Tony Cochran Custom Electric Guitars — Copywriting Done Right

Composing pitch-perfect copy that sells

Every guitar enthusiast can remember that one consignment guitar that stood out from the sea of fresh-faced factory clones. There’s always one; the curves, the body, something about it calls out in a familiar way as if it has been made just for you.

There’s something wildly beautiful about these old guitars with characteristic scratches, scuffs marks and a tangible “I’m here, I don’t give a fuck, and I’m ready to rock” attitude.

Of course, the price tag is usually enough to make you cry. But that’s beside the point.

Today, while I was looking for a guitar repair shop, I came across Tony Cochrane Custom Electric Guitars. As a fan of Guitar World’s It Might Get Weird section, the gritty industrial style hit all the right notes for me. And as a copywriter, there’s something else that I love about these pieces.

The Copy

Yes, brand names like Gibson and Ibanez will always sell. But Tony Cochran, (the cartoonist behind these beauties), touches on an essential truth of marketing whether he knows it or not.

There are hundreds of plain, well engineered, but unused, electric guitars in the world.

They are draped with dirty socks in the corners of unkempt bedrooms, leaning against dusty duct work in dank basements, or shoved into an old closet with only a ball glove to talk to.

I want to find them and give them a history that will make them treasured . . . a look that makes them precious.

Storytelling is a major component when it comes to creating value. And nowhere has the monetary power of storytelling been demonstrated more effectively than the Significant Objects experiment. This experiment, created by Rob Walker and Joshua Glenn, is an inspiring resource for any young copywriter.

In Conclusion

Every guitar in Tony’s gallery is wildly beautiful and *ahem* rivetingly eccentric, which would be more than enough to draw in even the most casual collector.

But he does these beautiful instruments one better. Each entry spins a fascinating account of where the instrument in question came from, how it was acquired and paints a picture of an underground music scene accessible only in old memories and autobiographies.

The history that he weaves around each entry ensures that the purchaser not only has a beautiful instrument but a rare piece of history; an approach that is very reminiscent of the Significant Objects experiment.

Custom instruments are incredibly expensive and often out of reach for the average enthusiast. But the impassioned storytelling prowess on display in each and every entry is an incredible motivator for spending a little more than buyers probably intended.