchild of the esteemed and talented Swedish industrial designer Magnus Malkersson, Kim Lafleur of Historic Makeovers and Tom Bartlett.
The guitar features all of the same qualities you would find in the most collectable and coveted of electric guitars, the 1959 Gibson Les Paul. The Retrospec is the same size and weight, same scale length and made from the same materials as they were in the 1950's down to the plastic compounds in the binding and inlays.
The Retrospec is made from old growth Honduras Mahogany, Eastern Maple and CITES certified Brazilian Rosewood.
The guitar is hand made in Ontario, Canada in small batches using tried and true methods of construction. Hot hide glue and Urea formaldehyde is used to join the parts together insuring a tone response unrivalled by modern instruments.
The plastic used in the fingerboard inlays comes from the same factory that made it for Gibson in the late 50s, and is the same recipe. The same applies to the fingerboard binding, and the body binding.
The Retrospec is finished with true Nitro Cellulose Lacquer made specially for us without the added plasticizer used in modern Nitro Cellulose.
Much of the hardware is made in-house, and it too is made from the same materials that were used in the late 50's.
The pickups are selected from a number of boutique winders who employ the same philosophies that we do. We try several sets in each guitar to find its own unique voice, and settle on the best match for each particular instrument.
The Retrospec ships in a custom fitted case with our logo embroidered on the inside.
This guitar is all about hand made uncompromising quality as it was in the middle of the last century.
SPECS:
- One piece Honduran mahogany body
- Single piece neck with ‘ears’
- Holly headstock veneer
- Mother of pearl Bartlett signature inlayed into headstock
- CITES certified Brazilian Rosewood fingerboard
- .045" tall nickel-silver fret wire
- Cellulose nitrate fingerboard inlays
- Cream royalite body binding
- Cream cellulose nitrate fingerboard binding
- Nylon 6-6 string nut
- Eastern maple carved top
- Two-tone, two-volume controls with 3 way control switch
- Rewind 1959 Creme Brule
- ABR-1 style bidge, and lightweight tailpiece or Wrap-Around bridge
- 1” long tailpiece studs and bushings
- Kluson or Grover tuners
- Super thin non plasticized nitrocellulose lacquer finish
