Talking to my daughter yesterday, she claimed almost all my guitars are Frankenstein guitars because I have changed parts or otherwise modified them. I said my Yamaha SGV300 is almost nearly original except for the whammy bar, but she seemed to think even that change made it a Franken guitar. Obviously the latter case is too extreme of a position, but it raises the question: what makes a guitar a Frankenstein guitar?

Is there any consensus out there? Or do we just know it when we see it? Recently, I posted photos of my Frankenmaster, which is composed of many parts, new and old, from many different sources, and I think it clearly falls in the category of Franken guitars. But what do you need to do to cross that line from an original guitar that's been modded or from a parts guitar to being a Frankenstein guitar?

I'd think a partscaster that recreates a guitar model doesn't count. Dr. Frankenstein was trying to create a new person, but not a specific person as much as a mish-mash of parts. So I think the mixture is key. But I'd like to know everyone's thoughts and see examples of anybody else's Franken guitars.

Every one of my 8 Stratocasters has been changed and modified in one way or another. I've read various forums where any mods are considered to moderately or significantly devalue the guitar. When I take on a new stratocaster for the collection, it's not there to be archived for a retirement package. It's there to be played and enjoyed. Changing necks, pickups, electronics, bodies, this is the beauty of playing a stratocatser. I've bought expensive strats just for the neck and swapped the necks and sold the remains. Maybe it's psychological but I enjoy these guitars much more after all the little tweaks and changes. If a partscaster plays and sounds great and has good quality parts then so be it!

The Kahuna Kings

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Last edited: Aug 09, 2020 05:01:08

JohnnyMosrite wrote:

I would submit that it depends on who the "Doctor Frankenstein" is.

Some examples:
Eric Clapton buys several Stratocasters and takes the best parts from each making his own erector set Stratocasters. These were well known as "Blackie" and "Brownie" and sold for hefty sums at upscale auctions - only because Eric Clapton made them and played them. If it were you and me, the value would be seriously diminished. For selling, they'd warrant a cheap pawn shop as opposed to Christies or Sotherby's.

Fender now has this "Parallel Universe" Telecaster/Jazzmaster/jazzer mish-mash in their catalog. So, I guess if you're the manufacturer, parts mix and match from known models isn't a Frankenstein Guitar; it's a "new innovation" or some such nonsense.

There's Dick Dale's Stratocaster, Johnny Ramone's Mosrite, Eddie Cochran's Gretsch 6120. All those guitars are highly modified for the artist's preferences - more or less - but no one ever calls them "Frankenstein" guitars.

Knowing the workings of my favorite guitar brand, I recently put together a customized "Frankenstein" Mosrite. Modesty aside, it's a stunner. I was offered $5K for it at a Vintage guitar show. Might have been more if I were a well known player or a well known builder. My solace in all that is that I now play a guitar that no one else on earth has. Take that Strat, Tele, Les Paul players.

My possibly warped perspective on this subject...
J Mo'

I had thought about Clapton’s creations when I wrote my reply. It’s hard to draw a line with regard to such mods. I’m not sure that Clapton actually made anything new. It would be analogous to buying a number of Model T Fords, combining the best parts into one striking example of the marque, then repeating the process with the remaining parts.

The artist formerly known as: Synchro

When Surf Guitar is outlawed only outlaws will play Surf Guitar.

I wonder if The Who bassist John Entwistle was the first. He tells the story of the bass he called "Frankenstein":

In an interview, he once explained the origins of Frankenstein: "The neck, pickups and circuitry are from a 'dead' slab bass, the tailpiece from a Jazz bass, the pickguard from a black P bass® and the machine heads from 2 white P basses®. Two hours with a Phillips screwdriver and a soldering iron and I was ranting around my hotel room screaming, "It's alive, it's alive!'" A collection of personal notes that Entwistle had planned to publish said of Frankenstein: "I used this baby from 1967 onwards, through Tommy and all the tours up to Quadrophenia ."

I personally think a Frankenstein has to have a neck and body from different guitars.

A large bolt through the headstock.

Insanitizers! http://www.insanitizers.com

I think it mainly boils down to "if Lilly says it's cool".

mj
bent playing for benter results
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Ha! A frankenstein I believe its when a mod on a guitar is outside of its normal specs. And I believe some are minor changes but some can be heavily major. If guitar purest turn their nose or shake their head.. your headed in the right direction. lol

this is mine. A 2010 epiphone fat 210 in surf green.
p90 - bridge
filtertron - middle
jaguar single coil(out of phase) - neck

master tone
master volume
blender pot - to blend in the neck on bridge postion and vice versa.

custom trust rod cover and pickguard. upgraded tuners.

I call her the Bride aka Frankie