Orangewood has come under fire on social media for its Juniper family of rubber bridge acoustic electric guitars, which have been accused of being a “blatant lazy rip off” of the instruments developed by Reuben Cox of Old Style Guitar Shop.
The firm first unveiled the Juniper range last year, when it looked to capitalize on the growing popularity of obscure rubber bridge guitars – instruments that have been championed by the likes of Phoebe Bridgers, Taylor Swift and more, and beloved for their unique muted tone.
Indeed, the rubber bridge guitar boom has been one of the most permeating trends in the gear world, and it’s one that can be traced back to the innovations developed by luthier and Old Style Guitar Shop owner, Reuben Cox.
Cox’s custom-made instruments, which are available directly from his LA store, have been played by – and starred in the music of – some of the biggest rubber bridge acts to date, and were even the subject of a documentary back in 2022.
Cox’s rubber bridge guitars were also the source of inspiration for Orangewood’s own Juniper family, which received an expansion in January this year in the form of the Juniper II and Juniper II Baritone.
However, in recent days, they have drawn the ire of some players on Instagram, who have accused Orangewood of “ripping off” Cox and Old Style with its own rubber bridge catalog.
The physical rubber bridge is just one of the similarities between the Juniper and Old Style builds, though: both also feature a Hot Rail pickup built into the body of the acoustic, just above the soundhold and below the fretboard, and have trapeze-style tailpieces.
Artists Mason Stoops and Hand Habits (Meg Duffy) are among those highlighting the current sentiment against Orangewood’s Juniper line. On an Instagram story that shared a picture of the Juniper collection, Stoops wrote: “Just Orangewood shamelessly ripping off a small business/builder.
“If you have a conscience and want a real rubber bridge guitar consider supporting Old Style Guitar Shop.”
Duffy, meanwhile, shared screenshots of an email exchange they had with Orangewood, in which they write, “All due respect, this is spineless and just a blatant lazy rip off.
“Like if you’re such a fan why not just let them exist at Old Style and support small business? Why mass produce something and why take credit for something you blatantly just copied?”
Duffy’s email thread with Orangewood looks to have been instigated after the guitarist requested to be taken off the firm’s Artists page.
Stoops and Duffy aren’t the only ones to voice their disapproval of Orangewood’s Juniper line, either. Other commenters take issue with the fact the company hasn’t credited Old Style Guitar Shop or Cox in the inspiration of the Juniper line.
Now, there are after-market methods for fitting your own rubber bridge – from cheap tennis accessories to rubber bands and beyond – and other firms like Waterslide Guitars provide retrofit rubber bridges, but in terms of buying stock instruments, Orangewood is undoubtedly the biggest player outside of Old Style to do so.
To that end, there are those on the other side of the conversation who appreciate the Juniper range. For some players who are unable to purchase Cox’s custom instruments directly, the Orangewood Juniper may represent the most accessible entry point into the world of rubber bridge guitars.
It's a world that people clearly want to enter, too – after Orangewood unveiled the $395 Juniper, the first run sold out within days.
Whatever the case, Cox himself has previously waded into the conversation surrounding rubber bridge spin-offs, once writing on Instagram: “Hey friends, lots of inquiries about the many rubber bridge copies out there in guitarland.
“Despite the striking similarities, OS was not involved with any of them. Some are super cool, others not so much.”
Visit the Old Style Guitar Shop Instagram page for more.
Guitar World has reached out to Old Style Guitar Shop and Orangewood for comment.
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