These 3D printed guitars not only look good, but are completely playable as well

We’re starting to see a lot of examples of the things 3D printers can accomplish these days, but here’s a treat for musicians that might start seeing the creation of cheap and custom made guitars. Thanks to Olaf Diegel, a professor of mechatronics at the Massey University’s School of Engineering and Advanced Technology in New Zealand, he has managed to create several 3D printed guitars which not only looks great, but is apparently playable as well! Prototypes of the guitars are still in the works but it is expected to be customizable as well.

Thanks to the technology of 3D printing, he was able to print pretty complex designs that might have taken a luthier much longer to carve by hand. While the Les Paul-styled guitar features a wooden core, the rest of the body of the other guitars make use of Polyamide 2200 or Alumide. As a musician I have my doubts about the sound of those materials compared to more traditional materials such as wood, but we guess it might prove to be a cheaper alternative in the future when 3D printing has become more widespread and readily available. Until then, these guitars are expected to cost anywhere between $3,000 to $5,000.

Tyler Lee
Categories: Gadgets
Tags: 3D Printing