“A titan in the industry who helped shape the LA studio sound of the 1980s”: Renowned luthier and Superstrat pioneer James Tyler passes away, aged 72

A James Tyler Guitars headstock design.

Noted luthier and electric guitar designer James Tyler has passed away aged 72, according to an update from his family.

Tyler’s high-end instruments were the go-to designs for many LA studio players in the 1980s, including the likes of Dean Parks, Dann Huff and Michael Landau, and played a key role in the evolution of the era’s Superstrat arms race.