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Elvis Costello's reputation is not that of a guitar maven, but each of these instruments, created by Danny Ferrington to Costello's exacting specifications, proves otherwise. Although Ferrington has built several miniature guitars — serious instruments in every sense — Costello's is unique.
Though this miniature is based roughly on the old Martin Tipples, Ferrington abandoned the traditional acoustic body design, opting for the single-cutaway that makes this miniature so original. Costello also requested that the luthier use an old Gibson F-5 mandolin headstock design, which he did, to great effect. Exquisite are the mother-of-pearl and abalone inlays and binding, the ELVIS COSTELLO on the fingerboard and the small flowerpot on the headstock. Set into a beautiful piece of tortoise shell is a small, yellow rose. For Costello's full-sized instrument, roughly the size of an 000 Martin, Ferrington went for the double-cutaway of the Fender Jazzmaster that Elvis generally uses. The headstock is violin inspired, and the apparent scroll on the upper cutaway is merely an illusion; Ferrington ingeniously carried the binding around in a curl. Again using mother-of-pearl and abalone, Ferrington inlaid Costello's name and a red rose down in the corner of the instrument. For amplification, Hot Dots were used.
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