John Backlund guitars - 'Robots' meets luthiery (with a pinch of the Jetsons)

[Ancient Mariner]

Since there are some here who appreciate unconventional guitars, I'd like to mention one of my favourite designers - John Backlund.
















[url="http://www.jbacklund.com/models.html"]http://www.jbacklund.com/models.html[/url]

They're not even ridiculously expensive, though I'd need to sell a bit of kit to afford one.

Edited January 27, 2012 by Ancient Mariner

[BigRedX]

One of my favourites.

One day I'll be putting in an order for either a JBD 100 or 400...

Do you know what the prices are. When I click on the price list I get a message saying the new one will be out in 2011!

BTW I think the second to last guitar you posted isn't a Backlund but an early model American Showster.

[Ancient Mariner]

When I was still posting regularly on HC 18 months ago John and Bruce were talking about $1600 for a JBD100 from what I remember, but they were also talking about more affordable line coming out.

As for the second last, I think you're correct (the bridge being one of the giveaways). It *looks* like one, but isn't - came up in an image search - and John has so many designs I just assumed it was one I'd not seen before.

[gafbass02]

That tail fin one is so me!!! I neeeeed it

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1327707562' post='1515848']
When I was still posting regularly on HC 18 months ago John and Bruce were talking about $1600 for a JBD100 from what I remember, but they were also talking about more affordable line coming out.
[/quote]

If that's the case they'll be getting an email enquiry from me this weekend. If they can do one with a vibrato then I may well be placing an order very soon. I had been considering a Hallmark Custom 60, but the JBD 100 is way more cool!

[BigRedX]

[quote name='gafbass02' timestamp='1327744723' post='1516041']
That tail fin one is so me!!! I neeeeed it
[/quote]

That one's not actually a Backlund, but an 80s' [url=http://www.americanshowster.com/]American Showster[/url]. There is someone on here who plays in a band with a guitarist who uses one but I can't remember who it is right now. Apparently the original ones aren't particularly good and the new ones were pretty expensive (around $2500) last time I looked. Also their site is currently down so I don't know if they are still in business.

[BigRedX]

[quote name='Johnston' timestamp='1327753970' post='1516234']
Really liking that.
[/quote]

Unsurprisingly the Tele-style design is my least favourite...

;-)

[Ancient Mariner]

I half like it. IIRC they had to stop making the sharkfin headstock because someone else trademarked that shape (possibly showster) which is highly disappointing.

[charic]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1327701230' post='1515763']

[/quote]

That looks great!

[John Backlund]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1327755438' post='1516271']
I half like it. IIRC they had to stop making the sharkfin headstock because someone else trademarked that shape (possibly showster) which is highly disappointing.
[/quote]

Hello Ancient Mariner, fancy meeting you here!

Our original JBD headstock is still available on the JBD-100 as a special request item and is currently standard on the offset-design JBD-800 six string and also the new JBD-800 four-string bass, and the JBD-200. In fact, earlier this month I ordered a new JBD-100 for myself and requested that it have the older style headstock. I've never liked the 'new' pointy headstock that they've been putting on the later 100 models, feeling that is inconsistent with the more rounded lines of the guitar in general, but I had little to say about that development, so there it is. The newer, pointy headstock was originally created by me for the concept design JBD-1000 model, which is yet to be built (if ever). No one, to my knowledge, has ever contested the headstock designs that are used on the four JBD models being produced.

[John Backlund]

[quote name='Ancient Mariner' timestamp='1327707562' post='1515848']
When I was still posting regularly on HC 18 months ago John and Bruce were talking about $1600 for a JBD100 from what I remember, but they were also talking about more affordable line coming out.
[/quote]

I [i]wish[/i] they were $1600, but the cheapest JBD guitars have a retail of over twice that amount. The JBD-100 I recently ordered came out at a little over $4000. I just saw today that there is a used black JBD-200 listed for sale at Guitar Center's website for one dollar under $2000. I'm disappointed that the guitars are priced out of the reach of 95% of the players who might consider buying one if they didn't have to sell one of their kidneys to get it. Handbuilt, American-made is a spendy proposition though, and until quite a lot of investment capital is found, they (some models, not all, there will probably always be a U.S. custom shop for those willing to justify the cost) cannot be made offshore in the numbers required to get the price down with volume production.

