Maybach Albatroz Gold Nugget — MB Nick Page

Nick Page had built a first-class reputation as a guitar maker long before he took over the Maybach Custom Shop. His own instruments were among the most sought-after boutique guitars in the German-speaking world, and when Maybach brought him on board it was clear something special would come of it.

The Gold Nugget finish is a statement. The colour shifts with the light between warm gold and an almost metallic flash, and combined with the tasteful ageing you get an instrument that manages to look classy and used at the same time. That's the balance plenty of builders miss. Nick Page is known for his ageing, and you can see why immediately: the finish wear sits logically, the hardware has aged along with it, and none of it looks constructed.

The thin mahogany body moves faster and more openly than a solid singlecut of LP thickness, the guitar responds more directly, and it has that wiry bite in the mids that holds its own in any band. Add access to the top frets you'll find on hardly any other shape, and a weight that keeps long sets comfortable.

Maybach's Custom Shop works with good components and selected timber, and you can hear it. This isn't a guitar assembled from a features list; it's a considered instrument where every part has a job.

A high-end boutique statement from Ede's Private Stock.