Jackson USA Custom Shop King V doubleneck

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This Jackson USA Custom Shop King V doubleneck is an exercise in excess with its over-sized quilted maple topped body, dual through-necks, reverse pointy headstocks, gold hardware, mother of pearl sharkfin inlays, etc. I have to confess that I'm not a fan. I never did like the Jackson pointy headstock design - it just looks totally incongruous on just about any body design, and quilted maple I'm sure is supposed to imply opulence but to me it just seems like an unimaginative short-cut to tarting up a guitar's appearance. Many would be impressed, but I have to stifle a yawn.

Flying V? Flying W more like!

Currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $9,999.99.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

ESP FT-300K Fanatic Crisis Shun signature guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

We here at Guitarz have looked at a fair few weirdly-shaped contemporary guitars from Japan, most notably from makers Fernandes and ESP. This particular guitar, an ESP FT-300K Fanatic Crisis Shun signature no less, takes the familiar Strat layout and gives it a twist - or, should I say, a stretch. Despite the Strat layout of the three single coils, those are in fact Jaguar-style pickups. The guitar also seems to be equipped with a kill switch near the lower horn.

Fanatic Crisis, by the way, were a Japanese Nagoya kei rock band active from 1992–2005; Shun was their guitarist and, no doubt, endorsee of this model guitar.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Wessen X-shaped guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Here's another one from eBay sellers houstonbrass, purveyors of cheap and nasty crap. The listing's title proclaims Electric Guitar, Unique shape... yeah, unique perhaps because it's very very silly.

Another one for your comedy HM band.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Guild X-100 Blade Runner (again)

guitarz.blogspot.com:

The last time we looked at a Guild X-1000 Blade Runner (as used by Joe Perry in the "Walk This Way" video), it generated quite a lot of discussion in the comments.

Back then I was astounded that someone would ask £7000 for such a guitar (i.e. over $11,300 in US dollars), so in comparison this example, which has been on eBay for the last few weeks, seems to be more conservatively priced with a starting bid of $2,995.

Also, since that last post, I have learned that the Schecter Genesis was indeed copied from this Blade Runner.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Two clichés in one: The Lawson Skull and Axe guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:

We've not looked at a truly incompetent piece of guitar making for a while now (it would be an insult to all the quality craftsmen out there to refer to a major balls-up such as this as "luthiery"), and with this in mind I present you with the Lawson Skull and Axe guitar (or the New Custom Death Kiss Axe electric guitar w Foyd Rose as the seller calls it), giving you two dreadful clichés in one really terrible guitar. Just look at the crappiness of that thing. I'm amazed they even have the nerve to charge as much as $249 for it.

Despite the name stamped into it, I don't believe that's a real Floyd Rose for one minute. But the one touch that I think is the funniest (aside from the deplorable "artwork") is the location of the strap button on the lower horn as if it's been put there for a left-handed player. The whole thing looks so slapdash, I expect someone probably got confused because of the inverted 6-in-a-line headstock.

Surely this is a guitar ONLY for those in spoof metal bands in the Spinal Tap, Bad News mold. Even then I doubt it's a serious playable instrument.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Kramer Invader prototype, #1 of 1

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I started writing a piece about how I never "got" Kramer guitars, couldn't understand what all the fuss was about, etc, etc, but then noticed it was almost word for word the same as a blog post I'd written in 2009 about a certain Kramer Triax guitar. So, rather than make you all think you are experiencing déjà vu, let's take a look at the above-pictured crazy-looking axe.

It's a Kramer Invader and must surely be one that Kramer afficionados and collectors would dearly love to get their mitts on. Apparently it is a one-off prototype model "built in '82 or '83 for Floyd Rose himself". It's currently being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $7,500.

I believe that Roland's G-707 guitar synth controller (which may or may not have been made by Greco in Japan) was introduced in 1984, so would have just been pipped at the post by this prototype Kramer for a guitar with a bar connecting the body to headstock. (I'm sure there are earlier precedents; list examples in the comments if you like!) I think here, though, it is purely cosmetic, whereas on the Roland it was supposed to eliminate deadspots on the neck and thus improve synth tracking.

And I don't know about you, but I always get nervous when I see pictures of expensive guitars standing by the side of a swimming pool!

(Thanks to Greg Cadman for pointing this one out to us!)

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Pointy... Pointier... Pointiest!

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Thanks to "Mini Van Halen" for sending on this picture. I confess I know nothing about this extremely pointy Edwards guitar, other that the Edwards brand is part of the ESP empire. I suspect it's a one-off creation. It certainly looks as if you could do yourself a mischief on those sharp points; the headstock looks particularly lethal.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Another one from the "Be Careful not to Impale Yourself" school: B.C. Rich Ironbird

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Tyler writes:

I recently acquired another pointy 80s Japanese Monster. (Sounds a bit like something from Godzilla, eh?)

