Supro's revival has taken the MI industry by storm since the company's iconic lightning bolt logo made its return at the 2014 Winter NAMM Show.
Building on a storied legacy that dates to the origins of rock and the first electrified instruments, Supro has now announced the introduction of 14 new electric guitars based on the best-selling vintage models from this legendary American brand.
The look and sound of Supro guitars is instantly recognizable due to their distinctive Art Deco style and historic associations with guitarists including a young Jimi Hendrix (Ozark), Link Wray and David Bowie (Dual-Tone) as well as modern-day blues heroes, Joe Perry of Aerosmith (Ozark) and Dan Auerbach of the Black Keys (Martinique).
Working with master-designer Trev Wilkinson, vintage pickup expert Ken Calvet and virtuoso luthier Glenn Sweetwood, Supro USA has updated the playability of these classic designs while meticulously capturing the period-correct electronics and unique construction details that set the original Chicago-made Supro models apart from their contemporary rivals back in the Sixties.
ABOVE: Supro Belmont
The Americana Series guitars are replicas of the Supro "reso-glass" instruments, uniquely constructed with a chambered mahogany body and resonant molded top. This semi-hollow recipe retains the unique sonic characteristics of the vintage Supros while providing today's musicians with a lightweight, highly playable instrument that stays in tune and is easy to maintain. The 10 distinctive models in the Americana reissue series come loaded with authentic "Vistatone" pickups, which reproduce the groundbreaking, single-coil design developed by Valco in the early 1950s.
These historic reissues are available in two body styles with a range of available hardware options, including piezo body sensors and a newly developed floating vibrato system. Americana Series guitars range in price from $699 to $1299 USD.
ABOVE: Supro Martinique
The Island Series guitars are updated, high-performance instruments based on the 1962 version of the Supro Ozark. The timeless curves of this vintage solidbody design have been enhanced with ergonomic set-neck construction, satin-neck finish and comfortable 12" radius with rolled fretboard edges.
All three of the Supro Island Series models come equipped with vintage Gold Foil pickups—accurate replicas of the original Supro "Clear-tone" pickups of the Fifties and Sixties. These unique, field-coil pickups are low-noise single coils with no pole pieces, an extra-wide magnetic field and a huge, broadband tone.
The Island Series guitars are available in single, double and triple pickup configurations with a range of unique metallic colors as well as black, white or tobacco flame maple. Island Series guitars range in price from $899 (Jamesport) to $1,199 USD (Hampton w/flame top). Supro guitars will make their public debut at the NAMM Show in Anaheim, California, January 19 to 22, 2017.
ABOVE: Supro Hampton
Supro guitars are in stock now and shipping to authorized Supro dealers around the world.
For more information, check out the two videos below, visit suprousa.com/guitars and say hello to the Supro gang at this week's Winter NAMM Show.
For all of Guitar World's 2017 Winter NAMM Show coverage, head here.
