R Hayes Instruments was the brainchild of Rick Hayes. Rick originally worked as a designer on the original Star Wars toy line, while keeping a hand in music and art-related projects in his spare time.

Hayes Instruments is known for its series of licensed guitars based on Warner Brothers Looney Tunes characters: Bugs Bunny, Sylvester with Tweety, and Yosemite Sam. The pricetag of these models was $12,000 when they emerged in 1998!