Maybach Lester '57 Custom New-Look Electric guitar

Maybach Lester Black Velvet '57 Custom New-Look – Single-Cut Custom in Glossy Black

The Maybach Lester Black Velvet '57 Custom New-Look is a handcrafted single-cut electric guitar modelled on the specifications of the late 1950s custom models. The Custom version adds ebony fingerboard, block inlays, multi-ply binding and gold hardware, while the New-Look polyurethane finish gives the black body a clean, glossy look instead of aged lacquer.

Body and Finish

The body follows the proven single-cut recipe of mahogany with a glued-on maple top: mahogany brings warmth and sustain, maple adds definition and brilliance. Selected woods and a carefully chosen weight relief keep every Lester under 4 kg, so the guitar stays comfortable during long gigs.

• Body: Mahogany with Enhanced Resonance System
• Top: Glued-on maple
• Binding: ABS with 5-ply W-B-W-B-W purfling
• Finish: New-Look polyurethane, gloss black

Neck and Fingerboard

The glued-in solid mahogany neck carries a bone nut and Wagner medium-jumbo frets that make bending easy and give clean articulation. The 628 mm scale and 12" radius offer the familiar feel of classic set-neck guitars for both chords and lead playing.

• Neck: Solid mahogany, glued-in (set neck)
• Neck profile: Big C (50s fat neck)
• Neck thickness: approx. 23 mm at the 1st fret, 25.5 mm at the 12th fret
• Fingerboard: Ebony, 12" radius, 22 Wagner 9662 medium-jumbo frets
• Inlays: Block
• Nut: Bone, 42.8 mm wide
• Scale length: 628 mm

Pickups and Hardware

Maybach fits its guitars with hand-wound Amber pickups that aim for a lively vintage sound: slightly nasal mids, firm bass and silky highs. Gotoh SD-90 Relic tuners and a Tune-o-matic bridge keep the guitar in tune and intonated.

• Pickups: 2 × Amber Spirit of 59 humbuckers
• Controls: 2 × volume, 2 × tone, 3-way switch
• Knobs: Black Top Hat
• Bridge: Tune-o-matic with stopbar tailpiece
• Tuners: Gotoh SD-90 Relic
• Hardware: Gold
• Included: Maybach case, truss rod wrench, certificate
• Origin: Made in the Czech Republic, final inspection and setup in Germany

Who Is It For

The Lester is made for rock and blues players who want the sound and feel of a classic single-cut from the late 1950s in a handcrafted European instrument. It works just as well for clean rhythm parts as for crunchy riffs and singing leads.

Maybach – Handmade in Europe

Maybach guitars are handmade in Europe: this instrument was built in the Czech Republic, and each guitar receives its final inspection and setup in Germany. The Amber pickups used by Maybach are also available separately or as a set as replacement parts.