Four premium guitars you’ll (probably) never be able to afford

Fender Custom Shop 2020  ·  Source: Fender

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Are you a guitarist with money burning a hole in your pocket and you can’t rid of it fast enough? Do you insist your wine is older than your grandmother and costs twice her age? A Ferrari isn’t good enough, unless it’s covered in gold? Custom-shop guitars are for peasants? Then you’re in the right place. Today we look at some fine examples of over-the-top, outrageous and extremely rare guitars, that might just be the axe you need to add to your collection.

Here’s a list of guitars that probably won’t make you a better player. They probably don’t sound too different from their core versions either. And you certainly won’t be seeing them in your local pub. These are for the discerning collector, who possibly travels by private jet. Let’s dive straight in.

Fender Faberge Coronation Stratocaster

Fender’s crown jewel at this year’s Winter NAMM was Yuriy Shishkov’s Fender Faberge Coronation guitar, based on the Faberge eggs that were made in 1897 to commemorate Tsar Nicholas II’s ascent to the throne. The hardtail Stratocaster has a maple body and a quarter sawn maple neck. Pickups are wound by master winder Abigail Ybarra. Sounds like a regular custom shop strat, except that it’s covered with 23-karat gold leaf finish with guilloche work and adorned with 113 hand-inlayed 2mm diamonds. Each of the “Ivan the Terrible” pickups are also covered with 44 2mm diamonds. Even the side dots on the neck are made out of rubies. The guitar took 16 months to complete.

Price? A cool $560,000, just over half a million dollars. It’s truly a one-of-a-kind guitar, so if that’s your thing, give Fender a buzz!

Fender Faberge Coronation Stratocaster

Fender Stratocaster 1

Perhaps the Faberge Coronation Stratocaster is too gaudy for you, and clashes with your super car when you’re out and about, driving with your guitar. Fender’s got you covered once again.

Master builder Ron Thorn’s creation, the Stratocaster 1 is based on the Saleen 1 sports car. The body is made out carbon fiber, and is hollow, with a middle block of roasted alder and a hand carved maple top, painted in the distinctive Saleen Candy Apple Red. The quarter sawn maple neck has a carbon fiber fretboard and a matching carbon fiber headplate.

Compared to the Faberge Coronation Stratocaster, this guitar comes in at a paltry $33,000.

Fender Saleen 1

Paul Reed Smith Private Stock 35th Anniversary Dragon

Every few years, the Paul Reed Smith company pulls together a guitar using the finest materials available. Then adorns it with the most elaborate dragon motif possible. For its 35^thAnniversary, the company released its latest Dragon creation. Starting life as a Private Stock guitar and based on the McCarty model, the guitar comes with an obscenely intricate dragon inlay on the fretboard.

This limited edition guitar will set you back a mere €18,111.

PRS Private Stock 35th Anniversary Dragon

Gibson Tony Iommi ‘Monkey’ 1964 SG Special

Maybe you’re a huge Black Sabbath fan and want to buy Tony Iommi. Unfortunately, the guitarist is not for sale, but Gibson has managed to create a clone of his 1964 SG Special, a guitar that defined the sound of hard rock for more than a generation.

The guitar is an exact replica of Iommi’s axe, along with his personal mods, such as the stop tailpiece bridge and zero fret. Of course, the Fiddling Monkey motif is there in all its resplendent glory.

Limited to 50 pieces worldwide (25 right-handed and 25 left-handed), it costs £16,999.

Gibson Custom Shop Tony Iommi Monkey SG Special

Which would you pick if you could have one of these? Seen any other eye-watering special guitars that you’d splash your lottery winnings on? Let us know in the comments section below.

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