The most unusual guitars in the world. Unusual guitar design

Sophisticated musicians will come up with everything they can to make their favorite instrument special, different from those used by their colleagues.

We offer you a selection of the strangest guitars, many of which are in museums today, but it’s still not clear how they are played.

1. In the 70s of the last century, the legendary guitar virtuoso who was at the origins of Led Zeppelin, Jimmy Page, popularized guitars with two necks. Twenty years later, guitarist Steve Vai took things further with his Ibanez three-neck model. One of its most interesting features is the holographic "magic eye" that looks at the player when the guitar moves into playing position. In any case, the guitar is so expensive and fragile that so far only Vai manages to play it.

2. The Chapman Stick was invented in the early 1970s by Emmett Chapman. This instrument allows the guitarist to play more notes at once than on a regular guitar. The fretboard works more like a keyboard. It will be difficult to play this guitar without getting a pompous expression on your face.

3. Misleadingly called the "BC Rich Bitch", this pornographic-looking custom guitar was designed by John Crist and the metal band Danzig in 1995. He called it "Rich Bich" - yes, without the "t" - and continues to play it to this day.

4. Selling for $2,400 at www.guitarcenter.com, this gun-toting bass actually comes with a laser sight.

5. "Abstract Rockingbat" - a luxurious handcrafted guitar that sells for almost £3,500. If Batman were a metalhead, this is what he would play.

6. One of the fastest guitarists in the world, Michael Angelo Batio rose to fame in the '80s with hairy metallers Nitro. He was also the teacher of young Tom Morello of Rage Against The Machine. Although the fancy-cut double "Quad guitar" he helped design is perhaps his best gift to the world.

7. Designed by Abstract, these puffy guitars are named "Dean Powder Puff Zee". Each of them will cost you a hefty £7,000.

8. Featuring a very low 7th string, this is a decidedly ugly model - the "Damien Death Cross" - Gothic cross, fretboard inlays and arrowhead headstock. Wow, spicy.

9. The "Angel Sword" guitar became a minor internet discovery in 2007 when it was found on eBay for $4,500, prompting a flurry of comments. An ideal gift for Iron Maiden or World Of Warcraft fans.

10. Most likely, this guitar was made with an ironic intent. In any case, recently its name "Wangcaster" was entered into the dictionary of slang and obscene words.

11. This headache-inducing instrument has been dubbed "The Picasso" for its stylistic similarities to the works of Pablo Picasso. It is unique in that it has 7 necks and 42 strings. One musician managed to master the guitar. It turned out to be jazz guitarist Pat Metheny, who even managed to record the song “Into The Dream” with her help. A reason to brag.

12. When the American singer Prince changed his name to a symbol in 1992, he ordered himself a guitar made in the shape of this symbol. The original instrument, made by master craftsman Jerry Auerswald, was plated in gold. The purple version you see here was released by Schecter and has even hit the shelves. True, at a considerable price.

13. What do you get when you combine a guitar with a harp? A harp guitar, of course. Jimmy Page from Led Zeppelin learned to play this instrument, popular among Italian troubadours of the 19th century. It's strange that he never used a harp guitar on any of the band's recordings.

14. And this is the height of bad taste among guitars of the 80s. While Steve Way was using his three-neck Ibanez, David Lee Roth's band member was playing the heart: you can see it in action in the "Just Like Paradise" video.

15. Van Halen bassist Michael Anthony has many guitars, but the most famous is his Jack Daniels model. Being a good entrepreneur, Michael also produces his own line of hot sauce.

A 5-neck guitar, a 42-string acoustic hybrid, a Frankenstrat, an ax guitar and other iconic unusual instruments that were included in the Top 30 unusual guitars according to Gigwise.

The most unusual guitars in the world

Today, guitar making is not a simple industrial process, but something more. Just watch coverage from the latest NAMM shows, explore galleries of finished custom instruments from famous guitar makers, and finally take a look at prototypes of new production guitar models from major manufacturers. Today, a guitar is not just a musical instrument, it is an object of design, and in some cases, a real work of art.

In the late 00s, the famous online publication Gigwise compiled a list of the 30 most unusual and famous instruments used by Steve Vai, Paul McCartney, Eddie Van Halen, Slash and many others. Just look at them!

