Modular Guitar Concept (feedback please)

[asclark88]

Hello, I'm a marketing major working on my capstone project for senior year. My project is a modular guitar design and brand. The guitar is designed to make it easy for players to have whatever look and sound they want with their guitar. The modular design would allow for easy repairability and usability. Also, it would be cost effective instead of buying several expensive guitars, you would just have to buy new pickups, pick guards, bodies, or necks. The neck and bridge are attached to retain string tension and have rods on the sides that insert into the guitar to click into place. Then the pickups can be inserted through the back of the guitar. I was wondering if those who reply would be able to provide their skill level and potentially age for my research. As well as, provide feedback on the modular guitar design I have created (shown below):

• What you like
• What you don't like
• any additional pieces
• advice on how it can be more efficient and improve

Thank you very much!

 

[laxu]

You can just Google modular guitars for plenty of opinions. This has been tried many, many times and none of them have gained tracktion. People just don't care to be swapping parts regularly and there's a vibe to different guitar designs that makes them interesting to people.

 

[ragingplatypi]

Phil McKnight has a pickup swapping guitar that he’s used several times on his YouTube channel that looks similar to your idea. I think that’s fine (I don’t have strong opinions for or against it).

What interests me more is the idea of combining that with an easily removable neck. Julian Lage and Bill Frisell travel to Europe with their telecasters in a backpack and the necks in a poster tube. I don’t know what the benefit of keeping string tension is, but the being able to remove the neck without a screwdriver or hex wrench is cool. Especially if it can be put back on with minimal setup needed.

Guitarists are incredibly conservative regarding the look of the guitar, so aesthetically it either has to look like a Strat, Tele, or Les Paul- or you have to be decidedly different from the classic design and go super modern or steampunk or whatnot.

If I have only one guitar with all the different pickup options, I better be really in love with the neck of the guitar.

Lastly, guitarists love buying lots of guitars, so having only one guitar that does everything is not a strong selling point. Having one guitar at the moments when need only one guitar is very useful.

 

[TSJMajesty]

I like having several guitars. I wouldn't be interested at all in your idea.

 

[State of Epicicity]

I think it's great.

 

[laxu]

What interests me more is the idea of combining that with an easily removable neck. Julian Lage and Bill Frisell travel to Europe with their telecasters in a backpack and the necks in a poster tube. I don’t know what the benefit of keeping string tension is, but the being able to remove the neck without a screwdriver or hex wrench is cool. Especially if it can be put back on with minimal setup needed.

The ridiculous thing is that bolt-on guitars don't use machine screws to hold the necks as a standard feature. "Because Fender didn't do it" is probably the reason for cheaping out. With machine screws, removing 3-4 screws from a neck wouldn't be too much of a chore between travel. If the neck is removed you'll still run into issues with the neck having to return back to its position when under string tension.

 

[paisleywookiee]

The ridiculous thing is that bolt-on guitars don't use machine screws to hold the necks as a standard feature. "Because Fender didn't do it" is probably the reason for cheaping out. With machine screws, removing 3-4 screws from a neck wouldn't be too much of a chore between travel. If the neck is removed you'll still run into issues with the neck having to return back to its position when under string tension.

Either machine screws, or some sort of twist-lock mechanism (if you could keep the tension high enough). But yeah, wood screws may have worked in the 40's/50's, but it's a dumb idea to continue with. Yet, here we are.

 

[Oddguitar]

You can just Google modular guitars for plenty of opinions. This has been tried many, many times and none of them have gained tracktion. People just don't care to be swapping parts regularly and there's a vibe to different guitar designs that makes them interesting to people.

This is right on the money...ultimately, we don't want one jack of all trades guitar, we want a whole bunch of different guitars each with their own feel and vibe. We want an excuse to collect guitars. I will say that someone

 

[maddnotez]

My only critique on the design are the metal rods. I would make them as low profile as possible. I cant imagine playing a guitar with 2 big rods sticking out. Would have to see the physical concept to really have an opinion but seems like they would certainly get in the way of playing the guitar.

I agree with some of the other posts that these things just dont take off and there have been some ok designs on modular that ive seen.