A Cable-Suspended Guitar Without a Neck or Body

Lori Dorn
September 23, 2026

Burl, the incredibly creative luthier and craftsman behind Burls Art, built a guitar with no neck or body by suspending its components on a custom system of tensioned aircraft cables. Using a metal bed frame as a base, Burl incorporated 3D-printed fret components and standard Telecaster hardware to create the playable instrument.

I attempt to build a fully playable guitar with no neck or body—just strings, frets, and tensioned aircraft cables.

Musician Builds Electric Guitar Without a Body to Determine Where a Guitar’s Tone Comes From

Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.