Aria Pro II Howard Roberts 1977

You probably noticed that I love hollow/semi-hollow jazz guitars such as this Aria Pro II Howard Roberts (though I would probably stick a screwdriver through the strings and plug it on a fuzzbox with all its knobs on 11).

This Aria is a clone of the custom guitar Howard Roberts designed for Gibson based on the ES-175, but it is not clear if it's a copy from the 'lawsuit era' or one made in the short time when Howard Roberts was endorsed by Aria... But it doesn't have two pickups like the Gibson - only a neck one like the Epiphone version, but still three knobs like the Gibson!

Anyway, I'm not an expert so if you want to know more you can have a look here.

And let's enjoy the beauty and bizarreness of an acoustic flat-top with a florentine cutaway, a sound hole and a humbucker pickup - never seen one like this before!

bertram

80s Washburn A20

I know that Washburn guitars are not always appreciated for their sometimes cheesy looks, but hey, when you take risks, you have the right to fail - it's more difficult than copying again and again 50-year old models - and you can always end up with something challenging if not just really nice...

I like this Washburn A20 and its Explorer look - an Explorer made a little more comfortable it seems... But like for the SG Xtreme in the previous post, I wish I could see this guitar with a nice natural finish - I think that I will proclaim the right for any guitar in the world to look fresh and natural and not like a hooker with glossy lipstick!

Ah, I have to add that the headstock sucks.

bertram

Epiphone G-400 Xtreme

Similar process than on the Peavey Mystic, but applied to a SG instead of to a strat, this is a quite rare Epiphone G-400 Xtreme model that I never heard of until 10 minutes ago!

Though I like the idea, I feel that these back horns don't really work here - but it's actually hard to tell because the 'industriel steel scratch plate'™ ;) spoils it completely... I would like to see this guitar with a classic 'worn' finish and see how it feels... Am I too old to appreciate a guitar targeted at teenager gothic wanabees?

bertram

Kramer / American Showster 'the Biker'

No this Kramer / American Showster guitar is not meant to look like an ice pop or a chili pepper like I thought first, but it's inspired by a Harley Davidson motorbike tank - I can't identify all the American icons at first sight but I can tell a cow-boy hat from a Bowler...

Anyway, if you don't have to believe that this guitar shape is cool a priori and if you don't mind about ergonomics, it's a good looking one, and I particularly like the headstock.

Looks like a tongue too...

bertram

80s Klira

Sorry for the low quality and the small size of this picture, but I had to show you this very special 1980s Klira! A good compromise between minimal and ergonomic - even though Klira guitars have a terrible reputation for their sound...

Couldn't find more info about this one, but I can still remind you some valuable links for those curious about this kind of alternative guitars from another time/space continuum - junkguitars.com, vintageaudioberlin.de, lordbizarre.com and cheesyguitars.com that I already mentioned a couple of times...

bertram

Peavey Mystic

When 90% of contemporary guitars are copies of Stratocaster, Telecaster or Les Paul, would you say that this early 80s Peavey Mystic is too bizarre, too metal, too pointy or something? Because I find it quite nice, ergonomic and simple - nothing too much - and even respectful of the tradition - upper front horn to hold the strap, upper back to rest the right arm, lower back for the knobs, lower front to put on the leg when playing sitting and pay obedience to Mister Fender, and the extra material in the back is removed to make this (quite big) guitar lighter.

The rail humbuckers say big sound, but you can still make a lot of different kinds of music with a big sound... When I want to judge the design a guitar, I wonder if you can play it while wearing a purple fur jacket, and with the Mystic, definitely yes!

bertram

the more strings the better 2

Aren't you amazed by this brand new cheap Chinese tele-style double neck 12-string guitar / 8-string mandoline? Don't blame the Chinese for building and selling these guitars - if they do so, it's because people buy them... So who is buying this ?

BTW, 20 strings are not bad but the same seller proposes also a triple neck - 12, 7 and 6, that makes 23, and that is too much - who want to carry a 3-neck guitar and what can't you do on a 7-string that you can on a 6-string?

bertram