Following the release of his own artist model guitar, Machine Gun Kelly has admitted that he is disappointed with the backlash and “wrong” interpretations it has received.
Listen to Machine Gun Kelly Radio and more on the free Audacy app
In a continuous collaboration with Schecter Guitars, the third Machine Gun Kelly signature guitar was released on January 9th. The electric guitar, aptly named the “Machine Gun Kelly Razor Blade” is designed as exactly that: a guitar with the shape and chrome paint of a razor blade. The instrument itself is a rectangular basswood with a metallic scratchplate under the strings to give the body a shiny, razor-metal look. It is a single-pickup electric guitar, with master volume control, a toggle kill switch, and other features. Kelly himself announced the guitar and played it at a recent show, saying it was “ kind of an ode to ‘Tickets To My Downfall’, the line on [the] title track and also an ode to my 20s and all the crazy times that I had.”
Despite the design inspiration, the internet had overwhelmingly negative opinions of the release. Some guitar fans mocked the look of the instrument and its minimal specs, while others thought the design was just plain distasteful. “this deserves a boycott. I'm not kidding. Who tf approved this?” one comment reads, with another writing, “The most cursed abomination Schecter has ever released. 2024 is ruined already.” Other fans have come to Kelly’s defense, noting his past songs and albums that contained ‘razor blade’ imagery and lyrics, but the negative comments are still dominating. The guitar currently stands at $1,499, which appears to be a markdown from the original $2,169 price tag. Schecter Guitars has not commented on the backlash.
MGK, however, took to X (formerly known as Twitter) to defend the instrument design. “i'll never explain my art, because true art is conversational and always up for interpretation,” he began, before adding, “but i will say, most of you constantly interpret it wrong. and then blame me for your version of what you think my art is. ultimately im sad at how people perceive me in general. peace”
His response seems to be targeted at those who believe the guitar glorifies self-harm, and he continued by responding directly to that allegation. “The [punk] scene has problems with mental health and making tools that can cause self-harm look 'cool' is actually super lame,” one music fan wrote, to which Kelly responded, "You show your lack of depth by taking art at face value. this has nothing to do with any of the subject matter you just presented. so no my friend, you suck.”
Whether you see the guitar as edgy and attention-grabbing or audacious and cheap, it appears that Machine Gun Kelly is standing behind his design. The guitar is still available at the Schecter website here, though it’s hard to say for how long.