Every summer since 2006, the little town of Clisson, France, has been home to Hellfest, an annual extreme music festival that attracts metal fans from around the world. Featuring more than 160 bands, including Iron Maiden and Megadeth, the three-day festival is expected to attract more than 150,000 concertgoers this year.
For the last four years, the team known as the Luthiers Officiels du Hellfest have been setting up camp right in the heart of the Extreme Market, offering a quick repair stop for artists and showcasing their latest builds for festival attendees.
What makes Hellfest extra special for the Luthiers Officiels, though, is that they also use the three days of the festival as an opportunity to take on a collaborative project. In 2016, the team completely rebuilt a 1974 Dan Armstrong London, and last year, they came together to build the beautiful La Dissidente, a must-see from 2017.
This year, the Luthiers Officiels will once again be collaborating on a built-from-scratch guitar, with specs sure to catch the eyes of even an amateur gear lover:
- Steel Explorer-style body by luthier Loïc Le Pape, varnished by PMC Guitars
- Neck, fretboard, and bone nut by DasViken Guitars
- Handwound pickups by SP Custom
- Electronics by SBGO
- Strings by Skull Strings
- Pickguard designed by Amandine Fagotti
Here at Reverb, we couldn’t pass up the opportunity to get this guitar into the hands of a diehard musician—so we’re holding a contest from now until the end of July. Just sign up here before the July 31st deadline for the chance to win.
Check out some of the photos from construction:
And for those of you who sadly can’t join us in Hell, er, Hellfest, this year, sign up for the Reverb Newsletter below to stay up-to-date with all of the latest news directly from the festival.