Electric Guitars

The evolution of electric guitar designs in such a short time is remarkable, from the very early prototypes which were acoustic guitars with electronics attached, to where they are now, carefully designed specialist instruments. The design of the electric guitar seems to lose its resemblance to its acoustic cousin more and more.

Building electric guitars has a unique set of challenges. Aside from the difference in the way the sound is produced in an electric guitar compared to an acoustic there is a challenge to maintain an innovative approach to the design of electric guitars.

Innovation is key to the development of electric guitars but it is important to keep a balance between innovation and tradition. At Hancock Guitars we focus on innovation while respecting conventions and remembering why they exist. During design, we are always looking back and looking forward at the same time.

This balance is paramount to us whenever we build an electric guitar, producing cutting edge designs incorporating innovative materials while still employing the elements which have proved fundamental from previous generations of instruments.

Our electric guitars are built to the same standards of workmanship and customisation as our other instruments. Each one is individually built and no two instruments are alike. Every part is created and finished with the highest level of attention to detail making for guitars which not only play and sound great, but also deliver flawless workmanship, superior to factory-made instruments.

We utilise a range of timbers in our electric guitars including the traditional timbers such as Mahogany and Maple as well as Australian timbers including Queensland Maple, Red Cedar and Gidgee. Our Zebra model is constructed primarily from Empress Wood, a plantation timber that is lightweight and sustainable. This timber has proven to be excellent for building electric guitars and has excellent tonal and sustain qualities.

Our experience building acoustic guitars has given us a keen ear for tone and we are equally concerned with this in our electrics. Pickups and electronics play a key role in producing the sound and we choose these carefully to give the sound we wish to achieve from a particular instrument. We use pickups from the world’s best makers and couple them with top quality electronic components chosen for their sonic properties and durability.

Our electric guitars range in price from $4,500 to over $10,000 depending on the style, materials and finish.