One of Twenty-Five: The James Tyler Studio Elite HDX Stars and Stripes Shmear

Some guitars are built for the stage. Some are built for history. This one was built for both — and we are honored to have one.We're proud to announce that Interstellar Guitars is carrying one of the most extraordinary limited edition instrument we have ever had the privilege of bringing through our doors: the James Tyler Studio Elite HDX Stars and Stripes Shmear, created in celebration of America's 250th birthday and limited to just 25 hand-painted examples in the entire world. No two are identical. Each one is a painting. For a shop in its first year of business, that feels like exactly the kind of moment we opened our doors for.

Twenty-Five Paintings

Here is what makes the Stars and Stripes Shmear unlike anything else we have ever carried: every single one of the 25 guitars in this run was painted entirely by hand. Not printed. Not sprayed through a stencil. Painted, one body at a time, by a human being, making every instrument on earth genuinely one of a kind.

The upper bout carries deep, metallic candy red stripes over a luminous silver-white field — each stripe textured and dragged with physical energy, with genuine dimension you can see and feel. The lower bout opens into a rich patriotic blue star field, white shmeared stars filling the entire lower body in bold, expressive marks that shift between abstract art and unmistakable Americana depending on how far away you're standing. The whole composition flows across the body the way a flag unfurls in a summer wind.

Then there's the headstock. The face carries "James Tyler" repeated in bold red text across a white field, James Tyler's personal blue script signature overlaid at center, and "Los Angeles, CA" at the crown — red, white, and blue, front to back. Turn it over and the natural maple headstock back is inscribed with the opening words of the Declaration of Independence: "In Congress, July 4, 1776. The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America" — in period-accurate script, followed by "USA 250th Anniversary Guitar 1 of 25." Even the control knobs carry a small Red, White, and Blue flag detail. Not a single surface of this instrument is not telling the same story.

The Details

The James Tyler Studio Elite HDX Stars and Stripes Shmear features a hand-painted Stars and Stripes Shmear finish — each of the 25 examples painted individually, making every guitar genuinely one of a kind. Created specifically to commemorate the 250th anniversary of American independence. Built on the James Tyler Studio Elite HDX platform with JTS5500 single-coils in the neck and middle positions and a Super humbucker at the bridge. HDX wiring system including Midboost preamp, Bridge Series/Parallel switch, and Neck+Bridge On button. Quartersawn maple neck, compound 10"-12" radius, Wide/Tall frets, Hipshot locking tuners, and Gotoh 510TS bridge. Red, White, and Blue Tyler branding on headstock face. Limited to 25 pieces worldwide.

This is not a guitar we expect to have available for long. If you've been looking for an instrument that is both a world-class player and a genuine piece of American commemorative art — hand-built, hand-painted, and limited to a number that will never grow — this is it.Stop by the shop or reach out to us directly to see the Stars and Stripes Shmear in person. There are only 25 of these on earth. We're proud to share it.

Interstellar Guitars — proud to be part of the story, in our first year and beyond.