Lipe Guitars USA Brochure - NAMM

Lipe Guitars USA 

Brochure 

www.lipeguitars.com

www.lipeguitars.com 

Mike Lipe for decades was creating, building, and customizing guitars exclusively for 

megastar guitar players. In the year 2000, Mike started his very own company Lipe 

Guitars USA to make his craftsmanship available to the general public as well. 

Lipe Guitars are High End Boutique Instruments which are handmade one at a time by 

Mike Lipe himself. The finest materials and highest standards of craftsmanship are used 

to bring you the best instrument imaginable. These guitars are designed to last a lifetime 

and inspire the best of a players’ creativity. 

In today's digital age, CNC operated machines have taken over, replacing the art form 

of guitar-building with a mass production guitar cloning process. Lipe guitars are one 

of the last representatives of a dying breed proudly caring the flag of genuine old school 

craftsmanship where guitars have individual soul and personality that can't be duplicated 

exactly the same. 

Lipe Guitars are recognized by their stunning selection of woods, tasteful musical tone, 

effortless playability, and feel that only a genuine handmade guitar by a Master can 

possess.

Wood 


The wood is the heart and soul in a guitar. Aware of this fact, Mike personally selects the 

wood for each instrument with extreme care. The moisture content, stability, and acoustic 

properties are always double checked before use. 

Alder, Mahogany, Swamp Ash, and Korina are the standard woods used for the body core. 

The laminated tops are highly figured Flame Maple, Quilted Maple, Spalted Maple, Koa, 

Redwood, Walnut and Mikes personal favorite, Hawaiian Mango, which has become a 

Lipe Guitar trade mark due to it's incredible sonic properties and very extravagant looks. 

The necks are made from Hard Rock Maple, Mahogany, or Korina with large variety of 

fingerboard woods such as Ebony, Indian Rosewood, Madagascar Rosewood, Maple, 

Flat Swan Maple, and Quarter Sawn Maple.

Pickups 


After years and years of painstaking research Mike has discovered that Amalfitano 

pickups are the best match for his line of guitars. Amalfitano are high end boutique 

pickups hand wound in the heart of Texas by Jerry Amalfitano. Jerry's pickups seem to 

amplify most accurately the true voice of the guitar without altering but complimenting 

its very nature. This is why Amalfitano pickups come standard on most Lipe Models; 

except The Ivo model which is equipped with Dimarzio Area Series, PAF 36th anniversary, 

or Vintage Minibucker.

Hardware 


Most models come standard with Hip Shot Bridges, Tremolos and Tuners. Hip Shot is an 

American Company producing the finest guitar hardware made in the USA. The tuning 

stability, tone, and classy styling made Hip Shot an instant match with Lipe Guitars. The 

fully floating tremolo unites state of the art design and highest quality materials with 

super hard steel alloy ball bearing system to insure excellent return to pitch, accuracy, 

maximum tone, sustain, and durability. The stainless steel no wobble vibrato arm gives 

you a superb feel and years of reliable trouble free service. 

The necks utilize the Bruce Johnson single-two way truss rod, which is the best of both 

worlds. It has the better tone of a vintage single truss rod with the flexibility of a modern 

double truss rod. 

The neck joint incorporates threaded brass inserts in the neck butt which along with the 

stainless steel bolts and recessed neck plate creates much stronger contact point between 

the neck and the body with superior tone transfer, sustain, and rock solid stability. 

The listed woods, pickups, and hardware options above are strong suggestion based on 

extensive tests and lifelong experience. However, Lipe Custom Shop can meet any custom 

order different from the standard option according to the customer preferences to rare 

exotic woods, different pickup manufacturers, and different hardware etc....

Body Top Woods 


Koa 

The Koa adds a beautiful look as well as clarity and richness to the guitar's sound. 

It’s an oilier wood like Rosewood and denser than Mahogany. That dampens some highs 

in the attack and produces sounds more in the upper midrange than the highs. Works 

best with Mahogany and Korina. 

Quilted Maple 

Quilted Maple is not only beautiful but it produces singing highs with a tight low end. 

It sounds wonderful over Alder or Mahogany. Maple adds crispness to the mahogany, but 

the lows and low mids of mahogany are still as apparent. The open resonance of the 

Alder comes through with the sharper attack and brightness of the Maple on the top end. 

Spalted Maple 

Similar to Quilted Maple but it produces singing highs with a tight low end. It sounds 

wonderful over Alder or Mahogany. Maple adds crispness to the mahogany, but the lows 

and low mids of mahogany are still as apparent. The open resonance of the Alder comes 

through with the sharper attack and brightness of the Maple on the top end. 

Redwood 

Redwood responds with a crisp balanced sound with richness in the lows. The bass 

response is particularly round and full. Redwood is balanced, warm and rich with bright 

trebles. 

Walnut 

Similar to Koa, it has some of the warmth of rosewood and the crispness of mahogany. 

Walnut has less compression and combing of tones with Mahogany backs.

