As engineers, we revel in the innovation process - as long as the resulting evolution has real value and purpose. For our first Rubato model, we’ve kept much of what we already love about guitars and concentrated on making refinements to elements that most impact the playing experience: guitar weight, fret access, pick-up mounting and string action.
Ultra-stiff carbon fibre monocoque
- No warping
- No electronic hum
- Set up for life
The body and neck are integrated in a single monocoque (shell), made from high-performance carbon fibre, and the impressive strength and rigidity of the material means the guitar needs no truss rod. So, other than intonation, it’s set up for life.
Other big benefits of carbon fibre?
- There’s virtually no bend in the neck. (Even when fitted with 13-guage strings)
- Its conductive properties shield the electronics, which effectively eliminates hum.
- Temperature and humidity have zero effect, so there’s no danger of warping.
Light, balanced handling
The lighter the guitar, the easier and more intuitive it is to play. At just 2.5kg (5.5lbs), the Rubato Lassie is well balanced and comfortable to handle.
Seamless fret access
The music we make is limited by the frets our fingers can reach, so the Rubato Lassie is constructed to give unrestricted access all the way up to Fret 24.
The seamlessness of the Rubato Lassie’s monocoque, combined with the smooth, satin feel of the carbon fibre, makes it easy to access every last fret.
- There’s no neck-heel joint to navigate around
- The shallow, curved ‘C’ profile of the neck sits naturally in the hand
- The hand glides fluidly along the full length of the neck without sticking
The result? Music without limits.
Next-level pick-up mounting
- Robust, secure mounting = more control
- No wobble
- Reduced feedback hypersensitivity
Whether you prefer your pick-ups flush with the guitar body, or cranked right up to the strings, they need to stay in place in order to nail the tone you’re after.
To make that easier, we’ve developed a robust, securely fixed pick-up mounting that gives more precise control over the string height, without the usual ‘wobble’ or tilting. It’s backed by a rubber pad, which also means the pickup isn’t affected by unwanted vibration from the guitar body and there’s less feedback hypersensitivity.
Zero-fret string guide
Ultra-low friction on the strings keeps a guitar in tune for longer.
Tuning stability improves markedly when the friction on your strings is reduced, so we’ve designed an ultra-low friction string guide that helps the Rubato stay in tune. Positioned just behind the zero fret, it holds all the strings at a 6-degree break angle, which ensures they are well seated and there’s no risk of them sticking or binding while you’re playing.