Every so often, I get asked about the guitars I play, or at least about some of them…

These two!

These guitars were designed and produced in Japan in the early ’80s on by the Tokai Gakki Company. I won’t go into the full history of this guitar, you can read more here.

The one on the right dates from 1982, while the one on the left is probably from the ’90s (no serial # on that one). Both are unusual in that the bodies are made of racing car engine grade aluminium, with chambers built in to reduce weight and increase resonance. The necks are standard maple with rosewood fingerboards. The name Talbo is an acronym for Tokay Aluminum Body. Many of the write-ups say the guitar was made popular by DEVO, and Tim Farris of INXS, but images in the wild are more elusive than for Nessie or Bigfoot.

My favourite detail is the headstock decal, which reads a syntactically awkward, “The New Legend Of The Guitar History.”

I love my Talbos for their great tone, easy playability and original look.

I hope to see you at the Billiards Academy on Friday, April 8 starting about 10. Also, check out my new Facebook avatar, courtesy of Powerpuff Yourself.