# Show me some cool guitar and bass body shapes!



## Hollowway (Feb 5, 2011)

OK, so at some point in the near future I think I'll commission another custom build, and I really gotta get out of this superstrat rut I'm in. I'm totally open minded about what I might get shape wise, so if you've seen any cool shapes or styles, let me see 'em! Even basses (because those are often more unique than guitars). I want to get some inspiration for coming up with a design for a future build.


----------



## 13point9 (Feb 5, 2011)

If you get an S7 ask Jim if you can see his designs hes got lined up for the next year or 2... they're all 'odd'


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 5, 2011)

13point9 said:


> If you get an S7 ask Jim if you can see his designs hes got lined up for the next year or 2... they're all 'odd'


 
Oh, I know I saw those! Definitely aggressive, shape wise. I think at some point in the near future I'm going to do a Rattler with him. I kinda like that one.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 5, 2011)

I've always been a big fan of the BC Rich Virgin bass with the widow headstock:


----------



## Explorer (Feb 6, 2011)

I've always been fond of ergonomic shapes...


----------



## Bigfan (Feb 6, 2011)

dat 'Berg!


----------



## scherzo1928 (Feb 6, 2011)

even though you could argue they are super strats... 
some ritters:










I also really like the look of some singlecut basses out there.


----------



## Alberto7 (Feb 6, 2011)

+1 on the Virgin shape! It looks extremely sexy!
+1 as well for headless and ergonomic designs.

Here's one that I can't help but love:





I guess you can call this one a superstrat shape, too, but the ESP Forest shape is really sexy:


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 6, 2011)

Alberto7 said:


> +1 on the Virgin shape! It looks extremely sexy!
> +1 as well for headless and ergonomic designs.
> 
> I guess you can call this one a superstrat shape, too, but the ESP Forest shape is really sexy:



I've never heard it called a forest, but I like the ESP F a lot too. It also looks good with a natural finish:


----------



## Asrial (Feb 6, 2011)

No matter what you say, this will forever be the greatest guitar. Ever.


----------



## Skyblue (Feb 6, 2011)

+afucktonofnumbers to that strandberg. I'm dying to get one so badly. 
Wouldn't make a bass in that shape though, looks better on guitars.


----------



## troyguitar (Feb 6, 2011)




----------



## lookralphsbak (Feb 6, 2011)

Les Paul shape is the best shape in my book.


----------



## Alberto7 (Feb 6, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


> I've never heard it called a forest, but I like the ESP F a lot too. It also looks good with a natural finish:



Yeah, Forest GT and F have the same shape (roughly, at least). The Forest GT, if I'm not mistaken, is only for the Japanese market. However... I have absolutely no idea what the differences are between the two . I just know this from reading it in forums and from Wikipedia. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in and enlighten us.


----------



## Sullen (Feb 6, 2011)

Alberto7 said:


> Yeah, Forest GT and F have the same shape (roughly, at least). The Forest GT, if I'm not mistaken, is only for the Japanese market. However... I have absolutely no idea what the differences are between the two . I just know this from reading it in forums and from Wikipedia. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in and enlighten us.


The Forest is only for the Japanese market indeed and come in ESP not only Ltd as the F, the F is based on it but the Forest is way more agressive looking and have that big cutout for the jack... The letters in the USA models stand for a name given in the Japanese market, M = Maverick, F = Forest, etc.


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 6, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


>


 
Man, that wood selection is killer! Where did you find this one? Do you have a link?

Thanks for all the suggestions, guys! Keep 'em coming!


----------



## Thep (Feb 6, 2011)




----------



## Explorer (Feb 6, 2011)

Asrial said:


> No matter what you say, this will forever be the greatest guitar. Ever.



The Iceman body shape is mas macho uber alles, and an eight-string would be even mas macho than a seven. 

However, I don't currently own an Iceman, probably because I haven't seen one with the kind of neck through, hardware, pickups and strings I now use....

