Victor Tsaran | guitars | music | technology | and more

We all love our Fenders and Gibsons, but are these two the only ones worthy of our attention? In my personal experience, there's much more to guitars that their brand. Disc Maker's blog explains this further.

As the US auto industry has its ‘Big Three’ (or what’s left of them), the two big guns in the electric guitar space remain Fender and Gibson, and these legendary companies continue to dominate the market. While their product lines are varied and diverse, the Telecaster, Stratocaster, and Les Paul are considered universally as the archetypal electric guitars.

Other renowned companies with legions of devotees include California-based Rickenbacker; Gretsch (actually bought by Fender in 2002); and Maryland luthier-gone-big-time Paul Reed Smith (PRS). So, while these brands have the beaucoup name recognition, there are literally hundreds of other smaller companies, old and new, that are producing quality, stylish, top-notch electric guitars. In this post, we’ll go under the radar and profile just a few that fall into the ‘cool & funky’ category.

DiPinto
With the tag line, “Possibly the coolest guitars in the world,” straight out of Philly comes the ultra-hip stylings of DiPinto Guitars. Owner Chris DiPinto designs them quirky and tres cool indeed, with flagship models like the Galaxie 4 and Mach IV pushing the audio and visual envelope with throwback designs reminiscent of Fender’s Jazzmaster and Jaguar. If surf/instrumental style (a la the Ventures) is your bag, then these models scream ‘crank up the reverb and let’s hit the surf’!  With high-profile endorsers like Dick Dale and Los Straitjackets, you’d be in good company. BTW, DiPinto has a line of basses, as well as elegant archtops for your jazzier side.

Check out latest guitar blowouts and more at Zzounds online music store or read more of Cool & Funky Niche Electric Guitars at the Disc Maker's blog.