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Cyan Customized Guitars
Extravagant guitars at the Cyan guitar gallery
At the Guitar Gallery, you can see a selection of customized guitars that I’ve built over the last 30 years. For example, the first customized model of the new Versatile 30th Anniversary Classic Edition, which I built for Jakob Schulze (Swiss + Die Andern). His Versatile got the “Jackpot” signature engraved on the pickguard and the body received a Silver Camo finish.
For Gared Dirge (Lord Of The Lost) I converted a Hellcaster baritone guitar into a keytar by integrating an Akai Midi keyboard and equipping the fingerboard with two strings. In addition, “N.O.R.A” received a finish matching the industrial look of the band.
The most complex guitar I have built in recent years is the Hellcaster “Empyrean” for Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost). It is the world’s first baritone peak detector guitar with 768 luminous LEDs, which respond to the player’s string strike.
But I also had a lot of fun building the legendary sounding tennis racket “Top Spin” for Farin Urlaub or the fire-spitting Sylt guitar for the “Die Ärzte” song “Westerland”.
You will see. (Almost) everything is possible!
Versatile Customized Guitar Gallery
Versatile "Jackpot" Signature
Jakob Schulze (Swiss + Die Andern)
The first Versatile of the 30th Anniversary Classic Edition was customized for Jakob “Jackpot” Schulze, guitarist of Swiss + Die Andern. For this custom variant, the “Jackpot” signature was engraved on the pickguard and the body received an exclusive Silver Camo finish that perfectly complements the individual look of this guitar. Jakob was commissioned to put this new guitar edition through its paces, which he did with enthusiasm during band rehearsals, live concerts and recordings for the new Swiss + Die Andern album “Saunaclub”. You can watch his experience report in the video section.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 26,3″
Versatile "Lucifiur"
The second Versatile immediately went across the Atlantic to Canada. This customized version in Players White finish received a “Lucifiur” engraving at the customer’s request, which was milled into the alu dibond pickguard.
Individual wishes of this kind are always welcome and will be realized according to your ideas.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 26,3″
Hellcaster Customized Guitar Gallery
Hellcaster - Baritone "Lordcaster"
Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost)
The Hellcaster “Lordcaster” is the first guitar I built for Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost). The industrial look of his baritone guitar received its final touches by the metal applications and the “LORD” signature engraving. The Lordcaster has become his main guitar on stage and in the studio ever since.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Hellcaster - "Parloguitar"
Kahn Morbee (The Parlotones)
Kahn wanted a guitar in the look of his South African band The Parlotones. So I designed the Hellcaster “Parloguitar” just as much that it fits their stage outfit (black shirt and trousers, red sneakers and red tie). The guitar got a black high gloss finish with a little sparkle and a red headstock. As an additional design element, the aluminium band logo became not only an unmistakable application, but also a functional bridge.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Hellcaster - "Akustik Voodoo"
Daniel Wirtz (Wirtz)
The Hellcaster “Akustik Voodoo” in Players White finish was made for Daniel Wirtz (Wirtz). As a personalized custom guitar, it carries the Wirtz skull and has an aluminum pickguard with Wirtz logo engraving.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Hellcaster - "Dragon"
As a customized variant, the Hellcaster “Dragon” in Players White finish, received a characteristic pickguard made of aluminum with a very beautiful dragon engraving.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Hellcaster - Baritone - "Empyrean"
Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost)
“Wouldn’t it be cool to have an illuminated guitar that responds to the player’s string strike?” Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost) asked me one day. Of course, it would be! Countless units of work later, this idea became a world first, the Hellcaster “Empyrean”. With its 768 LEDs and a microprocessor with different modes, this 29″ baritone guitar became a very exceptional light guitar. The top is provided with a perforated and engraved aluminium plate that covers the underlying circuit board for control and power supply. All of this, of course, handmade!
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Hellcaster - Baritone - "Faust"
Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost)
“We’re just going to leave out the frills. What I need are only 3 strings, then I don’t always have to mute the rest and can hit hard!”