This is a model you've not yet covered: A 1983 B.C. Rich Ironbird, made in Japan in '83-'84. This isn't apparently the most popular shape (though used by the likes of Tony Iommi and Paul Stanley), but sure beats that ugly Widow! Mine's not really in the best shape (not by my hands), but plays great and sounds fantastic as well. I know B.C. Rich isn't known for necessarily ergonomic designs, and although this doesn't look it, it is very comfortable. Played in the classical seated position (which is the only way I do), it rests comfortably on your leg, being cut-out in a manner that it balances in the perfect position. Standing, it's a bit neck heavy but the long lower horn acts as a rather decent balance/armrest.

I was drawn to this by its Kahler trem (far superior to the Floyd Rose, in my opinion), which has proved a great asset to both my playing and alternate tuning purposes. The pickups are probably the stock B.C. Rich units, they are unmarked. I'll admit the pickups also attracted me on looks alone. I can't resist rails or hex-screw pole pieces. It joins my Electra Futura in the "outragoeus pointy guitar with a metallic finish" group of instruments.

I've got not much else to say, it's a great guitar and it comes in a simple yet attractive package.

~Tyler

Keep those stories and photos of your guitars coming in, folks! And as Bertram has already commented, lets see some more photos of you guys playing your guitars.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Ibanez XV500 - so very very pointy!

guitarz.blogspot.com:

This Ibanez X-series XV500 in "Violet halfburst" is from the "be careful not to impale yourself" school of guitar design. It has Ibanez V5 pickups and an incomplete Ibanez "Pro Rock R" tremolo system. Some of the close-up shots on the eBay listing show a few battle scars - not unusual with an unwieldy shape like this. I don't suppose anyone reading will be surprised to learn that this guitar hails from the 1980s: May 1985, apparently. The seller describes the finish as being "flip-flop", but I think this might just be a reference to the two tone diagonal pink/violet colour scheme, rather than a colour-changing finish depending on from what angle you view the instrument.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Gibson Explorer XPL

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I was quite surprised to learn that this angular pointy-looking thing was a genuine Gibson guitar, namely a Gibson Explorer XPL, rather than an Explorer-esque knock-off from some other manufacturer. It's from 1985 - what other decade could it have been from? - and features Dirty Fingers pickups described by Gibson as "the critical union between power and dirt".

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

1980s Riverhead bass

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Riverhead was a brandname that appeared in the 1980s. As far as I know they were Japanese-made instruments and included a number of diminutive-bodied headless basses following the trend set by Steinberger. Models included the headless Riverhead Unicorn with a body design obviously insprired by the Burns Flyte.

As far as I can remember, the above-pictured Riverhead bass, currently being offered for sale on eBay, is the first I've seen with a headstock. If you know any more about these guitars and basses, then please drop us a line or leave a comment! Thanks.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

An original USA handcrafted B.C. Rich Stealth

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Rather than re-invent the wheel, let me just unashamedly copy some text from the eBay listing for this guitar:

This is an original B.C. Rich Stealth [...] one of the very few USA handcrafted Stealths that were produced at the BC Rich Custom Shop in Los Angeles California from '83-'84. Only 174 originals built and the black fixed bridge models are the rarest. Designed by the great rock guitarist Rick Derringer and made even more famous by Chuck Schuldiner of "Death" who adored his Stealths.

Originally Rick took his design to Gibson. As usual, Gibson set about a way they could make it cheaper and ruin the mojo. Gibson wanted to make it a set neck guitar and not a neck thru. Rick then took it to Bernie Rico and the rest is Rock n' Roll history. The Stealth is probably the nicest of all the B.C. Rich Guitars. It balances the best and has a very comfortable feel sitting or standing.

SPECS: Mahogany neck-thru and body with a beautiful Brazilian rosewood fretboard. DiMarzio Dual Sound humbuckers. 4 toggle switches - Dual-sound neck and bridge switch, phase switch and kill switch, Quadmatic bridge. 24 fret, 24 5/8 scale, Dunlop strap locks and Schaller tuners that really keep this axe in tune. This guitar plays extremely well and sounds absolutely beautiful whether you play blues, rock or death metal. Strike a chord and your hands will feel how alive this axe is with beautiful resonance.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

mid-1980s Takamine GE-400 KT

guitarz.blogspot.com

They don't do guitars like this anymore...

