Fender Stratocaster®
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The Fender Stratocaster® has a double-cutaway body shape with smooth, rounded edges and deep contours for comfort. The Stratocaster was
revolutionary when introduced in 1954 by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares. The Stratocaster is one of the most recognizable
body shapes in guitar history and is copied the most by other guitar builders. |
Gibson Les Paul®
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The Gibson Les Paul® body shape is a single-cutaway body with access to the upper frets. The guitar's body is thicker and
heavier than most other electric guitars which helps with sustain and tone. The guitar was designed by Ted McCarty and guitarist Les Paul in 1952
as a high-end guitar model to compete with the Fender Telecaster® guitar. The guitar is highly regarded by rock and blues musicians. |
Fender Telecaster®
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The Fender Telecaster® has a single-cutaway, flat-top body with squared edges giving the guitar body the nickname "Slab".
Leo Fender wanted to create a minimalistic guitar that would be easy and inexpensive to mass produce and in the early 1950s he produced the
Fender Broadcaster. The Broadcaster was renamed to Telecaster due to a drum company at the time named Broadcaster. The Telecaster has defined
many genres of music. |
Gibson SG®
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The Gibson SG® has a thin, flat-top body with a double-cutaway that allows for full access to all 22 frets. The SG was
first produced in 1961 and has pointed horns and beveled edges making it easily recognizable. It was produced in 1961 to compete with the Fender
Stratocaster® with it's sleek contoured body. The Gibson SG® was introduced as the new Les Paul with a lighter weight body than the Gibson Les Paul®. |
Gibson ES-335®
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The Gibson ES-335... |
Gibson Flying V®
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The Gibson Flying V was introduced in 1958 and has a "V" shaped body. It was considered ahead of its time and part of the
"space-age" lineup alongside the Gibson Explorer. The Flying V did not gain popularity until the rock and heavy metal era of the late 60s and
1970s and has become an iconic model over time. |
Gibson Explorer®
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The Gibson Explorer was introduced in 1958 and has an angular, asymmetrical, futuristic body with sharp edges. The Gibson
Explorer was part of the Gibson Modernist Series along side the Gibson Flying V. It was considered too radical even with the era's fascination
with everything outer space and didn't sell well. The Gibson Explorer gained popularity in the 1970s and 1980s with rebellious rock and metal
musicians. |
PRS Custom 24®
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The PRS Custom 24 has a double-cutaway body with contours and a slightly offset waist giving a modern look and comfortable
playability. The PRS Custom 24 was a flagship instrument produced in 1985 by luthier Paul Reed Smith and has a 24-fret neck made of mahogany with
a maple wood top. |
Rickenbacker 360®
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The Rickenbacker 360 has a sleek, double-cutaway body with rounded edges and a "crescent moon" shape. The Rickenbacker
360 was introduced in the late 1950s and part of the Capri series. The Rickenbacker 360 has a thinner, semi-hollow body with an "R" shaped sound
hole known as the cat's eye. |
Fender Jazzmaster®
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The Fender Jazzmaster has an offset-waist body with smooth, rounded curves and a somewhat flat top. First produced in
1958 to appeal to jazz musicians with its innovative lead and rhythm circuitry and a mellow-sounding single-coil pickup. Designed for comfort
while sitting which in common in jazz. However, the Jazzmaster become common in the 1960s with surf rock musicians and later in the 90s with
alternative and indie rock musicians. Often confused with the Fender Jaguar; however, the Jaguar has a shorter scale length and slightly different
contouring. |
Fender Mustang®
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The Fender Mustang® has a recognizable short-scale, offset, compact body with rounded contours. The Fender Mustang®
body is smaller than many standard electric guitars making it lightweight and comfortable to play. |
Gibson Les Paul Junior® (Double Cut)
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The Les Paul Junior Double Cut has a stripped down, no-frills, sturdy-built, double-cutaway body. The Les Paul Junior
Double Cut was an entry-level, inexpensive student model first produced in 1958. |
Fender Thinline Telecaster®
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The Fender Telecaster Thinline has a semi-hollow body with a single f-hole on the upper bout. First produced in the
late 60s, it was Fender's lightweight version of the Telecaster, which offers different tonal choices in a Telecaster guitar. |
Gretsch White Falcon®
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The Gretsch White Falcon has a large, single-cutaway body with an arched top and oversized f-holes. Designed to be the
"Cadillac of guitars," the White Falcon was an accumulation of the finest of Gretsch's craftsmanship, and is now considered a flagship model. |
Ibanez JEM®
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The Ibanez JEM has a Super-Strat body with deep, sharp cutaways, and a deeper cut lower horn for better upper fret access.
