An Inside Look at Stephen McSwain Custom Guitars

Custom Guitars Designed by Stephen McSwain

Axe Heaven is proud to feature guitar-designer / maker Stephen McSwain as an Axe Heaven Exclusives artist, which means his miniature replica guitars are only available on this web site and/or Stephen's official McSwain Guitars website.

The McSwain Guitars Story

It all began many years ago with a motor carving tool, some Exacto knives, artistic and musical aptitude passed along and nurtured by Mom and Dad McSwain, and a whole lot of patience and persistence. 

The magic all takes place in McSwain's laboratory (basically a
converted garage) in the heart of Los Angeles.  

The first guitar body was purchased from a guitar parts supply company as a
completely experimental piece.  Stephen started carving faces into the wood
and eventually ended up with the guitar that is now in the possession of
Steve Vai. That was number 0001.

The wood is chosen for each custom made guitar to go under the knife,
metal is polished, scorched, etched and riveted and the gauges are
rescued from abandoned scrap heaps, all in the alchemy of building
a better beast. Individual clients can specify their dream design
and McSwain Guitars will bring it to life.

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Axe Heaven Exclusive McSwain Miniature Replica Guitars

Axe Heaven's exclusive McSwain miniature guitar replicas are unbelievably remarkable in their attention to precise proportion and detail. Each 1:4-scale guitar collectible is made of solid mahogany wood, hand crafted and airbrushed with outstanding detail. Read Axe Heaven Featured McSwain Guitars to learn how these playable pieces of art were created.

Life - A McSwain Original Design. Click for information about
how Axe Heaven's featured McSwain guitars
"Life: and "Anarchy" were originally created.

Buy McSwain Guitar Replicas on Axe Heaven

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Buy McSwain Guitar Replicas on Axe Heaven

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Individual clients can specify their dream design and
McSwain Guitars will bring it to life.
 

McSwain Guitars: Played by the Best in the Business

Over the years, McSwain has created many fantastically imaginative and wildly varied guitars for all manner of people. These are just a few examples that truly stand out.

Slash: Fear and Loathing

Many, many musicians/artists/free thinkers have been somehow shaped by the words and art in the 1971 book written by Hunter S. Thompson and illustrated by Ralph Steadman, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Thompson’s words were vibrantly brought to life by artist Ralph Steadman. When these two entities collided at the Kentucky Derby in 1970, Gonzo journalism was birthed. According to Slash, "Whether you indulged in the depravities illustrated in the book or just laughed uncontrollable while imagining yourself in the midst, Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas left a mark. It certainly did with me."

McSwain was fortunate enough to team up with Mr. Steadman to offer the first and only marriage of rock and roll guitars and Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas. Hence… the Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas McSwain guitar line. Six different Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas prints were chosen, and only ten guitars of each print will be made, right in the McSwain Guitars shop in the heart of Los Angeles. Each guitar will be numbered, dated and signed by Stephen McSwain and Ralph Steadman. Mr. Steadman is dedicating each guitar to the client that purchases a McSwain Fear and Loathing In Las Vegas guitar on a certificate that will be affixed to the back of the guitar.

Slash Miniature Guitars by Axe Heaven

George Lynch: Skull N' Bones

George Lynch made the original Skull and Bones guitar famous in the ‘80s metal days. ESP and Stephen McSwain collaborated to offer a limited edition Skull and Bones guitar for the new millennium. McSwain got the original from the Hard Rock Café in Hollywood and redesigned it to make the skull more lifelike and the skeleton hands more proportionate to the size of the skull. Long live metal!

George Lynch Miniature Guitars by Axe Heaven