In a NAMM show filled with Stratocaster and Telecaster copies, it was nice to see B.C. Rich trying something new. Always a company to buck the trends, this new guitar is as far from the rounded Strats, Les Paul, and PRS guitars as you can get. I believe it takes guts to strike out in a different direction from the rest of the world. Whereas this guitar may never be a mainstream instrument, it is creativity like this that keep things moving along. Thanks guys.
Rounding out
our top ten is a twelve string from Taylor. The only full production model to
make the finals, this guitar shows that workmanship counts. It was the attention
to detail that made us give this one the nod. The neck inlay, although not stunning,
is well executed and true to the style of the instrument. This guitar is a limited
run instrument using Taylor's new guitar technology. Price was unavailable at
press time. You can visit Taylor's web site at www.taylorguitars.com.
This guitar, looking very much like a PRS, is beautifully built and finished. The quilt top was simply beautiful as was the color. But, the thing we really liked about it was the neck inlay work. It's sort of hard to tell from the pictures, but the inlays are constellations as seen from the moon. As it turns out, these are constellation formations as they would have been on the day Terry was born. You can really see that Terry put a lot of himself into this guitar. We found these inlays to be original, interesting, and nicely crafted. All around, a nice piece from a small custom builder, with a price tag of $4895. Good work Terry, and I found my tape player (long story, you don't want to know). For more details on Terry's fine guitars, visit www.terryguitars.com.
This gets the award for most novel design. Looking like something
from a Star Trek film, this guitar is made from covered and bare chrome. A little
strange to play at first, this guitar is the designer's vision of the future.
Who knows, perhaps someday if we run out of wood he will be right. The price is $5,400. You can visit the Teuffel Guitars web
site at www.teuffelguitars.com, or their distributor, Salwender International, at www.salwender.com.
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(Click for a close-up of the guitar body) |
This guitar gets our workmanship award. Not as flashy as the
other finalists, this guitar is a beautiful example of what hand workmanship
can really do for a guitar. As with the Taylor guitar, the attention to detail
in this piece makes this a remarkable guitar. From the subtle inlay work all
around the guitar to the carved mammoth ivory insert at the neck and tail piece,
this guitar would make a fine addition to any collection. However, priced at
$19,500 it's too pricey for most people. Coming in at #7, it is the highest
rated acoustic guitar in the finals. You can reach Froggy Bottom Guitars via
telephone at 802-348-6665. They should soon have a web site at www.froggybottomguitars.com.
#6 - Vigier
Guitars: MuseThe Muse is a very nicely made guitar with beautiful detail work. The goddess-like face on the body is done with a flame and burned onto the guitar. The flame work also extends to the edge of the instrument to give it a sort of spotted binding look. The guitar is a Vigier custom Excaliber. Although the price of this instrument was not set yet, the company estimates around $2,500 US which makes it the least expensive guitar in the finals. The Vigier company also makes a really interesting instrument with a metal, fretless finger board that makes a very interesting lead instrument. Visit the Vigier Guitars web site at www.vigierguitars.com.