ZOL RoGIToR 1995 Silver

The RoGIToR body was machined from a solid plate of 7075 T7 super strong aluminum. The neck and head are 1 piece, including the 22 frets, machined from 316 stainless steel bar stock. It has 3 sets of pickups. Each with its own tone & volume control and switches for going straight, humbucker or off. 

There is something special about instruments made of wood; a perception of a certain warmness, or a connection to nature. It is distinct from the appreciation of fine craftsmanship, which applies no matter what material something is made of. It is more than just the beauty of the grain - it's colors, patterns and textures - which can all be easily mimicked in plastic.

I like working with wood, but there is a penalty. Transience.

Wood, being of biological origin, is vulnerable to an array of common agents of degradation.
Water, even just too much or too little humidity, let alone actual contact or submersion.
Temperature. Get it too cold and it can crack from shrinkage and the expansion of freezing water within it's cells. Too hot can damage it thru drying and evaporating out its natural oils and those infused for finish and protection.
All sorts of fungi, mildew, germs and insects can quickly turn it to dust.
It is mechanically weak. With the grain it can be fairly stiff and strong enuf for many uses, but across the grain it is virtually worthless as a structural member.

Wood is delicate, fragile, vulnerable. Anything made of it is entirely dependent on your loving care and luck to exist in this world.

Many of these problems also apply to plastics and composites. Like wood, it is only a matter of time, and not very much time, before something gets to it or the essential volitiles within it evaporate or degenerate.

I don't like working with metal as much as I like working with wood, but there is an advantage. Transcendance

With only minor attention and no serious bad luck, this particular instrument will outlive me and any number of future generations. All the Fenders, Gibsons, Ibanezs, Floyd Roses, etc. made in our lifetimes will be dust and the RoGIToR will still be here. With some forsight and careful storage, it could conceivably last billions of years.

I like the idea that the fraction of my life that I've invested in something will not be so easily wasted.

The RoGIToR began as a ' just for the hell of it ' project back in 1995. The body was machined from a solid piece of 7075 T7 aluminum. The name 'RoGIToR' (the initials of the owner + guitar as spelled in Nooalf) is machined 1/2 inch deep. The back cover is held on with 4 cobalt samerium magnets. The neck, frets & head are all 1 piece machined from a solid bar of 316 stainless steel.

It took about 6 months to make. The hardest part was getting the chiclet shaped body symmetrical, even and smooth. I had to do dozens of setup adjustments to mill off chunks, then sand the facets into curves and compare the corresponding areas, often having to go back to remachine lumps that were too big to sand. Then while smoothing it out with progressively finer sandpaper by hand, I'd find a lump or a dip and have to go back to the belt sander again. A year after I finished my elbows still hurt.

Each of the 6 pickups can be turned on, off or combined with its pair into a humbucker arrangement. Each pair has separate tone & volume controls.

As you would expect, it has amazing sustain and is very heavy.

Jay Leno said something in one of his Garage episodes - 'We are only temporary stewards of these creations, and eventually must pass them on'- or words to that effect.

The RoGIToR has been with me or my brother for about 20 years now, pretty much just gathering dust. Maybe it's time to pass it on to someone who can appreciate it as a new & exciting thing. Maybe even play it on stage!

Lately There have been listings on Ebay for guitars in the 100,000+ territory. Today, for example, there is one called a 'Sony Postpet zo-3' for half a million dollars and a month or so ago there was a brass plated Fender for 469,000$.

Then there's a slew of listings in the 20 to 100 thousand range, some of which actually sold!

Has money finally discovered the world of guitars? There's always been a market for hi-end cars, jewelry, purses, etc... pretty much anything a wealthy person could want that us ordinary citizens can't afford. But oddly, the only time you'd see crazy money being paid for a guitar was because Eric Clapton played it, not because it was anything extraordinary to begin with.

There still doesn't appear to be anything like Koenigsegg (super cars) or Mouawad (purses) for guitars, so what's the filthy rich rock star supposed to blow his money on? Solid gold toilets are fun to brag about, but you have to invite people over to show them off and what do they do? They take a dump in them then say something like 'My pal Kashgi's Platinum toilet is more comfortable'!