The Ibanez JEM has a recognizable "monkey grip" handle cut into the body. Guitar virtuoso Steve Vai collaborated with Ibanez in the creation of
the guitar in the mid-1980s. The Ibanez JEM has a 24-fret fingerboard and a floating tremolo system. |
Jackson Soloist®
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The Jackson Soloist has a contoured Super-Strat body with deep cutaways for easy access to the higher frets and a slim
body for comfortable playing. Produced in the early 80s, the high-performance guitar is suited for hard rock and heavy metal. |
Gibson Firebird®
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The Gibson Firebird has an offset body often likened to a reverse Fender Jaguar or Jazzmaster with a large lower bout
and pointed "wings" and a neck through the body construction. The Gibson Firebird was designed by renowned automotive designer Ray Dietrich in
1963 and has a nine-ply walnut and mahogany construction. |
Danelectro 59®
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The Danelectro '59 was first produced in the late 50s and has a double-cutaway body often referred to as the "shorthorn"
due to shorter than typical guitar horns. The poplar body has a Masonite top and back making it lightweight and resonant. The guitar is known for
its lipstick tube pickups and has become a cult favorite. |
Ibanez Iceman®
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The Ibanez Iceman has a recognizable double-cutaway body with sharp, angular contours. The body has a characteristic
hooked lower horn on an offset waist. |
Ibanez RG®
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The Ibanez RG series has a Super-Strat body with deep, sharp, angular cutaways for easy access to higher frets. First
produced in 1987, the RG (Roadstar Guitar) was originally designed for shredding and heavy metal music. The Ibanez RG become known for technical
music in the 80s and 90s making it one of Ibanez's primary instruments. |
Jackson Rhoads®
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The Jackson Rhoads has a V-shaped body with sharp-pointed ends with the upper point longer than the bottom point.
The Jackson Rhoads design was a collaboration between the late great guitarist Randy Rhoads and Grover Jackson the founder of Jackson Guitars.
The guitar was first produced in the early 80s and with its clear access to the higher frets, became highly popular with heavy metal guitarists. |
ESP Eclipse®
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The ESP Eclipse has a single-cutaway body similar to the classic Les Paul but with a more contoured and sleeker body with
a sharper cutaway for better comfort and playability. The ESP Eclipse was first produced in the early 90s because of a growing demand for a more
versatile version of the traditional single-cutaway body. |
B.C. Rich Warlock®
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The B.C. Rich Warlock has an angular body characterized by sharp points and beveled edges. First produced in the
early 80s by Bernie Rico of B.C. Rich it quickly become popular with metal musicians. |
Gretsch Duo Jet®
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The Gretsch Duo Jet has a single-cutaway, chambered body with a recognizable, rounded cutaway similar to the Les Paul.
The Duo Jet was first produced in the 50s to help Gretsch compete in the booming solid-body market. The Gretsch Duo has a chambered mahogany body
capped with a laminated maple top, and is often finished in black with white binding, giving it the "Black Beauty" nickname. The guitar is
associated with Beatle George Harrison and remains popular today. |
EVH Wolfgang®
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The EVH Wolfgang guitar was designed by the late great guitarist Eddie Van Halen. The guitar body is an arched top,
offset, sleek, double-cutaway with contours, and custom belly cut that lends comfort and playability. The EVH Wolfgang was created with Eddie in
partnership with Fender under the EVH brand. |
Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci®
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The Ernie Ball Music Man John Petrucci signature guitar has a streamlined, modern double-cutaway body with rounded
contours and a noticeable forearm contour for better playing comfort. Created with Dream Theater's John Petrucci, the body has a slightly angled,
extended upper horn and a sculpted lower horn for better access to higher frets. |
Gibson L-5®
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The Gibson L5 is a large, deep-bodied f-hole Venetian-style archtop with a single-cutaway and a rounded body.