Edited March 15, 2012 by John Backlund

[John Backlund]

The yellow guitar shown in the original post is a JBD-300 prototype, one of I think two or maybe three at the most that were built. It looks little like my original concept and to be honest, I don't like it as it turned out and do not want it to be produced for sale as it is. I consider it a dead design. The red JBD-200 with the chrome 'pickguard' shown is, I believe, the first one Bruce built and is also a prototype rather than a production instrument. Much has changed on this model since that first guitar (see the more current blue/purple 200 at the top-right of Mariner's OP. Among other things, they no longer have a slanted neck pickup, the three white cutouts on the lower bout are now only one, and the metal faceplate fits the top shape better. I don't think they still use the Lace pickups as standard either.

Edited March 15, 2012 by John Backlund

[EdwardHimself]

They do look interesting. They certainly give the impression of someone from the 1950s imagining what an electric guitar would look like in "the future" (IE the present).

[John Backlund]

[quote name='charic' timestamp='1328103508' post='1521824']


That looks great!
[/quote]

This JBD-400 is the first one built ( the same one that's on the cover of the current Bluebook of Electric Guitar Values) and has the incorrectly shaped metal swooshplate on it that does not align correctly with the paint break at the top/rear part of the body. This part has since been corrected on any later JBD-400's.

Edited March 15, 2012 by John Backlund

[John Backlund]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1331813417' post='1579231']
They do look interesting. They certainly give the impression of someone from the 1950s imagining what an electric guitar would look like in "the future" (IE the present).
[/quote]

Hello Edward!

I guess that should come as no surprise, me being born in the early 1950's and all.

It's a weird thing, this 'retro-futurism' stuff, because 'futuristic' things from the 1950's all still appear to have come more from the period they originated in than the future they're supposed to possibly represent.

[EdwardHimself]

[quote name='John Backlund' timestamp='1331816870' post='1579341']
It's a weird thing, this 'retro-futurism' stuff, because 'futuristic' things from the 1950's all still appear to have come more from the period they originated in than the future they're supposed to possibly represent.
[/quote]

Well that's just the way it is. People don't have crystal balls to see into the future. I'm sure in 50 years time, people will comment on how quaint and outdated films like I, robot are

[John Backlund]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' timestamp='1331833953' post='1579707']
Well that's just the way it is. People don't have crystal balls to see into the future. I'm sure in 50 years time, people will comment on how quaint and outdated films like I, robot are
[/quote]

Of course, when designers from the 1950's (for example) created 'futuristic' things, they seldom specified what future period they were shooting for...and as styles are constantly changiing as time passes, 'the future' becomes a vaguely moving target to land a styling prediction on. As a result, 'retro-futuristic' items almost never appear to be a contemporary design of it's intended future time. It's ironic that 'retro-futuristic' things always seem to look old fashioned when they should look modern.

Edited March 15, 2012 by John Backlund

[risingson]

I'm really into 'conventional' looking instruments and probably always will be but I absolutely love the look of a few of these. I'll show them to our guitar player, he'll be really into them. Love to have a go on one! Really nice work John, and also welcome to the forum.

[John Backlund]

[quote name='risingson' timestamp='1331851904' post='1580085']
I'm really into 'conventional' looking instruments and probably always will be but I absolutely love the look of a few of these. I'll show them to our guitar player, he'll be really into them. Love to have a go on one! Really nice work John, and also welcome to the forum.
[/quote]

Thank you, and as for 'conventional' guitars, even though I currently own two JBD guitars with another on order, the one I play the most (by far) is my modified MIM standard telecaster, followed by my Danelectro Innuendo 12 string.

Edited March 16, 2012 by John Backlund