Gibson has unveiled its latest Master Artisan Collection electric guitars, radically reinterpreting the company’s retro Theodore model in a variety of vintage-inspired formats.
Following the “museum-quality artwork” of its last release, Gibson has now turned to a lesser-known version for its latest Master Artisan expansion pack.
With the new look of the Theodore Retroliners, master guitar maker Leo Scala turns his attention to a body shape that remained an idea for over sixty years before it was discovered and turned into reality a few years ago.
Background: Theodore “Ted” McCarty, the former president of Gibson, was crucial to the company’s success in the 50s and 60s and helped develop the Les Paul, Flying V and Explorer models.
One of his lesser-known designs – originally designed and dated March 18, 1957 – was intended to modernize the electric guitar. It wasn’t until 2022 that the design, named Theodore in honor of his former president, was carried beyond the scribbles.
The Theodore Standard first went into production earlier this year and now Gibson’s master luthier Leo Scala has created his own interpretation of the design.
A limited edition of 10 Theodore Retroliners were built by Scala’s skilled hands as part of the Master Artisan collection, with the Electric Purple variant being a particular highlight.
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“Leo took the Theodore and added his own creative touches to the design, creating beautiful works of art that play and sound as good as they look,” says Gibson.
The core idea was to imagine what the Theodore would have looked like if it had been launched in the late 1960s, when the idea was first mooted.
Classic design elements are paired with hot-rod-inspired specs. An alder body with a walnut center strip meets a C-profile mahogany neck. The neck was shaped and rounded to Scala’s liking for a well-played feel, and its Indian rosewood fingerboard features 22 narrow/high frets.
A Scala-modified Bigsby bridge continues the classic vibe, which is complemented by an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic bridge with a custom dog-bone base. According to Gibson, this allows the bridge to “remain stable when using the Bigsby.”
Other features include Kluson six-in-line tuners with white oval knobs and a raised metal Gibson logo on the headstock. All hardware is aged to give it that retro relic chic.
For Electric Purple’s electronics, Scala used custom, hand-wound Retrophonic humbuckers. There’s a “Vault ’58” bridge pickup that produces its tones with an Alnico 4 magnet (8.3 kΩ DC resistance), and a Soapbar P-90 with a combination of Alnico 4 and 5 magnets (7.9 kΩ DC resistance).
However, there is a wide range of other P-90/humbucker pairings in the rest of the Theodore Retroliner family, which offers a diverse set of PAF-style buckers. As you can probably see from the pictures, there are some crazy, heavily relic-styled finishes on offer as well.
All guitars come in a custom G&G hardshell case with an embroidered Gibson logo on the inside. A custom Certificate of Authenticity box, courtesy of Leo Scala, is also included.
As with all Artisan builds, their handcrafted craftsmanship by one of the industry’s finest guitar makers is reflected in their price: $16,000 each.
“While this is a true work of art, it is not just a show guitar designed to sit in a showcase; it is intended for playing and great care has been taken to optimize its sound, feel and playability,” says Gibson.
“As a unique playable work of art, it contains a lifetime of music and inspiration just waiting to be discovered and enjoyed.”
The Leo Scala Master Artisan Theodore Retroliners cost $15,999 each and can only be purchased directly through Gibson Garage.
Visit Gibson to learn more.
In related news, PRS recently withdrew its objection to Gibson’s Theodore trademark, but the dispute continues out of court.
