What the heck is going on with these double-neck guitars?

Double-neck guitars are nothing new. Indeed, some of modern music’s biggest electric guitar heroes have all dabbled with doubles, which are effectively expanded guitar designs that provide the user unfiltered access to both six-string and 12-string configurations.

One thing that unites all these historic exploits is the double-neck itself: whether it’s a vintage Gibson EDS-1275 or a budget-friendly alternative, the overall design usually remains the same. Namely, a six-string neck is often positioned directly below and in line with a 12-string fretboard, which sits in the user’s natural strumming position.

As such, all of the pickups, hardware and controls are accessible without much effort – just a little extra reach – and while it makes sense from an ergonomic perspective, it does result in some rather large guitar bodies.

Well, Busuyi Guitars – a brand dedicated to “delivering the future” – has pioneered an all-new approach to this tried-and-trusted template, leading to quite possibly the craziest double-neck guitars you’ll ever see.

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See, Busuyi’s models don’t place the two necks atop each other. Instead, they retain a guitar’s usual dimensions and simply place the additional neck on the back of the body. Effectively, they take two totally different guitars and stick them together back-to-back.

To look at, they are certainly a sight to behold – a sight that’s made even more intriguing thanks to the wacky Explorer-esque electric body shapes Busuyi has opted for.

However, it doesn’t stop there. Not only do these guitars completely flip the script on everything a double-neck guitar is thought to be, they also offer a huge array of wild, impressively versatile configuration combinations.

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Sure, there are 12-string and six-string combo models, but there are also instruments that offer four-string bass and six-string classical fretboards in one package. Likewise, there’s one that sandwiches the neck of a five-string bass guitar next to the fingerboard of a seven-string electric guitar. The perfect double-neck for prog players? Quite possibly.

The list doesn’t end there. Nylon/steel string combos are available, as are models that put fretless bass guitars within touching distance of a seven-string fretboard.

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Still too tame? Okay, well how about a double-neck model that crams an eight-string bass guitar on the same body as a five-string fretless model? Or an acoustic that offers a fretless five-string and a fanned-fret four-string? You name it, Busuyi probably has it.

Furthermore, the topsy-turvy treatment means each model has its own respective pickups and controls, which can be found either mounted on the side of the guitar or atop the body itself.

Now, while on paper these seem like neat instruments, we can’t help but wonder how they actually perform. The backs of regular guitars get busted up by belt buckles at the best of times, so what’s stopping you from snapping a string or busting a pickup once you’ve attached a guitar strap to your Busuyi?

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Probably not much, but having said that we imagine a higher-than-usual strap height should do the trick, and from the video evidence we’ve found online, it looks as though these aren’t just novelty gimmicks: they’ve actually got a decent breadth of tones to offer, too.

Whatever the case, Busuyi's models are up there with some the craziest guitar designs we've seen. Will we ever come across a double-neck even more wild than these? We doubt it.

To check out the full range, head over to Busuyi Guitars.