Now Taking Orders
The Artifact
Standard Series
Ergonomic, resonant, and unlike anything else being built today.
Now Taking Orders
Ergonomic, resonant, and unlike anything else being built today.
Ergonomic Body Design
Influenced by the iconic Selmer-Maccaferri instruments of the 1930s, the Artifact features a straight single cutaway that integrates seamlessly with the player's hip joint when seated. The meticulously calculated neck-to-body ratio ensures near-perfect balance in any playing position.
The cutaway provides unrestricted access to the upper frets without giving up structural integrity.
Body Woods
Roasted Black Swamp Ash or Roasted Linden with Sinker Redwood or Roasted Maple top
The Neck
The neck is crafted from roasted quartersawn maple for stability and sonic precision. It carries a Wenge or Macassar Ebony fretboard. Wenge is an African hardwood with an exceptional acoustic profile: remarkable sustain with the resonance of a glass plate.
The asymmetrical medium-C neck profile is carved and hand-shaped to disappear into your palm. Fingerboard edges are gently rolled, giving an immediately worn-in feeling.
Carbon fiber reinforcement runs the full length of the neck. Ultralight and extremely rigid, it increases coupling and eliminates dead spots, giving the instrument a more alive feel with greater clarity and note separation.
Bolt-Through™ Neck Joint
Conventional bolt-on necks use a small heel plate with just four bolts. The Bolt-Through™ design extends the neck heel beneath the pickups, dramatically increasing the joint's contact surface and mass. Eight machine screws connect it to threaded inserts in the body.
That expanded footprint does two things. It eliminates movement along both the X and Y axes, the deflection that typically develops in bolt-on necks over time. It also redistributes string tension away from the end of the fretboard, which enhances resonance, influences the note's fundamental, and prevents the fretboard plane deterioration that is a near-universal problem with traditional bolt-on guitars.
Every contact surface is hand-fitted, and the joint is tightened to precise torque specs. You feel it in the instrument's response: increased sustain, clearer note definition, and the certainty that it will stay in spec for decades.
coupling Bridge System
Patent Pending
Dial in your setup, then lock it into a solid mechanical foundation. The AE-CS1 bridge combines six individually adjustable saddles, an adjustable sustain block, and a securely mounted baseplate.
The sustain block places a substantial volume of metal directly beneath the bridge, and the saddle carriers and plates extend that structure under the strings. Coupling comes from how those parts connect. Tightening the locks presses broad mating surfaces together, taking up clearance and resisting movement, so the connection stays mechanically secure from the string's contact point through the bridge and its mounting structure.
Read the Design Note on electric guitar coupling
Prefer familiar hardware? The Artifact is also available with a Mastery bridge and Mastery offset vibrato in place of the AE-CS1 and Bigsby B5. Choose either pairing in the configurator below.
Complete Specifications
Build Yours
Every finish, pickguard, wood, knob, pickup, bridge and vibrato option below is a live 3D view of the instrument. Drag to rotate, pinch or scroll to zoom. When it looks right, copy the specifications or send the build straight to us.
Prefer a full-screen view? Open the configurator on its own page.
Finish Options
Each instrument is finished to order using premium lacquer. Browse the popular options below. We source from quality suppliers and maintain access to hundreds of colors. Don't see what you want? Send us a reference (a photo, a brand name, or a color description) and we'll match it or find something close.
Tortoise pickguard patterns to pair with your finish.
We offer a full range of finish aging and relicing, from closet classic all the way through ultra-heavy wear. Our cleanest finish is closet classic: light to minimal aging that includes a nick or ding or two, play wear, light handling wear, and finish checking. We don't do perfect factory-clean finishes. All relicing is hand-applied and reflects genuine wear patterns.
Finish appearance varies with lighting and wood substrate. Not finding what you're looking for? Contact us to view samples or discuss custom color options.
Starting Price
$3,999
Includes G&G Hardshell Case or Mono Gig Bag. Custom specifications available.
Tell us about the instrument you want: woods, finish, frets, and anything custom. We'll confirm the specifications and your price.
A 50% deposit places your build in the queue.
Current lead time is about six months. Lead times change, so ask for the current estimate when you inquire.
Stay in the Loop
More instruments and limited releases are on the bench. Reach out and we'll let you know the moment they're available.