Famous Oregon Guitar Inventor Creates Vibrations As He Unveils New Jazz Design
Rossco Wright, guitar-design engineer, has imagined and forged guitars so innovative, they could not be contained on earth. One of Wright’s “SoloEtte” Guitars traveled more than 376 million miles.
This story is sponsored by Rossco Wright
By Tom Peterson
Rossco Wright, Oregon master guitar craftsman, has imagined and forged guitar designs so innovative and tough they have traveled the expanse of outer space.
In fact, Wright’s SoloEtte has traveled more than 376,000,000 miles and orbited Earth more than 15,000 times.
Wright, started his career in St. Louis, Missouri in the late ‘60s as a full-time professional guitar-repair technician said he tired of seeing thousands of broken guitars as the imbalanced head-heavy instruments fell headfirst and broke like spaghetti.
So, Wright tucked the tuning gears back on the other end, and it became shorter and so unbreakable that a “travel-guitar” was born. In 1993, his innovative SoloEtte Travel Guitar began to amass great popularity in elite circles due to its rugged and efficient design.
Shown here: The Wright Pegbox™ is oriented behind the bridge of the guitar.
The quality of this guitar could not be ignored.
It caught the eye of Sharon Isbin, the Department Head of Classical Guitar Studies at Julliard School of Music in NYC.
She played it. She endorsed it, and she now travels the world with it.
Demand for Wright’s high quality jazz guitars picked up. And Wright went from selling a few guitars to having handcrafted nearly 5,320 headless guitars in his woodworking shop in Eugene, Oregon.
The Wright Stuff
Wright’s invention could not be contained. It literally left the planet.
In 1995, Canadian Astronaut Chris Hadfield saw a young engineer playing the SoloEtte on the Lockheed campus in Houston.
Hadfield landed on an idea.
As part of the gift-giving with Russian Cosmonauts, he decided to bring a SoloEtte when they traveled to the Mir space station. He gave it to Cosmonaut friend Thomas Reiter.
Pictured: Thomas Arthur Reiter playing “SoloEtte.” Reiter is a now retired European astronaut and is a Brigadier General in the German Air Force currently working as ESA Interagency Coordinator and Advisor to the Director General at the European Space Agency.
In 2000, Wright licensed the SoloEtte trademark to Aria guitars, which then sold it en masse.
Wright’s attention next turned to a refinement of his headless design that is turning the jazz guitar world on its pegs.
He envisioned the NiteCat design in 2013 and set to work hand-crafting it in his woodworking shop.
What emerged is guitar unlike any other.
Scott Emmons, Dean, UWM Peck School of the Arts playing his NightCat Jazz Guitar
Due to careful handcrafting the NiteCat has an easy balance, and easier tuning.
Other advantages include the familiar “hand-stop” at the top, ease of hanging on a guitar stand or guitar hook, and there’s no head to break off or hit on things or your bandmates.
The guitar and the case are also 5 inches shorter than a standard guitar. Meaning the NiteCat can fit sideways in the back of your car more easily than most.
With a hollow body, a Humbucker pickup, and the tone and aesthetic of a fine jazz guitar the NiteCat is the embodiment of progression in modern guitar design.
The appeal of a Wright guitar is simply undeniable, making it perfect for musicians, collectors, and anyone who wants to stand out of the crowd.
In short, this guitar has been handcrafted by the best for the best.
Add this guitar to your collection today by clicking here.
