Top 10 Weirdest Custom Guitars

Most guitarists at one point or another in their development have gone through some sort of “I want a custom guitar” phase. Whether it’s a funky paint job or a radical new shape, a custom ax presents the opportunity to express yourself. Or, in the opinion of some, the opportunity to say, “Hey, look at me, I’m a horse’s arse!” Here, we celebrate ten such opportunities. We’ll let you categorize them as you see fit.

10.) Les Paul’s “The Log”
Les Paul’s original “Log” was a 4×4 block of wood with strings, and it went over with the audience, well, like a log. So he added traditional sides to it, and electric guitar was transformed forever.

9.) Prince’s “Love” guitar
The “Instrument Formerly Known as Guitar.”

8.) Uli Jon Roth’s “Sky Guitar”
Sure, it’s shape, paint job, and six-octave range combine to scream “pretentious,” but Uli makes it sound simply jim-dandy.

7.) ZZ Top’s Spinning Fur Guitars
Little did you know that the “F” in Billy F. Gibbons stands for “Furry.”

6.) Bo Diddley’s square-body
When you consider that Bo Diddley was instrumental in defining the sound of rock ’n’ roll, it makes his choice of axe a little less, um, “square.”

5.) Steve Vai’s heart-shaped 3-neck
Who says shredders don’t play with heart?

4.) Linda Manzer Pikasso guitar
You think playing it would be the biggest challenge, right? Yeah, try tuning it!

3.) Michael Batio’s quad-neck
You ask, “Why?” We say, “Because he can.”

2.) Rick Nielsen’s “Uncle Dick”
Nielsen’s 5-neck Hamer may be ridiculous, but this is just plain “Dick-ulous.”

1.) Mr. Deal’s Toilet Seat guitar
Excuse me. I suddenly feel the need to read a newspaper.