Leica Camera, Fender Custom Shop Collaboration
photo: fender
A flawless union of supreme craftsmanship, rock ‘n’ roll and photography comes to life with the introduction of Leica and Fender Custom Shop’s limited-edition camera-Stratocaster® guitar pairing. Created in collaboration with Andy Summers, an accomplished photographer, former member of the Grammy® award-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame-inducted band The Police and one of the greatest guitarists in the world, the LEICA M MONOCHROM “Signature” camera and Fender Custom Shop Andy Summers Monochrome Strat® represent a striking synergy of music and photography.
photo: fender
A true virtuoso of his craft, Summer’s latest album, Triboluminescence, showcases his versatile abilities to perform remarkably with an array of instruments including the guitar, bass, drums, banjo, keyboards and more. A true renaissance man, Summers can stay in-tune with both musical and photographic instruments, as well. A world-class Leica photographer, Summers has worked with photography for 36 years, even developing a number of books and exhibitions to showcase his work.
Mirroring Leica’s dedication to unparalleled craftsmanship, well-known manufacturer of stringed instruments and amplifiers, Fender, as well as the Custom Shop, have a long tradition of building signature guitars as a tribute to some of the world’s greatest musicians.
“Art and creativity take many forms and Andy Summers has wed two of his passions throughout his career – music and photography. Touring the world as a musician enabled a wealth of experiences and moments to occur that he captured beautifully, and now for Fender and Leica to team up with Andy and fuse the both visual and the sonic realms together has been inspiring to say the least. A lot of work went into this collection, and it’s unlike anything we’ve done before.”
photo: fender
A work of art—in partnership with Leica Camera—the Andy Summers Monochrome Strat is a celebration of the arts that inspire him. Crafted by Fender Custom Shop Masterbuilder Dennis Galuszka, this Strat is custom-wrapped with a collage of monochrome photos taken by Summers with his Leica M cameras. Combining the two worlds of photography and music, this collaborative effort showcases his photos, as well as the masterful craftsmanship and style that can only be found in the Fender Custom Shop. The two-piece select alder body wears a NOS urethane finish while the strong, stable one-piece riftsawn maple neck has a comfortable “’63 C”- shaped profile. The 7.25”-radius fingerboard features 21 medium-vintage frets, along with a red camera dot inlay at the 15th fret. The trio of hand-wound Custom Shop ‘60s Strat pickups have authentic Fender tone, are connected via Vintage Modified #2 wiring and controlled with cool, Leica-style volume and tone knobs. Other features include Summer’s signature engraved on the neck plate, a custom Clear pickguard and back plate, an American Vintage synchronized tremolo, bone nut and wing string tree. It also includes a deluxe hardshell case, custom strap and Certificate of Authenticity.
To honor Summer’s work, and as a complement to the guitar, Leica created the LEICA M MONOCHROM “Signature.” The limited-edition camera features intricate design elements from the Andy Summers Monochrome Strat, such as a leatherette that matches a collage from Summer’s legendary photo collection that also appears on the guitar and a thin red line engraving running along the side of the entire body. On the other hand, the guitar includes features of the camera, including the silver operation elements. The finished products are a true reflection of the epitome of thoughtful design expertise.