Mateus Asato and Suhr have rekindled their partnership for not one, but two all-new signature guitars – a companion for the neo-soul star’s black Tele-style electric guitar and a fresh Gold Foil-equipped alternative.
It’s safe to say that Asato’s first two signature six-strings were some of the cleanest-looking – and nicest-sounding – iterations of Suhr’s Classic S and Classic T templates at the time. Indeed, the 2020 T model, with its black finish and gold hardware, had the looks to match Asato’s dreamy playing style.
The exact same can be said for both of these stunning Mateus Asato Classic T II models, which see the fretboard master double down on his affinity for Telecaster playability with a pair of drool-worthy single-cuts.
As Asato notes on Instagram, the conventionally spec’d model – which was the first of the pair to be made – was seen as “the other half” of his black T instrument, and stuck to the precedent set by its predecessor save an aesthetic overhaul and the appointment of a reverse headstock.
The second model, though, was a happy accident: after Asato began to dabble with Gold Foil pickups, he quickly “fell in love with the sound of them” and as such asked Suhr if it’d be kind enough to create a second signature guitar.
The result, according to Asato – who demonstrated both his breath-taking playing and the tonal capacity of both models in an announcement video – is “a fine combination of modernity and vintage”, with the Gold Foil model featuring a standard non-reverse headstock.
Both guitars feature the same fundamental specs: an alder body – finished in custom MA White Gloss – is paired with a Mateus Asato Custom Neck Profile roasted maple neck and an Indian rosewood fingerboard, with heavy stainless steel frets and a 9”-12” compound radius also making the cut.
Other universal appointments include a matte gold plastic pickguard, Suhr locking tuners, color-matched headstocks and a TUSQ nut.
Of course, the guitars differentiate in the pickup and hardware department. The standard model – formally labeled “01-SIG-0045” – features a pair of Mateus Asato Classic T single-coils, as well as a Wilkinson 3 Saddle Classic T bridge piece.
The 01-SIG-0046, meanwhile, boasts a pair of Lollar Gold Foil bridge and neck pickups, which line up alongside a Gotoh 510 2-point tremolo with solid saddles. The control circuit remains the same for each model: a three-way switch, and master volume and tone knobs are tasked with sculpting the sound.
In his announcement post, Asato also took the opportunity to tease his upcoming debut solo album, confirming that we’ll be hearing both models on the effort whenever it arrives.
Price-wise, the standard Classic T II is available for $3,849, while the Gold Foil alternative is priced at $4,299.
For more information, head over to Suhr.
