Rubato Guitars Start-Up Adds Carbon Neck To Line-Up

Rubato Guitars Start-Up Adds Carbon Neck To Line-Up! In August 2019, South African start-up Rubato Guitars launched its fully carbon fibre electric guitar – the Rubato Lassie – to the international music media and received an encouragingly enthusiastic response.

Their premise is that there’s always a better way to do things. And that applies as much to the materials and design processes they use to deliver an ultra-premium playing experience, as it does to the instruments and parts that come out of their workshop in Johannesburg.

Having spent the last two years building custom-shop carbon guitars for discerning collectors around the world, Rubato has now opened up its unique instruments to a wider musical audience, with the introduction of a full carbon fibre bolt-on neck for the Partscaster market.

Conforming to the same scrupulous quality and design standards as the Lassie (more on this over the page), the neck is currently geared for Strat and “offset” bodies with more models in the works, including a Tele pocket option.

Rubato Guitars adds a carbon neck to its line up September 2021

• Familiar C-shape neck profile (vs the Lassie’s proprietary C-to-D profile)
• Fretboard in classic Maple or modern Richlite (available in 16 different finishes)
• Oval dot inlays
• Classic dot or high-visibility bar fret side markers
• Grover locking tuners
• Satin or gloss finish
• Unique aluminium neck heel for a perfect pocket fit

Like the Rubato Lassie, which is constructed from a full carbon fibre monocoque (not a skin), the bolt-on neck has the inherent strength to need no truss rod and the stability to ensure it is unaffected by any changes in weather. (There’s virtually no bend in the neck, even when fitted with up to 13s in standard tuning.) And, at between 0.6–0.7kg (slightly lighter than a wood neck), there is no issue with balance or neck dive.

“The result”, says Oliver, “is an ultra-premium quality neck. It’s stunning to look at but, more important, it’s easy and comfortable to play. And because we’ve eliminated the constant hassle of having to fiddle with a truss rod, and deal with set-up changes, it can be picked up and played straight away after any amount of downtime.”