December 2001 Issue - Gibson Designer Series, Fender Bowling Ball and PRS Metal Guitars
By Larry Meiners
Heavy metal music swept across America during 1984 and Eddie Van Halen was the king of tap and zap guitar playing. Scorpions released Love At First Sting filled with loud and distorted Flying V and Explorer guitar tones. The album hit the Top-10 on the Billboard charts and sold millions of records.
In the early days of heavy metal in the late 1960s, many bands like Black Sabbath were creating thunderous new sounds. Also during the psychedelic 60s several of the all-time great guitar players were creating classic rock songs. Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, George Harrison and a few others were always leading the guitarist category in various music magazine polls. Many of these legends played guitars painted with original artwork. In some cases the guitarist themselves painted their own guitar and in others artists were hired for the task. Jimi Hendrix painted his Stratocaster and Flying V guitars with his own unique brand of mod-art. Clapton's Cream SG and Harrison's Beatles Stratocaster are among the most memorable instruments from this period. These guitars became a sound producing canvas for day-glo colors and angelic figures.
With the re-birth of loud guitar music in the 1980s, the guitar players
were in a mood for boldly finished guitars of their own. In the years
leading up to 1984, Eddie Van Halen ripped across the stage playing Strat-clone
and chain saw altered Explorer guitars adorned with racing stripes running
in all directions against brightly painted guitar bodies. The late Randy
Rhoads played Jackson V guitars with pinstripe graphics and Michael Schenker
played a Gibson Flying V painted half black and half white. Gibson took
note of these super-guitarists playing their uniquely finished instruments
and jumped into the market with their Designer Series guitars.
By July 1984 Gibson began advertising their Designer Series Flying V and
Explorer guitars made in the Nashville factory. At the same time Gibson
was closing their original Kalamazoo plant. This soon to be shuttered
facility participated in the electric guitar's golden-era of the late
1950s with innovative guitar designs such as the Les Paul, Flying V, Explorer,
and ES-335. Both the redesigned Flying V and Explorer of 1984 were available
in Custom Graphic and one-of-a-kind Artist Original finishes for an additional
cost. Custom Graphic guitars consisted of three different Flying V and
Explorer designs with numerous pinstripe-like lines running in all directions
over a white or black body. Gibson also made the Invader guitar and the
Victory bass available with these special finishes. In addition, a limited
number of these model guitars and basses were painted with a British or
American flag.
To complement the Custom Graphic models, hand-painted Artist Original
finishes were made available. Most of these abstract creations resemble
the modern art produced from the late 1960s to the early 1970s. The front
of the guitar was either painted in one color or several, consisting mostly
of irregular lines and dollops of paint. These original productions are
easy to identify as the artist signed each one with the initials S.S.
somewhere on the top of the guitar. Sometimes, owners of these instruments
don't realize Gibson produced these finishes and believed some creative
previous owner doodled with colorful paint on the front of their guitar.
None of these models were produced in great quantities and they do appeal
to some guitar collectors, although these Gibson instruments are not considered
vintage electric guitars.
In the competitive guitar business it seems what is good for one, is good for all. At the same time Gibson introduced and began selling the Designer Series guitars in 1984, Fender was about to release Darren Johansen's Bowling Ball swirl finished Marble Stratocaster and Telecaster guitars in limited quantities. Fender was testing the market and would add the Marble finish to the Price List if they proved popular. Even the upstart PRS Guitar Company joined the frenzy and released the PRS Metal model in 1985 with a metal-flake line graphic that ran along the contours of the guitar body.
Unfortunately, just as these manufacturers began to sell
their special metal guitars to the legion of future heavy metal guitar
players, the market demand faded. During 1985, a little over a year after
they were introduced, Gibson discontinued the Designer Series finishes.
Fender never produced more than their initial run of 300 Bowling Ball
guitars and PRS discontinued their Metal model in 1986. Hair-bands were
taking over and more hairspray and makeup were sold than guitars with
graphics painted on them. Soon the hair-bands would pass the musical torch
to Kurt Cobain and Nirvana who ushered in the grunge era. Cheesy clothes
and cheap guitars ruled. Heavy metal was dead again. Long live heavy metal.
Thanks to JK Lutherie and Rumble Seat Music for help with the article.
Copyright © 2001 Larry Meiners All Rights Reserved