Over the last decade, Denver-based luthier Matt McGibney has built a reputation for strong tone, attention to detail, and custom builds that tell a story. It's no wonder many Colorado-based artists rely on Matt to look after their gear. On the road as the stage guitar tech for Drive By Truckers, Matt knows what it takes for an electric guitar to deliver night after night.
Matt built this Esquire Custom in 2019. While it is relatively simple in design and appearance, this Esquire Custom offers versatile tone and tells a story that is uniquely its own. For the body, Matt used a nicely-resonant piece of reclaimed Colorado Spruce. The unique grain pattern and knots in the spruce definitely provide a rustic aesthetic, but the seasoned wood produces rich tone and it's also lightweight (this guitar weighs 6 lbs 2 oz).
For the neck, Matt used a gorgeous piece of Flame Maple. As a nod to the early Leo Fender prototypes, it has a snakehead, 3-on-a-side headstock. Interestingly, it has a stout vintage-feeling profile but with a modern 12" radius and medium jumbo frets.
For a suitable pickup, Matt looked to Porter Pickups for a hand-wound custom Tele-style bridge pickup. This wax-potted pickup has staggered Alnico magnet pole pieces, and its resistance measures 6.6 k ohms. It's a great fit for this guitar, and it articulate, dynamic single coil tone.
This 2019 McGibney Esquire Custom shows some playwear and a few dings here and there, but it has no history of repairs or issues. Fretwear is minimal, and it is set up for smooth low action with 10-gauge strings. The guitar includes an unimpressive gig bag.