Ernie Ball Music Man has gone into the paint cupboard and refreshed Omar Rodríguez-López's signature Mariposa Deluxe with a couple of new finish options that really complement the gold hardware and make for two of the most striking electric guitars of the year
Now available in Galaxy Pearl and vintage Sahara Sunset, the Mariposa Deluxe is an exquisite instrument – and unique, too. Its angular body gives it a retro-futuristic look, while the matching floral pickguard with designed by Miami artist Peter Santa-Maria is like a silk pocket square on a perfectly tailored suit.
Elsewhere, the specs remain the same, with the Mariposa Deluxe comprising a lightweight body of solid okoume, a bolt-on select roasted maple neck topped by an ebony fingerboard with a 10" radius and 22 high-profile, medium width frets. Its Atlante Blocks inlay gives it a certain custom shop je ne sais quoi.
There are a pair of gold-covered custom wound humbuckers at the neck and bridge positions, with the accompanying control circuit well shielded from unwanted hum and noise by a graphite acrylic resin coated body cavity and aluminum control cover.
As with the Mariposa Standard (offered in Dorado Green only, with chrome hardware) control circuit is interesting, in that there are two 500K pots, one for each pickup, a three-way toggle switch and no tone control. EBMM describes this as a tethered tone circuit, in which there is a passive interaction between both volume pots that adjusts the amount of high-end.
The build is completed with typically luxurious appointments such as the locking Schaller M6-IND tuners and Music Man Modern tremolo with chevron cover and vintage bent steel saddles. And you've got gunstock oil and hand-rubbed special wax blend on the neck for that high-end EBMM feel.
The new Mariposa Deluxes are shipping now, priced £3,444 / $3,099. Other finish options include Imperial White. See Ernie Ball Music Man for more details.
