With player-first design at its core, the Show Pony from Tone Ranger Guitars blends classic inspiration with modern ergonomics and boutique-level execution.

Handmade by Jeff Mark Leavitt in Los Angeles, the Show Pony riffs on the silhouette of vintage Gretsch solid bodies, but with updated proportions that favor comfort, balance, and access. The neck is subtly shifted forward and the waist extended, giving seated players a more natural feel while eliminating neck dive when strapped in (acoustic-leaning players will love the 1 3/4" nut, a rarity in the electric world).

We first encountered Jeff's work at the 2025 Fretboard Summit in Chicago and were taken by the brand, concept, and of course the quality and tone of the instruments themselves. It's hard to pinpoint, but these guitars conjure a feeling of a distant time and place in American culture - the landscape photo sums it up perfectly. There's just something playful and cool about Jeff's approach, reflected beautifully in the headstock design and logo and quality of his work. He's as passionate about guitar making as he is the American West and it shows the second you sit down with this guitar.

Tonally, it’s every bit as versatile as it is visually striking, covering ground from the sparkle of the Nashville sound to the snap and bite of Bakersfield twang, with plenty of room to make it entirely your own. Loaded with premium components and made from reclaimed Southern California “urban forest” tonewoods, the Show Pony honors its roots - quite literally - by transforming once-forgotten city trees into resonant instruments with a second life.

Its barely-there finish, western-themed F-holes (with the really cool detail of a black painted cavity loaded with glitter to mimic the night sky), and turquoise dot inlays call to mind the stencil painted flattops from the '30s and '40s, where utility and ornament met in true folk art fashion. That same spirit lives on here: a guitar made to be played hard, admired often, and passed down with pride.

(photo: Chris Blake)