Budding musicians can play a greener tune

Not many visitors to Glastonbury recently realised they were witnessing a revolution in electric guitar manufacture! But guitarist Tom Jarvis from the indie rock band “Reverend and The Makers” was ‘thrilled’ to be playing his finale song - He Said He Loved Me - on the John Peel stage using a guitar made from recycled plastic household goods!

Conventional guitars are often made from endangered hardwoods but Simon Lee is producing ones made from recycled materials, using environmentally sound processes wherever possible.  They are called Cyclotron guitars.

If you have reservations about their quality, fear not.  The maple neck, heavy recycled plastic body and top quality hand-wound Bare Knuckle pickups (as used by Matt Bellamy and Lenny Kravitz) combine to give it an amazing sound.  Five way switching allows for a variety of sound combinations suitable for different musical styles.

Each guitar is made to order for each person and rockers can choose between the Cylotron Benton - a more traditional telecaster shape for £815 - and the Cyclotron Webster which is a bold new design using the timeless combination of three single coils for £850.  And they’re vailable in six unique funky materials which will give you the edge.

“Marble” is reclaimed plastics from food the production industry; “Snow” is factory reject yoghurt pots; “Pirate” is parkling fragments of crushed CDs suspended in translucent blue from office water cooler bottles; “Superfresh” is domestic bottles and containers of all types; “Chilli” is off cuts from industrial pipes; and “Espresso” is vending machine coffee cups.

Images show a “recycled” guitar and the range of finishes available.

More information: www.ethicalsuperstore.com