“Abigail is a pickup god. I named the ABI after her to make sure she’s never forgotten”: Legendary pickup builder Abigail Ybarra comes out of retirement for a new line of guitars with a former Fender Master Builder

Legendary pickup builder Abigail Ybarra has come out of retirement to work on a new line of Castedosa guitars, which have been built to honor her legacy as a “pickup god”. 

Although few details have been revealed so far, the new ABI model is clearly inspired by the Stratocaster, albeit with accentuated curves. It features three single-coil pickups and a sparkling pink finish, with the guitar bringing together the rich experience of two former Fender employees.

Indeed, Ybarra retired in 2013, having been part of the Big F family for over 50 years, making an art form of pickups in the Fender Custom Shop. 

Her hand-wound creations have been played by giant names, such as Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Buddy Holly, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, making them highly sought-after collector's items. 

Upon her retirement, she was described by Fender Custom Shop Marketing Director Mike Eldred as a “leader in our industry” who “set the tone for Fender.” It’s therefore surprising – and exciting – to see her back in action, with another ex-Fender Custom Shop wizard, no less.   

Castedosa Guitars was founded in 2022 by Carlos Lopez, who previously worked as a Master Builder for the firm, creating guitars for Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, and Eric Johnson, and many others.  

Lopez and Ybarra connected through the latter's daughter, Aurora, with Lopez saying: “This relationship was meant to be”.

“We're people that always have things stacked against us,” he adds, “[but] we persevere, work hard, and make something of ourselves.

“Abigail is a guitar pickup god. The pickups are ABI hand-wounds and they were the catalyst to this new model. I designed and named the ABI after her to make sure she's never forgotten. 

“This guitar is really just to honor Abi. It's a thank you for what she means to me. There's no dollar amount to this to me.”  

While Lopez says he’d be happy if no more guitars were built past the ABI's initial run, the Ybarras clan shows no signs of this being a temporary partnership. Abigail says she’s “really happy that Carlos and I are beginning something,” while Aurora goes one step further, saying “Abigail is not done yet – she still has tricks up her sleeves”.

Head to Castedosa Guitars for more information.