Richard Hawley

The name "solo" says it all. You'd have to be a right wanker to be seen playing one of those things.

There used to be a guitar from the same time called the Gittler Guitar. Originally made as a piece of art it was made entirely out of chrome tubing and even had just frets attached to a single piece of tube rather than a full neck. Later they made production ones with a complete neck, but similar minimalist body.

Theres also some guitars called GUS guitars which have a piece of bent tubing moulded round the side of the guitar to make the horns.

People say we guitarists are a conservative bunch because we all play guitars that were designed as long ago as the late 1940s. Either that or derivatives of those designs. Thats because generally those designers got them right more or less first time. There have been many attempts to remodel the electric guitar, most of them have failed miserably. How many people still play Steinbergers? Or Westone Rail Guitars? Or Bond Electraglydes?

I know of many folks with collections of Teles/Strats/Gretches/Les Pauls either singly or mixed. You dont hear of many with collections of Parker Flys?

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Maker and converter of Sollophonic solid bodied resonator guitars. Guitar repairer and renovator. Guitar teacher.

although Les paul had a stick guitar he played but he had to put sides on it to get work cos no one would hire him with it cos it looked daft

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now,then!

And here is Les Pauls "Log" guitar





As you can see, apart from the tone and volume knobs the sides are purely aesthetic and don't serve any other function that to make it "look" like a guitar

the Sillo guitar people use the outline to suggest the shape as well

but with...less successful results

It's pretty amazing that after all this time stick style guitars still look shit

In fairness the same can be said of those ultra modern fiddles and basses too

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http://www.myspace.com/aceswild59

Hmmm. I think you need to love an instrument to get the most out of it - I just don't get these outline guitars; I know beauty is in the eye of the beholder but compared to the aesthetics of a Gibson L-5 or Les Paul Custom or a Gretsch 6120, they just don't cut it for me.

And regarding the 'stick' ideas, I always thought the worst offenders were......
http://www.steinberger.com/GTPRODLX.html



Yuk. But that's just my 2c......


(And yes, the Keytar in that Super Furry Animals pic kinda says it all )

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Twang is, as Twang does.

http://www.myspace.com/stevebillybuckley

http://www.myspace.com/thewagontrain

a mate of mine had a bass that looked like those steinberger ones

he used to play it up high- Level 42 style

not good when you're trying to play in a thrash metal band

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http://www.myspace.com/aceswild59