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Pricing and availability

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Description

The Zemaitis Custom Guitar is a masterpiece for musicians who value both aesthetics and sound quality. This solid body electric guitar is renowned for its distinctive craftsmanship and engraved metal front, a signature of Zemaitis design that sets it apart from any other guitar in its class. Built with precision, it offers a smooth playability that caters to both seasoned performers and aspiring musicians alike. The mahogany body and neck provide a warm, resonant tone, while the rosewood fingerboard ensures a comfortable grip for extended practice or performance sessions.

Equipped with premium hardware, the Zemaitis Custom Guitar boasts specially designed pickups that deliver a rich, articulate sound suitable for a variety of genres—from rock and blues to jazz and pop. The guitar's unique tonal palette is further enhanced by its meticulous wiring and electronics. With a versatile control layout, guitarists can easily shape their sound to their preference, whether it's on stage or in the studio.

This instrument not only performs exceptionally well but also makes a striking visual statement. Its innovative design and attention to detail make it a prized possession for any guitar enthusiast looking to elevate their musical journey.

Key Features:

  • Solid mahogany body and neck for enhanced resonance
  • Rosewood fingerboard for comfortable playability
  • Engraved metal front, a hallmark of Zemaitis design
  • Custom-designed pickups for versatile sound output
  • High-quality hardware for reliable performance
  • Unique control layout for easy sound shaping
Darrell Braun Guitar

Darrell Braun Guitar

This Guitar is a BEAUTIFUL Work of ART! - Zemaitis Guitars

Video thumbnail for This Guitar is a BEAUTIFUL Work of ART! - Zemaitis Guitars by Darrell Braun Guitar

This Guitar is a BEAUTIFUL Work of ART! - Zemaitis Guitars

Darrell Braun Guitar

Darrell Braun Guitar

Video thumbnail for Zemaitis Custom Shop Metal Front electric guitar demo by Make'n Music featuring Josh Smith by makenmusictv

Zemaitis Custom Shop Metal Front electric guitar demo by Make'n Music featuring Josh Smith

makenmusictv

makenmusictv

Video thumbnail for New Zemaitis Guitars available at Norman's Rare Guitars by Normans Rare Guitars

New Zemaitis Guitars available at Norman's Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

Normans Rare Guitars

Reviews

Owner Insights

We analyzed real musician discussions from forums and Reddit to find what players love, question, and tweak about Zemaitis Custom Guitar.

Build quality

  • The Zemaitis Custom Guitar features an ebony fretboard and a Duralumin etched top, renowned for its high sustain and luxury finish.

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  • The metal front plate effectively shields the guitar from radio waves and humming, enhancing the clarity of the humbuckers.

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Setup and maintenance

  • Factory action is set low at 3/64th inch, offering significant room for further adjustment to suit personal playing preferences.

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Features and functionality

  • The guitar's pickups are high output but clean up well at low volumes, providing flexibility for different musical styles.

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  • The guitar features 24 frets, offering extended range and playability, which is highly praised by owners.

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Comparisons

  • Owners compare its playability favorably to high-end models like the PRS CE24 and Fujigen Illiad, indicating its premium feel.

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Use cases and applications

  • Although high-output, the guitar is versatile enough to handle both high-gain and clean tones effectively.

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Value and pricing

  • Despite being expensive and rare, it's considered a worthy investment due to its desirability and build quality, especially in the Western market.

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  • Prices for Zemaitis guitars have significantly increased from $500-$600 to no less than $1500, reflecting their growing desirability.

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User experience

  • Despite initial perceptions, the guitar is highly praised for its feel and touch, contradicting assumptions about its "flashy" appearance.

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Based on 0 Reviews and 0 Ratings

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Artist usage

Add artist
See how Ronnie Wood uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Ronnie Wood

Guitarist

Mark Knopfler’s Guitar Heroes

...
Verified via Backline

This shows Ronnie using one of his Custom built Zemaitis for the “Some Girls” tour with the Rolling Stones, the guitar is currently on show at the Museum of Metropolitan Art.

See how Doug Aldrich uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Doug Aldrich

Guitarist

Whitesnake

...
Verified via Photo

According to this Guitar Geek rig diagram, Doug Aldrich plays a custom-built Zemaitis guitar.

See how Don Felder uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Don Felder

Guitarist

Eagles

...
Verified via Photo

Don Felder uses a Zemaitis Custom Guitar, specifically the MF-101-BK model, for the song "Victim of Love." This is confirmed by an Instagram post from his official account, where he invites fans to guess the song he is playing on this guitar, emphasizing its unique appearance on stage.

