This historic collaboration marks the first time Abbey Road's legendary RS numbering has been awarded to a musical instrument.
Gretsch and Abbey Road Studios have joined forces to create the Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic, a guitar designed specifically for recording that incorporates technology developed by Abbey Road’s engineering team directly into its signal path.
Catch up on all the latest news here.
For the first time in history, Abbey Road Studios has assigned its prestigious Recording Studio (RS) number to a musical instrument. The RS201 designation places the Studiomatic alongside legendary studio equipment in Abbey Road’s storied lineage of technical innovations—from stereo sound to Artificial Double Tracking.
Central to this collaboration is a circuit inspired by the classic RS 97 Rumble Filter, originally designed by EMI engineers at Abbey Road in the ’50s to remove very low-frequency and mechanical vibrations from recordings. Built directly into the guitar, this onboard filter allows players and engineers to roll off low-end frequencies on the fly, achieving recording-ready tone without external processing. It’s a clever solution to the age-old challenge of taming muddy low-mids in the mix, giving guitarists remarkable tonal control while retaining clarity and warmth.
The partnership celebrates two iconic brands with deep musical legacies. Gretsch’s dedication to hand-craftsmanship has earned endorsements from legendary artists including George Harrison of The Beatles, while Abbey Road Studios has shaped the sound of modern recording since the 1930s, hosting everyone from Kate Bush and Fela Kuti to Oasis and Amy Winehouse.
“Partnerships like this are the kind guitarists dream about,” said Max Gutnik, Chief Product Officer of FMIC. “Every detail was dialled in through close collaboration between our teams. The result is an instrument that invites players to explore new sounds while tapping directly into the lineage of recordings that defined modern music.”
Built as a thin hollow-body guitar, the Studiomatic features custom Filter’Tron pickups that blend vintage inspiration with modern voicing. Through an intensive development process that involved shipping components between Gretsch and Abbey Road engineers, exchanging detailed feedback and meticulously refining each element, both teams engineered a guitar specifically optimised for studio recording.
“The RS 201 assignation is a testament to the technical innovation encompassed in this unique instrument,” said Jeremy Huffelmann, General Manager of Abbey Road Studios. “It has been a joy to collaborate with our friends at Gretsch, and we couldn’t be more excited to hear the music it inspires in guitarists around the world.”
The Limited Edition Abbey Road RS201 Studiomatic is available now through authorised Gretsch dealers worldwide and at Grestch. For enquiries, head to Fender.
