Do you fancy playing an aluminum guitar which has been constructed using 3D printing making it the first of its kind? And it’s even called “Heavy Metal.”
ODD Guitars have produced this latest edition called the Heavy Metal Aluminum Guitar which has been constructed from 3D printers.
The guitar was designed by the experienced Swedish design engineer, Olaf Diegel. His 3D printed guitar embodies a classic Telecaster shape and make with the simple twist of having been 3D printed. It is also equipped with a Warmoth custom neck, Seymour Duncan pickups, and a diamond tread-plate Telecaster body; and it’s built in New Zealand.
Front and back of the body are made of barbed wire and metal roses, creating a unique conceptual identity.
The company have a history of creating 3D printed guitars and recently featured ODD Guitars’ Steampunk 3D printed guitar, which you can watch being played below.
How Did They 3D print a Guitar Made from Aluminum?
Starting last year, ODD started to offer a variety of 3D printed guitars (see above). They turned out to be very successful, but Diegel said: “3D printing is not going to replace traditional manufacturing, but it is a complimentary technology that, if you use it in the right way, it can be very advantageous for certain types of components.”
Diegel uses 3D printing as he says it can make incredibly complex parts which can not be made in any other way. However, he points out that the way they are printed is by using high end, selective laser sintering systems – so don’t try this at home. The whole design process starts in CAD; Diegel uses Solidworks and makes sure to put the name of the customer on the back of the guitar.
For the “Heavy metal” model, Diegel chose an industrial related design, looking like a powerful machinery through and through. The whole concept was an experiment so decisions could be made in order to see how far the team could push 3D printing.
The body of the guitar was then printed in as a single piece with the help of Xilloc, a 3D printing company based in Holland.
Although no price has been specified yet, it is likely that the guitar will not be cheap as past models have cost around: US$4000.
Make sure to check out the video below to see how the guitar was made and let us know what you think in the comments.
License: The text of "This is the World’s First 3D Printed Aluminum Guitar" by All3DP is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.