Maybach '59 Convair Aged Bullion Gold Relic (2025, new)

NEW: Maybach Custom Shop '59 Convair in aged gold, with a fat neck.

Nick Page had already built a first-class reputation in the boutique scene with his own high-end guitars before he took over as head of the Maybach Custom Shop.

With the Convair he's come up with a strikingly handsome design — entirely its own thing, inventive, and yet somehow immediately familiar. It doesn't just look the part; it delivers the sounds to match, with a set of Amber Spirit of '59s fitted.

Through an amp the Convair is hugely dynamic, with an open but substantial core tone. At the bridge you get a forceful tone with plenty of sustain and enough midrange to go with it. In the middle position it's bell-like and open. At the neck it turns warmer and creamier and the guitar sings, especially with a little drive behind it. High-gain sounds come with near-endless sustain and no mud in the bass.

Compared with the '60s Convairs, the '59 versions are a touch more focused in the mids, with perhaps slightly more sustain and softer highs.

Note the charming, subtle ageing with its fine checking and the way it plays against the smart binding — and the colour shifts noticeably depending on the light.

Our good relationship with Nick and Maybach let us pick out a pleasantly light example at 3.69 kg, and we've had it PLEK treated on top.