Reviews

Rat Bait Guitars
Rat Bait Guitars is a defiant celebration of imperfection, rebellion, and resurrection. Based in North Devon, this small operation crafts electric guitar bodies from salvaged materials—roofing timber, shattered Strat bodies, broken furniture, and discarded fence posts. Each piece is a one-off, hand-built in a shed that smells of glue and sawdust, not sterile factory polish.

Example 1: Take the Barnwood Hybrid Telecaster, for example—a Frankenstein lovechild of a Japanese Jedson and Strat. It fuses a Telecaster silhouette with Stratocaster guts, built from reclaimed roofing wood and a shattered Stratocaster that refused to die. The result? A 3.3kg slab of raw tone and rebellion, with a 22-fret maple neck, HSS configuration, and a finish that’s unapologetically imperfect. (SOLD)

Example 2: Or the Hardtail Stratocaster-style body, made from old roofing timber, bits of a bookcase, and a broken Strat. It’s routed for single coils, partially loaded with new electrics, and finished in rugged red and black hues. It’s not pristine—it’s punk, rebellious and looks cool. (SOLD)

Rat Bait Guitars doesn’t chase perfection. It builds relics with soul, instruments that wear their scars proudly. Whether you’re a DIY builder or a tone-chaser looking for something different, these bodies offer a chance to plug into something real, raw, and resolutely unpolished.

Photos and listings are updated regularly, with some builds appearing on eBay. Every guitar is a story—stitched together with defiance and solder.

Our bodies are crafted from reclaimed wood sourced from a mix of origins—old furniture, fence posts, salvaged roof timbers, worn flooring, broken guitars and more. Each ‘Rat Bait’ body carries its own history, marked by dents, scratches, and imperfections that embody the raw, relic aesthetic we embrace. These aren’t showroom pieces—they’re outsider art. As with any custom build, a bit of fettling may be required to fit your components—but you already know that.

Customer Feedback

  • “Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. A good transaction, with excellent comms all round. Very happy – thanks! :)”
  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!”
  • “Arrived on time very good guitar best I’ve ever had. Sound is very deep all perfectly set up.”

The Phoenix Rises

Salvage, Soul & Sonic Rebellion

‘When you pick up a guitar, you’re not just holding wood and wire—you’re gripping history. Not just the hands that played it, but the scars it carries, the timber it was born from, and the battles it survived. Rat Bait Guitars don’t chase perfection. Each component has its own previous life story, resurrection and metamorphosis. If you’re interested in an instrument with a story, Rat Bait Guitars are worth considering.’

Built from Ruin, Made to Scream

Take the body featured above: a Frankenstein of salvaged wood—fence post, roof offcut, shed panel, and the carved heart of a guitar once devoured by woodworm. Treated, reshaped, and reborn into a retro 60s/70s silhouette inspired by Teisco and Kay designs, it’s a slab of tone with old-world charm and unapologetic grit.

  • Neck Pickup: from a Manson Guitar (Matthew Bellamy)

  • Bridge pickup: early 2000s ceramic single pole.

  • Tailpiece: retro chrome clamshell, because why not?

This isn’t a museum piece. It’s a relic with soul. Read more here…

Imperfection as Identity

Rat Bait guitars are built in a shed that smells of glue and sawdust, not sterile polish. Parts are from the 1970s to the 2020s, mixing eras to create instruments that sound better than the homogenised clones flooding the market. They’re rugged, battle-scarred, and ready to scream.

  • Reclaimed materials: furniture, fence posts, roof timbers, flooring.

  • Custom-built bodies: Telecaster, Stratocaster, and the occasional Japanese oddity.

  • Body prices start at £35.00. Each one is unique. Each one is alive.

What Players Say

  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!”
  • “Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
  • “Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”
  • “A really nice guitar, unique and obviously made with great care. Exceptional value. A great addition to my collection!”
  • “Awesome, I would deal with again… lovely looking guitar, leaving to settle and look forward to playing it.”
  • “Perfect little Telecaster body.”
  • “Lovely Telecaster copy in scavenged wood, looks great and plays beautifully! Rat Bait are great luthiers!” 
  • “Arrived on time—very good guitar, best I’ve ever had. Sound is deep, all perfectly set up.”
  • “Item was very well packed, as described and arrived very quickly. Excellent comms all round. Very happy—thanks! :)”

These aren’t just guitars. They’re outsider art. Punk relics. Sonic protest pieces.

Why Salvage Matters

Every salvaged guitar is a strike against waste. A nod to sustainability. A celebration of character over gloss. By repurposing discarded timber and broken parts, a voice is given to materials that would otherwise be silenced.

