Only 30 units worldwide, and this is number 7: the Pensa MK90 30th Anniversary in Blue Ice Metallic is a guitar you don't just come across. With Rudy Pensa's signature on the back of the headstock, this is an instrument for the enthusiast who really wants it.

 

Pensa Guitars has its roots in New York, where Rudy Pensa's eponymous guitar shop has been a meeting place for the world's best guitarists for decades. The MK90 was released in 2011 in collaboration with Mark Knopfler and was a further development of the Pensa Suhr MK-1 that Knopfler had been playing since the late 1980s. The result was an instrument that has since become one of the most coveted boutique guitars. The 30th Anniversary series, limited to just 30 units, celebrates that heritage in fitting fashion.

 

Where the original MK was associated with full-fledged single coils, this Anniversary version opts for a combination of two Lindy Fralin P90 pickups. The P90 has a character of its own that sits somewhere between a single coil and a humbucker: full and warm, but with enough sharpness and character to stand out. Furthermore, thanks to the push/pull tone knob, a series mode is available, which further expands the tonal palette. The swamp ash body contributes to a light, open tone with a pronounced attack.

 

The maple neck with an Indian rosewood fingerboard and a ’54 Soft V/C profile feels comfortable and familiar, with enough substance for guitarists who appreciate a neck with character. The maple binding and matching headstock give the guitar a polished, luxurious look that perfectly complements the Blue Ice Metallic finish. The Hipshot hardware, including both the tremolo and the Griplock tuners, has been carefully selected for stability and playability.

 

This 2015 Pensa MK90 shows light signs of use on the gold-colored hardware, primarily on the neck plate, jack plate, and tremolo. Otherwise, the guitar looks exceptionally clean and comes with a TFOA passport in the original Cedar Creek case.