Retrograde Lexington #1

Description

"The goal of Retrograde Guitars is to explore the potential of the electric laminate top guitar, and to create a unique instrument with a clear and open voice. The design draws from the early jazz boxes of the 30s & 40s and the catalog guitars of the 50s & 60s. By using vacuum press technology, hand-carved necks, hand-rubbed colors and home-brewed varnishes, I combined modern building methods with old-world lutherie." - Glenn Nichols

One of the coolest things about working with Glenn from Retrograde is that he's always working on his craft, thinking of ways to tweak his build process, and in the case of this new Lexington model (number 1), dreaming up new models to send our way. 

The Lexington the first solid-body electric from Retrograde, and like Glenn's Cambridge and Rosedale models, it's incredibly musical, a blast to play, sounds fantastic, and is....well, just plain cool. Glenn's forte is elevating the "student model" guitar aesthetic to a far more refined place both in terms of build quality, setup, and playability. The Lexington falls right in line with that goal and was designed for players who like to dig in (Glenn mentioned the inspiration for the Lexington came from seeing Josh Smith play at a clinic we hosted last year). 

The medium C roasted AA flame maple neck will find favor with a wide range of players - it feels slightly chunky, but very well carved so as to not be fatiguing. It's not much larger than, say, an early 60s Strat as a point of reference. The fretwork is excellent and creates a really comfortable, smooth playing experience. Notes readily jump off the Granadillo fingerboard - there's a snap to single note lines that we found really addictive.

Loaded with a set of Bare Knuckle Half Note P90s, the Lexington sounds fat, round, and punchy. It sounds right at home played cleanly or with some gain...again, think Josh Smith. Bluesy, classic rock, Americana....this guitar is perfect for these genres (though not limited to them, of course). Be sure to check out the attached video of Boston-area blues monster, Seth Rosenbloom, taking it for a spin sans pedals into a Magnatone Varsity Reverb.  

While the name Retrograde Guitars may be new to you, Glenn's work likely is not. Glenn was the finish department foreman at Santa Cruz guitars, was in charge of French Polish restorations for renowned classical guitar maker Kenny Hill, and is currently Bill Tippin's only employee. In other words, Glenn knows a thing or two about building exceptional instruments. If you're into student model guitars but want something that's light-years beyond it quality-wise, look no further!

Priced with hardshell case.