Gretsch have teamed up with Abbey Road Studios to create a new, limited-edition guitar which the company says has been built with a focus on tonal flexibility, clarity and mix-readiness. Designed specifically for recording, the Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic directly incorporates some of Abbey Road’s own technology in its signal path, boasting a built-in circuit that’s based on the RS 97 Rumble Filter — a technology designed by the EMI team 1950s that served to remove low-frequency and mechanical vibrations from recordings.
The inclusion of the circuitry promises to provide guitarists with unprecedented tonal control, retaining clarity in complex arrangements without sacrificing warmth. In recognition of the innovation, Abbey Road Studios have assigned the Studiomatic a new Recording Studio (RS) number RS 201, marking the first time in history that their ‘RS’ numbering scheme has been awarded to a musical instrument.
“Partnerships like this are the kind guitarists dream about. 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. Every detail was dialled in through close collaboration between our teams. The result is an instrument that invites players to explore new sounds while tapping directly into the lineage of recordings that defined modern music.” - Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer, FMIC
The guitar itself sports a thin hollow-body design, and employs Filter’Tron pickups that offer a blend of both vintage and modern voicings. The onboard Rumble Filter-inspired circuit invented allows players and engineers to easily roll-off low end frequencies and achieve recording-ready tone straight from the guitar. Crafted to address the challenge of making a guitar truly ‘studio-native’, the companies say that the Abbey Road Studiomatic stands as both a high-performance instrument and a bold statement of intent, representing a tool that’s been designed “not only for performance but to empower artists and producers in shaping their sound with precision”.
“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. 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.” - Jeremy Huffelmann, General Manager of Abbey Road Studios
Pricing & Availability
The Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic is available now, priced at $1579.99£1249 including VAT / €1499.
