A guitar made of glass, and a mesmerizing build video.

28 Jun 2021 by Jef | Approximate reading time: 2 Minutes

Morningstar Glass Guitars · Source: Morningstar Glass Guitars

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Morningstar Glass Guitars has just shared an incredible build video of a glass Les Paul-style instrument called ‘Apollo’, as the entry Great Guitar Build-Off 2021.

Morningstar Glass Guitars

Based in Gainesville, Florida Morningstar Glass Guitars has made a living out of – yes – building guitars completely out of glass. Working guitars, mind, ones you can play like a regular electric. Even the neck is glass on this build. The video below is a fascinating watch, and well worth 16 minutes of your time.

Morningstar Glass Guitars’ Glass Les Paul called ‘Apollo’ for their Great Guitar Build-Off 2021 entry. · Source: YouTube/Morningstar Glass Guitars

Shattered Glass

What impressed me was how Alex Morningstar, the luthier, built the guitar from sheets of glass, mainly using power tools with diamond heads, glass cutters and a marker pen. I was fascinated by how he constructed the neck and then shaped it to a C profile. Just watching Alex construct the main body from layers of glass was totally absorbing.

He also adds a shattered glass effect to accentuate the material he is using and I think it looks ace!

Morningstar Glass Guitars Apollo Glass Guitar body · Source: YouTube/Morningstar Glass Guitars

UV Adhesive

It is all bonded together using UV adhesive, which sets completely clear and so doesn’t spoil the see-through glass effect of the guitars. The frets are bonded onto the neck using the same method, and he uses black epoxy for the side dot markers on the neck.

Morningstar Glass neck with bonded frets · Source: YouTube/Morningstar Glass Guitars

Does it sound like a guitar?

Perhaps surprisingly, yes it does! It’s startlingly good, in fact. I was expecting a shrill sound, but the tone is pretty decent. If you want ‘glassy cleans’ then this could be the material to use for your next guitar build!

Morningstar Glass Guitars Apollo with shattered glass effect · Source: Instagram/Morningstar Glass Guitars

Glass Guitars

Alex Morningstar makes some amazing guitars covering all shapes, so make sure you go check out his work and follow him on Instagram and Facebook. His work is truly unique. He also builds glass necks, so you could dip your toe into the water and try one of those on your favourite bolt-on neck guitar.

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