Via Csmonitor.com:
The coming of Star Wars: Episode VII has awakened the spirit of creative merchandising. A new duo of Star Wars themed guitars is prompting some to make note of whether they are a Rebel bassist or a Han Soloist.

While there is plenty of cookie-cutter, official merchandise out there, from LEGOs to Vans sneakers, licensed boutique makers are coming out of the shadows with some inspiring offerings.

Dayle-Doni Latchford, a luthier & designer says in an interview via email that Doni Guitars, of England now offers The Han Solo guitar and The Rebel Bass via the website Esty.
“Each guitar is unique, but they generally follow the same pattern and timeframe which is 1-2 weeks if nothing too outlandish, or 2-3 weeks if the customizations go above and beyond the norm,” Mr. Latchford writes.

Both guitars are hybrids – fully-functional instruments and scale models with all the glowing lights and intricate details of the Millennium Falcon.

The Han Solo is a 6-string Stratocaster encased in a plastic Millennium Falcon body.

Meanwhile, the Rebel Bass offers a fully working Fender P bass-style guitar – also encased in the same Millennium Falcon body.

Doni offers a custom flight case for an additional $360 USD. The Han Solo guitar will cost around $715 and the Rebel Bass $793. All of the items ship from Coventry, United Kingdom.

Latchford himself is a fan, so this is a labor of love.

“I’ve been hooked on Star Wars since I was a very small child. I couldn’t tell you how many times I’ve watched the films, even doing marathons of Episode 1-6 non-stop, which is still an enjoyable pastime,” he writes. “ I could probably recite each film word for word, but I’m also very excited for Episode 7 this year too!”

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