The Alien Guitar
This was a piece I created in 2005. At the time I worked for Emerald guitars, when a custom job came in the door. It was a dream brief. Science fiction being the biggest consideration and the rest was all artistic freedom. By the following morning I had a handful of A4 pages, full of sketches. This continued for a few days until I stumbeled into one precious little doodle I was quite proud of.
I stayed quiet and let my boss Alistair flick through the designs and watched as this sketch stopped in his tracks. His next words were "This is it". His excitement was exactly what I was hoping for. Out came the pastels and markers and by the end of the day I had rendered up the design along with two others to pitch to the client. Later the following day we got the green light from an excited client and the build commenced.
I stayed quiet and let my boss Alistair flick through the designs and watched as this sketch stopped in his tracks. His next words were "This is it". His excitement was exactly what I was hoping for. Out came the pastels and markers and by the end of the day I had rendered up the design along with two others to pitch to the client. Later the following day we got the green light from an excited client and the build commenced.
I scaled up the design to the right size using cardboard cutouts as rough mockups untill the size was just right. The template was then used to mark an outline on doubled 2inch foam board. This was then cut and sanded into shape. The hand was originally massive and I had to humble myself for practical reasons, plus ergonomics were going to be an issue.
The next step was to rap on two layers of carbon fiber.
The next step was to rap on two layers of carbon fiber.
The main body had no strength issues and was constantly drop tested but the external parts like the spikes and the spiraling artery proved a challenge. Leaving them out was never going to be an option so i drilled back into the body and created hollows to fill as fiberglass foundations for each of them.
Making a door through the back of the arm allowing room for and access to the controls
Pickups and their wiring diagram. The wires were shorter than anticipated and weren't the type of thing you could extend yourself so a more direct route was found
On and off, this was a three month build and one of the most rewarding creations I have ever made. Pictures will never do it justice until you see it with your own eyes. It really has its own presence. The work was certainly in the detailing. This was smoothing surfaces, filling pinholes and wet and dry sanding. From the initial sketch to the finished product the excitement stayed and it never seemed like work at any point. Over night the guitar went from being something we would bounce off the table to test its strength to something so precious I was afraid to hold. Let alone take home and show my family. Amazing what a coat of paint can do. Well worth the time and effort. The guitar has since found its way to an American collector who isn't afraid to show it off.
