Music

Skate Guitars breathes new life into old decks

Skate Guitars breathes new life into old decks
Skate Guitars are repurposed from old skateboard decks
Skate Guitars are repurposed from old skateboard decks
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Skate Guitars are repurposed from old skateboard decks
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Skate Guitars are repurposed from old skateboard decks
Each handmade guitar already has more than its fair share of scrapes, dings and scratches
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Each handmade guitar already has more than its fair share of scrapes, dings and scratches
A finished model with truck holes between the fixed bridge and pickup
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A finished model with truck holes between the fixed bridge and pickup
The neck is made from layered maple, with Galasso branding on the head
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The neck is made from layered maple, with Galasso branding on the head
Each guitar is made from the remains of at least two end-of-life skateboards, with both the body and neck made from layered maple
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Each guitar is made from the remains of at least two end-of-life skateboards, with both the body and neck made from layered maple
Close up showing the layered maple skateboard deck shaped and finished into the body of a Skate Guitar
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Close up showing the layered maple skateboard deck shaped and finished into the body of a Skate Guitar
The neck is bolted to the body
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The neck is bolted to the body
Both the body and neck made from layered maple
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Both the body and neck made from layered maple
This colorful model features a fixed bridge, humbucking pickups, a single volume knob and externally-mounted audio connector
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This colorful model features a fixed bridge, humbucking pickups, a single volume knob and externally-mounted audio connector
Galasso checks the line of the neck at his workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina
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Galasso checks the line of the neck at his workshop in Buenos Aires, Argentina
A handmade Skate Guitar ready for assembly
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A handmade Skate Guitar ready for assembly
Close up showing the layered maple neck
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Close up showing the layered maple neck
Through the body strings over a fixed bridge
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Through the body strings over a fixed bridge
This model features a single Telecaster-type pickup
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This model features a single Telecaster-type pickup
A strap hook doubles as a neck bolt
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A strap hook doubles as a neck bolt
The back of the single volume pot
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The back of the single volume pot
The yellow open coil humbucking pickups complement the skateboard's original design perfectly, and what about that volume knob?
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The yellow open coil humbucking pickups complement the skateboard's original design perfectly, and what about that volume knob?
Beautifully finished with the trademark Galasso head
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Beautifully finished with the trademark Galasso head
Galasso working on the neck for a new Skate Guitar
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Galasso working on the neck for a new Skate Guitar
Some well-worn skateboards waiting to be transformed into a new Skate Guitar
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Some well-worn skateboards waiting to be transformed into a new Skate Guitar
Every product needs branding, and this one's pretty cool
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Every product needs branding, and this one's pretty cool
A skateboard and Skate Guitar side by side
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A skateboard and Skate Guitar side by side
All of the instruments are handmade at the Galasso Guitars workshop in Buenos Aires
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All of the instruments are handmade at the Galasso Guitars workshop in Buenos Aires
Layred maple board necks almost ready for play time
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Layred maple board necks almost ready for play time
Pro skateboarder Gianfranco de Gennaro Gilmour shredding on a longboard Skate Guitar
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Pro skateboarder Gianfranco de Gennaro Gilmour shredding on a longboard Skate Guitar
Gianfranco de Gennaro Gilmour posing for publicity shots with a Skate Guitar
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Gianfranco de Gennaro Gilmour posing for publicity shots with a Skate Guitar
Sizing up a repurposed skateboard deck for some new hardware
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Sizing up a repurposed skateboard deck for some new hardware
Stacks and stacks of old skateboards about to become Skate Guitars
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Stacks and stacks of old skateboards about to become Skate Guitars
A Bigsby tailpiece gets on board
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A Bigsby tailpiece gets on board
Offbeat Argentinian luthier Ezequiel Galasso puts the finishing touches to a Skate Guitar featuring a Telecaster ashtray bridge
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Offbeat Argentinian luthier Ezequiel Galasso puts the finishing touches to a Skate Guitar featuring a Telecaster ashtray bridge
View gallery - 30 images

Though looking street-worn, beaten and abused can actually be a rather favorable look for a skateboard deck, there comes a time when stylish scuff gives way to unsightly eyesore and it's time to break in a new board. Rather than simply throw away all that quality wood, offbeat Argentinian luthier Ezequiel Galasso and pro skateboarder Gianfranco de Gennaro Gilmour have teamed up to repurpose old boards into "born to shred" guitars.

Unfortunately, there's not a great deal of information available about Skate Guitars. We do know that each guitar is actually made from the remains of at least two end-of-life skateboards, with both the body and neck made from layered maple. Since these git-fiddles already have more than their fair share of scrapes, dings and scratches, you can really go wild without fear of inflicting too much damage to the finish – something that the creators seem to encourage.

All of the instruments are handmade at the Galasso Guitars workshop in Buenos Aires, and the externally-mounted hardware (including P-90, lipstick and humbucking pickups) appears to come in a number of different configurations. Each of the thin-bodied show models photographed in the gallery sports a single volume knob and Galasso branding on the head. One or two even pack whammy bars.

Though models do look to have made their way into the hands of some players, we've been unable to get any pricing or availability information from the Skate Guitar team.

Source: Skate Guitars

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1 comment
1 comment
Chuck Sands
Super cool but nothing new really-research a band called the Surf Punks, circa 1980, and you can catch some shots of some cool sticks /axes.