That Iceman is a step in the right direction, though. Who built that?


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 6, 2011)

Hollowway said:


> Man, that wood selection is killer! Where did you find this one? Do you have a link?
> 
> Thanks for all the suggestions, guys! Keep 'em coming!



ESP LTD F-4E. I bought it from InstrumentPro. The neck lamination is Maple and Mahogany, and the body lamination is Mahogany and Ebony, with a maple veneer accent. It is my favorite bass. If I could get a 5-string with 19mm string spacing, I would.


----------



## darren (Feb 6, 2011)




----------



## scherzo1928 (Feb 6, 2011)

what has been seen...


----------



## lookralphsbak (Feb 6, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> what has been seen...


Cannot be unseen.


----------



## BlackMastodon (Feb 7, 2011)

scherzo1928 said:


> even though you could argue they are super strats...
> some ritters:


Those are enormous pickups!


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 7, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


> ESP LTD F-4E. I bought it from InstrumentPro. The neck lamination is Maple and Mahogany, and the body lamination is Mahogany and Ebony, with a maple veneer accent. It is my favorite bass. If I could get a 5-string with 19mm string spacing, I would.



Holy crap, you OWN that? That's beautiful! I wouldn't have guessed mahogany on the body. Looks like Padouk or something redder.


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 7, 2011)

Hollowway said:


> Holy crap, you OWN that? That's beautiful! I wouldn't have guessed mahogany on the body. Looks like Padouk or something redder.



The mahogany is the back. You can't see it very well from that picture, but it's the reddish wood on the 'outline'. The striped wood on the front is ebony. Here's a shot where you can see the mahogany: http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd60/hardmark/basses/f4e_2.jpg


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 7, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


> The mahogany is the back. You can't see it very well from that picture, but it's the reddish wood on the 'outline'. The striped wood on the front is ebony. Here's a shot where you can see the mahogany: http://i223.photobucket.com/albums/dd60/hardmark/basses/f4e_2.jpg



Oh, yeah, I knew what you meant, it's just really red. That's what makes it so cool, though.


----------



## Pete27 (Feb 9, 2011)

darren said:


>




holy smokes that is nice! what is it?


----------



## noizfx (Feb 17, 2011)

Alberto7 said:


> Yeah, Forest GT and F have the same shape (roughly, at least). The Forest GT, if I'm not mistaken, is only for the Japanese market. However... I have absolutely no idea what the differences are between the two . I just know this from reading it in forums and from Wikipedia. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will chime in and enlighten us.



Actually there is a little bit of difference. The Forest GT is not the same as the F, the F however, is the same as the Forest G. 

Forest G





And this is the Forest GT





While looking very similar, you can still see the difference.

The Forest GT is not Japanese only, but it's at least not available to the North American markets. It is also available to ESP's export markets (outside of Japanese and US/Canada). In US/Canada however, you can only get the Forest G, which they renamed to F.


----------



## signalgrey (Feb 17, 2011)

I loooove the Forest series. They have the GTs here in korea...and they are awesome. They had this sick trans white one i was drooling over for months, but i decided against it because the body is a bit small for my massive frame.


----------



## 13point9 (Feb 17, 2011)

signalgrey said:


> I loooove the Forest series. They have the GTs here in korea...and they are awesome. They had this sick trans white one i was drooling over for months, but i decided against it because the body is a bit small for my massive frame.



the exact same reason I didn't invest in importing one


----------



## darren (Feb 17, 2011)

Pete27 said:


> holy smokes that is nice! what is it?



It's a guitar called the "paradis" by Swiss luthier Rolf Spuler. He also does basses, which Ibanez either had him design, or they licensed from him. They were sold as the AFR (Affirma) series and later the Ergodyne EDA 904 and 905.


----------



## Alekke (Feb 18, 2011)

Pete27 said:


> holy smokes that is nice! what is it?



this is very similar to one croatian luthier actually a friend of mine, Nado.






