This 3D-Printed Guitar Is a Real Record-Breaker — Or Record Cutter, Anyway
Upcycled vinyl records serve as the faces of this unusual circular guitar, built from parts taken from a cheap Telecaster.
Pseudonymous maker "BryanU6," hereafter simply "Bryan," Has given a cheap electric guitar a new lease on life — by replacing its body with a 3D-printed version faced with discarded vinyl records.
"This project describes an electric guitar built with Telecaster-style parts and a custom body. The main body of the guitar is 3D printed, which allows for a precise and solid construction," Bryan explains. "The front and back of the body are covered with real LP vinyl records, giving the guitar a classic and authentic look. The guitar uses standard Telecaster hardware such as single-coil pickups, a Tele bridge, tuning machines, and basic control electronics. The vinyl records are mainly used for appearance, while the 3D printed body provides strength and support for all components."
While it's fair to say a project to build an electric guitar that includes a fully-working electric guitar in its parts list certainly cuts out some of the challenge, Bryan has his reasons: "[it was] cheaper than a DIY kit," he explains. The cheap guitar's body is discarded in the production process, and is replaced with an unusual circular 3D-printed framework housing its original components — evoking something closer to a banjo than a Telecaster.
The circular shape and its specific size were very specifically selected for the project, however: the face and back of the guitar body is made of actual vinyl records. The rear vinyl is attached as-is, while the top record needs cutouts for the various guitar parts — achieved by 3D printing a cutting template, and hot-knife sliced with a sharp tip on a soldering iron.
More details are available on Instructables, along with the 3D print files required to build your own.