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Pricing and availability

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Description

The Bond Electraglide is a solid body electric guitar that blends classic design with innovative features, making it a standout choice for guitarists seeking both performance and style. This guitar is crafted with precision to cater to players who appreciate the nuances of tone and playability. Featuring a proprietary GlideTech neck system, the Bond Electraglide offers an unparalleled smooth fingerboard experience, allowing musicians to transition effortlessly between chords and solos.

Equipped with dual humbucking pickups, this guitar provides a versatile range of tones, from warm, rich lows to crisp, articulate highs, perfect for any genre. The advanced electronics include a 3-way selector switch and individual tone controls, giving players the ability to fine-tune their sound with ease. The solid body construction ensures durability and sustain, making it a reliable companion for both studio sessions and live performances.

The Bond Electraglide's hardware is designed to withstand rigorous play, with a custom-designed bridge that enhances tuning stability and offers precise intonation. This ensures that whether you're bending strings to the limit or strumming complex chords, your sound remains consistent and in tune. With its sleek contours and ergonomic design, this guitar offers comfort during extended playing sessions.

Key Features:

  • Solid body electric guitar design
  • Proprietary GlideTech neck system for smooth playability
  • Dual humbucking pickups for versatile sound
  • Advanced electronics with 3-way selector switch
  • Custom-designed bridge for enhanced tuning stability
  • Ergonomic body shape for comfortable playing
  • Durable construction for years of reliable performance
Chicago Music Exchange

Chicago Music Exchange

1980s Bond Electraglide | CME Vintage Demo | Nathaniel Murphy

Video thumbnail for 1980s Bond Electraglide | CME Vintage Demo | Nathaniel Murphy by Chicago Music Exchange

1980s Bond Electraglide | CME Vintage Demo | Nathaniel Murphy

Chicago Music Exchange

Chicago Music Exchange

Video thumbnail for Bond Electraglide guitar, as played by The Edge, Mick Jones and Dave Stewart by Offbeat Instruments

Bond Electraglide guitar, as played by The Edge, Mick Jones and Dave Stewart

Offbeat Instruments

Offbeat Instruments

Video thumbnail for Bond Electraglide demo by DiPinto Rockshop

Bond Electraglide demo

DiPinto Rockshop

DiPinto Rockshop

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Bond Electraglide.

Features and functionality

  • The Bond Electraglide features a staggered fretboard, utilizing a unique design that strays from traditional fretboards.

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  • The guitar uses individually selectable pickups with phase switches, allowing varied tonal options.

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  • It requires an external battery pack to function, with all digital controls, which is uncommon for electric guitars.

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  • The LED readout box on the body provides settings for volume, bass, treble, and pickups, but may be obstructed for left-handed players.

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Build quality

  • Early models used aluminum fretboards, which were later replaced with resin due to cost, before returning to aluminum for durability.

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  • The aluminum neck is coated in black, but string bending can wear away the coating over time, revealing the aluminum underneath.

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  • The guitar is entirely made of carbon fiber, contributing to its distinctive look and structural integrity.

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Setup and maintenance

  • Owners have reverse-engineered power supply solutions, indicating potential issues with original power supplies.

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  • The guitar requires a TRS cable and a specific power supply to function, which might be a setup consideration for potential buyers.

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Value and pricing

  • Original MSRP was reportedly around $6600 in 1987, though current asking prices range from $2500 to $3500, with some listings stagnating.

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Other

  • An LED readout above the third pickup indicates volume and pickup position, but it may interfere with the picking hand for some players.

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User experience

  • Owners note the guitar feels smoother for sliding due to the aluminum neck but requires precise technique for string bending, which can be challenging.

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  • Despite its unique materials, the guitar weighs roughly 7 to 8 pounds, which is considered manageable and not overly heavy.

