Sparrow Guitars Uncovers the Lost Art of Pinstriping

April 24, 2009

Thousands of years ago, the rich and mighty would adorn their golden chariots with thin accent striping and religious iconography to showcase the quality craftsmanship of their vehicle. This tradition has never died. True craftsman still accent their vehicles with subtle striping and imagery to demonstrate the quality of their work and impress the viewer.

Fast forward to the birth of "Kustom Kulture" in the 1950's. Greasers and the hot rod aficionados created a subculture based around their love of custom cars, motorcycles, pompadours and a unique fashion sense. Kenny "Von Dutch" Howard and Ed "Big Daddy" Roth were pioneers who defined this subculture with their bold vision. The art of pinstriping was forever changed by the work of these gentlemen. One of Ed "Big Daddy" Roth's famous creations was the character of "Rat Fink", a googly-eyed, hot-rod riding vermin. Von Dutch commanded a steady hand, using intricate line work and flames to decorate people's motorcycles and hot rods.

Sparrow Guitars takes great pride in keeping with this tradition of customization. Every guitar in their Vancouver shop is pinstriped and decorated in this fashion. "I met Billy Bones [President of Sparrow Guitars] through mutual friends. We were both involved in a vintage flat tracking club called "The Scorpions", racing vintage 350 Hondas. I went to see Billy play a show with his old band, Raised by Wolves. At that time, he approached me about striping guitars. I immediately dug the idea! That was back in 2005" said Myk Roc — Sparrow pinstriper — regarding his introduction to pinstriping guitars with Sparrow.

Myk Roc keeps the art of this elusive medium vibrant and alive through his work at Sparrow Guitars. He is following in the footsteps of the pinstripers before him. A Sparrow guitar has to look just as good as it sounds. Thanks to Myk's unique pinstriping ability, Sparrow has some of the best looking guitars on the market. Even Rat Fink would agree with that.

(Click for close-up)

For more information, visit their web site at http://www.sparrowguitars.com./.

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