The Romanian Hora brand has been around since communist times in 1951. As well as producing numerous orchestral stringed instruments Hora make classical, acoustic and electric guitars. Hora produce budget instruments, the top of the range electric sells for around $270 (in 2008).
The Zoybar is a collaborative project launched in 2008 by industrial designer Ziv Bar Ilan. The aim to create a comfortable and and playable instrument that was easy to assemble but efficient to manufacture in small numbers.
Watkins Electric Music (WEM) is a British company founded in 1949 by Charlie Watkins and his brother Reg. WEM started as a record shop in Tooting Market, London, later moving to a small shop in Balham where the brothers began selling guitars and accordions.
DOT ON SHAFT GUITARS is the brainchild of Mike and Natalie Carparelli, and is based in Ontario, Canada. The Carparellis studied samples from 20 different manufacturers 5 different countries, before settling on a Korean manufacturer. They produce some interesting designs, including at least six double neck models.
The Luna brand name is a Dean Guitars (Armadillo Enterprises) derivative fronted by Yvonne de Villiers a stained glass artist. De Villiers designed some inlay patterns for Dean and and they were spun into a product line of guitars.
Kevin Siebold, the founder of Krappy Guitars, acknowledges the unspoken truth behind the electric guitar. It doesn't really matter what you make them made out of, it they all sound more or less the same. Too much time and money is spent on fancy materials and finishes for solid body electrics.
In the early 1960s the Unicord Corporation, a manufacturer of electronic transformers purchased the Amplifier Corporation of America of Westbury, New York. They began marketing a line of amplifiers under the brand name of Univox. The company was purchased by Gulf + Western in 1967. Guitar making operations moved to Japan in 1975 where they continued making guitars until 1982.
The Longbow is the brandname of an American company producing a minimalist two string bass circa 2006-2007. It comprised a single plank of maple with attached hardware.
Iner Souster makes experimental musical instruments. His stringed instruments are often made from salvaged materials, and are art works in themselves.
Rees Electric Guitars was founded by Clive Rees. Clive produces a range of electric guitars in Cambridgeshire, England. Models are based on a double cut-away, chambered body with bolt on neck, but differ in their electronics, hardware and wood types and finishes. Prices range from around £600 to £1400.
Wreck-N-Roll is a small custom builder making unusual upright basses since the mid 1990s. The basses use motorcycle gas-tanks for the bodies. Some have flashing headlights.
Their basses have been played by the following Californian bands: Buddys Riot, Green Means Go, Lee Maverick bandand NickelAliens.
This is the musical equivalent of the Swiss Army Knife (the knife with a blade or tool for every occasion). It is the child of an unnatural coupling between an Ibanez destroyer 2 bass and a Yamaha KX-5 midi controller keyboard during the early 90s (those were crazy times - we all did things we would rather forget).
The Eastwood brandname was established in 2001. (This brand has nothing to do with Brian Eastwood , the famous English luthier).They offer a colourful selection of models inspired by great sixties designs. Their Airline designs are spot on, they also have some Mosrite and Gibson influenced instruments.
