Some guitars exist to preserve the past - homage or replica guitars - and some exist simply to express unbound creativity and joy. The LTD Monroe Astrobee is undoubtedly one of the joy-filled ones.

Gold leaf finish, a Ronin gold foil humbucker bridge pickup, vintage 'no name' gold foil neck pickup, Bigsby, stainless frets, large bakelite knobs, engraved aluminum pickguards, Korina body & neck, and a bevy of NOS switches....holy moly! We told you Gene can dream up some remarkable instruments!

The overarching goal of the Astrobee's aesthetic is to evoke the excitement of '60s-era space travel, hence the ray gun and rocket engravings on the guards. The bakelite knobs and NOS switches feel like they could've been taken straight off an Apollo control panel, don't they? In such heavy and serious times, it's appreciated to be given a great reminder to relish in a little child-like awe and excitement every now and then. It's only rock and roll but I like it!

Ronin has made a name for themselves over the years with their outstanding guitars, which showcase one very unusual feature - their humbucker gold foil pickups. Yes, you read that correctly. Ronin makes gorgeous, sparkly, nuanced, chimey gold foil humbuckers, that can also be coil-tapped. Familiar tonally in some ways, these pickups are a breath of fresh air in an otherwise single-coil and humbucker world.

Paired with an old 'no name' vintage gold foil and the array of phase, series/parallel, & coil-tap switches on the Astrobee, Gene seems to be inviting you to participate in his joyous creative exploration - you can pull almost whatever sounds you want from this guitar while going deep into exploring the vast unknown. It's brilliant, cool, and a hell of a lot of fun . Thank you for the reminder, Gene!!