The Great Guitar Build Off 2021

[Dynamic Mike]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bJV3gL56jM8

Both scratch & kit build top 5. As judged by Mary Spender. Weird, wacky & wonderful. Something for everyone really.

[BigRedX]

How can the guitars be judged without being played?

I've come across many fantastic looking guitars and basses (BCG and even Crimson spring to mind) that turned out to be real dogs when it came actually using them as musical instruments.

Fine if you want something to look good in the music video, but if that's the main requirement then you don't need to go to all the effort to make an actual playable guitar.

It appears to be mostly an exercise in decoration rather than technical design/ergonomics/playability, which to me is just as important.

Also how many "custom" telecasters does the world need?

[Martin Walker]

Good points by BigRedX, but I nevertheless have a lot of time for Mary Spencer, and she obviously had to make choices based on the on-line videos from their makers, which would hopefully include audio demos.

Even if you simply judge these guitars as works of art, this video for me was still well worth watching.

Martin

[Dynamic Mike]

How can the guitars be judged without being played?

It's a good point but I think it's more about innovation & execution rather than playability or usefulness. Also I guess in these covid days getting them all in one place would be impossible. But I still found it interesting what other non-professional builders were capable of.

Like Martin I have a lot of time for Mary. She's a very respectable player & singer in her own right. Actually, truth be told, with that voice I could listen to her read a shopping list & never get bored

Plus her cover of Sultans of Swing with Leo Moraccioli always makes me smile.

[Murray B]

Plus her cover of Sultans of Swing with Leo Moraccioli always makes me smile.

Thanks for bringing this to my attention - joyful and fabulous