Showgoers at this year’s Summer NAMM may have noticed a handsome booth showing off a brand new name in guitars – the Sublime Guitar Company. The company, which already features lines of acoustics, electrics, and basses, hit the ground running with a solid set of classic design principles and a simple mission of exciting and inspiring guitarists at all skill levels. From their literature: “We will constantly strive to foster a sense of community among our customers, endorsed artists, and dealers as we create a lasting legacy together.”
The company’s self-assured launch could be due to its pedigree – much of the crew also comes from the team that owns Crush Drums & Percussion, an innovative manufacturer co-founded in 2010 by Terry Platt. Platt, along with the rest of the Crush founders, had already spent years at Ddrum. By the time Crush was launching, Platt was in talks with his brother, Tommy, about launching the guitar company. The team they assembled in the ensuing years was stocked full of performers and writers, first and foremost, with a good deal of industry experience to back it up. Early members included Crush’s Michael Swenson, Ricky Hughes, and Chad Huang, along with Chris Tontini, who served as a regional sales manager at Dean Guitars prior to joining Sublime.
“All of the founding members are players and writers and have spent years on stage or touring,” says Tommy Platt.
The company offers a wide variety of models already – the Les Paul-like Millennia STD, the semi-hollow body Chieftain, the Telecaster-esque J-Hawk, and more. But it’s the retro-futuristic style of the Tomcat that has Platt excited. “To us, this unique and versatile design captures the modern/classic vision perfectly,” he says. “We have some great designs and different versions of the Tomcat that we can’t wait to share with the public.”
Like Electra, Sublime has worked closely with Graph Tech Guitar Labs in developing these guitars, and has proudly installed that company’s new “Ratio” tuned machine heads on some soon-to-be-unveiled 2014 models. “They have a classic look with the benefits of modern construction and durability,” says Platt. “Finding the perfect details for each guitar is always our goal, and we truly believe our simple yet innovative approach to development will help us really stand out.”
Looking Back on 2025: A Year of Controlled Chaos (Emphasis on “Controlled”)