That licensing agreement came out of PRS’ sponsorship of the Corvette racing team. Les paul 2015 minitune commemorative review license#If Ford decided to put the Ford GT guitar into production, or more likely, license the design, it wouldn’t be the first time a car company was involved in selling guitars.įor a while, Paul Reed Smith guitars had a deal with General Motors for a line of PRS “Corvette” guitars, available in factory Corvette colors, with a crossed-flags Corvette badge and Z06 or 427 logos inlaid in the fingerboards. The project took about a month to get it ready for painting, which was done by Don Wood and Jeff Daley at Ford’s Dearborn styling studio. Black and Kevin Grant were responsible for the digital modeling, 3D printing was done by Rob Donelson, and finishing the aluminum and assembly was done by Greg Hutting, all of Ford Irvine studio. The Ford GT inspired guitar was a team effort. We left those out of the prototype to keep it pure and modern aesthetically. In reality, if it was ever real, there would be small set screws on the back of the bridge for intonation adjustment. The height adjustment screws/studs are on the backside of the guitar to maintain a clean look in the front. The bridge concept is similar to a Paul Reed Smith “Stop Tail” design except for one main difference. “It’s visually light but it sounds heavy!” Basically, less aesthetic and three dimensional clutter. The simplicity of the guitar and the ergonomics allow the player to concentrate on performance and simplify muscle memory requirements. The approach was to suggest a more efficient playing experience. This design also allows for more arm clearance. It also helps make a focal point out of the playing area along with the fact that the neck and picking area are pronounced forward from the rest of the guitar. Graphically, the pick-ups are consolidated into one trim piece for a clean, organized and modern look. The concept contains two humbucker pick-ups and a single coil. I had some questions about bridge and intonation adjustments and, in response to TTAC’s request, Tyler Blake provided the following details. The guitar’s tuning machines are mounted to the bottom of the headstock, reducing visual clutter and creating a clean, precise order to the strings. With more emphasis on its edges rather than the thickness of its body, the instrument appears as lightweight as it actually is. This dynamic creates a visual and tactile focal point for the musician, while simplified controls allow the player to concentrate on making music.Ĭlever placement of wood and aluminum minimizes weight, while allowing the guitar to retain its tonal characteristics. The guitar’s pronounced neck maximizes playability by allowing more space for the player’s arm. Ford publicity materials say that the guitar is as lightweight as it looks: The headstock features a novel string-through design that passes the strings to tuning machines mounted completely on the back side. The body tapers to a thin edge bound with aluminum. Les paul 2015 minitune commemorative review full#It has a deep, double cutaway body, giving full access to all 24 frets. While the prototype’s body has an aluminum core and framework, filled in with 3D printed parts, the finished guitar would have a solid wood body, neck through design, and aluminum trim. The team has considered what it would take to put it into production, so a copy may yet end up in the blue guitar section of the Baruth Collection. I suppose you could call it the guitar equivalent to a concept car ‘pushmobile’ as it’s not quite a practical instrument. Blake told me that while the guitar uses a conventional ebony fingerboard, just about everything else on the guitar was reimagined. It was one of a number of items, including a sailboat, a sofa and a foosball table, on display at the Salone del Mobile, Milan’s prestigious international furniture and design event, said to be inspired by the interior design of the new Ford GT. The two guitars they had at the Autorama appeared to be beautifully made.Īlso with beautiful, simple lines, is a one-off electric guitar designed by a team led by Tyler Blake, a senior designer at Ford’s Irvine, California advanced styling studio. Considering that they’re American made and custom, the price, $750 to $1,200 depending on options, is quite reasonable.
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