If you’ve seen John Mayer in concert, listened to D’Angelo’s masterpiece Black Messiah, and what’s often billed as Miles Davis’ final oeuvre, Rubberband, then you’ve been graced by Isaiah Sharkey’s fine, jazz-infused handiwork.
At just 36, the guitar player has accumulated a hefty résumé – and an equally fine guitar collection, which, as of recently, includes a guitar originally custom-made for George Benson.
“Well, that guitar, I don’t really get a chance to play that out much,” he tells Guitar World in a new interview, referring to the Princess Isabella – a beauty of a baritone guitar crafted by German luthier Jens Ritter.
Princess Isabella was originally built to emulate the feel and tone of an archtop jazz guitar, but in a white-and-gold solid-body form. What’s more, it’s just an inch thick, with no onboard controls, to ensure as pure a tone as possible.
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“I just acquired that guitar, maybe about a couple of weeks ago. And that guitar is a very special one because Ritter actually made that guitar for George Benson. It’s actually the prototype for George Benson.
“So, it’s one of one,” he explains. “And it’s a very special guitar, and surprisingly pretty warm for the body shape, you know, being so thin. But Ritter did a really amazing job, and it’s not only a really beautiful guitar, but it sounds great.”
Perhaps his recent acquisition of this unique guitar has been bolstered by his budding friendship with the man himself, George Benson.
“Over the years, we’ve met here and there briefly, but recently, connecting with him on a more consistent basis is actually something that, in some ways, has been surreal,” he gushes.
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“To be able to sit down, and more than even playing, just listen to his stories, was beautiful. The amount of wisdom he has just in basic conversation gives you so many different perspectives to take into consideration musically, as an artist, and in life, too.”
This isn’t the first Benson-adjacent guitar that Sharkey has acquired. Back in December, the guitarist publicly announced that he’s the new owner of Benson’s legendary, natural-finished Gibson Johnny Smith, which he used to record his 1976 chart-topping record, Breezin’.