30. Gretch Rectangular - Bo Didley

This instrument stands out among others with its original soundboard - it has a rectangular shape! This was done partly due to a reference to the tradition of playing cigar boxes, but Bo himself always said that this form for him provides maximum freedom in moving his hands.

29. 1983 Hamer “Unkle Dick” - Rick Nielsen

This very wonderful instrument was produced by Hamer at the request of Cheap Trick guitarist Rick Nielsen. To select a design, a competition was held among the band's listeners - as a result, the musicians themselves, together with the guitar manufacturer, selected the most original design, which was embodied in this instrument.

28. B.C.Rich Mockingbird by Slash

Yes, oddly enough, maestro Slash plays not only Gibson Les Paul guitars. According to the musician himself, this guitar is his hidden love, and he sometimes really regrets that he does not use it more often.

27. Jackson Y2KV KFC - Buckethead

Strange music, strange musician - and a slightly strange variation of the Jackson arrow. The instrument gets its name from the KFC bucket that Buckethead wears on his head as part of his stage persona.

26. Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird - Billy Gibbons

The story going around among old-school musicians is that the original Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird prototype was designed for Bo Diddley (it's hard not to notice the parallels in the design of both instruments) - but he gave it to ZZ Top's Billy Gibbons for reasons unknown. Gibbons really liked this very expensive instrument, but did not want to spoil it and approached Gretsch with the idea of ​​​​developing a similar guitar under this name, but with some individual changes.

25. ESP Flame Boy - George Lynch

The veteran of the heavy metal scene is known for his love of flashy and unusual instruments. And one of them was Flame Boy - a guitar stylized as an instrument made of bones.

24. JFrog Skull & Bones - George Lynch

Yes, this guy really loves skulls and crossbones. Perhaps the most famous instrument of the guitarist of the band Dokken, which he called “Mama”. Initially, the JFrog workshop made a signature model for Lynch, but later the guys from ESP began producing similar guitars for him according to a similar specification.

23. Epiphone Union Jack Supernova - Noel Gallagher

A vintage, powerful and very patriotic mastermind instrument from Oasis.

22. Dean VMNT - Dave Mustaine

At the beginning of his musical career, Dave mainly preferred guitars from Jackson and ESP. A little later, he got his hands on the first Dean - and he instantly fell in love with these instruments. Mustaine himself says that the Dean sounds much better to him than any other guitar he has played. The VMNT is a uniquely designed arrow with Dean's signature head and powerful sound.

21. Hofner 500/1 - Paul McCartney

This instrument is probably familiar to all guitarists and even more so to bassists. 21st place in the ranking is the famous bass with a soundboard in the shape of a cello body, created by Hofner and personifying an entire era of rock music. It's hard to believe, but this guitar is over half a century old!

20. Ed Roman Bootsy Collins Bass - Bootsy Collins

The first and not the last outrageous funk and soul performer in our rating is Bootsy Collins, for whom the craftsmen from Washburn created a bass guitar as bright as himself. The author of this instrument, Ed Roman, is a well-known hater of Gibson Les Paul guitars. We recommend reading his posts about classic Gibson instruments in your spare time.

19. ESP Queensryche

ESP visionaries love unusual shapes and complex specifications. One of their crazy ideas, embodied in the form of a guitar, was to make an instrument based on the logo of the American progressive metal band Queensryche.

18. Vigier Bumblefoot Guitar - Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal

It is generally accepted that rock musicians are very scrupulous and serious about developing their own image. Ron Tal proves with his approach to choosing guitar designs that a little frivolity and self-irony never hurt anyone. The instrument was created back in 1988 according to Ron’s individual drawings...

17. Vigier Swiss Cheese Guitar - Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal

...like this example, and again from Vigier. Again, an absolutely insane instrument in design, which spoiled a lot of nerves for the management of the Guns N’ Roses group. When Ron joined the band, it was almost impossible to get him to choose guitars with more classic designs.

16. Triple Neck Arch-Top Mandolin - John Paul Jones

Multi-instrumentalist John Paul Jones, best known as a member of Led Zeppelin, has always had a love for quirky musical experimentation. One such experiment is the three-neck mandolin from Andy Manson and Manson Guitars, released in a single copy in 2000.

