The Escopetarras
- September 18th, 2006
- 50 Comments

These instruments are known as“Escopetarras”, a fusion of gun and guitar, created by Cesar Lopez. Lopez got the inspiration for the invention while standing outside a bombed Bogotá club and noticing the similarities between his guitar and a soldier’s rifle (whaaa?).
Partnering up with musical instrument craftsman, Luis Alberto Paredes, he has been creating the instruments ever since. Initially made out of Winchester rifles, they are now made mostly from everyone’s favorite Cold War assault rifle, the AK47.
I don’t really see any use for these, and the acoustics can’t work too well because of the body and shape of the guitar, but, I don’t think anyone purchasing a fusion gun and guitar are going to sit around sing Goom-By-Ya.




webonics (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Uh, what the hell?
It’s like the guy in “The Punisher” who sings a song to his victim before he kills them off. This hit man was latino too. Is there some cultural divide that I’m missing here with the gun/guitar combo? What would “Esteban” say?
Fezzik (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Is the message “make music not war”???
Bassam (Who am I?)
2 years ago
There’s an easy El Mariachi/Desperado reference to be made here.
I just hope that there aren’t any actual bullets in the instrument!
bricktop (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Nugent nailed it in 1978. Check out the album cover with the shotgun guitar here> http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000025E1?v=glance
Crunchgear you’ve offically been schooled in ROCK! Reclaim your cool by posting a concert photo of Nugent with his creation.
Michael Vincent Wood (Who am I?)
2 years ago
BADASS
Cow man (Who am I?)
2 years ago
BAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA
web design uk (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Thats amazing!!
Slono
2 years ago
S T U P I D !!
Why not use a WC basin, at least it does has some acoustics!! Lame…
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Krishna (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Very impressive. Just try and get that through airport security, though…
illuminatus
2 years ago
Talk about guitar music and percussion at the same time here…
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RyanOC
2 years ago
Peter Tosh created one in ‘83 http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2004/11/guitars-shaped-like-guns-update.html
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Rance Muhammitz (Who am I?)
2 years ago
I bet he has to tune it after every shot…
Claymore
2 years ago
I’d put a really hot pickup on it. It would probably sound like nothing you’ve ever heard before.
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T
2 years ago
That’s terrible. They appear to be acoustic guitars (no pickups I can see) yet have no body to amplify the sound.
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Dale Cruse (Who am I?)
2 years ago
I’m a cowboy…
On a steel guitar I ride…
Highdy (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Kum Ba Ya.
Brooke (Who am I?)
2 years ago
I love guitar but hate hunting… this tears me in two directions!
Fantastic idea though!
aigaxxi (Who am I?)
2 years ago
I live in Colombia and I know about the purpose of that instrument. That artefact shows that music is better than war. It is a sign of hope in the middle of the colombian conflict. It doesn´t matter if the ‘Escopetarra’ sounds good or not.
Felix (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Assuming the gun can’t now be fired it’s nice in a ’swords to ploughshares’ kind of way.
JT (Who am I?)
2 years ago
??? The similarities between a rifle & guitar. Uh-huh. Much like the similarities between a tree and a brick wall. Not much there to go on. And try getting one of those through security at an airport.
Leo (Who am I?)
2 years ago
The instrument is a creative way to convert war artifacts into something actually useful, in this case AK47’s are converted into music instruments. A big statement and symbol in this new era that tells you wise man make music, not war. Colombia has 40 years of internal conflict, to learn more about it so you understand better what this is about, go to http://www.eltiempo.com. The last thing in my mind is to think that this is a new type of great-sounding-instrument. It is a way to end conflict the Colombian way. And for those that like to travel, it is like paradise. Check it out.
Tako
2 years ago
i hate the idea of making music and war one….
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Dreadrock
2 years ago
i cant believe some of the dumbass remarks here.
the damn thing is CREATIVE. nuff said.
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Camilo (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Yes, they were made to be an statement against war, while also performing with those in public, at public gatherings. Do I need to point out the stupidity of bringing gun-shaped things to a concert? Or that the bad guys might actually bring their real guns disguised as these poorly conceived instruments?
This is just another rich boy from Colombia thinking out ways to get in the news.
Mikael (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Why the hell are people commenting saying stuff like “Good luck trying to get that through airport security”? What does that have to do with anything?
You don’t make things like this to be playing guitar on your flight from LA to SF…
Drew
2 years ago
not a bad idea for some of the loadouts around here
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Drew (Who am I?)
2 years ago
So I can now play music while shooting my rivals. Genius!
JMello (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Too bad DimeBag Darrell didn’t have this… He might still be here today.
I hate people who put-down creative creations (Who am I?)
2 years ago
you anti-creative lamers. You all suck hotdogs with penis holes drawn on them by sharpie markers. This guitar owns even if it doesn’t sound the best.
jim (Who am I?)
2 years ago
There are no humbuckers or coils and there isn’t a resonating body, so it most likely only shoots w/ the extra guitar bits getting in the way of the sights
jim (Who am I?)
2 years ago
would have been better with a strat or tele neck
thomas fredrick (Who am I?)
2 years ago
As the demand for the number of guitar pickup tones increase, one source has a nifty construction project. It lets you modify a 3-pickup guitar (like a strat) so you can get 29 pickup tones. A 2-pickup guitar or bass can now get 6 pickup tones. Information is at:
http://www.learn-futures.com/product/guitarpg.htm
B-Mo (Who am I?)
2 years ago
Dear Elitist Guitarists-
see the cord jack in the stocks?
Just because YOU don’t see pickups don’t mean they’re not there.
Now I’m reminded by a joke- How many guitarists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? One to screw it in and at least 99 to tell you he can do it better.
Cynthia Jolin (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Hey thanks i needed a picture of a weird instrument for my project. Awsome invention!
Djerùn
1 year ago
“MESSAGE”
Great Idea!
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ShaggyDog (Who am I?)
1 year ago
An astonishing designer’s idea! Left free to interpret, but should this visual message be read apart from sound, that is, I imagine, poor? For nice guitar tunes visit ‘http://mp3-indian.info/, site owns:)
Tony (Who am I?)
1 year ago
Great Idea!. look is cool .lol .:) . do you konw where i can buy nike shoes ,bape hoody ,ipod thanks