Burls Art has a knack for making you look at everyday “junk” and think, “Wait… could that be a guitar?” The builder and YouTuber has already turned some seriously unexpected materials into fully playable instruments, like the dozens of unique custom guitars we’ve featured on Bored Panda before, or the colorful pencil guitar, which we also have a full article on. But now, he’s back with a fresh twist on one of his wildest ideas yet: a guitar made from old newspapers.
When we asked what pushed him to revisit the idea, he told us: “In the first version, the laminated newspaper strips created a very straight wood-grain look. This time, I wanted to go for something more artistic and interesting, so I made a 3D spiral star mold to press the newspaper into. It gave the grain a more unique and decorative appearance.”
And when it comes to how people are reacting, he told us the response is already out there in the open. “My audience has given feedback - you could check the video comments to see what they think about it.”
This build is version 2.0 of the concept, and looks stunning at first sight
Image credits: Burls Art
As for how long the build took from start to finish, he said: “It took about six weeks from start to finish. Most of that time went into creating and pressing the patterned newspaper blank before even starting the guitar build.”
The first one went for a layered, straight “paper-grain” look, complete with a cover page face
Image credits: Burls Art
This time, he wanted the finish to feel closer to a more classic, wood-style guitar look
Image credits: Burls Art
The most difficult part, he explained, was wrestling the material itself: “The hardest part was getting the newspaper to form into the 3D mold without too many creases. The first mold caused a lot of wrinkling, so I redesigned it with smoother angles and switched to a two-piece press mold instead of using a vacuum bag.”
The twist is that the “wood grain” you’re seeing here is actually made from pressed newspapers
Image credits: Burls Art
Burls Art used around 1,600 sheets in total to create the material for the body
Image credits: Burls Art
Of course, the big question with builds like this is whether it’s just a display piece or something you can actually play. Burls' answer was simple: “Yes, absolutely. It’s set up really well and plays just as good as any traditional wooden guitar.”
Those sheets were pressed into a 3D spiral star mold to create a decorative swirl pattern
Image credits: Burls Art
The result looks like figured wood at a glance, but it’s literally old newsprint
Image credits: Burls Art
And when it comes to how people are reacting, he told us the response is already out there in the open. “My audience has given feedback - you could check the video comments to see what they think about it.”
And once it’s shaped and assembled, it becomes a fully playable guitar, not just a display piece
Image credits: Burls Art
Burls’ audience was quick to aptly name the guitar
Image credits: Burls Art
And that is exactly what we did. Safe to say, people loved it. But most were left surprised by how wood-like it turned out.
The irony of paper reverting to something that looks like the raw material it’s made from wasn’t lost on others
Image credits: Burls Art
Image credits: Burls Art
Image credits: Burls Art
Image credits: Burls Art
Then, as usual, came the suggestions for future builds, ranging from sensible to fantastical
Image credits: Burls Art
Image credits: Burls Art
Image credits: Burls Art