Second iteration of the Lord of the Rings–themed instrument highlights print quality of voxeljet's VX1000
Prof. Olaf Diegel, founder of ODD Guitars and head of the Creative Design and Additive Manufacturing Lab at the University of Auckland, has produced the second iteration of his Lord of the Rings–themed electric guitar, “Faerlind,” using high-speed sintering, a thermal powder bed fusion process, on a voxeljet VX1000 system. The build leverages the machine’s 1,000 × 550 × 400 mm envelope to orient the body for reduced layer visibility and to print the design as large, consolidated parts in Nylon 12.
Diegel reports that HSS delivered greater detail than expected on a first attempt with the process and materially lowered finishing effort. He expressed his astonishment at the print quality and detail achieved, noting that the larger build area enabled optimal orientation to reduce layer lines. He added that the body reached a smooth, paint-ready surface after three primer coats with sanding between coats, a reduction compared with prior ODD Guitars builds that required more filler and manual finishing.
The VX1000 platform’s capacity also supported the project’s internal “anatomy,” a network of decorative features inspired by Tolkien lore. Matte silver paint was selected to increase contrast and reveal interior elements once the body was assembled and backlit.
Faerlind adopts an Iceman-style silhouette with a shortened lower horn and a contoured front. The body was modeled in SolidWorks and printed in Nylon 12. A maple core mechanically links the bridge to the neck pocket to maintain stiffness and sustain. Hardware includes Seymour Duncan Hot-rodded humbuckers, a Schaller 3D-6 bridge, D’Addario Auto-Trim locking tuners, a Puretone jack, a three-position MegaSwitch, and a Warmoth maple/rosewood neck. White LEDs illuminate the Tree of Gondor motif inside the cavity.
The internal artwork features scenes and symbols recognizable to fans of the franchise, including the Fellowship, the Sting and Narsil swords, Gollum, a Balrog, the key to Erebor, Arwen’s Evenstar pendant, Barad-dûr with the Eye of Sauron, and staffs associated with Gandalf the Grey and the White. Diegel credits a community of online creators for much of the interior art, naming contributors Hugolours, Mustangdave, BorisBelocon, CARL500, Jdksouthpaw, OddWorks, and aj_GLO.
