Merch Review by: Robert Cavuoto
Fun is in the can with Bohemian Guitars and their new line of South African-inspired instruments, made from upcycled oil can guitars. Bohemian Guitars offer a bit of originality than conventional wood guitar and what better way to create a presence for yourself than to show up to a gig with this unique guitar? It is eye catching, attention grabbing, and people will certainly gravitate towards it. I took my Boho Series Motor Oil Can guitar to work and by the time I made it to the elevator I had met a few people that I never known played guitar and by lunch we were all hanging out trading licks.
Being a dual Humbucker type of guy, I was intrigued by the Boho Series red rocking Motor Oil Can model. When I got my hands on it, couldn’t take them off. The body is a recycled metal with a removable back panel. Inside the can is a basswood frame which increases the amplification and provides the structural integrity of the guitar. It has a through-the body maple neck, a 21 fret rosewood fretboard, standard Tune-o-Matic bridge/tailpiece, and a 3 way toggle switch for the pick-ups.
Plugged into my 100 watt Gallien Krueger amp, I took the Boho Series guitar to test. I found that it produced rich saturated tones at extreme levels of gain. There were some acoustic and resonating tones from the can which added to the warmth and dynamics of the guitar. It was not as noisy as you would expect and offers nice sustain. The Humbucker pick-ups pack a punch and were quite bright. I was easily able to go from warm blues tones from the neck pick-up to a sharper attack with the bridge pick-up. I play mainly rock, but was able to get some nice mellow bluesy tones while using the neck pick-up and adjusting the tone knob.
The tone knob allows for a vast array of sounds, but for the most part I kept it set in the middle for a good balance of both the low and high notes. The sounds from the guitar can be adjusted for any type of music. The pots are sturdy and the pick-up selector switches silently. The neck very easy to play and smooth I just needed to make a quick adjustment to lower the action to fit my playing style. It’s a versatile instrument that is truly built to last.
They have several variations of their Boho Series guitars starting at $299 like a single coil and soap bar pick models in Surf Wax, Honey and Moonshine cans. Check out their site www.bohemianguitars.com as they also offer a considerable number of vintage oil can guitars like the Sunoco Oil, Sears Gas, and Castrol Oil to name just a few. In the coming months they’re adding ukuleles, basses and some original designs.
As an added bonus, Bohemian Guitars is committed to preserving our planet; from upcycling and recycling cans to planting trees for each guitar they sell. Any waste they have is repurposed or saved for another project.
These guitars are fun to play at live gigs, jamming with friends, or simply just practicing. They are portable and the more beat up it gets the more vintage it becomes.
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