Unusual guitars. Guitars of unusual shape: rare and unique. Baritone guitar and its unusualness

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 he 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 its dawn musical career Dave favored mostly Jackson and ESP guitars. 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 - 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 by individual drawings Rona...

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 engineers at Dean Guitars. 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

Extremely unusual instrument, again released by Dean Guitars based on designs by virtuoso Michael Angelo Batio. It is, in fact, two guitars combined that 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 guitars from Gibson and Fender 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 purchased 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.

What do you think is important for a cool musician besides the ability to play an instrument perfectly and to be famous? Here's what! Every musician dreams of achieving individuality both in music and in image. Distinctive Features can set you apart from large number performers. Many groups think through their image and their attributes in detail. Today we will focus on one aspect of the musician’s image. This will be a change in the appearance of the guitar.
One of the directions is changing the design of the tool. The first thing I wanted to draw your attention to is applying airbrushing to the guitar. Professionals in this business will add individuality to your guitar and create almost any picture on it at your request. The main thing is to come up with or choose an image that suits you. I suggest you look at some interesting works.

Airbrushing on guitars

By the way, I looked at an interesting design of dishes on one of the sites.
The next modification could be changing the body of the guitar itself. The scope for imagination here is also quite wide. Below are some examples.

Unusual guitar bodies

And now I would like to introduce you to a few famous musicians who play unusual guitars.

Alexander Hamer (gr. Kruger) and his dragon guitar

A guitar can’t always be a guitar - you can play with a shovel, an axe, an oar, and anything else, as long as you have enough imagination. Some inventors come up with original designs and shapes for their instruments in order to stand out or bring some kind of fresh metamorphosis to the art. Not all copies are quite successful - excessive pretentiousness, in our opinion, speaks of insincerity. But a tool with a specific idea is a really interesting find. Let's look at some guitars unusual shape.

A controversial variant of an unusually shaped guitar is the butterfly guitar.

Guitars of unusual shape: look and be surprised!

Shovel guitar

Definitely first place. Perhaps the best option. After all, what is a shovel? It is a tool used for digging, that is, it is a symbol of hard work. And tinkering with an object that carries a clear symbol behind it is worth a lot. It seems that the creation of such an object is a kind of jab to the side younger generation, they say, look, son, what “dad” plays. On the Internet you can sometimes come across videos of engineers assembling shovel guitars, but the most popular for the Russian-speaking population is the creation of Pavel Yatsyna from “Red Mold”. The band's estate includes the patented rake guitar, shovel guitar and paddle guitar.

Ax guitar and rifle guitar

Gene Simmons and his famous ax guitar Rifle guitar

The ax guitar is clearly designed for metal. Once upon a time, the “axe” became the calling card of the KISS group. In 1978 famous master Steve Carr developed a prototype of this bass guitar with Jim Simmons. Based on the image of the instrument, we can say: it is especially aggressive when combined with appearance, and a hellish bustle of strings. Just don’t, of course, mess with her in the crowd - otherwise it will be a real hack! Continuing the “killer” theme is a guitar-rifle. You can really blow your mind with this one!

Guitar in the form of a female figure

Some examples of this unusually shaped guitar are vulgar, some are aesthetic - but, in any case, original. Yes, now you won’t surprise anyone with an erotic theme - it was fresh in the second half of the twentieth century, when the public was surprised with such themes. However, it is always nice to have such a thing in your collection. By the way, the expression “six-string friend” thus acquires some relevance.

Guitar with multiple necks

You should not pass by completely unprecedented guitars with two, three, four, and so on necks. In the 1970s, such “designs” were popularized by Jimmy Page, John McLaughlin, and Steve Vai. Agree, you need to have special skill in order to be able to handle such miracles of thought!

Author's guitars of unusual shape and design

In conclusion, we should recall a few designer guitars. Here is a collection of guitars Prince, famous painted guitar Egor Letov, favorite Fender Kurt Cobain(Nirvana) and the signature guitar model of a true Briton Noel Gallagher(Oasis).

But I don’t want to focus on types like butterfly guitars or fork guitars. This already smacks of the aesthetics of postmodernism - everyone strives to invent something extremely original, but not everyone succeeds. The result is formless and unimaginative heaps. Don't forget, Rock is an idea, not pop. What is your guitar?

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 and 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. Special attention deserves string fastening; 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. Has classic shape, rounded outline, 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.

Everyone is used to the classics, but what unusual guitars are there?

