Gary Hutchins' monster model, which boasts a twelve-string, seven-string with tremolo and five-string bass neck has been let out of its cage
(Image credit: Future)
A mythical, Gary Hutchins-designed monster six-neck electric guitar – appropriately dubbed The Beast – has been let loose, and is now up for sale at UK-based guitar auction house Gardiner Houlgate.
Originally inspired by the five-neck model wielded by Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, The Beast was designed to go 'one louder' with a whopping six necks.
“It’s not something that will be appearing around someone’s neck at Wembley anytime soon,” builder Gary Hutchins told Guitarist back in 2008 when the model was first created. “I originally built it more as a talking piece than anything else.”
Despite describing The Beast as “the guitar that should never have been made”, Hutchins’ creation has been seen on stages around the world, and has been in the hands of comedy royalty Bill Bailey and real-life Royal Prince Charles.
More recently, it appeared at the Victoria & Albert Museum, as well as the Museum of Comedy in London, where it has been dwelling these past few years.
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(Image credit: Gardiner Houlgate)
(Image credit: Gardiner Houlgate)
Where to begin with specs? Well, going from top to bottom, the six-neck guitar is composed of a twelve-string, six-string with tremolo, five-string bass, four-string bass, seven-string with tremolo and a six-string hardtail guitar.
Flashing a Metallic Red finish, the monster model is made from one single solid body measuring over three feet wide, with each bolt-on neck sporting a rosewood fretboard. The total weight of the guitar is around 17kg – so a seriously heavy-duty guitar strap will be in order.
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Two three-way toggle switches are in charge of selecting the desired model, with an additional pair of three-way switches working alongside two master volume and master tone controls to navigate the plethora of pickups.
(Image credit: Future)
As of now, only one bid has been placed on The Beast, which currently carries a starting bid of £1,500 (approximately $2,080).
Head over to The Beast’s listing page at Gardiner Houlgate for more info and to bid on the unique piece of guitar gear.
Matt is a Senior Staff Writer, writing for Guitar World, Guitarist and Total Guitar. He has a Masters in the guitar, a degree in history, and has spent the last 16 years playing everything from blues and jazz to indie and pop. When he’s not combining his passion for writing and music during his day job, Matt records for a number of UK-based bands and songwriters as a session musician.
