Anaheim - With NAMM in full swing there was a lot to see in terms of instruments, but when it came to guitars the show had a lot to offer. Builders from all over the world were showing off their hard work with custom instruments of all shapes and sizes.
This year there were two brands that really stood out to us, Cream Guitars and Wild Custom Guitars.
Now, before we continue, it has to be said that Ritter-Instruments stand in a class of their own and thus merit their own article which can be seen in our Interviews and Reviews section.
Cream Guitars are a brand out of Mexico that really catch your eye and have creativity written all over them. Sadly, our interviews with other brands ran long and we were not able to interview the makers or demo the instruments, tempting as it was.
However, if you have the chance, check em out.
Now, the main event, Wild Custom Guitars. Really the name says it all, these guitars are wild.
What really caught our eye was the shape and colors of these instruments. Some solid, some relic, and some pinstriped. Now, anyone who knows, or watches -12thFret knows that Billy Gibbons is a major inspiration and we won't rehash that story again, but with that being said, "Have Mercy."
The instruments themselves have what we would describe as a hot rod look to them with the coloring to match. The shapes draw inspirations from guitars that, well, are fairly obvious, but Wild Custom Guitars has found a way to make them their own.
The guitar that really got us to stop and look was a model called "The Impala," which as it
turns out is more than just a clever name. As we explored the booth we also experienced their Gyrock technology which as a guitarist will have you doing a double take.
What is Gyrock? Great question, this is a technology that allows a guitarist to change pickups on the fly.
Playing a humbucker but you'd rather have a P90, done! Wait, change your mind and want a lipstick pickup? Done!
As you can see from the photo, these pickups are placed on a cylinder using magnets and mount directly into the guitar. With a simple rotation, or flip of a switch, the pickups rotate at your will.
Now what if you want more variety than that? Well you are in fact in luck.
The guitars that feature this outstanding technology also come with a variety of cylinders and pickups so you can swap, create your own combinations, and really have a multitude of choices.
Who would use a guitar so funky?
Glad you asked. As stated earlier, the "Impala" is not just a clever model name for one of the guitars made by this company, but it is also the signature model for Billy Gibbons.
Jose of Wild Custom Guitars told us that Gibbons really liked the shape of that model but also loved the Gyrock technology. From there the company worked with the ZZ Top front man to create a signature guitar.
The billy gibbons model features the "Impala" guitar, but with a single Gyrock pickup system at the bridge of the instrument. Of course it wouldn't be a guitar fit for a sharp dressed man without a little pin striping, and yes, the "Impala" has that too.
Honestly this model was a favorite of ours from the show and it looked good enough to drive. The shape is reminiscent of the Billy-Bo style which as most of us already know, resembles the rear fender of a classic hot rod.
Where do these guitars come from? Well Jose explained to us that they are based in France and the guitars are manufactured there.
Being a foreign brand we had to test the guitar out and well, -12thFret admits that he isn't
the greatest guitarist, but this thing played and sounded great. So much so that we weren't even scared to play in front of so many other musicians.
These guitars just have something special about them. Light weight, eye catching,
extremely well made, and oh so easy to play.
Did we leave with one of these amazing guitars? Well there's only one way to find out.
Check out our full interview with Jose of Wild Custom Guitars to see about their full line, product features, availability, and Gyrock Technology below.
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