Leo started out studying chemical engineering and playing classical music on the clarinet, but by the mid-1990s, his passions led him to rock 'n' roll, electric guitars, and Southern California. In a small workshop there, for the last 25 years, he’s been obsessively crafting extraordinary guitars that are collected and played by discerning artists such as Richard Fortus of Guns N’ Roses, Phil X of Bon Jovi, Doug Aldrich of Whitesnake, and Warren Cuccurullo.

Having created a single Theodore Retroliner model as part of one of his previous Master Artisan releases in cooperation with Gibson Custom, Master Artisan Leo Scala has now created a new series of ten Master Artisan interpretations of the Gibson Theodore. Like their Leo Scala-crafted predecessor, each one is distinctive, individual, and absolutely one-of-a-kind. Leo took the Theodore and added his own creative touches to the design and created gorgeous works of art that are designed to play and sound as good as they look.

– Gibson President and CEO Cesar Gueikian

Rickie began his career at Gibson, first as a binder, then in whitewood and setup in the Nashville craftory. One day, an opportunity presented itself to hand-carve a paisley design on a guitar. Though he had no formal training in wood detailing, he did have deep experience in drawing and visual arts. If he could draw it, he could carve it.

Gibson Custom’s Master Artisan Collection continues with four new guitars and a guitar and amplifier set, all hand-carved by Gibson Custom Master Artisan Rickie Hinrichsen. For this second batch, inspiration was drawn from psychedelic art, the ancient Mayan civilization, the Old West, and the beautiful Mehndi designs used in henna art.