Designed by master luthier Lloyd Loar and first produced by Gibson in 1923 during the golden age of jazz. The body was large and deep-bodied to
help in projection of the sound. |
Schecter Hellraiser®
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The Schecter Hellraiser has a Super-Strat body with an arched top, contoured back for comfort, and deep cutaways for
higher fret access. The Schecter Hellraiser was first produced in the mid-2000s offering modern features. |
B.C. Rich Mockingbird®
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The B.C. Rich Mockingbird has an unusual body shape with a recognizable curved lower bout and an extended upper horn.
First produced in the 70s by guitar designer Johnny "Go-Go" Kallas and B.C. Rich founder Bernie Rico, it was the guitar manufacturer's avant-garde
model to reflect the flamboyance of rock and heavy rock musicians. The guitar has deep cutaways for upper fret access and a comfortable belly
contour. |
Fender Starcaster®
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The Fender Starcaster has an offset semi-hollow body with a recognizable curved outline and a pair of noticeable cutaways.
The Starcaster was first produced in the mid-70s, and was an entry-level semi-hollow instrument with stylish bound f-holes. |
Charvel San Dimas®
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The Charvel San Dimas guitar has a Super-Strat body known for its deep cutaways for easy access to higher frets, and
a contoured body for comfort. The Charvel San Dimas shows recognition to the hot-rodded guitars from the late 1970s and early 1980s that were
coming out of the Charvel shop in San Dimas, California. |
PRS Single Cut®
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The PRS Singlecut has a thick, single-cutaway body with a carved top. The body is similar to a Les Paul but with Paul Reed
Smith touches. First produced in the late 90s the PRS Singlecut is heavily contoured with a slightly offset waist. |
Parker Fly®
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The Parker Fly is known for its lightweight build by the use of modern composite materials. |
Suhr Modern®
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The Suhr Modern has a double-cutaway body with recognizable contouring. The Suhr Modern iis a modernized Super-Strat with
more sculpted contours. First produced in the late 2000s is was created for contemporary guitarists. The body has a profound arm contour and a
deep ribcage cut. |
Strandberg Boden®
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The Strandberg Boden has a recognizable small and lightweight body known for its multi-faceted curves and upper horn
the extends towards the neck. The Strandberg Boden was designed by Swedish designer Ola Strandberg using ergonomic research to create an
instrument that can be played for hours comfortable. The Boden was first produced in late 2000s and became popular with progressive metal
guitarists for its innovative features like the EndurNeck™ profile. |
Ibanez S Series®
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The Ibanez S Series or Saber Series has a thin, tapering to a razor-thin edges, a contoured body designed to be ergonomic,
lightweight, and still able to maintain the instrument's sustain and tone. |
Dean ML®
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The Dean ML has a recognizable body with an oversized, pointed double-cutaway that combines both
Gibson Flying V and Explorer elements. The Dean ML was created by Dean Zelinsky in 1977 with a visually catching body shape. The body has
equal-length pointed wings which extend from the body. The guitar gained fame due to heavy metal guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott of Pantera
who used the guitar extensively. |
Steinberger GL2T®
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The 1990s Steinberger GL2T has a travel friendly, compact, minimalist body recognizable for its plain rectangular shape
and headless tuning system. The balance of the composite instrument and tuning stability was improved with the tuning system in the guitar's bridge. |
Kiesel Aries®
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The Kiesel Aries guitar has a Super-Strat body that is beveled on top, with deep rear cutaways, and sharp horns
which facilitate higher fret access. The Kiesel Aries was produced as a rebrand from Carvin to Kiesel Guitars. |
Mosrite Ventures®
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The Mosrite Ventures has a slim, deep-double-cutaway body with sharp, pointed horns and a long lower bout. First produced
in the early 60s, the Mosrite Ventures was a collaboration between Semie Moseley, the founder of Mosrite, and members of the surf rock band The
Ventures. The guitar was designed to capture the Space Age and the California surf culture. |
