Skip Navigation
Miniature Les Paul

News

A Miniature Stairway to Heaven

Unfortunately, there’s no Stairway to Heaven being played on this fine-scale miniature Les Paul (or maybe that’s fortunately, depending on what camp you fall in!). A favorite of visitors to The National Museum of Toys and Miniatures, this solid body electric guitar with white trim, brass tuning pegs and finger markings, and six strings is the work of fine-scale miniature artist Ken Manning.

Manning, who played the guitar, mouth organ, and accordion, combined his love for woodworking and music into a retirement “profession;” he made his first miniature at the age of 61. An IGMA Fellow, Manning was an internationally renowned craftsman of historic and contemporary fine-scale miniature stringed instruments: a variety of guitars, violins, banjos, mandolins, cellos, harps, lutes, double bass, ukulele, Japanese biwa, potbelly mandolin, and an Italian mandora. Think it’s hard enough to string a full-size guitar? Manning could string a miniature guitar in 1½ to 2 hours. An entire piece took him 40-50 hours to create, including a custom case.

Comments

Leave A Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Back to Top