15. 1965 Fender Stratocaster - Jimi Hendrix

Jimi Hendrix's unremarkable serial Strat, which instantly became legendary. It was this guitar that the talented musician set on fire in 1967 during a famous performance in London at Finsbury Astoria.

14. Cort Ax Bass - Gene Simmons

Yes, yes, Cort is not only about cheap guitars from small guitar stores. The Ax Bass is the famous instrument of Gene Simmons from Kiss and perfectly complements his stage persona.

13. Ibanez Jem - Steve Vai

A whole family of tools, without which our list would obviously be incomplete. Impeccable quality from Ibanez, elegant design and practicality in the form of a handle for easy carrying of the tool.

12. B.C.Rich KKV - Kerry King

The collaboration between Slayer's Kerry King and B.C.Rich has given the world its fair share of evil instruments. But the musician’s favorite arrow called B.C.Rich KKV stands apart - it is an angry, harsh and at the same time very elegant guitar, created specifically for powerful and rolling metal.

11. 1979 Karl Sandoval Flying V - Randy Rhoads

A few months before leaving Quiet Riot, Randy thought about building a custom guitar that would best suit his needs. Randy chose the famous engineer Carl Sandoval as a master, and the final cost of the guitar was $740.

10. Manson DL-1 guitar - Matthew Bellamy (Muse)

Muse's Matthew Bellamy has been choosing Hugh Manson's instruments for years. Manson's serial and subscription models are distinguished by a huge number of unusual and, at times, very strange technological solutions, in particular in guitar electronics.

9. Dean Dixie Rebel - Dimebag Darrell

Over the years, Dimebag had more than 20 instruments in his arsenal - most of them came from the pen of Dean Guitars engineers. Perhaps Dimebag's most iconic and well-known instrument is the Dean Dixie Rebel, which features a Confederate flag-themed soundboard.

8. Dean Double-Guitar - Michael Angelo Batio

An extremely unusual instrument, again released by Dean Guitars based on the designs of virtuoso Michael Angelo Batio. It is, in fact, two guitars combined, which can be played simultaneously with the right and left hands.

7. Pikasso Guitar - Pat Metheny

Can you guess how many strings there are? 42! It's hard to say if all of them are used, but this instrument, designed and built by Linda Manser, is used by Metheny both on recordings and for live performances.

6. Prince Symbol Guitar - Prince

The symbol under which this instrument is stylized was first invented in the early 90s and was used on the cover of the Love Symbol Album. An electric guitar especially for Prince was designed and manufactured in the mid-90s and was named Purple One.

5. Hamer Five-Neck - Rick Nielsen

5-neck guitar from Hamer. It doesn't look very elegant, but it's very convincing.

4. Frankenstrat - Eddie Van Halen

This instrument was created directly by the musician himself. Eddie tried to combine the features of Gibson and Fender guitars in the Frankenstrat - and he succeeded to some extent. Today this instrument is one of the most recognizable on the rock scene.

3. Ibanez Triple Neck Heart Guitar - Steve Vai

There are only 2 of these guitars in the world. The first of them was donated by Steve Vai to the Hard Rock Cafe chain, and the second was sold at a charity auction. These instruments were first seen in David Lee Roth's video for the song Just Like Paradise.

2. Quad-Guitar - Michael Angelo Batio

Michael didn’t stop at designing a double-neck guitar; Wayne Charvel, with the help of engineers from Gibson, created a four-neck instrument especially for him. Interesting fact: the original prototype was stolen from the musician in 2006 during a tour in the United States. A few months later, the custom guitar makers at Dean made an exact replica for the virtuoso.

1. Gibson EDS-1275 - Jimmy Page

A guitar that personifies an entire era. Jimmy Page's 18-string double-neck Gibson, which is familiar to all guitarists. It is noteworthy that these guitars were mass-produced before Page, but they became truly popular after the musician appeared on stage with one of them.

Page bought this instrument in the mid-70s for practical reasons: he was tired of constantly changing 6- and 12-string guitars during the performances of Stairway to Heaven and The Song Remains the Same.