See how Gilby Clarke uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Gilby Clarke

Guitarist

Guns N' Roses

...
Verified via Vintage Guitar® magazine

"Clarke’s “holy grail” guitar is this ’94 Zemaitis Custom Deluxe Silver Top. “Tony made it for me in ’94 and it’s the best guitar I’ve ever owned,” he said. “Danny O’Brien did the engraving, it has Seymour Duncan ’59 pickups, an ebony fretboard with medium LP-style frets. Tony used the logo from a GnR pic I left for him to engrave the tailpiece, and I played it when GnR was inducted to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2012. Ron Wood came up afterward and told me, ‘Nice guitar!’ It completes me.”"

See how Shigenobu Suzuki uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Shigenobu Suzuki

Guitarist

The Oral Cigarettes

...
Verified via YouTube

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l868eJDGV9w) At minute 18:30 in the video, Shigenobu Suzuki picks up the Zemaitis Custom Guitar, as shown in the referenced image from Imgur.

See how Tony McPhee uses Zemaitis Custom Guitar

Tony McPhee

Guitarist, Singer

The Groundhogs

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Verified via Vintage Guitar® magazine

According to this August 1997 Vintage Guitar article, the first metal-front Zemaitis guitar ever made was built for McPhee. It is attested by the following sources:

I use two other guitars, a Gibson SG which I've had for ten years, and recently I bought a Zemaitis, which I used on Top Of The Pops. This guitar was custom built for me by Tony Zemaitis and has an engraved metal front. It has one Fender and one Gibson pick-up but any could be fitted. Cost of similar guitar would be around £250 from Tony at 19 Laitwood Road, Balham, London SW12 (01-675 1342). [...] I sang to a pre-recorded backing track on Top Of The Pops, but it would have been a lot easier to have done the whole thing live!

Zemaitis Guitar

INSTRUMENTS: Gibson SG, Fender Stratocaster, Zemaitis, Yamaha, Harmony Acoustics, H/H Amplification, ARP 2600 synthesizer and EMS Sequencer

  • Beat, March 1976, "Tony McPhee: The Hogs Return" by Chris Simmons, pg. 25

"[...] Actually, I also have a Zemaitis fitted out with humbucking pick ups so that it's quite close to the Gibson sound, but have never really found it fits."

  • Beat Instrumental, June 1978, "Don't Mention the Gr**ndh*gs! says Tony 'T.S.' McPhee. Peter Douglas apologises" by Peter Douglas, pg. 18

"I thought what I needed was a total change all round. I used to use the SG almost totally, and I've still got the Zemaitis — it's hanging up on the wall, been there for years! The trouble was that the metal front tended to oxidise with the sweat, and I thought it was just going to get ruined. I thought I'd rather wait until I could get some sort of coating put on it. I've been trying to figure that out. Nobody's come up with a good answer.

OK last one for tonight, Tony McPhee from 19/7/1987 at The Mardi Gras, Nottingham, in the days when he used to take his Zemaitis round as a spare....!

The first metal-front Zemaitis guitar was made for Tony McPhee, of the Groundhogs, in the late ’60s.

Facebook, Tony McPhee, September 27, 2011 (which includes the following comment)

My Zemaitis I asked Tony Z to make me an electric & this was his 1st metal-front he said if I didn't like it he'd make me another 'straight' style. I said I'd have this one!!

Facebook, Tony McPhee, September 29, 2011

Here it is in all it's beauty!!!

Facebook, Tony McPhee, September 30, 2011

Here I am sitting on my Plastic Pig (Reliant Regal) with my Z outside Foel Studios. Circa 1987.

6.) OTHER THAN FRIENDS AND FAMILY WHAT IS YOUR MOST CHERISHED POSSESSION?

My Zemaitis metal front guitar.

Facebook, Tony McPhee, February 6, 2016

This is me atop my 1st plastic pig, a Reliant Regal, holding my Zemaitis , sporting a '70s Stosh at Foel Studios waiting for Dave Anderson!

Facebook, Tony McPhee, March 16, 2016

On the set of Top of the Pops with my newly acquired Zemaitis & beard which I grew after seeing Andy Sneddons,bass player in East of Eden shared a flat upstairs to mine in South Kensington at the time, beard didn't last long, too itchy!

Album Usage

The Zemaitis Custom Guitar 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 Zemaitis Custom Guitar, it is most commonly used with the following gear.

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  • Added to Equipboard on by

    austinmw
    austinmw

    Gear IQ 5227