Bizarro Vintage Electric Guitars, The Short List, in 2 parts

[Guildedagain]

The Uber bizarre Hoyer in the Bizzaro Guitar thread pushed me over the edge to do a bizarro guitar thread. Guitars so bizarre they make slightly odd guitars like the Thunderbird seem rather humdrum by comparison. These will be done alphabetically to keep them straight.

To make the list, it has to be more than unusual or cool, it has to a little extra wacky.

Going way back in time, 1952 Bigsby double neck

Burns Flyte 1977

Domino California Rebel 1967

Fenton Weill Triplemaster 1967

Framus Melodie 9 string 1965

Gibson ES-300 1941

Gittler/Astron Engineering 1986

Godwin Organ 1976

Goya Rangemaster 1968

Guyatone LG-350T 1967

Hallmark Swept Wing 1967

John Birch AJS Custom 1976

12 image limit

 

[Guildedagain]

Part 2

Krundaal Bikini 1962

Mosrite Strawberry Alarm Clock 1967

Stratosphere Twin 1955

Thx to Getty Images for all these wonderful shots, sometimes the only ones or just much better than seller pics.

Vega Stereo 1200 1959

Vox Guitar Organ 1966

Wandre Rock Oval 1961

Yahama SG-5A Flying Samurai 1967

 

[Rambozo96]

1968 Kustom K-200 guitar I restored. I tracked down both Bud Ross and Doyle Reading who designed it. The second guitar is a guitar Doyle made from an old maple school desk

 

[Guildedagain]

Those are GREAT!

 

[mushroom]

Re the Mosrite Strawberry Alarm Clock, apparently there were a set of three in different configurations.

 

[Prince of Darkness]

I remember seeing at least a couple of these in Guitar Player magazine, in the Rare Birds column written by "Teisco Del Rey"

 

[Guildedagain]

Mosrites certainly marched to the beat of their own drummer, wildly innovative, made everything in house, although early pickups were made by Carvin, also from SoCal.

Mosrite History

Semie Moseley was born on June 13, 1935 in Durant, Oklahoma. His family migrated to California along a path similar to many “Bakersfield Okies”, first moving to Chandler, Arizona in 193…

chasingguitars.com

Unusual guitars and one offs just poured out of the factory. I think this is Semie?

Glenn Campbell's guitar, same Ace strap I got with the '65 Jet Star.

 

[F312]

The Goya Rangemaster, (bought new with monthly payments) was my first good electric, well good I thought at the time. I just couldn't get it to spank out the tone.

 

[GGJaguar]

Re the Mosrite Strawberry Alarm Clock, apparently there were a set of three in different configurations.

I played the green one when it was in Scott Chinery's collection. I didn't like the neck (skinny) and just felt weird to play while sitting.

 

[SFIV1967]

Germany, 1970, built by luthier Heinz Seifert:



As was this one:



Ralf

 

[mushroom]

I played the green one when it was in Scott Chinery's collection. I didn't like the neck (skinny) and just felt weird to play while sitting.

GGJ - that’s cool. I was wondering what they would be like.

 

[wileypickett]

Yes, that was the book I was curious about Hans, but anything in that vein would be of interest. (I have the only-published-in-Japan *Bizarre Guitars* book, which has some mind-blowing examples in it, like some of the above, so I don't need that one.)

BTW, I also owned a Goya Rangemaster for a while, and a Burns "Wild Dog" six-string, and some Teiscos and some other wacky instruments.

All cool looking guitars, but none of them beat my Hagstrom III for sound. (I sold my Fender Strat after acquiring my first Hagstrom in a pawn shop.)

I used Hagstroms for the nearly 20 years I was in a band.

We toured Sweden in the '80s and passed through Alvdalen, where Hagstroms had been made. I sent the rest of the band off to have lunch somewhere and walked around the tiny main "thoroughfare" -- which was all of a half-block long. Completely by accident I ran into Karl Erik Hagsrtom, who had taken over the company after his father (who started out making accordions) died.

It was the early '60s. Karl Erik saw the writing on the wall and switched from making accordions to making guitars.

He gave me a tour of the abandoned Hagstrom factory, had me sign his guest book (Mudhoney had also just visited!) and loaded me up with old parts and catalogues.

Karl Erik was a very innovative guy.

I don't play amplified music any more but I still have a few Hagstroms from the old days.

 

[SFIV1967]

Yes, that was the book I was curious about Hans, ...

I guess you posted your response in the wrong discussion...You probably clicked the link there before typing.
Ralf

 

[Guildedagain]

Accidental but cool thread merge ;]

 

[Guildedagain]

And a new arrival, the Crucianelli Spazial 1965

Crucianelli Spazial - Fetishguitars.com

www.fetishguitars.com

 

[ruedi]

Not vintage, but ESP has done some bizarre models in it's Custom Shop.

Taco:




Pizza:




skull weirdness:







all found here:

ESP Custom Shop Gallery

One of the world's leading manufacturers of high quality guitars and basses.

www.espguitars.com

 

[Guildedagain]

ESP is the "unmentioned" one, they are amazing.

 

[Guildedagain]

This thread wouldn't be complete with a couple wild Hondo guitars from 1980, the M-16 affectionately known as the "Rambo" model, and the perhaps much more dangerous "Death Dagger" ;]]

Honorable mention for excessively pointy guitar goes to Guild for the X88 Flying Star Motley Crue model 1985.

This fantastic guitar is available btw, for a cool $2k.

Guild X-88 Flying Star Motley Crue Mick Mars White 1985 w/ OHSC | Reverb

Here's a 1985 Guild X-88 Motley Crüe model in great playing condition. This beast is a true shredder's dream and it's in fantastic shape for its age! Features include a screamin' pair of DiMarzio humbuckers, Kahler tremolo system, very comfortable satin-finished "C" profile neck with a slinky 24 ...

reverb.com

 

[ruedi]

The sixties seem to have been a productive decade for weird designs.

I like this one: Teisco SD4L



You can even buy it:

Vintage 1960s Teisco SD4L 4 Pickup Goldfoil Electric Guitar Japan Super Cool ! | Reverb

Super cool 1960s Teisco SD4L wierd and wonderful Japanese electric guitar. It features four Ry Cooder favoured gold foil pickups with on / off switches for each and rhythm / solo switches. There is a master volume and a master tone ( leaves a little to be desired as it the tone reduces the vol...

reverb.com

 

[F312]

Guild was certainly making a point in the 80s.