For the past two years, master guitar builder Leo Scala has been creating a series of ultra high-end ‘playable art pieces’ with his Master Artisan collection of guitars, and the recently revived Theodore design has become the latest to get a Scala reimagining.
The original Theodore design dates back to March 18, 1957, when then-Gibson president Theodore ‘Ted’ McCarty was doodling body shapes during a meeting – something he would often do.
McCarty is famous for his part in introducing the Les Paul, SG, ES-335, Flying V, and Explorer body shapes to the guitar world during his tenure at Gibson.
McCarty wasn't just content with carrying out administrative tasks. He’d earned an engineering degree from the University of Cincinnati and regularly used that skillset to bring new design ideas to the table.
This particular design was an attempt to modernize Gibson’s electric guitar aesthetics, but it was hastily archived and forgotten about back in 1957. It wasn't until his sketches were unearthed in 2022 that the design, named Theodore in his honor, entered production.
And so, the guitar’s legacy continues in a more limited-edition manner here, with Scala crafting 10 unique designs. Here, he’s imagined what the guitars would have been like if they were created in ‘57.
The Scala-revamped Theodore guitars feature an alder body with a walnut center strip and a mahogany C-profile neck that has been shaped and rounded to Scala's preferences, resulting in a “well-played-in-feel.”
Indian rosewood has been chosen for its fingerboard, which offers 22 Historic Gibson narrow/tall frets. The guitar’s headstock, meanwhile, is adorned with Kluson six-in-line tuners with white oval buttons and a raised metal Gibson logo.
Other hardware choices include a Bigsby B7 Vibrato, modified by Scala, and an ABR-1 Tune-O-Matic Bridge with a custom dog bone base. It is said to remain sturdy even when the Bigsby is being generously used.
All hardware has gone through a master artisan aging process to further reinforce the concept that these Theodores are long-lost relics built some 67 years ago.
The differences between models, save for their wildly different colorways, comes down to the electronics. There’s an Electric Purple model with Leo Scala custom hand-wound Retrophonic Vault 58 (Alnico 4) and P-90 (Alnico 4 and 5) pickups, alongside a variety of other P-90/humbucker pairings.
For those chasing the classic Gibson PAS-style pickup, there are nods to that, too.
Other finishes, meanwhile, include a highly relic'd TV Yellow, Adagio Gold, Bleeding Red, and British Racing Green.
Hand-crafted by such an esteemed luthier, and bestowed with premium trimmings, the guitars come at a fair price. Owning one of these guitars will mean parting with $15,999, but Gibson assures that they are designed to be more than just museum-grade artifacts.
“While truly a work of art, this isn’t just a show guitar that is designed to sit in a display case; it’s meant to be used to make music, and considerable care has been given to optimize its sound, feel, and playability,” it says.
“As a unique work of playable art, it holds a lifetime of music and inspiration that’s just waiting to be explored and enjoyed.”
Gibson's relationship with Scala marks the first time it has worked with an independent luthier, with the two parties connecting through Guns N' Roses man Richard Fortus.
“He’s not only a passionate musician and guitar maker, but he’s also very passionate about Gibson and Gibson history. He’s highly respectful of the history and what Gibson has inspired him to do,” Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian told Guitar Player in 2022.
“Leo is somebody that has broken the mold and has been innovating on his own while being inspired by the things [Gibson] has done in the past. [The Master Artisan series is] about celebrating people’s skills, experience, and depth of knowledge.”
Of the new Master Artisan series additions, Gibson says: “Leo took the Theodore and added his own creative touches to the design and created gorgeous works of art that are designed to play and sound as good as they look.”
All guitars ship with a custom G&G hardshell case, with an embroidered Gibson logo featured inside. A Leo Scala-compiled Certificate of Authenticity Box is also included.
The Leo Scala Master Artisan Theodore Retroliners each cost $15,999, and can only be purchased directly through the Gibson Garage.
Head to Gibson to learn more.
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