Here’s a fresh look at doing innovative design coupled with environmental recyling. Matsuda never fails to impress. In his own words (see more here: https://www.facebook.com/matsudaguitars)
The guitar used to be called broken Les Paul copy that I found on a local Craigslist.
Matsuda No.125A. R.A.G. project.
Top face: used chopsticks from a local sushi bar.
Soundboard, located under the top face: a broken piano soundboard.
There is the brand name on its face. It is from Chickering and Sons’ Pianos. They were a high quality piano maker in Boston. serial No.69300 or 69308.
Neck and body: Unidentified broken Les Paul copy guitar that I found in local Craigslist.
The sound reflector at back is made from a broken kitchen table.
Researching nontraditional alternative wood for guitars, using recycled, reclaimed lumbers for guitars has been getting attention. On the other hand, it is not often for us to talk about recycling manufactured and crafted guitars. Including electric and acoustic, many guitars are produced and sold in the world. Many of them are surprisingly inexpensive, though they are decent quality and good value for beginners and students. Because of these inexpensive prices, they are not likely been in maintenance, and repair. The repair costs would be more than buying new guitars in many cases. I have been wondering how many guitars are actually in use by players, or being used for something meaningful for people after a few years after purchasing without any maintenance.
For this project, the first thought that came to my mind is how I can make something “new” guitars out of broken guitars, instead of repairing them. In other words, how I can add new value to unusable guitars. It is the project which combines “recycle” “art” and “guitars”. also “ identification” comes to the interesting point in this project. I am making a new guitar by using unusable guitar as material. I intentionally found a broken Les Paul copy guitar as representation of iconic guitar identity. Then I intentionally did not alter this guitar shape. It is a Les Paul guitar shape. I did it, because I wanted to ask a question, which is that “Am I recycling Les Paul design as a part of recycle project? Is it appropriation in art? Or is it just copy?”
It is acoustic electric guitar. it doesn’t have acoustic box, but it has acoustic sound board. This actual sound board locates under chopsticks top face. There is narrow open space between top face and the sound board. Arch top style bridge set on sound board. Instead of having acoustic box, there is sound reflector located at back, center of the body is hollowed out.
I didn’t have any intended tonal character to achieve on this guitar. I just like to accept whatever the sound come out. I am curiously interest to see what sound come out from these recycled materials.
