Like Leica did with rocker and photographer Lenny Kravitz, the German cameramaker has joined forces with The Police guitarist Andy Summers to launch a limited-edition camera set to go along with his new custom Fender Strat.
Billed with imagery that’s as stunning as the collection itself, the custom Leica M Monochrom “Signature” camera features a collage of artsy snaps from the legendary musician’s eclectic photo repertoire—one depicts adventurers hiking up China’s Yellow Mountain and another was captured during one of Summers’ concerts—as well as a red line engraving of his autograph, silver operational hardware and a glossy paint finish.
Also included with purchase is a Leica Summicron-M f/2 35mm ASPH lens adorned with a vintage round hood, a Fender-inspired strap and a black Oberwerth leather bag.
The design echoes that of Summers’ new signature Fender Custom Shop Strat, which boasts similar aesthetic elements.
Guitar.com has further details on the instrument:
The guitar was created by Fender Custom Shop Master Builder Dennis Galuszka, and in addition to the unique collage body wrap of the two-piece alder body, the Monochrome Stratocaster features a NOS urethane finish one-piece riftsawn maple neck with ’63 C neck profile, a classic 7.25-inch fingerboard radius and 21 medium-vintage frets.
The guitar also features a custom clear pickguard and backplate to show off more of the guitar’s unique finish, and in a nod to the camera that inspired the instrument, the 12th fret features the iconic Leica ‘red dot’ inlay, while the control knobs are also Leica-inspired.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to have the opportunity to work with two leading producers of two fundamental instruments I hold close to my heart, Leica Camera and Fender,” Summers said of the set.
“I’ve always thought of my photographic experience as tearing pages from a book and then reshuffling the results into a new visual syntax, and the collage-forward design…is the physical embodiment of just that.”
Limited to just 50 examples worldwide, Summers’ M Monochrom “Signature” set is on sale now at Leica retailers for $14,995, and the Custom Shop Monochrome Andy Summers Strat is available through Fender for $12,500.
