Guitarchive

Guitarchive -- Bizarre & Unusual Art Guitars

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Fellow guitar lovers and Citizens of Posterville:

Musical instruments are tools with which the art form known as music is created. A small number of these instruments are products of such fine craftsmanship, and/or design, that they have achieved the status of w orks of art in their own right. These tools have become something more and consequently are sought after and collected for reasons other than the musical characteristics such as tone, volume, or playability that would normally define the value and desirability of a tool. As artifacts, musical instruments become icons of history, symbolic devices that helped say things that affected large numbers of people, magic wands that allowed countless souls visions of another reality. The creation and evolution of what we now call rock 'n roll was fundamentally affected by the electric guitar. This instrument, more than any other, has become the major instrument of collector's choice.

Rock 'n roll music is arguably one of America's purest original art forms. The production of instruments by premier guitar builders such as Fender, Gibson, Martin, and Gretsch have become the agreed upon standard of excellence the world associates with great American pop music. The rest of the worl d watched, listened, and copied as best they could the musical form and instruments themselves in an attempt to recreate the unique image and lifestyle that the rock era had introduced. In the early years after World War II, American inventors suc h as Leo Fender and Les Paul designed instruments that not only helped create previously unheard sounds, but forty plus years later would be sought after as the ultimate examples of a golden era.

In Europe and Japan where these instruments we re scarce and expensive, numerous factories emerged making guitars often inspired by the famous originals. Mostly these instruments were of inferior material and workmanship. If imported into America at all, they were relegated to the large department s tore chains where an American name was placed on the headstock and the product was aimed at the beginning student. Many of today's finest rock performers began their career on such a basic instrument. While the vast majority of foreign guitars never gai ned the slightest credibility, there are a small number of Italian and Japanese models that now appear to have been very innovative in their time, and at this point seem amazingly strange and rare. Guitarchive is a private collection recognizing the biza rre, rare, and unusual in the world of stringed instruments, especially foreign examples that were seldom seen in the U.S. because of their exclusivity or lack of international distribution.

If you know of or own such an instrument, please inform t he Professor about it. You just never know what's in the old hall closet or up in the attic. It may be you old age pension!

Each month Guitarchive will feature a photo and description of one of the world's rarest and most bizarre guitars from the G uitarchive collection!

POSTERVILLE's Featured Pieces!

1964 National Glenwood 88

GUITARCHIVE actually got it's start looking for this kind of guitar. It seemed so quirky after seeing the same Fenders and Gibsons again and again. Little did we know what was in store when t he great European guitar virus struck with such sickening swiftness!! The National company made many lesser models, some known as Valpro. This was the top of the line around 1964 with mother of pearl neck inlay, two double coil pick-ups vibrato, 6 knobs. It's claim to fame is a fiberglass body made in the shape of The United States! This guitar was always a pawn shop oddity. It is surprisingly rare these days, has been copied with a wood body, and recently re-issued as the Tanglewood. I'm looking for an original case if any one has or knows of one.

1960's Teisco FIREBIR D

Japanese guitars from the 1950's and 60's were influenced by all the famous American brands and styles. One of the major Asian manufacturers was the Teisco Company (T okyo Electric Instrument and Sound Company) which produced dozens of different models in different price ranges. The majority were solid bodied guitars largely influenced by various Fender styles but there were some hollow body models. This GUITARCHIVE selection is another impossibly rare example. It's a mid 1960's Teisco Firebird formerly owned by the King of Bizarre Guitars, Mr. Dan Forte a.k.a. Teisco DelRey!! This has got to be the most amazing treatment of the double-cutaway hollow-body guitar format ever manufactured. Dan bought it at a guitar show and promptly illustrated it in one of his Guitar Player ariticles of the early 80's. To my knowledge no others have surfaced since! Does anybody else have one out there? I'm also looking for a case? It has sort of Cadillac fin-like horns and sculptural F holes, a 26 ply laminated neck, vibrato, and an asymetrical headstock. It sort of plays like a tinny ES 335 with asthma! Hope you like it. We're always glad to hear f rom other Guitar Maniacs so send us some E-mail.

1960's Wandre Rock Oval

What the heck is tha t? is the most commonly heard response from viewers of this GUITARCHIVE selection. Mr. Wandre Pelotti was the Buckminster Fuller of European guitar design. He must have looked at a lot of surrealist paintings too! When he envisioned this particu lar model he employed a radical new concept of reverse ergonomics. Previous ideas of form fitting function were rejected in favor of the better to look good than play good philosophy. He didn't want owners of this model RockOval to be seen sitting down with the instrument on their knee! This guitar has an aluminum neck mounted on a fiberglass body. It is beautifully sculpted front and back and would have been an amazing body shape with an upper bout or single cut away. The pickguard flo ats on top of the body and contains the two Davoli pick-ups and the bridge. There is a cool little compartment below that with the volume and tone knobs. No one seems to know how many of these were made (maybe 100?), but they were top of the line with a wonderful 3-tone sparkle paint job of red, blue, and black. I have only seen one other in person to compare the one of a kind qualities of the finish. I don't think these were ever imported into the U.S. I looked for years for this baby and really LOVE it! I'm interested in knowing if anybody out there has one or knows of one, or anything else so remarkably depraved in Vintage European Guitar Production.

Guitarachive continues to bring citizens the Posterville the very best in bizzare and unusual guitars and Art of the Times. Need is say more? What do you think?

Send email to me now at theProf@ProfessorPoster.com Input Welcome. Comments Desired!

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