John Veleno Aluminium Gold

1970s John Veleno electric guitar, in need of extensive restoration, including original body, DiMarzio humbucker pickups and a selection of other electrics and hardware

• Found in a UK antiques market in its current condition, this rare Veleno aluminium guitar requires extensive restoration. The body has a gold plated finish which has significantly flaked, with the exposed aluminium suffering from corrosion. 

A selection of parts, many of which have also suffered from the elements, include a set of 6 Schaller tuners, 2 DiMarzio humbucker pickups, the original perpex scratchplate, original bridge, 4 potentiometers, 4 knobs, 3 switches and a selection of various screws.

John Veleno was a maker fully aluminium guitars, which were unique to the time. Using skills from his day job in St. Petersburg, Florida, building aluminium electrical housings for space shuttles that were routinely launched from nearby Cape Canaveral.

The unique build and look of John's guitars quickly made waves around the world, attracting many celebrity clients including Marc Bolan, Eric Clapton, Pete Haycock, Gregg Allman, Ace Frehey, Todd Rundgren, Jeff Lynn, to name just a few. John completed nearly 200 guitars before suffering from a stroke that sadly left him unable to continue his craft, resulting in his instruments being a global rarity and commanding high premiums on the collectors market, especially with such a high profile client list.