Artists who have made their own guitar

They don't even have to be guitarists. Or regular guitars. Basses too. I thought of a couple. Are there are more?

Brian May
Roger Daltrey

Bill Wyman did some rad stuff but did not build his own.

 

EVH

 

EVH, Frankenstein. Les Paul, the log.

 

Lots of Bluesmen had to make their own guitar.

 

Not sure if he ever actually built one but Steve Vai designed his own guitar from the ground up and then sent the plans to several guitar manufacturers. Ibanez responded by making a prototype closest to his dream design so he stuck with them. The rest is history.

 

Blackmore and Malmsteen modified their fretboard...

 

Yngwie scalloped the neck on his 1971 Strat (as he has done with every strat he ever owned) but I've never heard or read that he actually ever built or even designed his own unique guitar.

 

Eddie built guitars but he used parts that he bought. I can't really think of anyone else that did it 'from scratch' like Brian May.

 

The history of Brian May's "Red Special" guitar is fascinating. For those interested:
Red Special - Wikipedia

 

John Mayall
Guy Clark
TK Smith

 

There's Seasick Steve, of course.

 

I was thinking David Bromberg. I had a customer once lecture me on how the music industry was so corrupt and evil, but David Bromberg had retired to build guitars and would re-surface when he built a perfect guitar.
Turns out that's a bunch of hooey. Bromberg's shop handles violins, not guitars and he does not seem to be a builder at all.

 

John Entwistle built his first bass.

 

Bo Diddley.

 

Yeah there's some nice footage, think it's in Heartworn Highways, of Guy Clark working on a guitar.

 

Diddley Bows!

 

Jeff Beck......

At least pre fame with a cigar box or something IIRC.
He definitely stole a pick up from a shop.

 

Bluesman Washington Phillips

 

Richard Famous of the punk band Poison Girls made two 8 string guitars, one of them was made out of part of Brighton pier after it was destroyed by fire.

 

Les Paul!

 

One "more" word...

Coodercaster

 

Doyle (Misfits)

 

Wild Willy Barrett

 

Uli Jon Roth invented the Sky Guitar, although, I don't think that he made it himself.

 

JJ Cale's heavily modified Harmony guitar.