Is this the weirdest guitar in the world? Experimental sci-fi axe is seriously extraterrestrial

Is it a tool? Is it an instrument? It’s, something…

The creators over at Love Hultén have seriously pushed the boundaries of building and their latest project, the “Extraterrestrial Guitar Thing” apart from being very aptly named, looks like a prop from a futuristic X Files, or something that E.T’s cousin - a rogue runaway with a mohawk and a passion for rock music brought down with him. Think of a 70s cartoon, Fantastic Four: The First Steps in all its retro futuristic glory.

Extraterrestrial guitar thing - YouTube

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It has an angular silhouette that is reminiscent of something sitting in the Tate, and looks like a simplified DJ deck more than a guitar. The whole thing is a bright, eye-catching matte yellow and has a geometric, very angular design. The exposed hardware celebrates the guitar’s construction rather than hiding it like a regular guitar. The neck and body are completely flat too - imagine you faxed a guitar Tom-and-Jerry style, and this is sort of what it looks like. It comes with a strap so presumably it was designed to actually be played rather than gawped at. Plus, it sports extended neck bristles and metallic touch points which serve as a slightly unorthodox fretboard. The cylindrical handle protruding from the main body with metallic rings adds to the whole sci-fi alien look.

The coolest part is probably the circular window set into the body (where you’d usually find the soundhole) which houses a pool of ferrofluid which actually responds to the instrument’s audio output in real time. As it’s a magnetic liquid, its organic patterns respond to every note, every chord, every movement - meaning you’re getting a visual show as well as an audio one. A real performance piece, eh?

The control surface looks like a vintage synthesizer, with a series of rotary knobs, toggle switches, and colored buttons for each parameter - attack, sustain, glide, and filter type. The touch-sensitive neck means you can play both polyphonic and monophonic play, whilst the metallic handle that we think serves as a modulation controller or a pitch bend, so players can personalise each tune they bash out.

Although even if you have fallen in love with it, it will probably be difficult to pick one up at your local Argos - it’s a one off functional sculpture that celebrates the intersection of music, design, and art, meaning this is probably the closest you’ll get to playing it. Nice to dream though.

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