Built by musicians for musicians.
What do you do when you know how to build an electric guitar, having worked in the past for Fender, Gibson and in Australia for MCD guitars building instruments, and you can’t find one that suits your needs?
I was checking out instruments on YouTube and ran across ‘Texas Toast’ guitars. His tag line was “If you’re so smart why don’t you build it yourself?” – so I did. The result is Bunyip Guitars.
Over time Bunyips have improved. With some hardware no longer being available and more ready sourcing of better raw materials, along with upgraded construction and finishing techniques, we find ourselves saying after we do a new run… “We should have built some of those for ourselves.”
For us, there is nothing better when you either sit down to noodle around at home, have a band practice, go to a jam, or do a gig, than to have an instrument you were part of sing in your hands. The next best thing is when you sit down with a Bunyip and it sings in your hands and we hear about it.
Bunyip Musical Instruments was conceived and started as Bunyip Guitars in 2017 in Berry NSW with the need for lightweight hard working instruments being apparent. The concept was, and remains the production of a quality instrument that is produced as economically as possible locally in Australia. The range currently includes ukuleles, electric guitars and electric basses.
Four workshops are in use, situated in Cornubia, Birkdale, Rochedale and Stockleigh.
We stand by our product and our word
What is a bunyip?
A bunyip is a legendary, amphibious monster from Australian Aboriginal mythology said to inhabit swamps, billabongs, creeks, and waterholes. Described variously as having features of a dog, seal, or prehistoric marsupial, it is known for its terrifying, booming cries.
The legend of the bunyip is rich and culturally significant. Several theories attempt to explain the origins of the bunyip legend, including:
- Cultural Memory: It may be a localized folklore memory of Australian megafauna (like the extinct Diprotodon) that indigenous Australians once lived alongside.
- Misidentified Marine Animals: Seals, such as the leopard seal, occasionally wander far up Australian rivers and estuaries, which could have startled early explorers.
- The Australasian Bittern: This marsh bird is known for its distinct, booming nocturnal call, which sounds eerily like a roaring monster.
Nowadays, the bunyip has fully crossed over into modern Australian folklore, appearing frequently in children’s literature. You can even visit a famous mechanical singing bunyip in a concrete cave located in Murray Bridge, South Australia.
Bunyips are everywhere!
“The new guitar you’ve owned for twenty years”