LOTR Strat: "One does not simply ROCK into Mordor..."

This guitar was commissioned for my best friend's brother (by his fiancee). She was able to sneak his old Squire Strat away so I could revamp it. I had previously done a Middle Earth map on an electric bass for my friend (his brother).

This was a matter of repainting and refinishing the body; I don't think I replaced hardware or messed with the electronics. The concept I eventually came up with was Sam and Frodo walking into Mordor, looking across the plains of Gorgoroth at Mount Doom, with Barad Dur and Sauron looming in the distance. Some Nazgul fly above and Gollum sits on a rocky outcrop waiting for the right chance to strike. I did some 3D carving that was enhanced by later painting; I etched the entire script from the Ring around the perimeter of the guitar. I airbrushed the sky and plains.

For the peghead, I did a relief carving of an eagle fighting with a fell beast. Around the perimeter I wrote the Dwarvish text from the Lonely Mountain map in the Hobbit. Not completely appropriate for the scene, but it looks good.

In addition, I ordered some "Eye of Sauron" eyes on eBay to make custom knobs with some cut down Strat knobs and Sculpey. Finally, I inscribed Tolkein's symbol at the 12th fret.

Dagny REALLY liked this guitar.