Body Woods 


Alder 

Alder is light in weight with soft tight pores with large swirling grain pattern to it with 

harder rings and sections. That adds to the stiffness and the complexity of the tones. 

Alder has a strong, clear, full-bodied sound with beefy mids and excellent lows so it has 

a broader spectrum of tones. It retains more of the highs which are not harsh while 

leaving some room to the lows. It offers a decent amount of sustain while weighing 

less than denser woods. 

Equatorial Mahogany 

Harvested in Africa and Central America, open grained with large pores, it is fairly dense 

and constant. Mahogany has a more uniform grain pattern with medium to heavy wood 

weight. The constant density compresses the mids a bit and can be considered a thick 

sound, because it does still produce good lows and low mids is considered a warm tone 

but well balanced. There is usually good depth to the sound. 

Korina 

An African wood related to mahogany, its grains are similar and so is its sound, referred to 

as super-mahogany. It’s a fairly light hardwood with a fine grain with attractive long thin 

streaks. Korina has a sweeter midrange and responsive while warm, resonant, and 

balanced. It has great clarity, definition, and sustain. 

Swamp Ash 

Swamp Ash has huge, open pores with hard and soft layers with a broad grain. Basically it 

has a very rigid skeleton with open and softer pores throughout. It is both light and 

resonant across the whole frequency spectrum. It has clear bell-like highs, pronounced 

mids, and strong lows.

Fretboard Woods 


Flame Maple / Flat Swan / Quarter Swan Maple: 

Maple has a unique tone, strong in the midrange with a sweet high end. It produces 

tremendous amounts of tight higher tones with most bass leaning harmonics and 

variations in pick attack are filtered away. Very bright and dense, Maple is highly reflective 

and will cut through when you need it and never muddy on the bass. Maple is good for 

overdrive with good harmonics. 

Ebony: 

Ebony has a crisp attack with a stronger fundamental tone than Maple. It has the density 

of Maple however the grains are more brittle with oilier pores. It has a tremendous 

amount of overtones in the pick attack that mute out shortly than to foster long sustain. 

Indian Rosewood: 

Indian rosewood tends to darken the tone a bit, adding warmth to the neck and generally 

to the whole tone. A rosewood neck will produce excellent sustain while also smoothening 

out the highs. Generally with greater sustain comes a brighter top end. This is not true 

of Rosewood. It mutes the high frequency overtones, producing a strong fundamental that 

still has the complexities of mid and low mid overtones. 

Madagascar Rosewood: 

Madagascar rosewood tonally is considered a kindred spirit to Brazilian rosewood, 

boasting zesty, articulate highs, deep lows and ample dynamic range, and rewarding 

players with rich sustain and complex overtones.

Neck Woods 


Rock Hard Maple / Flat Swan Maple / Quarter Swan Maple 

Its tone is highly reflective and focuses more energy onto the body wood. It will have the 

tightest lows for the extended range. Low notes will have a sharp attack, plenty of 

harmonics, and excellent sustain. Maple is strong and stable, and it has less reaction from 

environmental changes than other hardwoods. Maple necks are less of a 

factor on the guitar’s tone and emphasize the body wood. 

Quarter Swan Mahogany 

Mahogany’s even density makes stable necks, and the open pores make the neck a little 

more responsive than a maple neck. The Mahogany will absorb a bit more of the string 

vibration and compresses the attack and the highs a little.

Virtuoso 

Body : Alder / Equatorial Mahogany / Swamp Ash / Korina 

Body Top : Mango / Quilt Maple / Spalted Maple / Koa / Redwood / Walnut 

Neck : Hard Rock Maple / Quarter Sawn Mahogany / Korina 

Fretboard : Ebony / Flame Maple / Quarter Swan Maple / Flat Swan Maple 

Indian Rosewood / Madagascar Rosewood 

Headstock : 7 Degree Angle 

Nut : 1 5/8" Bone or Black TUSQ 

Radius : 12"R 

Fretwire : Dunlop 

Pickups : Amalfitano 

Bridge : Hip Shot Tremolo / Gotoh 

Tuners : Hip Shot Locking / Sperzel Locking 

Finish : Polyester Finish 

Case : G&G Hardshell Case 

Others : 2way Single Truss Rod w/ Brass Bar 

www.lipeguitars.com

Classico Virtuoso 








Radius : 12"R 








www.lipeguitars.com

Soldato 








Radius : 12"R 








www.lipeguitars.com

Twisted Soldato 








Radius : 12"R 








www.lipeguitars.com

The Ivo 








Radius : 12"R 


Pickups : Dimarzio 






www.lipeguitars.com

Luparo Bass P-J - 4 strings / Luparo P - 5 strings 








Radius : 12"R 



Bridge : Hip Shot / Gotoh 

Tuners : Hip Shot / Sperzel 




www.lipeguitars.com

The Ivo 

This part is simple. Lipe Guitar build instruments that are on a par with the finest builders in the world. I have owned 

Andersons, Suhr's, Paul Reed Smith's. Mcnaughts, Brian Moores, Gibsons, Fenders, Valley Arts and many, many more. 

