Stratosphere Twin

Marketed in 1955 as “the only twin-necked standard guitar on the market today,” this was a product of the Stratosphere company of Springfield, Missouri. The solidbody six- and 12-string “Twin” carried a price tag of $330 and came with two maple necks bolted to an angular sap gum body, which was an unusual choice for guitar building. Controls included two neck selector switches, a three-way pickup selector for the six-string neck, and two on/off switches for the 12-string pickups. Not surprisingly, the guitar was discontinued the following year.