Abbey Road studios teams with Charles Jeffrey Loverboy for free sample instrument

The playable instrument draws on field recordings from the Loverboy workshop at Somerset House, combined with sessions recorded in Abbey Road's Studio Two with Charles Jeffrey and his musical director (and former member of The Horrors) Tom Furse. The sounds have been processed using the studio's Curve Bender approach – a reference to a 1951 device originally designed to shape and control tone – and its collection of vintage equipment and acoustic spaces.

The resulting library offers users warped percussive textures, tonal fragments and experimental rhythms, wrapped in graphics designed by Jeffrey. The release coincides with the launch of the Loverboy Spring/Summer 2026 collection, titled Prepared Piano.

"Abbey Road Studios is not just a music icon; it's a cultural hub, a laboratory of dreams," Jeffrey says. "Loverboy has always aligned itself with institutions that celebrate culture, from the British Library to the V&A. Partnering with Abbey Road, a place that fosters innovation and creativity, felt like the perfect fit."

Mirek Stiles, Abbey Road's head of audio products who led the instrument's development, described the collaboration as a genuine meeting of creative worlds. "There are many beautiful examples of how music and fashion have seamlessly fused together over the years, but this feels like the first time these creative worlds have come together to present a music production creative tool," he explains. "Working with Charles Jeffrey was a truly inspiring experience that took both Loverboy and Abbey Road out of their comfort zones to make a fun and quirky sampled instrument for the creative community across the globe. The Loverboy workshop in Somerset House and Studio Two at Abbey Road provided the perfect environments to capture unique samples."

The fashion collection itself takes inspiration from Abbey Road's archives, distilling archetypes found in photographs and film material from the studios – from suited executives to white-coated engineers. Jeffrey began sketching while listening to music recorded at Abbey Road, letting melody inform colour and form. The collection's title references composer John Cage's technique of modifying pianos with objects such as bolts and rubber to transform their sound.