This guitar takes a backseat to no one. In fact I can find more attention to detail in this instrument than in most I have 

owned. It is truly handcrafted with extreme care by someone who understands what a musician needs to excel at 

his/her craft. To me this is a Suhr style instrument with an injection of love that delivers instant MOJO. I should add 

that the tasteful selection of woods and uber high quality hardware really create an amazingly beautiful instrument. 

I think if you peruse the Lipe website and study their guitars against Suhr, Anderson, PRS, etc you will see a certain 

richness in these instruments that the others don't quite deliver. Don't get me wrong these are all Porsche's and 

Ferrari's, I just think Lipe slightly outclasses the others at this point. Finally, I think the pricing at Lipe is extremely fair 

when compared to other instruments of this quality. If there were WINE SPECTATOR this one would get a 98 and if it 

were STEROPHILE this one would be CLASS "A". Can't go wrong here! 

- http://www.harmonycentral.com/products/130585 

Mike Lipe Virtuoso 009: 

Reviews 


Mike was the original head man at Ibanez USA Custom Shop in LA. He is the one who built Satrianis Chrome Boy that 

was stolen. This guitar has an HSS pickup config, Alder body, flame maple top, 1 piece hard rock maple neck, brazilian 

rosewood fretboard, hipshot trem, spirzel locking tuners, 22 jumbo frets and Jerry Amalfortono pickups. 

Best guitar I have owned yet and have played. Completely hand made/carved. Jerrys pickups are vintage oriented, 

Alnico V in middle and neck and Alnico 2 in the bridge bucker. The bridge bucker may not be what metal heads or super 

hard rock players like, but it sounds awesome for fusion, left hand playing and is just a wonderful singing sound. When 

it comes to leads, I am in love. As for chord work or muted alternate picking, a little is left desired. The single coils sound 

killer. Full, mid rangey and reactive with a hint of over tone that is not ear piercing. A true Strat tone. Position 4 is to 

die for and the neck pickup sounds awesome in every way possible. Jerry also missmatched the coil in the bridge pup so 

that the 2nd position is a true strat tone, sounds great. Playability is effortless and Mike is a true master of building 

guitars. I am going to order another one of his guitars in the future. 

- http://www.seymourduncan.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193109 

Classico Virtuoso (Amico) 

I've either owned or currently own Tom Anderson, Suhr, Grosh, PRS, Fender Custom Shop, Gibson, McInturff, Steinberger, 

.... and the list goes on. While I hold many of these other guitars and their builders in high esteem, and would have 

great things to say about them as well my first experience with Lipe Guitars has truely been in class all by itself. 

For those of you who have never heard of Michael Lipe I encourage you to go to his website (http://www.lipeguitars.com) 

and prepare to be blown away by his history..... Is it any wonder that this guitar has left me spellbound? When you 

order a guitar from Michael Lipe rest assured that you’re getting a true hand built guitar from a masterbuilder with 

more credits and experience to his name than perhaps ten of the most popular builders put together. His is not a CNC 

shop overrun with apprentices or aspirations of abandoning the build process in favor of someday cranking out as 

many guitars as possible. Michael Lipe remains committed to putting his artistic and precise expertise into every single 

guitar build. Perhaps this one of the reasons he is continually sought after by so many of the finest professional players 

within the music industry. And I leave you with this, in most cases you'll spend a lot more money pursuing one of the 

other guitars I mentioned earlier because they have so much more overhead to pay for. Michael Lipe's is not bound to 

the astronomical budgetary constraints imposed upon the other giants in the industry. Consequently you get a lot more 

guitar for your money! 

- http://www.harmonycentral.com/products/110130

Informational 

Lipe Guitars USA / Mike Lipe Preview 2012 Namm Show - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YSG9d7kjGHI 

http://www.premierguitar.com/Video/20090304/589/Lipe_Guitars_Virtuoso_Luparo_Jr_Bass_More.aspx 

Video Demos 

Coco Montoya @ Lipe Guitars USA (Winter NAMM 2009) - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OtwRgAMCWM 

Lipe Custom Shop USA Masterbuilt Carve Top Virtuoso - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4Oqx48b7Cc 

Lipe Guitars USA Virtuoso Model 014 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOWko7mMUWA 

Lipe Guitars USA The Ivo Dimarzio PAF 36th Anniversary - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C13--n-AuFQ 

brochure design - dp@silpinmedia.com 

Links 

Guitar Wood Types & Tones 

http://www.jemsite.com/jem/wood.htm 

http://www.soundunlimited.co.uk/article_Guitar_Tone_Woods_39.html 

www.lipeguitars.com

Contact Info 

Mike Lipe 


Phone: 818.352.6212 

Cell: 818.383.8241 

email: mike@lipeguitars.com

Lipe Guitars USA Brochure - NAMM

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