Guitar makers have been pulling out all the stops at recent shows, with eye-catching new axes - one-offs, limited editions and full production numbers. We’ve pulled together some of our favourite designs.
This Steam Punk Telecaster is an amazing Master Built Fender one-off that we saw at Musikmesse, with phenomenal detailing and engraving, and a rosewood fingerboard. The Steampunk scene has its own instrument-makers, and it was fascinating to see what Fender could do in-house.
This Jens Ritter Princess Isabella The Blue Dragon comes covered in brocade fabric, and features a Haeussel Custom Fat-Jazz pickup. It’s in a limited edition of 25, and has an alder body, mahogany neck and ebony fretboard.
This unusual multi-soundhole design for the Ovation Celebrity Deluxe Plus caught our eye, with a shallow body to make it feel similar to an electric, and an Ovation Slimline pickup. The neck has an electric-style profile and low action and the guitar has a 3-band equalizer, onboard tuner, and preamp for a clear acoustic sound.
Godin have got a new Rosewood version of their Nylon Multiac guitar, the ACS-SA. It blends elements of classical guitar and solid body design, so it has a chambered body with a response that’s more like a solid body, and Godin say it’s virtually free of feedback. The guitar has custom electronics - as well as a standard ¼” output for a guitar lead, it has 13-pin “synth access” output which works with Roland GR-Series guitar synths.
What makes a Gibson SG a Deluxe? An eye-watering three humbucking pickups - ‘57 Classics, plus a Bigsby. It’s solid mahogany with a maple figured top, a slim and fast mahogany neck, and a rosewood fingerboard with distinctive split diamond inlays.
This glittering Holoflake 50’s Stratocaster was made by Dale Wilson, Master Builder at Fender Custom Shop. It has a maple fingerboard, and NOS (New Old Stock) means it is built to the original specs of the instrument.
This limited edition red Gretsch Falcon has been making Gretsch fans’ mouths water! It comes with special TV Jones pickups, and has the traditional 1959 styling with gold hardware. It has a maple neck and ebony fretboard.
Gibson’s ES-335 Chris Cornell signature model has an ‘OD green’ finish, plus a Bigsby. The Seattle grunge scene star - from Soundgarden, to Audioslave and more - has added unusual touches like Jason Lollar Lollartron pickups, for a “fat-but-jangly late ’50s to early ’60s humbucker-fired twang”.