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John Bolin Batman SG 1989
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When cinema and music meet, we obviously think of soundtracks and sometimes scenes featuring an instrument in the hands of the protagonist. In this respect, the main scene to refer to is that of the high school dance in Back to the Future, in which Marty McFly covers "Johnny B. Goode" armed with an ES-345 in cherry red finish. This scene has become mythical as much for its energy as for the place given to the guitar, and is an example of the guitar's place in cinema. And yet, there are a handful of instances of a film inspiring the creation and manufacture of a guitar. The John Bolin Instruments Batman guitar, inspired by Tim Burton's legendary 1989 film, Batman, is as astonishing as it is imposing. This guitar, with its straight-from-the-comics look, takes its cues from the famous Gotham hero, with his black suit and piercing gaze... for a one-of-a-kind instrument!
When Tim Burton set out to make his Batman in 1989, he infused it with his trademark acid colors and dark eccentricity. The film has since become mythical, and its visual universe a legend among comic-book movies of prodigious achievement. At the time of the film's release, DC Comics had in mind the production of various items related to the world of Gotham City to promote it. Alongside the traditional figurines, pencils and other plastic masks, they approached luthier John Bolin to design and manufacture two uniquely designed guitars inspired by the film. The result is two instruments straight out of the damp, sticky streets of Gotham: a John Bolin Joker and a Batman. These two guitars are like two sides of the same coin, in which the very different styles of the two characters shine through. But not content with applying comic-book colors to existing guitars, John Bolin designed original instruments with a devastating look and high quality craftsmanship. Billy Gibbons' personal luthier came up with the Batman, a guitar evoking the classic SG shape, but with the sinister colors of Michael Keaton's Gotham hero.
Produced in a limited edition of 50, the John Bolin Batman is a surprising guitar featuring all the mastery of the luthier and all the iconography developed by DC Comics and used by Tim Burton in his film. The guitar is in thick, heavy black, with the emblematic bat logo triumphing. Emerging from the guitar as if from the dark night, the yellow logo is a reminder of its importance: when its silhouette shines against the Gotham sky, it alerts Batman that it's time to act. The guitar is deep black, from the pickups to the fittings, reinforcing the power of the contrast with the bright yellow logo. The two SG-inspired cutaway sides are reminiscent of the two horns on Batman's mask, triumphing over evil in the dark... John Bolin has also modified the instrument's headstock to match the masked knight's mask. An absolutely unique guitar straight out of Tim Burton's comic-book universe!
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