Queen Anne’s Revenge
The Q.A.R. Guitar
The Q.A.R. has a modern ergonomic design with a headless neck and small body, resulting in an extremely light guitar. There is no neck dive as the weight is centered right in front of the player. The bridge system is recessed into the body, protecting the tuners, and the neck is a single piece of maple, lending it stability and strength. The headless design and red stain are both references to the violent end of Blackbeard the pirate.
Guitar in photos is configured:
Neck: One piece maple, bolt-on, crushed abalone inlay, walnut skunk stripe, headless
Body: Mahogany with maple top
Hardware: Hipshot Headpiece, Guyker Bridge
Pickups: Mojotone DW Tomahawk set
Controls: 1 Volume, 3-way switch (bridge, both, neck)
Scale Length: 25”
Frets: 24
Behind the Name
The Queen Anne’s Revenge Pirate Ship
Edward Teach (or possibly Thatch), more famously known as Blackbeard, was the most feared pirate during the Golden Age of Piracy. It is believed he started his sailing career as a privateer during Queen Anne’s War in the early 1700s. Privateers sailed on privately owned vessels that fought under commission for the government. After the war, he joined the crew of privateer-turned-pirate Benjamin Hornigold, worked his way up the ranks, and was given command of one of the ships in Hornigold’s flotilla. In 1717, Hornigold retired and Teach struck out on his own.
A man of imposing build, Teach understood the impact of a dramatic image. This tall, broad-shouldered pirate braided his beard with ribbons and slow-burning fuses so that his head was wreathed in smoke during battle. But an imposing captain requires an imposing ship. On November 28, 1717, Blackbeard attacked La Concorde, a large French Guineaman, or slave ship. He rechristened the ship as the Queen Anne’s Revenge and loaded her down with 40 guns.
At the height of his power Teach commanded such a massive flotilla that he could blockade entire ports and raid all vessels entering. He even awarded himself the rank of Commodore. Eventually, the British Navy caught up with him on the beaches of Ocracoke Island and was slain in battle. Lieutenant Robert Maynard, the sailor who killed him, reported that he had been shot five times and cut over twenty. His body was beheaded and, as a warning to pirates, his head was displayed at the entrance to Chesapeake Bay, where it was kept for years.
For those interested:
Lee, Robert E. Blackbeard the Pirate: A Reappraisal of His Life and Times. Blair, 1974.