Gretsch has partnered with legendary London recording facility Abbey Road Studios on a limited-edition electric guitar, the Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic.
Designed specifically for recording, Gretsch says, the RS201 Studiomatic’s signal path is literally infused with Abbey Road technology, with the integration of a circuit inspired by the RS 97 Rumble Filter. This classic piece of tech – designed in the 1950s by the EMI team at Abbey Road – aims to remove ultra low-frequencies and mechanical vibrations from recordings.
The incorporation of this circuitry, the brand says, offers guitarists “unprecedented tonal control, retaining clarity in complex arrangements without sacrificing warmth”.
For a brief history lesson on the naming convention of equipment at Abbey Road Studios, the facility uses “RS” numbering to refer to equipment designed and built in-house by Abbey Road engineers. Notably, the RS201 Studiomatic marks the first time ever the “RS” numbering convention has been used on a musical instrument.
“Partnerships like this are the kind guitarists dream about,” says Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer at Fender Musical Instruments Corporation (FMIC). Gretsch is one of many guitar brands owned by Fender.
“Gretsch and Abbey Road Studios share a legacy built on tone, feel and musical innovation. The Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic was born from the idea of crafting a guitar that thrives in the studio: responsive, inspiring and sonically rich.”
Gutnik explains that “every detail” of the guitar was refined via close collaboration between Gretsch/Fender and Abbey Road Studios.
“The result is an instrument that invites players to explore new sounds while tapping directly into the lineage of recordings that defined modern music.”
Credit: Gretsch
“The evolution of this unique instrument has been a true collaboration between Gretsch and Abbey Road, driven by a shared desire to craft a guitar designed for mix readiness, sonic flexibility and great tone,” says Jeremy Huffelmann, General Manager of Abbey Road Studios.
“The RS 201 assignation is a testament to the technical innovation encompassed in this unique instrument, placing the Studiomatic in Abbey Road’s storied lineage of groundbreaking new technologies. It has been a joy to collaborate with our friends at Gretsch in creating the Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic, and we couldn’t be more excited to hear the music it inspires in guitarists around the world.”
Aside from the onboard Rumble Filter-inspired circuitry, the RS201 Studiomatic sports a thin hollow-body build, as well as Filter’Tron pickups that are “both vintage-inspired and modern-voiced”.
Credit: Gretsch
Abbey Road Studios is one of the most iconic recording facilities in the world, giving its name to the classic 1969 Beatles album recorded there, as well as hundreds of classic records including Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side of the Moon (1973) and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn (1967), and the Beatles’ White Album (1968) and Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
The Gretsch Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic is priced at £1,249/€1,499.
For more information, head to Gretsch.