There is very little information on the Interweb about Takamine (the renowned and pioneering acoustic guitars Japanese brand - and you have to pronounce this name Japanese style) solid body guitars built in the first half of the 1980s - and none about the hysterical version of the Explorer that you can see here, the Takamine GE-400 KT.

But its design is eloquent enough, words are superfluous there, aren't they?

Bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

It's oh so very pointy... the Robin Wedge

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Just think, this could have been called a "Flying V" if someone else hadn't already come up with the name. Not so much a "reverse body" but a "rotated through 90 degrees" body.

From Houston, TX's very own legendary boutique guitar brand, it's a Robin Wedge. This example is "Made in Japan", which would date it somewhere between 1982 and 1986 when Robin guitars were built by Tokai and FujiGen. Manufacture of Robin guitars moved to the United States from 1986. It's an interesting observation that where so many other brands once had guitars manufactured in the USA they are now being built out East, while Robin guitars must be one of the few exceptions where this has happened the other way around.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Fernandes GM-85 MS Pearl Yellow Kenichi Ito

guitarz.blogspot.com:

ESP are usually the manufacturer we immediately associate with weird and wonderful signature guitars designed for a whole host of Japanese guitarists and bassists, names that we in the West are not familiar with. However, Fernandes have also got in on this act (indeed we have looked at some of these previously), and this particular yellow guitar, the Fernandes GM-85 MS is the signature guitar of Kenichi Ito formerly of the band Iceman.

If it looks familiar to some of our regular readers, that may be because we previously featured a diminutive version of this guitar with built-in amp.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Here's one for all you 1980s hair metal throwbacks: the Greco Tusk

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Ken found this Greco Tusk for sale on Yahoo Japan. Greco, of course, are best known for their high quality replicas of guitars by the likes of Fender and Gibson, and whilst this does have a touch of the Explorer about it, it would appear to be an original design. Whilst it's not headless, the headstock is really only there for aesthetics - and perhaps balance too - with the tuners being down at the bridge.

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Galveston Lucifer

guitarz.blogspot.com

This is the Galveston Lucifer. 

Can't tell much more about it since there are no information on Galveston on the Internet! I just found that's it's the US front brand of a Korean company, and they have an Internet address that leads to no site! 

Though this kind of guitars is not my cup of tea, I think that its design is quite nice. It's well balanced, dynamic, not ridiculous and ergonomic, with an updated 80s Peavey taste - much better than most BC Rich monsters. Do we face a glam-metal come-back?

bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

Aria Pro II Integra IG-CST

guitarz.blogspot.com

This is an Aria Pro II Integra, quite special for a superstrat (I think that this is still a superstrat, however far it is from a stratocaster), with its prominent upper horn. The construction looks really serious, and the design is well balanced - neither fancy nor boring.

You might be surprised but I have a few friends who play jazz on this kind of guitars - not the kind of blues-based old school jazz you play on a semi-hollow with a beard and a smoking pipe between your teeth though - since they are excellent instruments, reactive and as fast as a virtuoso can expect. They usually use plenty of pedals and digital modeling amps, and save money to buy a Parker Fly - and think that my Breadwinner looks like a metal guitar...

bertram

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

REDzLINE one-off guitar

guitarz.blogspot.com:
When I first set eyes on this custom handmade REDzLine guitar, my first reaction was what a weird shape and that it would be a good guitar to post on the blog in our gallery of oddities.

However, taking a closer look, it's not just a funny shape. The attention to detail of the carving on the guitar is quite impressive, especially when viewed from the rear. I've not seen a guitar with a thumb groove down the back of the neck before and think it's an intriguing idea. I don't know if I'd like it, but I'd like to try it and see how it felt.

Notice also how the neck is set into the body - that neck's not going to go anywhere. It's another nice touch that I really like.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of the shape (probably BC Rich inspired, as is the method of setting the neck), although I think the maker deserves full marks for producing something quite original.

For more see: www.redzline.com

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!

The Claw guitar found in a tattoo parlour

guitarz.blogspot.com:
Thomas Silver writes:

Hi! I found this in a tattoo shop Somewhere in Germany. It was a combined tattoo/guitar tech shop? The guy who fixed guitar there built this one himself. I call it "The Claw"!

Me and my band, Hardcore Superstar played in the same building and one of my guitars needed a real check from a pro! As I walked in to check the tattoos there was the guy I was looking for. A guitar tech in a tattoo shop?

I did not buy The Claw and I regret it to this day. Awful guitar but it played so nice... talk about a one off!

Thanks for that, Thomas. It looks like a guitar designed for a very specific purpose, i.e. shredding. You wouldn't want to sit down playing it. One for stage performance only, I think.

Keep them coming, folks!

G L Wilson

Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 9th year!