The Rock Ock
The National Guitar Museum recently unveiled what it is calling “the world’s largest fully playable multi-necked stringed instrument” as part of its permanent collection.
Called the Rock Ock (a nod to the “Spider-Man” villain with eight arms), it weighs 40 pounds, has 154 frets, 51 strings, and 51 tuning pegs. Comprised of a mandolin, ukulele, six-string, fretless bass, standard bass, 12-string, baritone guitar, and a seven-string, it was designed by artist Gerard Huerta and built by Dan Neafsey of DGN Custom Guitars on commission by the N.G.M.
“There are dozens of ‘art guitars’ with multiple necks that can’t be played. They’re really just sculptures,” said H.P. Newquist, executive director of the N.G.M. “So, we decided to go one better and create a guitar with eight necks — more than any other in the world — that can actually be played. Our thinking was that if you’re going to create something like this, it should be real. And this one is.”
The Rock Ock will be on display through the end of the year as part of an exhibit entitled “Guitar: The Instrument That Rocked The World” at the Orlando Science Center, in Florida. Learn more at nationalguitarmuseum.com.