The sound of a guitar and its characteristics are influenced by many factors. Some of the main factors are the dimensions of the case and guitar shapes. Let's take a closer look at the different types of guitar bodies.

Acoustic Guitar Shapes

Traditionally, there are five main forms of acoustic guitar. Classical, dreadnought, jumbo, folk and grand auditorium.

It is worth noting that almost all of the above forms have their analogues in reduced sizes (3/4, 1/2). Moreover, the design features of the reduced samples do not undergo any significant changes.

A short video on acoustic guitars with sound examples:

Shapes of electric guitars

Solid body electric guitars, unlike their acoustic counterparts, have a greater variety of body shapes. Among them you can find guitars of unusual shape. So, let's list the main forms of electric guitars and their names.

• Stratocaster. The most recognizable and copied instrument is the Fender Stratocaster. The base of the body is rounded, the upper part of the body is crowned with two horns. The neck is narrow with 21-22 frets, the headstock is C-neck shaped, and the tuners are oriented to one side. Equipped with three single-type sensors. Has a characteristic “glassy” sound.
• Telecaster. Another brainchild of Leo Fender, which gained popularity at the dawn of the company; one of the very first solid-body instruments. It has rather rough outlines. The original Telecaster neck is made from a single piece of wood, most often maple. The fastening of the strings deserves special attention; on rare vintage models you can find a B-Bender system for adjusting the tension of the second string.
• Superstrat– an extensive group of guitars from various manufacturers. The shape is reminiscent of Fender's Stratocaster, but they also have their own design differences. For example, there are often varieties with longer and sharper horns, which contribute to more comfortable playing on the last frets.
• Les Paul. The design of the guitar's shape belongs to the well-known Lester Polfuss. The Gibson Les Paul guitar is often copied, especially in the Asian sector. It has a classic shape, rounded outlines, the top of the case has a characteristic cutout for the left hand. Neck with 22 frets, symmetrical head with pegs installed in a 3x3 pattern. The original models are made of mahogany and equipped with two humbuckers.
• S.G.– the horniest guitar from Gibson. Technical characteristics are similar to Les Paul models. It has rounded outlines, the upper part of the neck with two short sharp “horns”, which greatly facilitate playing on the last frets.
• Warlock produced by B. C. Rich - an electric guitar of an unusual asymmetrical shape with a pointed soundboard and a horned neck. In general, the body of the guitar resembles the Russian letter “X”.
• Explorer. Another easily recognizable Gibson legend. The body resembles a four-pointed asymmetrical star. A comfortable solid-body electric guitar with a lightweight neck and a pickup switch located from the surface of the soundboard to the edge.
• Flying V. A legendary guitar made by Gibson, shaped like an arrowhead. In terms of technical characteristics, it is close to the Explorer and SG guitars. The pegs are arranged in a 3x3 pattern.
• Randy Rhoads from Jackson is very similar in shape to the Flying V series samples. It has sharper ends. The pegs are located on one side, which emphasizes the asymmetry of the body.

The design feature of the electric guitar gave great scope for the flight of imagination of designers. Many of them did not limit themselves to simple wood painting and began to experiment with form. The Internet is full of photos of guitars with skulls, skeletons, multiple necks, etc. A significant contribution to the ranks of original designer electric guitars was made by the well-known Japanese company ESP, which is famous for its instruments for heavy metal performers.

Beautiful electric guitars by Jens Ritter

On the other hand, there are craftsmen who do not chase a flashy appearance and create electric guitars, which they consider the most sophisticated and beautiful in the whole world. One of these guitar “artists” can be called Jens Ritter.

His guitars are works of art that are produced in limited editions. For example, the Princess Isabella electric guitar was made in quantities of 50 pieces. In composition, it is a body made of very light swamp ash with a mahogany neck and maple fingerboards. Jens made a special selection for the bridge and decorated the guitar with fittings made for him by a jeweler. The instrument has an amazing sound, similar to acoustic jazz guitars. There is a photo shoot online in which Princess Isabella flaunts herself on the shores of Botany Bay Beach.

