# Uli Jon Roth Sky Guitars



## Apophis (Jan 14, 2008)

Uli Joh Roth is one of the best, unique guitar player of all time. But not everybody knows he was a pioneer in ERG instruments in rock music. 
He started playing with Scorpions, but he left, when Scorpions became a star. He wanted to play his own music, more virtuoso, more feeling, more opera etc.Beeing with Scorpions he played Strats and was fascinated by Hendrix. But when he started to think about completely new guitar.
This is how he said about that:
"Back when I was with the Scorpions, a guitar builder in Brighton offered to make me my own guitar any way I would like, and I thought, 'What a concept!'. I questioned everything that had come before and tried to improve on it. I wanted more range, so I came up with a body shaped like a teardrop, but it wasn't visually appealing, so I added an S shape to the teardrop to give it more balance. I had the builder put as many frets on the neck as he possibly could."
This is how the new guitar was born, the Sky Guitar. 
There aren't many informations about instruments he played thru years, but I try to show and explain to you those incredible guitars.

His first sky guitar is called Dolphin. The name Dolphin was confirmed in 2003, before those guitars were called Sky I or Prototype. 
There are 3 versions of this guitar.
Ver.1









He has 30 frets, HSS pickups configuration and those are made by Fender (neck pickup under the fretboard) Dan Amstrong (middle) and Seymour Ducnan (bridge), maple neck and fretboard. Body wood is unknown, but from it's lightweight many think this is made from alder. Controls are simple - volume, 2x tone and 3-way switch. 

Ver.2 and Ver.3




In this versions the fretboard was extended to 31 frets, but till 27th frets last frets are placed in whole tone intervals. Body and neck woods are the same. There was also added 5-way switch, not 3-way like in ver.1.

Second sky guitar is called Purple. It's also knows as Sky II, Mk. II
There are 4 versions of this guitar.
Ver.1








About that guitar we know little more. It's made of Alder, has maple neck and ebony fingerboard. It has 28 frets plus extended fretless fretboard up to 40th fret. So it has range from E2 to G#7. It has HSS pickups made by Seymour Duncan, volume, 2x tone and 5-way switch.
Ver.2
There are little changes in this guitar. The fretless extension was gone and the humbucker was replaced by DiMarzio X2N.
Ver.3
The fingerboard was extended up to 36 frets, but above 27 fret, frets were placen in whole tone intervals.
Ver.4
We don't knows almost nothing about that guitar, was seen only ones and has rosewood fretboard, not ebony. Other thinga looked like in ver.3.

Third sky guitar is called Emperor.
There are 4 versions of that guitar. In this guitars Uli made one of the most important changes.
Ver.1




It wasn't anything unique. Ash body, maple fneck and fretboard, 32 frets, from 27th placen in whole tone intervals. Pickups made by DiMarzio and Seymour Duncan, one volume, one tone (first time) plus 3-way switch.
Ver.2
Is the same like ver.1 but it has more controls - we don't know what those controls where doing then.
Ver.3
Like ver.1, but bridge pickup was replaced by Seymour Duncan Jeff Beck. This guitar was given to guitar player of band Fates Warning.
Ver.4




It's the most interesting one - it has new pickups - those were custom made by John Oram and called Mega-Wing. There are HSH configuration - first time. Controls were also changed to volume, middle, bass and tone plus 5-way switch.

Fourth sky guitar is called Mighty Wing.




This guitar was an evolution. Its first 7 string guitar, it has 36 frets range, but from 27th frets, frets are placed in whole tone intervals. Body wood was changed to machogany, neck and fingerboard are made from maple.Fingerboard is full scalloped. Electronics are HH Mega-Wing pickups (first time without single coils), 3 way switch, controls - master volume, midrange eq, high eq, bass eq plus Gain !!!!!!!!!!!!!!. Whole system is active and it's powered by external 16 V or 32V power supply. 




Interesting feature is that this guitar have 3 Sperzel locking tuners and 4 classic Kluson tuners.

Fifth sky guitar is called Destiny.




The construction is all the same like Mighty Wing, but this one has HSH Mega-Wing pickups and 5-way switch. This guitar has 7 Kluson Deluxe tuners.


So what do you think and thanks for reading.


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## djpharoah (Jan 14, 2008)

Thats cool but your picture link didn't work for me.


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## Lucky Seven (Jan 14, 2008)

Dude, I'm the SS.org's resident Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth fan. I think I made a thread about him earlier in general music, but it got like 0 replies . Anyway, I clicked on this thread while listening to Sky Overture !


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## Desecrated (Jan 15, 2008)

I kinda like uli, I kinda like his guitar, but I love his Vivaldi album.


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## Blackrg (Jan 15, 2008)

Hey thanks for news, UJR must be a meme going round right this minute

I was just watching the Sails of Charon (Scorpions 1977) on Sunday 

 

Uli Jon Roth shows some really sweet minor soloing - totally influencing YJM, Megadeth, etc etc etc blah blah blah

Theres some good stuff to be learned from him i think


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## Apophis (Jan 15, 2008)

Lucky Seven said:


> Dude, I'm the SS.org's resident Scorpions, UFO, Michael Schenker and Uli Jon Roth fan. I think I made a thread about him earlier in general music, but it got like 0 replies . Anyway, I clicked on this thread while listening to Sky Overture !



Just like me  I'm fan of Uli and Scorpions till I remember  I have all recordings, live shows etc I could find anywhere in the world


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## Ancestor (Jan 16, 2008)

Uli's totally badass. I think that video is him and the band finger/lip syncing to the recording. Still, he is an amazing mother. I love Sails of Charon, too. 

The guitar in question is nothing short of amazing. There still isn't anything that can really compare to it. Especially with the pickup that sits underneath the fretboard! I was recently reading a Scorpions interview where Rudolf (i think?) was saying that Uli was so good he couldn't do anything but rhythm. It just wasn't feasible.


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## Apophis (Jan 16, 2008)

yeah, Rudi never even wanted to be a lead guitar player, cause he always had great rhythms ideas.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 16, 2008)

I'd highly recommend his 'Historic Performances' DVDs if you don't already have them. There's some incredible footage on there.


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## distressed_romeo (Jan 16, 2008)

Apophis said:


> yeah, Rudi never even wanted to be a lead guitar player, cause he always had great rhythms ideas.



I remember him saying that when he and Michael were young and jamming together he was always playing the rhythm while Michael soloed...
Doesn't Rudi always take the solos on the Scorpions' ballads these days?


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## Apophis (Jan 16, 2008)

No, he did only few solos, one of the most popular is that from Still Loving You. Matthias is better lead player


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## ElRay (Jan 16, 2008)

djpharoah said:


> Thats cool but your picture link didn't work for me.


Same here.


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## Apophis (Jan 16, 2008)

Strange, there's no problems with that site I linked to


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## Lucky Seven (Jan 17, 2008)

Apophis said:


> No, he did only few solos, one of the most popular is that from Still Loving You. Matthias is better lead player



Speaking of Matthias being a better lead player...have you seen my Matthias-striped 6?








BTW, I just got UJR's Metamorphosis, and holy shit it rules! He's far beyond the (sun ) stereotypical Neo-classical shredder. I have Transcendental Sky Guitar volume 1&2 which is great, but this blows it out of the water IMO.


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## Apophis (Jan 17, 2008)

Nice stripes  Great guitar


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