Guitar Journal: Steve Stevens Folding Guitar
David Lynch's Guitars go to auction and Reverend Guitars report huge theft
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This week, we look at the new Steve Stevens folding guitars by Ciari Guitars, which are designed to make travelling easier for the Billy Idol guitarist. Reverend Guitars has reported a theft of guitars and pickups, so we’ll let you know what to look out for. Finally, we look at some of the late David Lynch’s guitars that are about to go to auction.
Guitar Journal
Steve Stevens Folding Guitar
Guitar icon Steve Stevens has officially unveiled his new signature model by Ciari Guitars, the Ascender, a serious instrument packed with the custom details fans have come to expect. Stevens has been playing these for a while, and now they have an official release and are available to buy at last.
This collaboration with Ciari Guitars brings together high-performance electronics with an innovative folding design, making it ideal for the touring musician.
Ray Gun
The Ascender comes loaded with a pair of Stevens’ signature Bare Knuckle Rebel Yell humbuckers (a great pickup and I have some loaded in one of my Gibson SGs) , complete with custom “Ray Gun” etching – a recurring motif found throughout the guitar, including the truss rod cover.
Players can also access versatile single-coil tones thanks to a built-in coil-split function.
Ascender
A transparent back on the guitar showcases the meticulous electronics and clever engineering within.
The Ascender also boasts practical features like locking tuners and stacked potentiometers. A unique three-way pickup selector switch is accented by red, green, and blue indicators, positioned artfully on the double pickguard’s Ray Gun graphic.
Designed for the Touring Musician
Perhaps the most groundbreaking feature is Ciari Guitar’s patented folding mechanism, crafted from aircraft-grade aluminum. This innovative design allows the neck to fold back from the 11th fret, making the 7.9lb guitar exceptionally portable for travel. It ships with either a quilted case or a deluxe carry-all backpack.
The guitar features a mahogany neck and an ebony fretboard with trapezoid inlays and Kluson-style metal tuner buttons, offering a nod to classic aesthetics while maintaining a distinct shape.
Platinum & Premier
The Steve Stevens Ascender is available in two versions: the Platinum and the Premier, both featuring gloss finishes.
The Platinum model, priced at $2,999, is available in Jet Black and Olympic White. The Premier, retailing for $3,499, comes in Jet Black, Olympic White, and Josie Pink.
These models are clearly aimed at professional players and those who require a high-quality, travel-friendly instrument. Stevens is a monster player and so these new models will have to perform, or he wouldn’t put his name on them.
Reverend Guitars Theft
Reverend Guitars is reporting a significant theft of instruments and pickups while a shipment was in transit. CEO Ken Haas confirmed the incident, stating that 36 new Reverend electric guitars and 180 Railhammer electric guitar pickups were stolen.
Missing Serial Numbers
The theft presents a challenge for recovery efforts, as Haas revealed via Instagram that the stolen guitars “have no serial numbers on the headstocks,” and the pickups are in “bulk packaging.” This lack of identifying marks will make tracking the items more difficult.
Haas has urged the public to “keep your eyes open and if you’ve seen any of this stuff, please let us and the authorities know.”
You can check the Instagram post from Haas which details images of all the stolen gear.
Stolen Guitars
The stolen guitars include Manta Ray, Charger, and Descent models.
The missing Railhammer pickups, which are Reverend’s flagship humbuckers, are distinctive due to their patented design featuring a combination of rails under the wound strings and poles under the unwound strings. Reverend claims this unique configuration provides “tighter lows and fatter highs far superior to a conventional pickup.”
Railhammer
These pickups are used in several Reverend models, including Chris Freeman’s signature guitar, and were re-voiced by Billy Corgan for his Drop-Z guitar.
With individual Railhammer pickups selling for approximately $140, the company faces an estimated loss of around $25,200 from the pickups alone, in addition to the value of the 36 guitars.
David Lynch Guitar Auction
David Lynch is primarily known for his cinematic masterpieces, his ventures into music have also carved out a unique niche. Now, fans have the chance to own a piece of his musical history as his iconic 1997 Parker Fly electric guitar goes up for auction along with many more of his guitars and effects.
Lynch, who released his latest album Cellophane Memories in 2024, has been recognised as an avant-garde guitarist since his 2001 album BlueBob, a collaboration with audio engineer John Neff. His distinctive playing style heavily relied on effects, a sound undoubtedly shaped by his unconventional instrument.
Parker Fly
The Parker Fly, as unique as Lynch himself, is currently being auctioned by Julien’s Auctions alongside other Lynchian memorabilia. Bidding has already soared past initial estimates of $4,000 to $6,000, with the current bid standing at $10,000.
Piezo & more
I have owned the same model of Parker Fly and they are very unique guitars, that are wafer thin and very rigid, due to theri construction method that uses carbon fibre. This particular guitar boasts several distinctive features, including a 25” scale length, a signature Parker tremolo bridge, and two DiMarzio humbucker pickups.
It also incorporates a built-in piezo system with dedicated controls for volume, blend, and master tone, alongside a three-way toggle switch for both the magnetic pickups and the piezo system. Adding a signature Lynchian touch, a Roland GK-2A synthesizer pickup is also integrated, further contributing to his experimental sound.
Effects & More
There is also a Digitech Talker, an Earthquaker Devices Black Lodge Edition, a Digitech Whammy 4. a Cesar Diaz Texas Tremodillo and more on auction. Which all indicates that Lynch was not afraid to experiment with effects to create his music.
The David Lynch Collection
The David Lynch Collection goes to auction on 18 June at 10am PST in Los Angeles and I am guessing that there will be a lot of bids, as he was such an insteresting creative person who has fans from around the globe.
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