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Critic Reviews

The Bond Electraglide - JazzTimes

jazztimes.com

The Bond Electraglide, with its fretless "staircase" fingerboard and digital controls, stands as an intriguing relic of 1980s innovation. Its striking design caught the eye of notable musicians like U2's The Edge, but its need for an external power supply and complex manufacturing led to its downfall. While not a collector's treasure, it remains a curious intersection of digital tech and traditional guitar making, reflecting a daring attempt at redefining electric guitars.

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Artist usage

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See how The Edge uses Bond Electraglide

The Edge

Guitarist

U2

...
Verified via Photo

In this Guitar World interview, The Edge mentions the Bond Electraglide, misprinted as "Electric Light." He says, "There's a revolutionary new guitar called a Bond Electric Light, which is a very finely-crafted guitar without proper frets. Instead it has little serrations. I tried to incorporate it into my playing armory and I found that it wasn't working, until I discovered the things you can do if you really sort of abused it! I got fantastic results. Like the sort of heavy fuzz guitar at the end of 'One Tree Hill,' and the last three tracks on the middle of side two — that sound is from the Bond."

See how Mick Jones uses Bond Electraglide

Mick Jones

Singer, Guitarist

The Clash

...
Verified via YouTube

I'm pretty sure that Mick used his Bond Electraglide throughout Big Audio Dynamite and BAD II and Big Audio. He can be seen playing it in most of their music videos: 'The Bottom Line' from their first album (1984), the 'Rush' video (1991) and 'I turned out a punk (1995). I can vouch for seeing Mick use the Bond live in concert 1989-1992.

He also plays it in the video for 'Good Morning Britain' by Aztec Camera (1990).

See how John McGeoch uses Bond Electraglide

John McGeoch

Guitarist

Siouxsie & the Banshees

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Verified via Yahoo

"John McGeoch is pictured with his Bond Electraglide guitar in a photo featured in the 'Punk Daze: Great Photos of The' collection on Yahoo."

See how Will Sergeant uses Bond Electraglide

Will Sergeant

Guitarist

Echo & the Bunnymen

...
Verified via YouTube

In this clip from the BBC in 1986, Will can be seen playing his Electraglide. It's visible from the 0:08 second mark onward.

See how David A. Stewart uses Bond Electraglide

David A. Stewart

Singer, Guitarist

Eurythmics

...
Verified via Muzines

As per this article from 1985, David A Stewart had a Bond electric guitar (likely referring to the Electraglide). He played it on "Adrian" and "Here Comes That Sinking Feeling" on Eurythmics’ Be Yourself Tonight album.

See how Johnny A. uses Bond Electraglide

Johnny A.

Guitarist

The Yardbirds

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Verified via Guitar Aficionado

Elsewhere in the studio space are a recent-vintage Rickenbacker 360-12, a Jersey Girl electric with distinctive maple control knobs, a purple sparkle–finish Washburn acoustic/electric allegedly built for Prince to use on the 1984 Purple Rain tour, a 1993 Martin D-28 (“That guitar’s a cannon”), a rare three-pickup Silvertone from the Sixties, and a 1984 Bond Electraglide. That last guitar is a rare and bizarre Scottish-made electric model with a carbon-fiber body, graphite neck, digital controls, active electronics (which require an external power supply), and fingerboard that has no frets and resembles a staircase.

Album Usage

The Bond Electraglide has been featured on the following albums:

Genre Usage

Based on how artists on Equipboard use this gear, it is most commonly found in the following genres.

Used With

Based on how musicians on Equipboard use Bond Electraglide, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

Gibson L-00
Gibson L-00 Acoustic-Electric Guitars
1
Martin D-28
Martin D-28 Steel-string Acoustic Guitars
1
Steinberger GL2
Steinberger GL2 Solid Body Electric Guitars
1
Roland SH-101
Roland SH-101 Synthesizers
1
Gibson EB-0
Gibson EB-0 Electric Basses
1
Korg PSS-50
Korg PSS-50 Portable & Arranger Keyboards
1

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