We’ve seen guitars with serious firepower, but these Judas Priest-inspired creations are verifiable killing machines.
Made for Bloodstock Festival’s RAM Gallery by luthier Cynosure, the electrics pay homage to seminal Priest album British Steel, while the Angel V takes its inspiration from the metal icons’ Painkiller and Angel Of Retribution records.
Both guitars will be available to view at Bloodstock Festival’s RAM Gallery, as part of a dedicated Judas Priest wall in honour of this year’s Friday night headliners, which also features the band’s album artwork.
This isn’t the first time Cynosure has put together jaw-dropping instruments for the RAM Gallery - you may recall his Motörhead and Saxon-inspired offerings from previous years.
Festival founder and globally renowned artist Paul Raymond Gregory created the onsite RAM Gallery in 2014, and each year the purpose-built structure showcases not only some of Paul’s work, but several other Bloodstock-related artists and creators.
Bloodstock Festival takes place on 9-12 August 2018, and features headliners Judas Priest, Gojira and Nightwish - tickets are available now.
Read on for a closer look at each of the guitars, including words from Cynosure himself, and head over to the luthier’s website for more of his works.
Angel V
“Known for their outrageously colourful and technological album covers (as well as perhaps the most recognisable sound in metal), Judas Priest are famous for depicting the constant struggle of good and evil.
“Themes of duality, such as real/manufactured, new/old, advanced/primitive, dead/alive are also a commonality... this concept gave me the impetus for the Angel V guitar.
“Initially taking inspiration from the albums Painkiller and Angel of Retribution, the instrument exudes a multitude of dimensions, both visually, conceptually and musically.
“With carved wooden feathers and a circular saw blade, this monster machine radiates duplicity. The shape is reminiscent of the Flying V style guitar, yet, with a more elaborate and impactful status as ‘wings of destiny’ (thought I'd chuck in a cheesy Judas Priest hint there!)
“The black walnut body encapsulates the famed Glenn Tipton electricity, only matched by a streamlined neck striated with cumaru and maple woods, giving a distinguished demeanour.
“A large JP 'trident' logo hand-cut from zebrawood gracefully embellishes a fretboard of wenge; whilst the resplendent tremolo bridge allows for sensational bends, pitch alteration and adds a presence of vibrato.”
British Steel
“Inspired by the colossal titans of metal's 1980 album, British Steel, this guitar symbolises the cold-edged dynamic punch of an era that initiated and established metal.
“Adopting the iconic Glenn Tipton signature model, this creation fuses the combination of contrast: dark and light, good and evil, pure and pernicious - no stranger to Judas Priest. A dark wenge top adorns a light maple body with a striated neck, subtly juxtaposing the symbiotic chemistry of wood and metal.
“The lower bout expresses and highlights a three-dimensional hand plunging out of the guitar as if trying to escape the torments unseen. Brandishing a fist-sized razorblade, the maple-carved appendage assaults the viewer’s attention, as it is forcibly thrust into their faces, unrelenting.
“Endorsing the zebrawood fretboard with hand-cut razorblade inlays, this custom creation boasts a perfect balance of style, simplicity, sophistication and sustain. Oh, and did I mention this beast absolutely screams?! Like a song-laden siren enchanting hypnotised sailors to an untimely death - comfortable, yet ferocious!”
“A unique octave bass fuzz with a built-in, 2-voice ring modulator”: The Maestro BB-1 Brassmaster is a super-rare bass octave fuzz from the ‘70s that sounds great on guitar, sells for $2,000+, and Behringer just made a $69 clone of it
“Maintain a consistently optimal neck setup, playability, and string action, regardless of changing environmental conditions”: Has Furch just made acoustic guitar setups a thing of the past with its new CNR System Active neck?
