Today, the Frank Zappa Estate has announced a new collaboration with the luxury design brand LUNO for a limited-edition record console, marking the latest addition to LUNO’s luxury hi-fi console series. Dubbed the “SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition,” only ten of the meticulously crafted console will available to the public for purchase. Notably, the record console includes “a solid brass soundwave from Frank Zappa’s “Sofa No. 1″ musical composition that is meticulously inlaid by hand and made flush with the walnut door.”
Furthermore, the SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition will also include vinyl selections of Frank Zappa’s prolific catalog of records, a minibar featuring Zappa-themed whiskey glasses, storage for 150 records, a Groovewasher Kit, and signed, numbered, and dated certificate of authenticity. As for the mechanics of the console, each piece is handcrafted and hand-wired in Los Angeles by experienced craftsmen and engineers. The SSKL Soundwave, FZ Limited Edition will come equipped with a Pro-Ject Esprit SB turntable, 2.1 speaker system, 100w subwoofer, 2 aux inputs, and AirPlay so you can stream from any Apple device.
Ahmet Zappa, Frank Zappa’s son, explained,
When I first came across Luno’s record consoles, I immediately started drooling and knew I had to get my hands on one. … I telephonically stalked Luno headquarters and was invited over for a visit to hear one of their consoles in all its glory. I was blown away. Thus began the dream of collaborating. Our goal was simple, let’s make something unique for Zappa fans and all true audiophiles everywhere. Jennifer and Dan were up for the challenge and amazing to work with. We love the end results and I’m very proud of our Zappa Luno Console. At Zappa Records, we take the manufacturing of our vinyl very seriously and it’s equally important to have an exceptional record player on which to play it. We conduct extensive testing for quality audio control during production and this console–capable of making sweet, sweet audio love to your ears–is being used for just this purpose. From the wood finish, to the original speaker fabric (authentic Marshall Salt & Pepper Grill Cloth, the same one used on vintage Marshall amps), to the brass inlay WAV file from Frank’s ‘Sofa #1,’ it’s just what The Grand Wazoo would want for you.
As Jennifer Farmer, the co-founder of LUNO, added,
We are big Zappa fans and when our paths crossed, we jumped at the opportunity to collaborate! We immediately went to the drawing board to present some ideas. After months of back and forth concepts, the idea of clipping a soundwave file from a song and applying it to the unit was born. We then spent another several months figuring out how to make that vision come to life. And while it looks effortless, complicated techniques were involved in making it happen. At LUNO, we pride ourselves on innovative designs and we’re extremely proud of the final result and are honored to have created this unit with the wonderful folks over at Zappa.
These custom-made Frank Zappa-inspired record consoles are only available for order via LUNO’s website.