Rosenwasser/Grossman

Rosenwasser/Grossman is a hybrid electric guitar model developed through a collaboration between Rosenwasser Guitars and Grossman Instruments during the late 1990s. It combined design elements drawn from classic Les Paul and Stratocaster traditions while incorporating modern innovations influenced by Fender, Gibson, and boutique builders such as PRS Guitars and Suhr Guitars. The instrument found adoption among studio musicians and touring artists associated with labels and producers linked to Atlantic Records, Columbia Records, and Island Records.

History

The Rosenwasser/Grossman project began as a joint venture between Rosenwasser luthiers, who had roots in the New York City custom shop scene, and Grossman, a small Midwestern builder noted for work on session instruments used in Nashville studios. Early prototypes were shown at trade events including the NAMM Show and the Music Messe Frankfurt where they were compared to contemporaries from ESP Guitars, Jackson Guitars, and G&L Guitars. The model’s rollout coincided with a wave of late-1990s interest in hybrid designs, paralleling initiatives by Ibanez and revival efforts by Rickenbacker. Production runs were limited, with some instruments bearing serials tying them to collaborations with repair shops in Los Angeles and distribution through dealers in London and Berlin.

Design and Features

The Rosenwasser/Grossman blended a set-neck and bolt-on philosophy, offering both a mahogany set-neck variant reminiscent of Gibson Les Paul ergonomics and an alder bolt-on variant echoing Fender Stratocaster contours. Body routings allowed for pickup combinations popularized by Yngwie Malmsteen-era setups and Eric Clapton’s later configurations. Hardware choices included licensed Schaller tuners, licensed Sperzel locking machines, and bridges modeled after Floyd Rose designs. Fingerboard options were offered in rosewood, ebony, and maple, with inlays nodding to PRS Private Stock motifs and binding treatments similar to vintage Gibson Custom Shop pieces. Aesthetically, finishes referenced Sunburst traditions and custom lacquer techniques used by luthiers in the Brooklyn scene.

Audio and Technical Specifications

Electronics featured proprietary humbuckers voiced to sit between the output of Seymour Duncan SH-series units and vintage Gibson PAF characteristics; later batches offered single-coil configurations emulating the tonal palette of Fender Texas Special pickups. Wiring harnesses used CTS potentiometers and Switchcraft switches—components shared with high-end models from PRS and Suhr. Scale length options (24.75 in and 25.5 in) allowed players to emulate tonal differences found in instruments by Gibson and Fender. Some models included active preamps influenced by designs from EMG and Fishman for acoustic-electric hybrid setups. Pickup switching incorporated coil-splitting and phase reverse functions, paralleling wiring schemes used by artists associated with Steve Vai and John Mayer. Weight relief chambers and chambered-body variants addressed balance issues encountered by players who favored instruments from Gretsch and Danelectro.

Reception and Legacy

Critics in publications aligned with Guitar Player, Rolling Stone, and Vintage Guitar offered mixed but intrigued assessments, frequently comparing the Rosenwasser/Grossman to instruments from Fender Custom Shop and Gibson Custom Shop. Session musicians working with producers from Rick Rubin’s sphere and engineers from Abbey Road Studios cited the model’s versatility in tracking sessions that spanned styles associated with The Rolling Stones, U2, and Nirvana-era textures. Limited production and boutique positioning led to a collectors’ market where completed instruments were traded among dealers who also handled guitars by Tom Anderson and Nik Huber. Academic writing on instrument design occasionally references the Rosenwasser/Grossman in analyses alongside innovations by Leo Fender and Orville Gibson as part of late-20th-century hybridization trends.

Notable Uses and Collaborations

The instrument appeared on records produced by figures linked to Steve Albini, Brian Eno, and Mark Ronson, and was used in touring rigs by sidemen for acts like Beck, The Black Keys, and members of Wilco. Custom shop collaborations produced signature runs with input from artists associated with Capitol Records and Matador Records, and luthiers from the Rosenwasser/Grossman teams undertook repair and modification work for studios tied to Sun Studio and Electric Lady Studios. Boutique retailers in Tokyo, Melbourne, and Amsterdam occasionally hosted demos and clinics featuring endorsements from session players who had recorded with Tom Waits, Ani DiFranco, and PJ Harvey.

Category:Electric guitars Category:Boutique musical instruments