from one prototype. “We had to
design the guitars, build them,
and make hardware for them,”
Martin says, “and we had no
designs. But we talked about the
Alembic—Jerry Garcia’s guitar—
as far as visualizing the wood and
the lamination.”
ENDORSERS SPREAD
THE WORD
Since introducing their proto-
types to the Disco Biscuits gui-
tarist Jon “the Barber” Gutwillig
at a 2008 show in Providence,
Rhode Island, inquiries from
other artists and fans have been
steadily trickling in. “Barber
opened a lot of doors for us,”
Becker says. “As soon as he
picked up the prototype, he goes,
‘Shit! This is so much better than
my guitar!’” Gutwillig seized the
opportunity to try something
rare and played the guitar at that
very show—and he hasn’t looked
back since. “After that,” Becker
says, “he took two of our guitars
on the road with him while we
built him his UniBomber.”
Gutwillig’s UniBomber is a
green-and-purple piece from
the Imperial line. Built from
yellowheart and curly ash, the
entire instrument was custom-
carved—right down to the
bridge, tailpiece, and knobs.
Gutwillig says he was initially
drawn to Becker Guitars because
of the way the instruments play,
emphasizing that the tone and
playability is unmatched.
“They really don’t cut corners
. . . and they go just as far to
oversee the entire pickup winding
process,” Gutwillig says. “To have
two guys who are great builders
not only look over the entire process of [building] the guitar—but
also actually fashion all the little
nuances of every single instrument—makes a big difference in
things that are difficult to quantify, like sustain. I stopped using
a compressor when I went to my
Beckers,” he says.
BROADENING THEIR
HORIZONS
Today, ElectriCandyland is
excited about the launch of two
new production lines called the
GhostRider and HeadHunter.
Becker and Martin say the guitars
are aimed at delivering the company’s signature tone and feel in
instruments that are easier to produce and that will be more affordable. GhostRiders can be carved
from mahogany or alder, their
fretboards and retro pickguards
are available in a bunch of different woods, and they feature more
electronics configurations (such as
coil-tapped humbuckers, P-90s,
single-coils, and lipstick-style
pickups) than any other models.
As for the HeadHunter,
Becker says, “It will be one of
the mainstays of the company:
A neck-through instrument, all
mahogany, with a maple top
and an ebony fretboard. The
woods are traditional, but the
