Thorn Guitars | The Music Emporium

Meet the new Thorn Piatta

Piatta Body Shape

While the Piatta's body silhouette is inspired by twin pickup / slab body designs from the 50s, Ron has put his own distinctive spin on it. Ie, it's far more elegant and refined. Note the Florentine-style cutaway.

Pickups

This model features P90 style pickups made by Ron himself in combination with Ron Ellis pickups. The Piatta can be ordered in a variety of configurations from P90/P90 to P90/Humbucker to Humbucker/Humbucker. Ron is using a blend of his own pickups and Ellis pickups depending on the configuration.

Neck Joint

The Piatta's neck joint features a long tenon, in the style of the 50s Korina-bodied guitars Gibson was making. The result? Increased stability, increased resonance.

Hidden Fret Ends

Thorn's fingerboards feature "hidden fret ends", a process Ron pioneered years ago. Each fret slot is curved and stops .070" from the edge of the fretboard prior to installing each fret. This serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, creating a clean look and eliminating the chance of fret-sprout in the future.

Hardware

The Piatta features Ron's new Knuckle Wrap bridge which has been engineered for accurate intonation, increased string to string clarity, and superior energy transfer (string vibration to the body).

Meet the Thorn SoCal C/S

SoCal C/S Body Shape

The Califonia Special's unique body shape creates a really comfortable seated playing experience. The shortened lower horn allows for effortless upper fret access while also placing the neck at the perfect playing position when seated.

Thorn VC-50 Pickups

Each VC-50 pickup is wound in-house, allowing for ultimate control over tone and quality. The unique placement of the 3 single coil pickups on the C/S allows for a wider range of familiar-yet-new Strat-like tones.

*Pictured with Thorn's 1-Piece Trem.

Precision Lock Neck Joint

Ron's design joins the neck and body via a custom CNC-machined dovetail lap joint which results in 8% more contact surface area vs traditional neck joints. This design yields an incredibly solid coupling of the neck and body along with increased sustain.

Hidden Fret Ends

Thorn's fingerboards feature "hidden fret ends", a process Ron pioneered years ago. Each fret slot is curved and stops .070" from the edge of the fretboard prior to installing each fret. This serves both an aesthetic and functional purpose, creating a clean look and eliminating the chance of fret-sprout in the future.

Hardware

The California Special offers three unique, Thorn bridge designs:

a Tail-Side Vibrato (pictured)
a 1-Piece Trem
a Hardtail

All three designs offer exceptional tone, string to string balance, and tuning stability.

No String Tree

Ron designed the neck angle of the California Special to allow enough drop on the headstock to eliminate the need for a string tree. Coupled with staggered locking tuners and a lubricant infused nut, the lack of a string tree results in greater tuning stability and easier behind-the-nut bends.

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Under The Influence | Celebrating Women In Music

In celebration of Women’s Month, our latest Under The Influence Spotify playlist highlights some of our favorite female artists—past and present—who continue to inspire us with their sound, stories, and creative force. From trailblazers who redefined genres to rising voices shaping the future of music, this mix is a tribute to the women who’ve left an undeniable mark on the musical landscape. Give it a listen and discover the artists who move us.

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THORN CUSTOM GUITARS

Meet the new Thorn Piatta

Meet the Thorn SoCal C/S

Previously Sold