Duesenberg

Duesenberg marked their beginnings with innovation and catering for niches in the guitar market. They were responsible for the world’s first electric guitar kits in their previous incarnation as Rockinger guitars and the first ever fine-tuning tremolo, later renamed on the US market as “The Eddie van Halen Tremolo”. In the early 1980s, production of more tremolos, such as the Tellybrato and Lestrem, pick-ups such as the beloved P-90, pick guards and guitar bodies and necks, led to growth in the company and the production of the first Duesenberg guitar in 1986.

One of the more weird and wonderful brands out there, Duesenberg stand out for their aesthetic as much as for their craft and innovation. Known for their Art Deco style applications and unconventional colouring, their shape and design harks back to the craftsmanship in guitar design of the 50’s and 60’s. It was this stand-out design that gained them growth in sales when singer Sheena Ringo hit top 5 charts in Japan playing one of their mint green Starplayer series, leading to over a thousand sales for the brand.

Their Starplayer semi-hollow series has undergone many different makeovers over the years. Featuring a sustain-center-block, maple neck and arched back as well as an arched spruce top with a single f-hole, each with a unique finish. Signature models include the Starplayer TV Mike Campbell (of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers), Chris Whitley and Ron Wood (The Rolling Stones).

Duesenberg are serious about craft. The wood, hardware and pickups are all of highly evolved design, which they continue to refine to this day. Since 2009, every instrument is processed in the PLEK machine, a CNC based system that cuts and levers each fret within a tolerance of 1/100 of a millimeter. With names like Bon Jovi, Bob Dylan, Slash and John Mayer as fans, they’ve got the prof in the players!