Woody Guthrie in 1943 with his famous “This Machine Kills Fascists”
flattop—a ’40s Gibson Southern Jumbo. Photo courtesy of
Library of Congress
As much as we’d all like
to think our instrument
choices are based only on the
quest for tone or playability, it
often comes down to style. My
career as a guitar tailor to the
stars has taught me that even
platinum-selling artists check
the mental mirror when making
instrument choices. In fact,
the visual appeal of a guitar has
figured so heavily in my experience,
I’m surprised that guitar
shops don’t have those multipanel
mirrors found in clothing
stores. I can see it now: “Does
this guitar make me look fat?”
It has reached the point
where it’s no longer unusual
for new guitars to be conceived
from scratch for individual
expression—not to mention
the abundant aftermarket
options for individualization
out there. The trend is even
evident at traditional factorybuild
guitar companies, with
many converting to “we’ll build
it your way” salad-bar shops.
Of course, guitar personalization
goes way back. Woody
Guthrie’s flattopped billboard
declared war on fascism,
and Merle Travis’ business
card was emblazoned on his
guitar’s body and fretboard,
long before Eddie Van Halen
bought his first roll of masking
tape. There was a period in
the late 1960s when it was de
rigueur to paint your guitar
with fluorescent paint in some
sort of psychedelic motif.
As I mentioned in a previous
column, the 1970s
required rockers to Zip-Strip
their instruments’ finish down
to an earthy, natural look. This
was probably a direct reaction
to the flashy and “old-fashioned”
appearance of country
or surf bands that adopted the
bright, custom colors. The
trend seemed to last until the
end of the decade, when the
painted and pointy guitars
started their slow march into
the mainstream. And this
brings us back to Mr. Van
Halen. It may have been his
tapping and whammy bar revolution
that awed guitarists at
the time, but in the long-term,
the DIY paint job and aftermarket
customization could be
Edward’s most enduring contribution
to the guitar industry.
The author with the 5-neck Hamer he built for Cheap Trick’s Rick
Nielsen circa 1980.
As the ’80s got started, the
ante was upped. I remember
examining Ace Frehley’s crazy
array of guitars backstage while
working with Kiss. It was a
revelation—guitars with smoke
bombs and sequencing marquee
lights that truly were stage
props. The 1980s were prolific
times for instruments doing
double-duty as fashion accessories.
I know, because I was
right there in the middle of it
all. It was fun and frivolous, and
just about any crazy idea was
worth exploring. Airbrushed
graphics, metal studs, builtin-
ray-gun sound effects, and
LED lights—it seemed like
everyone had caught up to Kiss.
Yes, there were cool and useful
guitar designs that didn’t rely
on their looks to get by. Some
of my favorite guitars are from
this era, with the Jackson Soloist
being one of them, and I think
they still stand up today. The
era actually set the stage for the
marketplace, as we know it now.
Personalization trends that
companies or guitarists create,
follow, and chase have
been good for the industry—it
keeps the grease on the griddle.
Guitar styling, as I like to
call the exercise of making a
guitar look a certain way, is at
an all-time high. There was a
time when stylists could satisfy
their job requirement just by
changing out a few pieces of
hardware. Now, the customer
enjoys complete control over
the color, shape, electronics,
and tonewoods. It is certainly
the era of personalization in all
things visual with musicians
being able to create their own
mix through a vast array of
sample-and-paste options.
Still, it is hard to imagine
a roots-rocker testifying on a
shred guitar, especially if it had
a leopard finish. It comes down
to the appropriate style, and
that’s where the mirror comes
in handy. For me, I like the idea
of breaking the rules in some
subtle way. I had a conversation
with one of my favorite
artists about how completely
whack it would be for him to
step onstage with a traditionally
styled, semi-hollowbody guitar,
that still did his shred-style bidding.
I wasn’t trying to reinvent
his persona, but I liked the idea
of smashing the expectations
of the audience. Ultimately, he
didn’t go for it—just not his
style I guess. If only I’d had that
mirror handy.
Jol Dantzig is a
noted designer, builder,
and player who co-founded
Hamer Guitars,
one of the first boutique
guitar brands, in 1973.
Today, as the director of
Dantzig Guitar Design, he continues to
help define the art of custom guitar. To
learn more, visit
guitardesigner.com.