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 mak-
ing instrument choices. In fact,
the visual appeal of a guitar has
figured so heavily in my experi-
ence, I’m surprised that guitar
shops don’t have those multi-
panel 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 factory-
build guitar companies, with
many converting to “we’ll build
it your way” salad-bar shops.
Of course, guitar personal-
ization 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.
The author with the 5-neck Hamer he built for Cheap Trick’s Rick
Nielsen circa 1980.
Woody Guthrie in 1943 with his famous “This Machine Kills Fascists” flattop—a ’40s Gibson Southern Jumbo. Photo courtesy of
Library of Congress
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, built-in-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 cre-
ate, 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.
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.
