7 Weird & Wonderful Guitar Brands

The Fender Stratocaster and Gibson Les Paul are timeless electric guitars that have transcended multiple genres across their 60+ year history. They are simply iconic, and it’s no surprise why these instantly recognisable instruments remain best-sellers worldwide. But as music becomes increasingly diverse, and as more musicians strive to form their own identity — some players are looking for alternative, weird guitar shapes and fresh, unfamiliar designs.

That’s why we’ve put together this article; showcasing seven guitar companies that make super-cool, idiosyncratic instruments for the sonically adventurous! Who knows, the next addition to your collection might be from one of these guitar brands boldly going where others do not dare…

Baum Guitars

Baum is a boutique Danish guitar brand that makes super-cool, modern instruments with vintage roots and minimalistic Nordic style! Established in 2015 by art director and designer Morten Bau, Baum combine their love for old-school guitars with Morten’s passion for vintage cars. These elements are seamlessly melded together, while respecting the classic rules of guitar building.

Baum’s new-for-2021 Original Series electric guitars are available exclusively at Andertons Music Co. in the UK. Manufactured in South Korea, these instruments are far more affordable than Baum’s bespoke, handcrafted creations — yet look just as amazing! They’re built to a very high standard and boast a range of premium features; including Roasted Maple necks, proprietary ‘Goldsound’ pickups and ‘Levitator’ roller bridges for rock-solid tuning stability.

See All Baum Guitars

Oopegg Guitars

Hailing from Japan, Oopegg is a brand new guitar company that has garnered plenty of admiration in its short history. Their flagship Trailbreaker Mark-I model (pictured), aptly-described as a “neo-bizarre” guitar, is an elegant offset that closely resembles ‘60s American and Japanese-made instruments. While a tasteful, vintage aesthetic is apparent — this weird guitar is certainly not behind the times!

Boasting an array of modern features and ergonomic construction tweaks to suit today’s generation, including a slim and lightweight Alder body that maximises playing comfort, a medium-scale neck for forgiving string tension, high-end hardware from Gotoh/Halon/ Swope, custom-wound USA Magneto Design Lab pickups, and ‘Variety Control Switches’ that allow for innovative tone-shaping — the Trailbreaker Mark-I is easily one of the most versatile instruments we’ve ever seen.

Here at Andertons, we stock Oopegg’s ‘Supreme Collection’ Trailbreaker Mark-I guitars. These are designed in Tokyo and hand-made at the brand’s OEM Guitar Workshop in Nagano — a sacred area synonymous with high-end guitar manufacturing. If you want a completely bespoke Oopegg guitar, you can spec your own Trailbreaker Mark-I via our custom order page!

See All Oopegg Guitars

Kauer Guitars

Kauer is another relative newcomer to the guitar world, established in 2008. Founded by Doug Kauer, an experienced woodworker with a huge passion for electric guitars, the brand now has a robust team of luthiers — building instruments in sunny California to the highest of standards. They’re not afraid to use modern tools though, utilising CNC machines for precise model-to-model consistency. They even make use of a ‘Plek’ unit to give each completed guitar a professional, laser-accurate final setup!

Kauer’s stellar lineup boasts a tasteful mix of original and inspired shapes, all brimming with “vintage-meets-modern” allure. Featuring offset, single-cut slab bodies — Kauer’s Starliner Express (pictured) and Korona guitars are pure rock ‘n’ roll tone machines equipped with the finest pickups from the likes of Lollar and TV Jones. Their Banshee model has the distinctive look of the legendary Gibson Firebird, but comes outfitted with a few contemporary appointments that are sure to appeal to touring pros seeking unparalleled performance.

See All Kauer Guitars

B&G Guitars

B&G is one of more well-known brands on this list. However, we believe that they deserve greater recognition for their spellbinding instruments that just ooze class and finesse! Based in Tel Aviv, Israel, B&G’s ethos is to capture the magic of vintage “Golden Era” guitars from the mid-20th Century — perfectly well-balanced, and totally original.

The company’s flagship Little Sister model fuses pre-war acoustic design sensibilities with modern electronics and a semi-hollow construction — culminating in an easy-to-play instrument with a completely unique voice. There’s also the Step Sister (pictured), which is a slightly more contemporary take on the Little Sister. Featuring more frets, a comfier neck heel and a 16th-fret neck joint (for better access to the higher register), the B&G Step Sister also sports a conventional solid headstock design.

Andertons currently stocks instruments from B&G’s ‘Crossroads’ line, which are built in China and equipped with Korean electronics. These models promise almost the same level of feel, tone and quality as those from B&G’s Isreali-made Private Build series — but are just a fraction of the cost!

See All B&G Guitars

Iconic Guitars

California’s Iconic Guitars hand-craft exquisite instruments that look like they’ve come straight out of an ‘80s mod-shop! While the company hasn’t really innovated its own original guitar designs, like some of the other names featured in this blog, it does pride itself on taking “iconic” shapes and supercharging them with the best specifications possible.

Whether Iconic’s guitars can be labelled as “weird” is debatable. But they certainly are wonderful, and come packed with plenty of flair — courtesy of some truly wild finishes! Using world-class timbers and superior components, Iconic’s claim that it builds some of the world’s “best-playing guitars” cannot be argued. They really are special, and absolutely go toe-to-toe with any Custom Shop creation from the likes of Fender or Gibson.

See All Iconic Guitars

Harmony Guitars

That’s right, Harmony Guitars are back — and in a big way! Unbeknownst to some, Harmony was actually one of the first brands Andertons ever stocked all the way back in 1965. Now under new ownership, this fresh chapter in Harmony’s history is very enticing. That’s because their current lineup encompasses a bunch of retro-inspired, weird guitar designs which are simple yet ever so effective!

Harmony’s bombastic blend of solid-body and semi-hollow electrics come draped with classy, nostalgic appointments that will transport you back to the swinging ‘60s. Made in the USA using high-end woods and electronics, these surprisingly affordable instruments have plenty to offer — with their genuine mahogany bodies, luxurious ebony fretboards and custom Gold Foil pickups that produce crisp, sweet and classic tones.

See All Harmony Guitars

Burns Guitars

Burns London is an iconic UK guitar brand, and their distinctive instruments are renowned for their warped ’60s styling, retro hardware appointments and unique electronics. Regarded as one of the first “alternative” electric guitar companies to the more established manufacturers like Fender and Gibson, Burns were pumping out their niche instruments in the ’60s and ’70s to contend with them. In the words of founder Jim Burns, their intention was to make “mass-produced one-offs.”

Here at Andertons, we currently stock stunning recreations of Burns’ revered Marquee model. Oozing with retro charm, these instruments boast the reliable and reassuring build quality you’d expect from modern-day guitars. They’re the perfect examples of old meets new!

See All Burns Guitars

Want to Learn More?

If you’re keen to stay up-to-date with other matters within the musical instrument industry, take a look at more of our ‘Industry’ content by clicking here.