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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
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.
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…
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.
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.
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.