Jens Ritter's main specialty is bass guitars. One of his latest instruments was Cora, which took part in the NAMM Show 2010. The Roya Concept ONE PIECE FLAMED MAPLE looks no less impressive. This electric guitar is made from a single piece of curly maple and has a minimalist style. A special feature of the instrument is the absence of the usual pegs and tremolo. The guitar has a natural pattern that shows all the beauty of the wood fibers.

Famous electric guitars

Among the unusual guitars are many instruments that were used on stage by legendary musicians. Here you can find not only incredibly shaped electric guitars, but also double instruments, guitars with multiple necks, and even two guitars with one neck.

Famous rockers sometimes like to stand out and place exclusive orders with guitar companies. For more than 35 years, the AX BASS guitar, made famous by Gene Simmons of KISS, has graced the world's stages. The bass guitar was made by Kramer and copied several times. In 2010, thanks to Cort Guitars, it became available for purchase to all fans. The AX BASS replicas were designed by Cort in conjunction with Simmons and feature an autograph on the headstock as well as a chrome bridge cover.

Other famous guitars were two “friends” dressed in fur. The famous Billy Gibbons and Dusty Hill from ZZ Top once rocked such guitars. Bearded blues-rockmen had several types of such electric guitars, including curved and completely rectangular bodies.

Small electric guitars

The smallest guitar in the world can be considered a nano-instrument created by scientists at Cornell University. This small electric guitar vaguely resembles the famous Fender Stratocaster and is 20 times smaller than a human hair. You can even play such a miracle instrument using a laser or an atomic microscope.

More practical instruments, smaller in size than conventional guitars, are made by many companies. These are basically electric guitars designed for children and are a smaller version of some famous instrument. Among the most famous are the ESP LTD Kirk Hammet Junior, Ibanez Mikro GRM21, Squier Mini Strat or Epiphone Les Paul Express. Most of these guitars are made of inexpensive wood and cost between $100-200.

electric guitar ESP LTD Kirk Hammet Junior

The most expensive electric guitars in the world

It’s difficult to talk about outstanding guitars without mentioning the most expensive ones. Unlike most expensive things, the value of such instruments is not related to the gold case or the number of diamonds on the fretboard (although there are certainly some). Connoisseurs here pay money for the history of the guitar, and the price largely depends on the name of the person who played it.

For example, a Washburn 22 series Hawk electric guitar that belonged to Bob Marley was sold by the Different Journeys charity for $2 million. Previously, Bob gave this guitar to his friend Gary Karlse, who organized this fund.

Another electric guitar that sold for the same price belonged to the legendary Jimi Hendrix. He played this Stratocaster at the famous Woodstock festival. The guitar has been resold at auction several times and was last seen in 1990. Then it was acquired by one of the co-founders of Microsoft, Paul Allen.

The most expensive guitar in the world is considered to be Brian Adams' Fender Stratocaster. Although not outstanding in design, it was nevertheless sold at an auction by the “Reach out to Asia” foundation for a record amount of 2 million 700 thousand dollars. A special feature of this guitar are the autographs of the greatest musicians who decorated its white body. Among them are such celebrities as Paul McCartney, Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Tony Iommi, Mick Jagger, Sting, Def Leppard ), Ritchie Blackmore and many others. A truly amazing collection made it possible to help those affected by the tsunami on December 26, 2004. Moreover, the guitar was sold twice during the auction: the first time it was bought by the royal family, who immediately donated it to the foundation again. The name of the second owner seems to remain unknown to us.

Within the framework of this article, we are unlikely to be able to talk about other unusual instruments that the rich rock culture has given us. As a pleasant ending, we invite you to look at a selection of incredibly beautiful ESP guitars, which are custom-made for customers.

What shapes of guitars exist and what are their features?

In this article I will talk about the most famous and common forms of various types of guitars.

1. Stratocaster

The most common and most copied form of the electric guitar. Under what names and in what countries is this guitar not produced? The original Fender Stratocaster guitar is made in the USA. This is a 3-pickup single-coil guitar with strings attached to a Vintage Tremolo bridge. The guitar has its own unique "glass" sound. This instrument can be found in many pop rock, indie rock, and hard rock performers.

