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10 ridiculously cool Steampunk guitars

Gears, cogs, 6 strings: axes for Victorians

Tom Porter, Thu 19 Feb 2009, 4:24 pm UTC

Organum Insolitus

Organum Insolitus: is that a built-in television?

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6. Steampunk acoustic

This unnamed acoustic is probably unplayable. In fact, it looks very much like a wind-up self-playing mechanism – an early robot guitar, perhaps? Regardless, the perfect contrast of golden cogs and worn wood make us want to caress it, whether it's purposefully Steampunked or not.

Steampunk acoustic

5. Abney Park's bass

Abney Park are a Steampunk band. Confused? We'll let them explain: "Abney Park comes from an era that never was, but one that we wish had been. An era where airships waged war in the skies, and corsets and cummerbunds were proper adventuring attire." It goes without saying, then, that the band's guitars are Steampunked to the max. What was once a Gibson Thunderbird

Abney park bass

4. Abney Park's guitar

This used to be an Ibanez RG 7-string. The intricate detail of the cogs is remarkable, to say the least. You can see the various arduous stages of the guitars creation on Porkshanks' Flickr stream.

Abney park guitar

3. The Nautilus

The first of two magnificent Thunder Eagle Guitars' creations, this axe (and its name) was inspired by the film 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea. The one-time Dean ML features a submarine-like porthole window which surrounds a sound-activated blue plasma lightning dish. A selection of brass, copper and oak accessories complete the look.

The nautilus

2. Organum Insolitus

Designed and built by Mark Dalzell for the 2008 Jersey City Artists Studio Tour. This beast of a Strat boasts one humbucker controlled by the little red tap, a working patch bay for effects and amplifier connection and a built-in television. Yes, that's right, a television. Unbelievable.


Organum insolitus

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User comments (2)

  • ThunderEagleGuitars

    Avatar for ThunderEagleGuitars

    Tue 3 Mar 2009, 7:34 pm UTC

    Thanx Tom, for the amazing article and the very kind words for the Nautilus and the Villanizer.
    More guitars with copper coated death, dust and skeletons are on the way this spring after our big move. ;)
    Oh, and our website is www.thundereagleguitars.com
    Thanx again very much,
    Jeff R.
    Thunder Eagle Guitars
    Joppa, MD.

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  • musophilr

    Avatar for musophilr

    Mon 23 Feb 2009, 3:11 pm UTC

    Some of these, the Villainiser especially, look like they're about to become assimilated by the Borg. Borg assimilation would become all the more believable with the inclusion of a working voice-box tube connected to some kind of headset.

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