Each guitar built is a story stitched together with defiance and solder. And if you’re the kind of player who values raw tone over showroom shine, welcome home.

Because each guitar body is handcrafted, genuine Rat Bait Guitar products are few and far between. Their rarity is why purchasing one of these creations should be seen as an investment.

Barnwood Hybrid Telecaster – Coming Soon

Barnwood Hybrid Telecaster One-Off Build from Salvaged Chaos

Handbuilt in North Devon, this guitar is a collision of eras and styles: a Telecaster silhouette fused with Stratocaster guts, crafted from reclaimed roofing wood and a shattered Strat shell that refused to die. It’s not just assembled—it’s resurrected.

  • Body: Strat-routed Tele shape, salvaged timber and broken Strat shell
  • Neck: 22-fret maple with rosewood-style fretboard, slim profile, lightly nitro-finished
  • Electronics: HSS configuration, 3 single coils, 5-way switch, Strat-style scratchplate
  • Hardware: Wilkinson hardtail bridge, new 10mm machine heads, strap buttons
  • Dimensions: 25.5″ scale length, 42mm nut width, approx. 44mm body thickness (± 0.5mm)
  • Weight: 3.3kg of raw tone and rebellion

This isn’t a factory clone—it’s a Frankenstein lovechild of Jedson and Strat, stitched together with defiance and solder. The electrics are mid-range, the tone is old-school twang, and the finish is unapologetically imperfect. Built to be played, not polished.

Crafted from recycled materials, a new old stock neck, and a mix of refurbished and new parts. A one-off barnwood creation, made in a shed in North Devon. Actual photos will be published soon. Similar guitar will be listed on eBay.

Barnwood Hardtail Stratocaster Style Body

 

This Strat body is a genuine Rat Bait Guitar construction, which was made in September 2025. This guitar body is made from salvaged material and a broken Stratocaster type guitar constructed and shaped in a rat infested shed in North Devon. The design and shape is reminiscent of ‘Woolworths’ guitars from the 1960s / 70s – Japanese, retro homage. Please see photographs to view the rugged finish and texture of the body.

This body is part loaded with a white scratchplate from a new guitar, new electrics and new pickups.

 
Stratocaster Body made from recycled materials – body weight 1.85kg (unloaded).
Materials:  Old roofing timber, bits from an old bookcase and a broken Stratocaster body.
This body is routed to take standard single coil pickups. This handmade body has dents, scratches and old paint in places. You might have to fettle this body to suit your needs.
 Hardtail Stratocaster body SSS routed – UK Made
  • Body made from a salvaged material
  • Approx. Thickness: 42mm
  • Approx. Neck Pocket Width: 55mm
  • Approx. Weight: 1.85kg

The Hardtail Strat Barnwood Guitar Body by Rat Bait guitars is a unique and eco-friendly choice for electric guitar enthusiasts. Made from recycled material in the United Kingdom, this body features a natural, red, and black colour scheme that adds a touch of character to any guitar. With a weight of 1.85kg, this UK-made body is designed to fit most electric guitars seamlessly, making it an ideal choice for customising and creating a one-of-a-kind instrument.

Barnwood Nashville Style Body

Hybrid Stratocaster body routed to take Nashville Telecaster hardware

This Nashville Tele / Strat body is a genuine Rat Bait Guitar construction, which was made in September 2025. This guitar body is made from salvaged material and a broken Stratocaster type guitar constructed and shaped in a rat infested shed in North Devon. The design and shape is reminiscent of ‘Woolworths’ guitars from the 1960s / 70s – Japanese, retro homage. Please see photographs to view the rugged finish and texture of the body. 

Telecaster / Stratocaster Body made from recycled timber – body weight 1.99kg.
Materials: Part of a 1970s Austrian table, old roofing timber, bits from an old bookcase and a broken Stratocaster body.
This Nashville style body is routed to take a standard neck pickup, single coil middle pickup and standard Telecaster bridge pickup. This handmade body has dents, scratches and old paint in places. You might have to fettle this body to suit your needs.

 

  • Body made from a salvaged material
  • Approx. Thickness: 43mm
  • Approx. Neck Pocket Width: 56mm
  • Approx. Weight: 1.99kg
  • Light Nitro Cellulose tint coat in places
This guitar body blank is made from reclaimed wood in the United Kingdom, ready to be crafted into a unique and environmentally-friendly electric guitar. The natural and black colour offers a rugged looking, versatile, barnwood choice for a contemporary unique Partscaster, perfect for customising your instrument to suit your style. Designed to fit standard electric guitars, this body blank is a great choice for luthiers and musicians looking for a sustainable and distinctive sound.