Design Rhetoric

A one-man operation in Burlington, VT, Creston Electric Instruments builds fairly traditional electric guitars, generally styled in the Fender tradition, but custom-designed according to each customer's expectations. Owner Creston Lea works with his clients throughout the entire process, resulting in highly personalized instruments and a body of work that reflects the pride and enjoyment he takes in his craft.

“I stress, more than anything, simplicity—almost to a ridiculous degree. I try to get everyone to pare down to one pickup and no knobs and then add as little as possible from there. It's a battle I don't mind losing, but I try to get people to think about utility and what actually makes a guitar a good guitar.”