Zoybar open-source DIY guitars for Steve Vai-types only

If you've ever thought about building a guitar for one second, you know that it's so insanely complicated that it's almost not worth the effort. The Zoybar kits aim to reduce a lot of those complexities -- the components are all open-source, extremely customizable, and modular. They boast seemingly endless options for the guitar (or whatever you choose to build), not to mention the possibilities of the special effects displays. It looks like it's going to be pretty simple to get creative with the kits, but it's a little hard to tell. There's no word on what the components or kits are going to cost, but they claim to be launching in December. Looks like we know what we're getting cousin Yngwie for his birthday! Hit the read link for several insane videos of the extremely wild, ingenious results.

[AJR @ Nov 25th 2008 5:08PM]

As someone that's been to school for guitar building and repair- At first glance I'm not impressed buy the look of the build because I know that part of what gives any guitar (this includes electric guitars thank you) is the wood

every wood gives ANY guitar a unique sound and quality. a unique feel and a special look.

[whatishalo? @ Nov 25th 2008 5:09PM]

Yes, but the lack of wood could give them their own distinct sounds (think Steinberger)

[AJR @ Nov 25th 2008 5:11PM]

Your right but I would think that the sound would be empty and hollow, tinny and without any depth or fullness

[whatishalo? @ Nov 25th 2008 5:36PM]

just like how I like my women!

[MarbleMind @ Nov 25th 2008 5:09PM]

Cool. Now make a open source chapman stick.

[The Egg and We @ Nov 25th 2008 5:13PM]

I'll take "I shoulda' just gone with Warmoth" for $1000, Alex.

[jollyllama @ Nov 25th 2008 6:11PM]

Yep, Warmoth is great.

[EMoShunz @ Nov 26th 2008 8:05AM]

that's the ticket... for electric anyway. especially when you realize you nice new zoybar can not be ordered with frets because it's modular nature makes it prone to intonation issues.

[AJR @ Nov 25th 2008 5:14PM]

In life i was strong, tall and silent. Cut buy a cruel ax. In death I sweetly sing.

an anonymous inscription on the inside of lute.

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 25th 2008 5:23PM]

Huh?

[AJR @ Nov 25th 2008 5:27PM]

It's poem from the world of guitar and instument building

I heard it in Musical Stringed Instrument Repair-Guitar Specialtiy I won't' give my grad year for the sake of anonymouty

[BJ is Gooder @ Nov 25th 2008 5:53PM]

In life I was sand. Transformed into woven e-glass fabric and mashed with modified flame resistant epoxy. Components sit on me.

-an anonymous inscription on the mother board of an Apple IIe.

ITT Technical Institute - Printed circuit board class.

[AJR @ Nov 25th 2008 6:00PM]

My version is older and more classic, but I like yours.

[ProfessorKaos @ Nov 25th 2008 5:22PM]

"Warning: Extremely difficult and won't play as good as your Les Paul"

Enough said, neat little project and inspiring but for %95 of people, this is a thing left to the pro's, thats why they make guitars :D

[Rob @ Nov 25th 2008 5:31PM]

This is BS. All I saw were guys making noise. The clowns didn't play one single thing that resembled music. This Madness.

[kr @ Nov 25th 2008 6:29PM]

Watch how you end those comments. Someone might be tempted...

[Beau @ Nov 25th 2008 5:33PM]

"If you've ever thought about building a guitar for one second, you know that it's so insanely complicated that it's almost not worth the effort."

Uh, wha...? There's this company called Warmoth. They basically thrive off the DIY guitar market. And modular, as in select your neck, pickups, body, etc. If you have a body shaped, pre-routed, finished, and a neck with dressed frets, building a guitar is a project you can finish in an afternoon. Seriously.

[LauraJune @ Nov 25th 2008 5:49PM]

I'll check it out.

[Leo @ Nov 25th 2008 6:30PM]

"If you have a body shaped, pre-routed, finished, and a neck with dressed frets..."

So, joining the body and the neck with couple of screws is called "custom guitar building"? Making a really good guitar is indeed complicated.

[Beau @ Nov 25th 2008 6:58PM]

@ Leo,

If you are building it and choosing the parts, by definition a Warmoth guitar is a custom built guitar - note the absence of the word luthery.

No, it's not complicated, lol. A strat or a tele is a magnificently simple guitar and tried and true masterpieces of the guitar.

Also it fits within the context of the topic of strapping parts together in a modular fashion.

[Rboyett @ Nov 25th 2008 6:01PM]

Insanely complicated?

WTF? Building an acoustic is complicated and even requires quite a bit of skill but that definitely doesn't apply to electrics. Even without Warmoth, it isn't that difficult. With Warmoth it is INSANELY EASY.

Go edjumacate yourself Laura.

[Zorque @ Nov 25th 2008 6:27PM]

I wish people would stop throwing around the term "open source". Pretty much all electric guitars are "open source" if you go by the standards this one sets, they can all be modified and parts can be swapped out for different ones. Honestly, if you have enough time on your hands, any part can be installed to any guitar.

[Greg Combs @ Nov 25th 2008 8:26PM]

My problem with this is that I want to see what it can do, and yet unfortunately the website is filled with people just fucking around with it. No one actually sits down and plays the damned thing, they're all just twiddling with the gadgetude and not making any music. WTF I ask of you, seriously ... WTF Zoybar? If I want a gadget trinket, I'll buy a Speak-n-Spell. If I want to make music, I guess I'll have to stick with my Gretsch 6120.

I reserve the right to be impressed when someone with some goddamned skills decides to post a video rocking this thing. Until then, I'm too pissed to give a crap.

BOO websites!

[wytecaztle @ Nov 25th 2008 8:50PM]

Check this thing out........if you love this thing then you will definately love this.... Forgive me father for I have stopped a beam of light.

[youngmoney @ Nov 25th 2008 8:53PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TpDZ3WotLXY Beamz Music performance

[aaron @ Nov 25th 2008 8:56PM]

too bad these can't be used to make actual music (follow the link to see what I mean)

[bobbywigs @ Nov 26th 2008 8:32AM]

open source? huh? what is that supposed to mean in this context?

[jeeps @ Nov 26th 2008 11:16PM]

uh yeah... does this mean that my house is open source cuz its made from premade parts like 2x4s and sheetrock???? if so it's full of bugs. HAHAHHHHAAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHA

[thom @ Nov 27th 2008 2:52AM]

From the Zoybar about page:
"The same modular parts can be assembled as different instruments, can be change during the performance and also be mounted with numerous special effects, just by adding and changing their position across the profile groves.

As an independent developer you can use the Zoybar hardware platform to integrate your application and become relevant to the whole Zoybar community.
You can submit your projects as a group administrator and interact with your own forum, members, and rich media content platform for free."

When you order a custom guitar you end up with…another guitar! slightly different.
As I see it, the Zoybar guitar is just one of the options, with the possibility of creating meshups on a collaborative platform.
Its much more open than any custom guitar, especially for effect builders.

[kingu @ Nov 27th 2008 7:52PM]

That the drawings are available under an open source license. Like the CAD CNC-manuals. jeeepus saizt...

[si @ Dec 3rd 2008 2:37AM]

I've also made a few guitars, and a cookie-cutter strat is really easy to make. And way less gay...