Does the Guitar of the future have no body?

• This futuristic titanium instrument claims to be more responsive than other guitars.
• Is made from aircraft grade titanium with fret markings provided by LED lights.
• New York group trying to raise $80k and bring the product to market.

In the 1970’s musician and minimalist designer Alan Gittler came up with a design that he believed could revolutionise guitars of the future. His design for a guitar had no body or neck and was to be the first made with all-titanium.

With minimalist principles in mind Gittler set out to remove all the non essential elements, stripping the guitar back to the core of its functionality and leaving only what couldn't be removed if it was still to work.

Although wood has been used since the first ever guitar, it has been proved that it is not necessary for the instrument to function.

‘The basic elements of vibration and gain were the only truly indispensable elements at play when making sound,’ claims New York-based Gittler Instruments.

Everything else, it said, simply existed to shape and mould that sound to the individual player's taste.

The thinking behind this was that by stripping back the instrument to its pure functionality, it would become ultra responsive to every nuance of playing, however subtle. By doing this better sounds and playing techniques could be developed. Gittler also did away with not only the body but most of the neck and all volume and tone controls.

In 2013, Gittler's son Jonathan is carrying on his father's legacy by reinventing the bare bones bass. The latest version of the guitar is manufactured entirely of 6AL-4V aircraft grade titanium. Like his fathers original design, it has no neck or body - although an acrylic guitar neck can be added, if needed. Fret marking is done with built-in LED lights installed in tiny cross holes across the guitar's central channel.

An electronic box in the back of the guitar contains a volume wheel, dual tone controls for treble and bass.
The 30.25 inch and three inch wide Gittler guitars are thought to be the world's first model to include six transducers in a single guitar unit.

Gittler Instruments said it is now ready to bring a fully realised concept, and not just a prototype, to the market. It has launched a campaign via crowdsourcing site Kickstarter to raise $80,000 by November 14.
A $2,000 pledge will get you one of the first Gittler guitars made for the mass market.

Although you'll have to follow that up with another $1,995 payment to receive the instrument, which the group promises will provide a 'guitar playing experience that is out of this world.'