ELECTRICIZED

Brian May Special

2006-Present
Mahogany, Ebony

Family-built by Brian May and his father, the Red Special has been reproduced several times by brands like Guild and Burns since the eighties. In 2006, May created ‘Brian May Guitars’ to market his own take on the ‘Old lady’. Loaded with three Burns Tri-sonic pups, it’s a great quality instrument for $800. 

Gibson Byrdland

1955-Present
Spruce, Maple, Ebony

The name Byrdland is a mashup of the names of Billy Bird and Hank Garland the two guitarists who participated in its design. They had requested a short scale archtop that would be less bulky than the traditional hollowbody, and this is basically what they got: A short-scale thinline L5CES.

P90s, PAF pickups, venetian or florentine cutaway, the Gibson Byrdland went through several phases, but was always seen as a remarkable and prized instrument. Some of Gibson’s finest. Hear it

Photo: Georgesmusic

Bo Diddley

1928-2008

The Stones, the Beatles, the Who, Hendrix… You name it. Everyone has been influenced by the simple yet feverish rhythms of Bo Diddley. “The Originator”, as they called him, defined the genre and is unmistakably considered a cornerstone of blues rock. He was also famous for having female guitarists in his band. 

His two main instruments were the cigar-box shaped Grestch Twang Machine and the Gretsch Jupiter Thunderbird. Both were designed by Diddley himself, respectively in 1958 and 1959. Yes, Bo Diddley was a man, and a remarkable one.

PRS McCarty Model

1994-2007
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Ted McCarty, former president of Gibson (during the 1950-65 golden era) has been involved with PRS since 1994. His first contribution was properly called the McCarty Model. Thicker neck and body than usual PRS, The PRS McCarty has a strong, pleasant vintage Les Paul influence in both sound and feel. It is also the first PRS to feature a three way switch.

the first 100 units were signed and numbered. In 1998, a rosewood fretboard was offered as optional. Hear it

Fender TC-90

2004-2007
Ash, Maple, Rosewood

Ever tried to pull a Gibson sound from a Telecaster? Perhaps this thinline TC-90 and its two Seymour Duncan P90s could help.

Double cutaway, neck-through, the Korean made TC-90 is not your average Tele, but according to Scott Grove, it “smokes the american stuff”. The Jim Adkins model (JA-90) released in 2007 is originally a single cutaway version of the TC-90.

Photo by terminal3

Dunlop Tortex Pick

1972-Present
Thermoplastic

Since an international ban on tortoiseshell in 1973, Dunlop has been successfully offering the most iconic and recognizable pick in guitar history. The variety of colors/thicknesses makes any decently obsessed guitarist want to try them all. And that logo is spot on. Keep smiling, Turtey.

Yamaha SLG-100

2000s-Present
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Yamaha came up with a new line of guitar called Silent Guitars in the early 2000s. Basically electro-acoustics with a headphone jack, the SLG are available with nylon strings (SLG-100N) or steel strings (SLG-100S). Yamaha also included a set of FX controls: Two reverbs, a chorus and a delay. The Silent Guitar has been designed with travelling guitarists in mind, as the frame can be dismantled easily. Hear it

Hofner Chancellor

2006
Spruce, Maple, Ebony

Magnificient 17” archtop from Hofner.

Fender Vintage Hot Rod ‘62 Stratocaster

Circa 2009 - Present.
Alder, Maple, Rosewood, gorgeous olympic white.

Music Man Axis Super Sport MM90

2009
Ash, Maple, Rosewood 

The Ernie Ball Music Man Axis is basically the evolution of Eddie Van Halen’s signature model, the Music Man EVH. P-90 love.

Gibson ES-137 Classic

2002
Maple, Mahogany, Rosewood

Gibson went into its cellar, picked some of its finest vintages, came back to the lab to create a new that looks very much like old. The ES-137 has a thinner but similar body to the ES-175 and supposedly sounds like a Les Paul Classic.

Peerless Imperial
2010
Spruce, Maple, Ebony

A fantastic looking jazz archtop guitar that was built with famous role model in mind, the Gibson L5 CES. Mini-humbucker floating in space.

2003 Gibson SG Supreme
Mahogany, Maple, Ebony

One of the latest editions of the SG. Lava-bursting over a pair of 57 Classic Humbuckers. Never been a big fan of guitars that look like they could have been a cocktail, but this SG deserves a post.

2008 Gibson ES-359

Maple, Poplar, Mahogany and Ebony

What happens if you combine the shape of a ES-335 with the measurements of a Les Paul? You would get a vibrant, small sized hollow body known as the ES-339. Add some ebony, mother of pearl inlays, that killer Penhalm blue, and there you are… Gibson ES-359.

2002 Mosrite Ventures Reissue
2002

A very rare japanese reissue in blue burst. One of the few Mosrites made-in-japan to sport “the Ventures” and “of California” logos.