R8 000
Cypress, Pau Marfim, Chrome Hardware, Bowtie Inlays
The idea was simple: take one of the most influential guitar designs ever made — the single-pickup Esquire — and strip away everything that doesn’t need to be there.
The body is cypress — light, stable, and easy on the shoulder for long sessions. It has an open, airy voice that stays clear and articulate rather than heavy or boomy, and under a slick Osmo oil finish it takes on a natural, broken-in look that only improves with age.
The neck is Pau Marfim, sometimes called Brazilian Ivorywood — a stable, strong alternative to maple that holds its shape beautifully over time. Paired with a compound radius fretboard, it gives a fast, consistent feel across the whole neck, from open chords to the top frets. Bowtie inlays and chrome hardware keep the look classic and understated, right in step with the rest of the build.
At the bridge sits a single 8k Alnico III pickup — no switching, no compromise. It’s the same philosophy as the rest of the guitar: one honest, well-voiced pickup instead of two fighting for space. Alnico III gives a softer, slightly compressed output than the hotter Alnico V, with plenty of snap and clarity, and rolling back the volume and tone knobs takes it from biting twang to warm and rounded without ever losing definition. It’s a design that asks the player to do more with less — and that’s exactly the point.