J-Frog Glock 22

While J Frog (Johnny Frog) is not a household name in the guitar industry, one of his guitars certainly is, at least for some of us metal music fans, namely the Skull ‘n Bones guitar played by George Lynch. This guitar was built by Johnny for George back in the 80’s and features a hand carved body with a skeleton 3D pattern. The guitar become one of George’s favorites and gained almost as much notoriety as George. This guitar is pictured in many magazines from the day and can also be seen in various Dokken music videos.

In 1999, Ed Roman worked with Johnny to reissue the famous 3D Skull ‘n Bones guitar. Each guitar was painstakingly hand carved like the original and came with a certificate signed by J Frog. In fact Ed Roman’s luthiers offer a full line of J Frog guitars and as stated on his website, the J Frog Custom Shop can build any guitar a client can dream of using a variety of neck styles from PRS, Jackson, Fender, Gibson etc.

I got the idea for this guitar while viewing some examples of the graphics offered by Ed’s painters. This particular Wonder Woman graphic immediately caught my attention and the next morning I called up and placed my order. Two weeks later, the guitar was completed and I was very pleased with my first J Frog guitar.

The neck on this guitar is heaven and offers a great feel thanks to its oil finish, In fact, it is very similar to the finish on my San Dimas Charvels. A nice slab of rosewood was used for the fingerboard and simple dot inlays finish off the classic look. I am a big fan of unique logos and I love the way the J Frog logo is made from individual bones. As found on Jackson neck-through guitars, the serial number on this guitar is stamped into the edge of the fret board. I can not stress how nice this guitar neck feels and plays. I was so into the feel of the neck that I purchased a second J Frog guitar which I stupidly sold some time later. Both necks were amazing and felt very similar to one another and I have been told that is what you can expect when you purchase a J Frog guitar. Another great feature is the weight, this is an extremely light guitar which can truly be appreciated when playing for extended periods of time.

Like those found on a Kramer Baretta, this guitar also has a single slanted (angled) pickup in the bridge position, a Floyd Rose tremolo and same style input jack. The chrome cover on the pickup ring adds a nice touch and blends in nicely with the chrome Floyd Rose tremolo.

From looking at my guitar collection one can tell that I prefer guitars sporting graphics and interesting art work. While the paint (graphic) on this guitar is good, it could be better. On close inspection it becomes obvious that it is not of the level that I associate with Dan Lawrence’s (GMW, BC Rich, Jackson) work. It is very cool, however, but in my opinion a little bit more attention to detail would have really made this graphic even more of a stand out. I am pleased with the guitar and she plays and sounds incredible. I have no regrets despite the high price tag, and one day I look forward to adding a J Frog Skull ‘n Bones guitar to my collection. If you ever have a chance to play a J Frog guitar check out the neck shape/profile and more importantly the neck feel. These necks are awesome and I have no reservations about recommending J Frog guitars.