Sigur Ros upholstered SG

Here's a 1991 Gibson SG formerly owned by Jón þor (jónsi) Birgisson of the Icelandic band Sigur Ros, and which rather bizarrely has been upholstered in velvet fabric.

The funny thing is that the colour looks right on this Gibson which judging from the back of the neck looks like it was originally a cherry finish.

(Thanks again to Gary for bringing this wonderfully strange guitar to my attention).

On a related note, here's another fabric-covered guitar.

Seen A Better Price?

Blimey! Look how much Andertons Music Co. are asking for this little Yamaha practice amp! It's especially curious when the description on their website states that "Yamaha's GA15 amp is a superb sounding amplifier when you consider it's frankly ridiculous price!" (sic).

Ridiculous is the word!

(Thanks to Gary).

Quick Quiz Answer: The Mystery Case

What lives in a case like this?

I think that most of you who commented were on the right lines when you answered "harp guitar", although I'm not sure if this Espana classical is technically a harp guitar as it doesn't have any extra strings.

I can only assume that the elongated body "wing" is there to give increased bass response.

However, it's not as wild as this example which we looked at on this blog last June. Can you imagine what the case would have looked like for that guitar?

In the news...

• Retired plumber devotes time to guitar creations: Michael Williams, a retired plumber, custom makes hand-carved electric guitars in the garage of his home in North Newark.
  
  
• The guitars of John Fogerty: How Creedence pioneer learned to love the Les Paul.

Vox Mando Guitar

Now these hardly ever go up for sale on eBay!

Originally produced between 1964-1966, the Vox Mando Guitar is a half-scale 12-string guitar. It's tuned like a 12-string, only an octave higher, and thus allows the guitarist to get a mandolin sound from a familiarly-tuned instrument.

I used to have an 80s-era Eko mando guitar (still do have it, in fact, but it's in bits - but that's another story). It was quite nice for adding little overdubs to recordings, just to get a different sound in places. However, the Eko had a DiMarzio humbucker much more suited to heavy metal. The single coils of the Vox seem to be a much more sensible choice of pickup.

Quick Quiz: The Mystery Case

What kind of guitar lives in a case like this?

"The Passion" handmade nylon-strung solidbody

It's flipping 'orrible!

A window into the inside of an SG

Here's what must likely be a rare Gibson SG. It features an extended pickguard recessed into the front of the body and which is made of perspex through which you can view the guitar's inner workings in all their glory! I'm guessing that the guitar must be a promotional model for sales shows, etc. Prospective buyers may like to know that the guitar comes with a second pickguard with a white marbled finish (and not at all transparent).

UPDATE: I'm told that it's a former Gibson "Guitar of the Month" limited edition on which someone has switched the pearloid scratchplate for one of clear acrylic.

Fender Foto Flame Tele

Whatever happened to Fender's Foto Flame guitars from a few years back? There was a big noise about these briefly in the mid 90s, and then nothing was heard about them ever again.

For those not in the know, the exquisitely flamed bookmatched fronts and backs of these guitars were faked! It wasn't wood grain you were seeing but photographs beneath the laquer.

This '62 Telecaster is the first FotoFlame I've seen on eBay in a long while (although I admit I've not been actively looking). This example has been "upgraded" with GraphTech saddles on the bridge, Seymour Duncan pickups, and a new pickguard featuring a design "based on a personal creation".

If I was buying this guitar the first thing I'd ask for would be to have the original pickguard back. I wouldn't care that it might not have the right shaped cutout for the mini humbucker pickup - that would be easy enough to take care of.

It's not just that I don't care for the design on the pickguard (which I don't), but that it clashes horribly with the Foto Flame top. If this is the seller's idea of what looks good, then I seriously hope he or she is never let loose on any interior design projects.

The Golden Child

Hurrah! Just when I was starting to think that eBay was getting boring and that there were no more ghastly guitars to be found that we hadn't already seen, then along comes this hideous abomination.

I think it's supposed to be a cherub playing a lyre or something, but to me it looks more like a toddler wrestling with a balloon while a goose attacks from behind.

It's probably styled on some of ESP's rather over-the-top designs, but as this is a cheapy there's no way you're going to get ESP quality. Actually, I wouldn't be surprised if it was hardly playable.

Note that, according to the listing, it has a "very unique shape" (not just unique, but very unique) and our old friend the "Floyd Ross" bridge.

Ahhhh... it's great to have some more six-stringed crap to make fun of.