Renowned acoustic guitar manufacturer Atkin Guitars has decided to go electric, with its first foray being the Eighty-Five: “a sophisticated shredding machine for the year 2021.”

The electric forgoes all limitations that come from Atkin’s acoustic heritage – there’s no vintage correct scalloped bracing, and there’s no purfled binding or soundhole rosette. There is, however, a single high-output humbucker (a DiMarzio Super Distortion or a Bare Knuckle Aftermath) and a colour scheme that evokes being knocked unconscious by a neon sign. A sign that reads “1985.”

On most Atkin guitars, you can’t do dramatic divebomb-style pitch bends. Well, you can’t do them more than once. This is a problem solved expertly by the Eighty-Five, which comes with a floating Floyd Rose-style Gotoh vibrato and locking nut. Other construction points include a two-piece poplar body, with a bolt-on scarfed maple neck, a 25.5-inch scale and the option of a rosewood or maple fingerboard.

In case all of these aggressive  specifications are a bit much, Atkin thankfully included a coil-split option thanks to the single push-pull CTS volume knob, so you can achieve single-coil clarity during those tender ballads as easily as blistering face-melting shred.

Alister Atkin explains the Eighty-Five’s introduction thusly: “As children of the 80s, it felt only right that our first electric guitar should take us back to the era that inspired so many. The Eighty-Five is our loving tribute to all that is cool about the loudest, boldest period in rock history.”

The press release continues: “Embodying the spirit of 1985, the Eighty-Five’s killer five-colour nitrocellulose finish really stands out from the crowd. Whether you’re jamming out to some Huey Lewis, or shredding some Van Halen, this bold finish will really get you noticed. The back of the neck has a hand-rubbed satin oil finish, topped off with a coat of carnauba wax for a slick and sumptuous playing experience that’ll really take you back in time.”

Sceptical about the guitar’s existence, given the date? Think it’s just a Photoshop creation? Check out the video demo below and have your scepticism shredded away.

Find out more about the Atkin Eighty-Five here.

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