One-off 1970s Ibanez Artist made from solid brass is quite literally Heavy Metal

guitarz.blogspot.com:

Wow! I mean we've seen metal guitars before, but not any made from solid brass. That's right, solid, not plated. I couldn't say whether or not the guitar body is chambered, but weighing in at a whopping 70 lbs it's possible that this one-off brass Ibanez Artist IS solid all the way through! Imagine what that must feel like... and you thought a Les Paul was heavy! Despite the weight, apparently it IS fully playable and has recently been professionally set up. Looking at the condition of the body with scrapes and dings it looks like it may have been used over the last 4 decades too.

But "WHY?" you may well be asking. Apparently it was created as a centre piece for the unveiling of the Ibanez Artist line at NAMM sometime in the mid 1970s. (Has anyone got a more specific date for me here?)

Other than unusual choice of body material, specs are: 25" scale, 1 11/16" nut width, ebony fingerboard, Flying Fingers humbuckers, active 3-band equalizer.

This one of a kind guitar is currently listed on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $24,999.95.

Thanks to Jason Moody for bringing this guitar to my attention.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!

Steinberger GM1T Egyptian - one-off NAMM 1991 special

guitarz.blogspot.com:

I've always enjoyed 1960s Italian Ekos and Crucianellis with their ostentatious celluloid pearlescent finishes; likewise similarly finished models from Sweden's Hagström have also appealed. But looking at the above Steinberger GM1T Egyptian, I have to ask myself if it's possible to put too much Mother Of Toilet Seat onto a guitar?

The Ancient Egyptian-themed finish on this Steinberger was created for the 1991 NAMM show by artists Greg Rich and Phil Jones, who apparently have created similar pieces for Fender and Gibson. The guitar has just the single EMG pickup - I guess so there is more of a "canvass" available for the artwork - and it also sports a gold-plated TransTrem (a Steinberger innovation which allows the player to lock in transposed tunings using the tremolo arm).

Apparently this guitar sold at the 1991 NAMM show for $10,000. It is now being offered for sale on eBay with a Buy It Now price of $5,995.

G L Wilson

© 2011, Guitarz - The Original Guitar Blog - now in its 10th year!