Rodriguez Buxton #392 2-Tone Tobacco Burst

Thomas Rodriguez's take on a rare late '50s Crestwood, in a vintage-correct tobacco burst that nails (and elevates) the old Epiphone look.

Our latest Buxton captures something the others haven't - aesthetically, that is. The sunburst on this build pulls it closer to a vintage Epiphone than any Buxton we've had come through (along with the iconic knobs). Of all the ones we've handled, this is the one that nails that look.

New to Rodriguez guitars? Suffice it to say, we're thrilled to be working with the extraordinarily talented Thomas Rodriguez. Based in Virginia, Thomas has been building guitars, including highly regarded nylon strings, for the last 35 years, alongside fellow VA-based contemporaries Lindy Fralin and Bill Callaham.

Released alongside the student-model, single-pickup Coronet in 1958, the Crestwood (Thomas calls his the Buxton) represented the higher end of the two solidbody models Gibson introduced under their newly acquired Epiphone brand. Think of the Coronet as a Les Paul Junior and its bigger brother the Crestwood as a Les Paul Standard. Gibson built these first-version solidbodies in very low numbers, which factors into their rarity and general lack of familiarity even among astute vintage electric aficionados. At their core, they're a unique take on the timeless recipe that made legends of the Les Paul, the SG, and so many other mahogany-bodied Gibson electrics.

Thomas brings this early design back to the forefront with a level of build quality few can rival. Combining lightweight tonewoods, excellent pickups and hardware, and precise fit and finish, this Crestwood-style Buxton is without question the best modern version of the guitar we've come across. Playability and feel shine here, capturing genuine vintage sensibility without some of the clunkiness we occasionally run into with older instruments. Thomas's eye for design shows throughout. Gibson/Epiphone purists might catch a nod to the old Epiphone "bikini" headstock badge used on many Epiphone instruments from the late 1930s through Gibson's first few years of ownership. Rather than a metal badge, Thomas inlays a beautiful piece of maple into the headstock in the shape of the original, with the Rodriguez insignia elegantly overlaid on top. A minor detail, sure, but Rodriguez doesn't overlook anything, big or small.

Now for the good stuff: a gorgeous two-piece flame maple top, one-piece Honduran mahogany body, and mahogany neck, paired with a MojoAxe wraparound tailpiece and a sweet-sounding set of Fralin Pure PAF humbuckers, yielding the instant-classic tones we love in an old Les Paul. The Fralins lean toward the clearer, low-to-medium output side, working just as well for clean tones as they do gained up.

As you can probably tell, we're absolutely loving this guitar, along with the others we've gotten to play from Thomas. Some builders' guitars have "it," and Thomas's 100% do. These are truly special instruments, and we're proud to represent his work. Priced with hardshell case.