Nado guitars - custom handcrafted guitars


----------



## noizfx (Feb 18, 2011)

darren said:


> It's a guitar called the "paradis" by Swiss luthier Rolf Spuler. He also does basses, which Ibanez either had him design, or they licensed from him. They were sold as the AFR (Affirma) series and later the Ergodyne EDA 904 and 905.



Ooooh I missed the Ibanez EDA basses... I so wanted one of those back in the days, I only rented them (the exact silver EDA 904 like in the picture) for a while but never got to actually owning them  coz I'm mainly a guitarist


----------



## zilla (Feb 18, 2011)

i always had a sweet spot for the Warwick Dolphin body style







same with the old Kramer Spectors


----------



## Xibuque (Feb 18, 2011)

Zerberus Hydra


----------



## Durero (Feb 18, 2011)

Very cool design 

I wonder where those 4-coil blade humbuckers come from?


----------



## Xibuque (Feb 18, 2011)

Durero said:


> Very cool design
> 
> I wonder where those 4-coil blade humbuckers come from?









Zerberus website: Zerberus-Guitars Hydra II


----------



## BlackMastodon (Feb 19, 2011)

Xibuque said:


> Zerberus Hydra


Hell. Yes.


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 19, 2011)

Everything about that Hydra shape indicates I should hate it, but man that thing is a cool shape!


----------



## daniboy (Feb 21, 2011)

totally love the shape/carve (curves anyone?) even though i play metal. 

wish i have the skill to build one for myself.


----------



## WarriorOfMetal (Feb 21, 2011)

and


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 21, 2011)

That last one looks a lot like a Vampyre, but a bit more exaggerated.


----------



## noizfx (Feb 21, 2011)

HaMMerHeD said:


> That last one looks a lot like a Vampyre, but a bit more exaggerated.



Exactly my thought.


----------



## WarriorOfMetal (Feb 21, 2011)

Perhaps, but I like the SoulMate Model 06 a lot more than the Vampyre


----------



## HaMMerHeD (Feb 21, 2011)

WarriorOfMetal said:


> Perhaps, but I like the SoulMate Model 06 a lot more than the Vampyre



I do too. I think it has better visual balance than the Vampyre.


----------



## caparison_x (Feb 21, 2011)

This is less radical then the other designs but i LOVE the horus' assymetrical body shape


----------



## Hollowway (Feb 21, 2011)

WarriorOfMetal said:


> and


 
Haha, my next build is going to be a buckeye burl top - and that guitar right there is the one that gave me the GAS for that wood!


----------



## shogunate (Feb 21, 2011)

The Rick Toone starfish is one of my all time favorite designs, so I'll post it again


----------



## espman (Feb 21, 2011)

Still technically superstrat, but I love the Ibanez BTB basses










This one is REALLY comfy to boot


----------



## Jeroenofzo (Feb 23, 2011)

Explorer said:


> The Iceman body shape is mas macho uber alles, and an eight-string would be even mas macho than a seven.
> 
> However, I don't currently own an Iceman, probably because I haven't seen one with the kind of neck through, hardware, pickups and strings I now use....
> 
> That Iceman is a step in the right direction, though. Who built that?



I did. And thanks for the compliment 

I'm still a big fan of the avenger shape..


----------



## Jontain (Feb 25, 2011)

One of my favourite shapes ive seen in a while has to be the Javelin by Decibel Guitars, Darren has done a great job on that design.


----------



## noizfx (Feb 25, 2011)

Jontain said:


> One of my favourite shapes ive seen in a while has to be the Javelin by Decibel Guitars, Darren has done a great job on that design.



Mine too.


----------



## simulclass83 (Mar 6, 2011)

darren said:


>


Talk about upper fret access!


----------



## simulclass83 (Mar 6, 2011)

Always liked this one:


----------