That was Chris Harms’ announcement. Said, done! I built a fretboard for 3 strings (A, E, A) with an aluminum inlay from one piece and milled it into the neck with a 29″ baritone scale. Together with the aluminium pickguard and the headstock with an alu application, the Hellcaster “Faust” is an uncompromising guitar and a special eye-catcher on stage and in the studio.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Hellcaster - Baritone Keytar - "N.O.R.A"
Gared Dirge (Lord Of The Lost)
Gared Dirge, keyboardist of Lord Of The Lost, was also to come up with a surprise guitar from Chris Harms: a keytar baritone with 2 strings. I integrated an Akai Midi keyboard into the Hellcaster baritone model and equipped the fretboard with 2 strings. “N.O.R.A” also got a distinctive industrial look, matching the bands stage look. A very exceptional project for special requirements.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Breed / Zodiac / Durango / Raven - Customized Guitar Gallery
Breed - "White Devil"
I built fhe first Breed, the “White Devil”, for my 20th anniversary. Sounding like the FU Signature Guitar, but without the tremolo and with a glued neck. The “White Devil” in Players White finish and an aluminum application, is the perfect combination of old and modern guitar technology.
Body: Swamp Ash – Maple / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Zodiac Baritone - "With Teeth"
Yannik Zinkov (Circus Of Fools)
What you can find on Ebay… One day this reindeer jaw came to my lens and immediately I got the idea for a very extraordinary guitar, because the shape of the jaw perfectly matched my Zodiac guitar shape. I ordered the unusual piece and integrated the jawbone as an application into the body of this baritone guitar. The result is the biting model “With Teeth”. (Sorry to all animal rights activists, the appeal to build this special instrument was just too big).
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Durango Baritone - "Omega"
Pi (Lord Of The Lost)
For the Lord Of The Lost guitarist Pi I built a special baritone guitar in the Durango shape – a Cyan guitar shape that I rarely build nowadays. The metal application of the Durango “Omega” received an illuminated Omega symbol and matching poti engravings.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Raven Baritone
The Raven was the first Cyan baritone guitar with 29″ scale and glued neck that I built. The prototype was immediately a hit for all lovers of the deeper sounds. Year after year, I developed the baritone custom guitar family further and now there are not only 6-string baritone guitars available, but also 7-string baritone guitars for an even wider range of sounds. Like the Durango model, the Raven is an older Cyan guitar shape that I rarely build anymore.
Body: Swamp Ash – Makore / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Individual Designs - Guitar Gallery
Farin Urlaub - Custom Guitars
With Farin Urlaub of Die Ärzte, I have a very long-standing collaboration, during which I have implemented many of his extraordinary and crazy ideas. From the “Red Hawk”, the “White Hawk” – a noble version of the Hawk guitars, or the “Two Tone” as a thick semi-solid variant, to the Devileye.
The legendary sounding tennis racket “Top Spin” or the fire-spitting Sylt guitar to the song “Westerland” I built with a lot of fun. Unfortunately, there are far too few pictures from this time….
FU - More customized guitars
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- Farin Urlaub – “Red Hawk”
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- Farin Urlaub – Sylt Gitarre
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- Farin Urlaub – Top Spin (Tennisschläger)
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- Farin Urlaub – Two Tone
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- Farin Urlaub – Two Tone – Kopf
The Phail
Rick McPhail (Tocotronic / Mint Mind)
My client, friend and guitarist of Tocotronic, Richard McPhail, is known for his very charismatic style. Accordingly, his Cyan custom guitar “The Phail” has become a very unusual instrument with a unique body shape.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Ovangkol – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Phoenix
Chris Harms (Lord Of The Lost)
Building a Flying V in Cyan style, also appealed to me very much, because making a custom variant of this body shape is not so easy. The result is the Phoenix, which unmistakably bears my signature.
Body: Swamp Ash / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 25,6″
Predator Baritone
An extravagant shape made of exquisite woods and a classic Sunburst look, make this custom guitar a one of a kind instrument. In addition, at the customer’s request, a dragon drawn by me was engraved into the aluminium application. A unique piece of excellent class.
Body: Swamp Ash – Barhorn / Neck: Bird’s Eye Maple – Ebony / Scale: 29″
Dummies for videos: Rust is beautiful!
I have often built guitars or bass dummies for music videos. Starting with Rammstein (video “Seemann”) over Die Ärzte (video “Schunder-Song”) up to Lord Of The Lost (video “Six Feet Underground”). By the way, the color of the instruments is real rust, with its inimitable charm.