Explaining Ed’s Bare-wood Guitars (1977-1981)
This section is to help understand all of Ed’s guitars which are pictured with no finish (bare wood). People often get these confused with earlier incarnations of Ed’s more popular guitars.
Photos Exist of Bare Frankenstrat
The Frankenstrat has been photographed in its bare-wood state. I mention this because many people confuse the early photos with other guitars Ed owned. Below is a brief explanation. Go to the Frankenstrat Page for FAR more details.
Frankenstrat in bare wood state.
Painted black/white. Before this, he painted it black.
Painted red.
1961 Strat
Above is a photo which features a bare-wood body guitar thought to be a Boogie Bodies. It’s actually Ed’s 1961 strat with the finish removed, pickguard put back on, and a Danelectro neck put on.
Ed’s ’61 strat, before removing finish.
1961 strat, now with Danelectro neck, paint removed, and pickguard removed.
1961 Strat same as last photo, but now with a white pickguard.
1979 “HOG”
The 1979 HOG is notoriously confused with the RUDE or other iconic guitars used by Eddie. It’s most famously seen in the “pick axe” shoot laying on the ground at the Sunset Sound studio. It was also Ed’s second guitar to sport the Floyd Rose FRT-1 tremolo. The body and neck are made by Boogie Bodies.
The famous “pickaxe” shoot, above.
’79 Hog seen bottom right during recording sessions at Sunset Sound studio.
The guitar was recently for sale by Abalone Vintage and sold. The original Floyd Rose FRT-1 was missing upon Abalone Vintage acquiring it. Another FRT-1 was found was then replaced prior to the sale.
’79 Hog seen back right.
1980 “HOG”
A different “HOG” which we will call the 1980 HOG can be seen above. It also seems to sport a Floyd Rose FRT-1 and some type of Dimarzio pickup. This incarnation is also made from Boogie Bodies parts.
Later, it’s seen with modified Danelectro neck.
The neck is seen in hanging up in the 5150 studio sometime in the mid 2000s.
23 fret Boogie Bodies ebony neck
This is a prototype Boogie Bodies guitar originally built sometime between 1980-1983 and featured a 23 fret Boogie Bodies neck made out of ebony. The guitar has a Gibson 24.75 inch scale and possibly originally had a Floyd Rose FRT-1 on it (FRT-5 shown in photo above).
A rare photo from the circa 1980 NAMM show, displaying a prototype 23 fret Boogie Bodies guitar featuring the new “ROSE” FRT-1 tremolo.
These are the two only known photos of the guitar that exist of Ed playing it. This is during the 1984 tour.
Boogie Bodies with strat style “swimming pool” route
This is a Boogie Bodies guitar that is completely one-piece and features a “VH” logo on the headstock. Ed is not seen playing this guitar.