2. Telecaster

Another famous legendary form from Fender. This is an earlier model of the company's guitar than the Stratocaster. The guitar, one might say, was carved from one piece of wood - this is the technology for making the soundboard, and the design of the first series of the guitar itself was rather clumsy. The guitar has two single-coil pickups, which, together with an alder or ash body, also gives a pleasant acoustic and “glassy” sound when overdriven. It is a more versatile instrument than the Stratocaster; There are also versions with humbucker-type pickups.

3. Les Paul

The no less famous electric guitar is the Gibson Les Paul, which also gave impetus to the development of the guitar industry as a whole. This guitar is distinguished by its classic shape, reminiscent of a girl's waist, the design of the pickups, and, of course, the high quality of the build from precious mahogany. It’s not for nothing that the Les Paul is considered the most versatile guitar; many studios use it when recording. Also, this guitar is often copied by other manufacturers, both under license and without it (hello China!).

4. Superstrat
Paul Reed Smith Custom 24

Superstrats are a huge layer of different guitars from many manufacturers. Outwardly, they are structurally similar to Stratocaster guitars, but in many respects they have their own design features, such as pickups, headstock, soundboard, neck and pickguard material, and tailpiece design.

Ibanez RG320-FM

Many guitar factories were able to build their image by producing similar guitars, such as Ibanez, Cort, Kramer. Jackson guitars deserve special attention as they pioneered the Superstrat design. Initially, these were copies of Stratocaster guitars, but with more expensive types of wood and complex fittings.

5. S.G.

The Gibson SG is the same horned guitar that AC/DC's lead guitarist plays. It also differs from the Les Paul in that the soundboard is made from a single piece of mahogany, and the strap, due to the design of the guitar, is attached to the top point on the back side of the soundboard. The abbreviation SG (solid guitar) itself translates as solid body guitar.

6. Mockingbird

Guitar B.C. Rich Mockingbird has a truly unique shape, although not the most playable. However, many of the guitars from B.C. Rich became known for their unusual shapes. A famous owner of this guitar is guitarist Slash from Guns N'Roses.

7. Warlock

B.C. Rich Warlock is an electric guitar with a demonic design, loved by many heavy metal fans. Its horned neck and pointed soundboard cannot be confused with any other guitar.

8. Explorer

The Gibson Explorer has a distinctive star profile. Despite its angularity, this is a fairly comfortable electric guitar with a light neck. Another special feature is the pickup switch located on the edge of the deck.

9. Flying V
Gibson Flying V is an icon of all true rockers of all time. The name of the guitar speaks for itself - a flying arrowhead. This guitar helped many famous musicians find their new stage image, including Jimi Hendrix, whose guitar is shown in the photo.

10. Firebird
The Gibson Firebird is another solid body electric guitar from Gibson that looks similar to another guitar, the Explorer. But this model is unique in its own way: a neck resembling a bird’s beak, rounded shapes, and its own logo in the form of a bird. Available with one, two or three mini humbucker, humbucker or P-90 pickups.

11. Jazzmaster

The Fender Jazzmaster was made specifically for jazz guitarists. The shape of the guitar made it possible to play comfortably in a sitting position. It is noteworthy that at that time (late 1950s) the guitar had quite rich and sophisticated electronics, including a rhythm solo playing mode switch.

12. Bass guitars

Fender Precision Bass

Bass guitars basically follow the design of electric guitars, the only difference being that the scale length and thickness of the body and neck are much larger. But it’s still worth highlighting some guitars that laid the foundation for entire types of bass guitars and are already called a household name. These include the Fender Precision Bass and the Fender Jazz Bass.

Fender Jazz Bass

There is also a special type of bass guitar - fretless bass guitar. The operating principle is similar to double basses. These instruments expand the range of possibilities when playing, but at the same time the musician must have the so-called. absolute pitch, because There is no division of the fingerboard into semitones.

13. Semi-acoustic guitars

Semi-acoustic guitars are a hybrid of an electric guitar and an acoustic guitar. From acoustics there is a hollow body, which is called hollow-body, and from electric guitars there are pickups and related electronics. These guitars are a favorite among blues musicians for their warmth, comfort, vintage look, and ability to slightly warm up the output sound.

So I briefly presented to you the main shapes and types of guitars. Other forms not listed here usually come from those already mentioned.