Baritone guitar and its unusualness

A baritone guitar implies something that is in the middle between a bass guitar and an ordinary six-string guitar. Directly, there is no particular difference in the external structure between them, and a beginner will not notice it. But in sound they are not at all similar, and as soon as the instrument begins to sound, the difference will be noticeable to anyone.

A baritone guitar differs from a regular six-string guitar in having a lower sound. The instrument is said to be in between an acoustic guitar and a bass guitar. Its tone is located exactly between the tone values ​​of these two options. So if you lower the pitch by one octave, you will get a sound identical to .

The baritone effect is achieved due to the presence of such an element as a “beaker”. This element of the instrument is enlarged, which is why we observe a deeper and lower sound than that of acoustics. The standard classic model has a beaker of 23 to 26 inches. For a baritone guitar this will vary between 27 and 30 inches. For comparison, the bass beaker is 34 inches (for reference to those who are not good at playing and building elements on an unusual guitar).

Different acoustic instrument options

Many people would like to play an unusual instrument. However, this is a rather rare species, not very well known in our country. Our musicians prefer ordinary classical instruments.

Unusual acoustic guitars require special skills when playing and musical ear. That is why not everyone risks using them. Due to their rarity, they are quite expensive. In Russia they can only be found in Moscow or St. Petersburg, in the largest cities. Even there they are not very popular and are classified as unusual acoustic guitars, although you can say that this is an unusual bass guitar.

If you need just such a tool, it is much easier to buy it online. You can order it from abroad. For example, they often come to us from America, where they are more popular than here. Of course, they are very expensive - from 20,000 rubles and above. The cost depends on the model and brand.

What are the advantages of playing an instrument such as a baritone guitar? The fact is that it is something between acoustics and bass, which means it is universal, that is, it replaces both types of instruments.

Warr guitar and Stick Champer guitar

One of the most unusual options is the warr guitar. What is its peculiarity and what is it? Have you heard of an instrument that can be played just as easily as a regular piano? This idea came to the mind of the musician Stick Champer, who improved the most ordinary instrument so that playing it resembled playing a keyboard instrument. By right, the instrument can be considered one of the most unusual guitars in the world.

Warr guitar is derived from Stick. But she also has a significant difference from her “big brother”. The instrument that Stick created (now called briefly by his name) has nine main strings, some of which are bass and some are acoustic. The number of strings and the shape of the guitar depends on the model.

Immediately after its creation, the sticks became very popular. They suited both bass players and those who played acoustic instrument. This unusual instrument can be considered universal, and in many ways it is attractive for this reason. Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to buy such a guitar in our country. They are made only in the United States. It is impossible to buy them even in Europe - subsidiaries of American companies also do not produce sticks.

The stick has an unusual shape for guitars. For example, characteristic feature is the absence of a body. Because of this, its sound is somewhat different from the sound of other guitars.

Despite the many advantages of such a tool - convenience, simplicity, versatility, it is worth thinking about whether you really want to have such a tool. Considering that it is very, very difficult to get, buying an unusual guitar is not always worth it. And the game on it is very specific. There are few people in Russia who know how to play such a guitar and could teach you. Well, it may even take several years to hone your skills.

A warr guitar differs from a stick guitar in the presence of a body. Such a guitar also has many options for execution, like a stick, but the principle of operation is exactly the same.

Many people note the uselessness of the war guitar (as well as the stick). This instrument is quite expensive, playing it is specific and not everyone quickly gets used to playing such a guitar masterfully. If you play in a group or ensemble, then such a guitar is even more useless. Its specificity cannot help you dilute your music with high-quality sound. And for solo performance you need to have certain skills that are achieved through years of rehearsals. And not every song can be played on a war guitar. Of course, if a musician masters the instrument masterfully, the sound of the guitar will cause surprise and admiration, but such masters are quite rare.

So this thing is certainly very interesting, but it is only suitable for fans who have extra money for an expensive and unusual instrument.

Jolana Disco Bass

The guitar belongs to the “most unusual bass guitar” type. This is an instrument that has one of the most unusual shapes. This model is not very common, so few people have heard of it. One can say about this guitar that its “highlight” is the tucked body. It is thanks to this unusual shape that this guitar is considered a symbol of disco music. There is also an original model of this Czechoslovak design, invented in America. It became more popular there than here, although it never really took root anywhere. This is one of the first unusual Soviet bass guitars.

What other most unusual guitars in the world exist?

There are many other unusual guitars that vary in shape. The most unusual shapes of guitars can become business cards some famous musicians. Guitars with unusual shapes can be custom-made to impress the public.