Unveiling Emerald Guitars Number 10,000

We recently had another momentous day at Emerald as we presented guitar number 10,000 to its lucky new owner. A landmark, one-of-a-kind instrument that celebrates not only where Emerald are now but reflects back to and celebrates Emerald number 001.

When Alistair initially realised that we were approaching guitar number 10k in 2024, he knew that this milestone deserved something extra special to commemorate it. A guitar that would not only reflect where we are today but also tie back to the very first emerald, serial number 001.

He also knew that this guitar would have to go to someone who would appreciate it, so in spring 2024 we promised that the guitar would go to a random customer who purchased one of our instruments within a certain time frame. The lucky winner, Rob and his wife Angie joined us this week to pick up this special guitar and hear the story behind it from Alistair while also treating us to a performance as Rob shows off the sound of the guitar and his fantastic playing.

From number 0001 to number 10,000

The very first Emerald to receive a serial number, #001, was an X10 model, presented to Rich Pike on the same day that Alistair delivered the Ultra guitar to the legendary Steve Vai in 2001.

Rich was instrumental in connecting Alistair with Steve, and as thanks Alistair wanted to gift him something significant: the first Emerald acoustic he felt worthy of being officially numbered. That guitar carried a distinctive, color-shifting finish known as Kingfisher Green, shimmering from blue to green depending on the light.

Reflecting the past and present of Emerald in one guitar

Emerald number one had some interesting features which were revised again for the 10k guitar, notably the unique ‘kingfisher green’ colour changing paint scheme which changes from transparent to blue to green depending on how the light hits it.  

In the 25 years since guitar number 1, the X10 has evolved with the rest of the emerald range and undergone many changes and updates as we look to re-imagine the acoustic guitar for the modern player in the 21st century. 

It has become one of our most popular and versatile models, perfectly suited for a range of playing styles and environments, from the studio to stages of all sizes. It was only fitting then that our 10,000th would be an X10, bringing the first 10,000 emeralds full circle to reflect on where it all began.