About the '71®

If I could only make one model - it would be the ‘71®. A radical redesign of the set neck archetype that feels inspiring and familiar while totally getting out of your way as a player. The ‘71 is a labor of love with a lengthy period of design and refinement that resulted in a toneful and playable instrument that shows what Sully Guitars is all about.

Imagined in 2009, the '71 was an idea that took me a few years to materialize. It started as a simple pencil sketch, and I kept erasing and drawing and erasing until I took the next step and made templates. The templates helped me see the design in the material world and was refined further. As I was building the first '71 in early 2013, the finishing touch occurred as a result of a happy accident, and after a few prototypes, the '71 became fully realized. I like to think that all of the passion put into this project is why the ‘71 has been the flagship Sully Guitars model serving recording and performing players worldwide for over 10 years.

The '71 comes in a few different configurations; the Conspiracy Series™ has offered the '71 Starling and the '71 SD (Stevie D Signature model), as well as most recently (Run 6) the ‘71 Trella. The USA Custom Shop has the flagship '71 Trella with a wide variety of options, with USA ‘71 Starlings also available for custom order. The ‘71 Limited was part of the Custom Series produced between 2014 - 2020, and a collaborative Grover Jackson ‘71 Trella batch was produced in 2016.

Specs:

The '71 features set neck construction, 22 stainless steel frets, 25.5” scale, Hipshot locking tuners, and a wide variety of timber, hardware, and electronics options you can find in the order form below. Some favorites would be the TonePros locking wraparound and Floyd Rose bridges, as well as our signature hollow block inlays and Sully Salty Bastard / Al Pastor humbucker pickup combination. “Sullied” nitrocellulose finishes are a popular ‘71 option, as are quilted maple tops. All '71s feature an ergonomic neck/body balance as well as our Aero headstock for improved string break angle and are contoured at the neck heel, inside the cutaway, and of course, there's a belly carve. '71 Trellas also have lap contours for that extra comfy feel.

Pricing begins at $1499 for the Conspiracy Series ‘71 Starling and $4799 for the USA '71 Trella.

Click to order your own '71

'71 FAQs

"What's the difference between a '71 Starling and a '71 Trella??"

I'm glad you asked! The easiest way to tell the '71s apart is the top. If it's got a carved top, it's a '71 Trella. The ‘71 Starling is a flat-top version you will often see included in Conspiracy Series runs.

"What's a 'Trella?'"

Trella is the name of my Mother in law, who passed away in November 2014. I could go on and on about how wonderful she was, but I'll just say that we had an instant shorthand between us. Maybe it was that we were both musicians/creative types with similar senses of humor, I don't know, but she called me son and meant it. It seemed fitting to me that the flagship '71 be named in tribute to her legacy.