Gibson Custom Shop Archive Collection Theodore Electric Guitar - Ebony

Gibson’s legendary former president Theodore ‘Ted’ McCarty helped develop some of the most iconic electric guitars ever during the 1950s and early 1960s, including the Les Paul™, ES-335, Flying V™, Explorer™, SG™, and Firebird™ models. He enjoyed sketching new instrument ideas during meetings, and the height of his creative output was in 1957 when he sought to modernize Gibson’s electric guitar designs significantly.

On March 18th, 1957, Ted detailed and signed his drawing for a new solid body instrument which was never produced…until now. Gibson Custom Shop is proud to present the “Theodore,” inspired by Ted McCarty’s original drawing and notes. Its unique features include an alder body, scimitar headstock, double Florentine cutaways, and a walnut center strip. The lightweight, balanced construction is extremely comfortable, and the powerful P-90 pickups produce effortless sustain and a rich diversity of tones.

This very special Archive Collection run is limited to just 318 total instruments offered in three colors: Natural, Cherry, and Ebony. Each includes a Historic-style brown/pink case, a premium leather strap, a print of the original signed drawing, a 1957-style catalog page print, and a deluxe Certificate of Authenticity booklet.

Standard Specifications

General Info