Famous 'home made' guitars - Brian May + EVH

guitars4you

So following on from other EVH threads - 'Home built' guitars that are famous

EVH and Brian May are 2 big obvious examples - any others ?

Cols

Well, there’s always Les Paul...

Nuno Bettencourt used a homemade guitar (Schecter body and Warmoth neck) for Extreme's first album before developing the Washburn N4 for Pornograffiti onwards.

Apart from that, Clapton’s ‘Blackie’ Strat was cobbled together from the dismembered remains of 3 separate Strats; not sure if that counts as homemade, but definitely not factory fresh.  

drpbier

And the Johnny Marr Jag built from the mash up of a number of vintage Jags he already owned

Sassafras

Main difference is Brian May designed and built his from scratch.
Can't think of anyone else who's done this.

BintyTwanger77

Sassafras said:

Main difference is Brian May designed and built his from scratch.
Can't think of anyone else who's done this.

Bo Diddley?

Roland

Adrian Legg. He certainly designed and modified his guitar, although someone else did the basic woodwork.

bloodandtears

Seasick Steve?

Sassafras

BintyTwanger77 said:

Sassafras said:

Main difference is Brian May designed and built his from scratch.
Can't think of anyone else who's done this.

Bo Diddley?

Yes, he certainly designed his iconic guitar.
Not sure he built it though.

thecolourbox

bloodandtears said:

Seasick Steve?

Wasn't he "outed" as a being a bit flexible with the truth on this kind of thing or have I imagined that? I thought his instruments were actually done by somebody who knew what they were doing and set them up for him, to look authentic even though they were highly fettled?

monquixote

Vai did extensive modding on his Green Meanie guitar which eventually evolved into the JEM / RG concept.

daisie_guitar

Ron Jarzombek builds his guitars, with weird body shapes and original paint jobs, but his guitars aren't really famous...

Philly_Q

monquixote said:

Vai did extensive modding on his Green Meanie guitar which eventually evolved into the JEM / RG concept.

In a similar vein, Ron Thal had his Swiss Cheese guitar which started out as an Ibanez Roadstar.

Kittyfrisk

Philly_Q said:

monquixote said:

Vai did extensive modding on his Green Meanie guitar which eventually evolved into the JEM / RG concept.

In a similar vein, Ron Thal had his Swiss Cheese guitar which started out as an Ibanez Roadstar.

Was that Ron 'Emmen' Thal ?

dogload

Wild Willy Barrett and his 'Les Dawson's Thumb' guitar

skullfunkerry

Wes Borland converted a rejected left-hand King V into a righty...

rsvmark

If Claptons Blackie is allowed, is SRV‘S #1 allowed?

What about Matt Bellamys Manson? Not technically home made.....

horse

Coodercaster - sort of in the ballpark maybe?

bbill335

all john mayall's guitars seem to be, uhhh, "heavily customised"

underdog

thecolourbox said:

bloodandtears said:

Seasick Steve?

Wasn't he "outed" as a being a bit flexible with the truth on this kind of thing or have I imagined that? I thought his instruments were actually done by somebody who knew what they were doing and set them up for him, to look authentic even though they were highly fettled?

He was flexible with the truth about everything wasn't he?

EricTheWeary

bbill335 said:

all john mayall's guitars seem to be, uhhh, "heavily customised"

John ran a sideline of engraving ( ? probably the wrong word) routing out art work onto guitar
bodies, some people paid a lot of money for that kind of thing.

Philly_Q

dogload said:

Wild Willy Barrett and his 'Les Dawson's Thumb' guitar

Nothing to do with this thread, but I found a picture of John Otway embracing his inner Michael Angelo Batio: