Gibson Custom Shop Theodore, Ebony

The Gibson Custom Shop takes players back to the start of it all with one man, one sketch, and one instrument.

The Archive Collection, the Custom Shop's newest series, revives never-before-seen models with true Gibson authenticity and quality. Kicking off this series is a design from Ted McCarty – a legendary name in Gibson. Acting president of Gibson from 1950 to 1966, McCarty took personal interest in designing the best electric guitars available, ultimately resulting in him lending his hand in creating the Les Paul, SG, ES-335, and Flying V, among many others.

McCarty's pastime of sketching new instrument designs during meetings brought his ideas to life for the production floor. However, the model you see before you never made it beyond McCarty's 1957 sketched and signed page – until today.

The Gibson Custom Archive Collection Theodore celebrates not only one man's tenure as a Gibson president, but Gibson guitars altogether. This one of a kind instrument is designed directly from McCarty's original sketch down to the finest detail. An authentic time capsule of an instrument if there ever were one, the Theodore transcends time and descriptors of "vintage" or "classic" to be a guitar all its own.

Starting with a two-piece alder body fashioned with two Florentine cutaways and a walnut center strip, the Theodore's body is comfortably compact and smooth in hand. Its double-cutaway profile give it a distinct presence in your arms while you strum and riff away upon its Indian rosewood fingerboard. With authenticity held as a crucial tenet in its design, a "Chunky 1957 C Shape" mahogany neck grips easily and completes the Theodore's overall essence in hand. A scimitar headstock with Kluson six in-line tuners makes the Theodore's profile even more eye-catching.

The Theodore throws back with its pickups to ensure Gibson authenticity tonally, as well. Adorned with two Soapbar P-90 pickups, the Theodore has a warm and punchy voice that can be rolled through and explored with a three-way pickup selector switch and two tone and volume controls. Hand wired electronics controls keep your sonic experience tight and accurate for keying in on your unique Theodore sound. The '50s essence of the Theodore comes down to every detail the expert luthiers at the Gibson Custom Shop could offer.

Ted McCarty's contributions to Gibson leave him as a legend among the company even decades after his passing. Along with the Theodore's custom hard shell case, strap, 1957-style catalog print, and certificate of authenticity, a print of McCarty's original 1957 drawing sends off this guitar with a unique piece of Gibson history.

One sketch dated March 18th, 1957, was all the Gibson Custom Shop needed to finally bring a vision to life. With it, a legacy lives on.