Instruments

Custom tribute guitars dedicated to Prince, David Bowie, and Edward Van Halen, exactly matching the sound and style of these departed artists. Select from models below or inquire about a custom build (lead time is estimated at nine to twelve months, all-in).

Artists


Tony Visconti - Blackstar 002

Vivienne Wilder - Blackstar 001

Ian Docherty - Purple Rain

Model Lineup


Blackstar (with art) - invitation-only pending proper licensing.
1 bass, 2 guitars in progress (ETA 9/2026).
  • Licensed Precision Bass® or Stratocaster® form factor (bass and guitar both available).
  • Maple body with real 24K gold coating composite in a glossy, shimmering finish, patent pending.
  • Durable enamel album art and star fragment/letter fret markers.
  • Les Claypool Signature EMG pickups (bass). EMG 57 and S pickups with Strat Presence Control (guitar).
  • Three-band parametric equalizer with frequency selector on the mid, and user-configurable frequency ranges (bass only).
  • "18V mod" for maximum firepower and clarity.
  • All gold Schaller® hardware, with gold strings from Optima®.
  • Made in USA.

Blackstar (plain) - $15,000
Out of stock, custom orders only.
  • Copyrighted art delete for compliance purposes, with plain star fret markers.
  • Otherwise, identical to flagship model, including real 24K gold leaf painstakingly adhered in two layers, followed by manually applied self-leveling polyurethane.
  • The most outrageous ultra-glam Bowie tribute instrument ever built.
  • Made in USA.
"The tone controls are extremely parametrically varied, giving the sound from the bass a far more varied [tone] than any other bass I've owned. I played a little with the knobs and couldn't believe what I was hearing." --Tony Visconti, 2026.

Bass has a unique and highly adjustable, powerful tone. Guitar simulates Mick Ronson's Les Paul in a Strat style, with the ability to "dial in" the tone, plus a boost switch for added power on solos.

Purple Rain Mark II - $7,500
Out of stock, custom orders only.
  • Licensed Stratocaster® form factor.
  • Maple body with Prince specification EMG pickups.
  • Painted body and neck in custom-mixed purplish blue metallic, with stenciled Love Symbol fret markers and headstock logo.
  • All gold Schaller® hardware, with gold strings from Optima®.
  • Authentic Minneapolis/NPG® sound, tone-matched to the navy blue "Cloud" guitar seen at Paisley Park.
  • Made in USA.
All instruments are professional touring instruments intended for professional use, and are not intended as garage queens or museum pieces.
Van Halen tribute coming early 2027.


Vivienne Wilder with Blackstar 001, March 2025. Ian Docherty with the Purple Rain guitarIan Docherty with the Purple Rain guitar in a Dwayne Gretzky show
© Robert Georgeff Photography, used with permission. Ian Docherty playing Purple Rain with July Talk
© Robert Georgeff Photography, used with permission.

🇺🇸 All guitars are Made in USA with a domestic parts content of 80% (body, neck, paint, pickups, frets), unless otherwise indicated. 10% parts content made in Germany (tremolo, knobs, and tuners), 10% other (mounting rings and plates, accessories, and certain paint components). "Diamonds and Pearls" guitar may optionally include imported diamonds.