We’ve seen some incredible 3D-printed designs on the market, but these printed Spider and Scarab electric guitars have officially blown us away.
Olaf Diegel — a professor of mechatronics at Massey University’s School of Engineering & Advanced Technology in New Zealand — has developed a series of intricate and beautifully crafted 3D-printed guitar models that are completely playable. The prototypes are still in the works and can be completely customized.
Diegel has posted the prototypes to his website called ODD, which features the tagline, “strange stuff you just want.”
With the help of a EOS Formiga P100 selective laser sintering system, Diegel was able to print sturdy and complex parts for the Spider and Scarab electric guitars, from the little insects inside the body to the structure that holds it up. The bodies are made of Polyamide 2200 or Alumide, according to the site.
Also on the site is a red printed guitar called the Atom 3D. This Les Paul-style guitar features a wooden core — with a choice of Mahogany, Alder or Mable — and the body can be printed in a variety of colors (he’s working on a blue one now).
Although the site doesn’t display the prices, it’s been reported the instruments will likely run from $3000 to $5000, according to Gizmag.
Would you buy a 3D-printed guitar? Will 3D printed products be the wave of the future? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.
Images via ODD.