Striking the right chord

It is said that the world’s most famous and popular language is music. It is with this language that composers like Steve Vai, Joe Satriani and Eric Clapton have had the world spellbound for decades. However, their legacy doesn’t just include their powerful compositions. A series of high-end guitars modeled after the instruments of legends are now available in the market, providing value as well some great music.

One such example is the Martin’s 000-28EC Vintage Series acoustic guitar. Inspired by Eric Clapton’s original instrument, the guitar is duly handcrafted and carved out of grained ivoroid and is cushioned inside Martin’s deluxe hard shell case. Its soundboard is carefully crafted with herringbone wood marquetry while the fingerboard is patterned using abalone pearl. While its East Indian rosewood body provides visual spectacle, its 24-9/10” scale churns out intricate and balanced tones that Clapton would be proud of.

Such finesse, however, doesn’t come cheap. A guitar from the series could set you back by Rs. 920,160. Validating the hefty price tag, Ashutosh Pande, CTO and founder of Bajaao says “This guitar is built in extremely limited batches by the best luthiers in the word over a time period of 30-50 years.” He further adds that they sell at least one of Martin’s acoustic guitars every quarter.

Brand value

Its not just acoustic guitars, signature electric guitar brands are also bowling over music aficionados with celebrity quotient through artists’ inspired instruments. The pick of this lot would be Steve Vai and Joe Satriani’s signature electric guitars priced at Rs.210,000 and Rs.180,000 respectively.

Attuned with DiMarzio Evolution pickups, Steve Vai’s signature electric guitar’s body is best suited to comfort guitarists with quick variations in the tone. The guitar further packs power with a 25-1/2’’ scale and a Split-5 wiring enabling it to produce diverse and vivid tones that take the audience to a musical paradise. “In such hand made guitars, more attention is given to detailing to the sound quality. Measurements of the wood, too are very precise,” says Pawan Karthik, owner of Music Stores India. It also has Steve Vai’s signature Monkey grip on its bass-side giving it brand value.

Similarly, the highlight of Joe Satriani’s signature masterpiece is the pickup wired to it. “Joe Satriani has his signature pickups- Satch Track and Mo’Joe with these guitars that enhances its uniqueness even more, justifying the price,” explains Raunaq Bhargava, owner of Musicians Mall, an online retailer of exclusive guitars in India. Additionally, the guitar bears a high pass filter on its volume pot that induces tonal variations to balance the notes for the perfect sound.

The perfect symphony

What can be better than melody with the right rhythm? While, usually, there are separate guitars for melody and rhythm, Gibson’s Hummingbird Heritage Cherry Acoustic Guitar gives the best of both worlds. Priced at Rs.266,950, this exclusive musical delight is inspired from the instruments of famous musicians from Keith Richards to Gram Parsons. Its flat-top will pump out deep, rich tones while its spacious mahogany body with the top of Sitka spruce brings out the best of rhythm. However the USP of this stellar piece is the brand it belongs to, says Joseph Gomes, Director of Furtados Music. “It is a Gibson USA guitar – that is its value. The Gibson brand stands for its quality and legacy. It not only has a luxury tag to it but is also reliable and a prized possession of any musician or collector,” he says.

Still just listening to those tunes? Its time you play it.