It’s official. Metalcasting rocks.

When we waxed melodically about the metal castings found in musical instruments in 2007, we hit the cymbals, drums, piano and hand bells. Now, castings are adding a decorative touch to the most ubiquitous of instruments—the guitar.

DBZ Guitars, Chicago, is using jewelry-style castings to adorn a new line of its handmade axes. You can see the intricate inlays and read more about the company’s guitars in an article on www.guitargearheads.com.

The article reports that the castings are produced in the hand casting process, which uses permanent molds to produce products with enhanced surface finishes. According to the article, the casting “is designed in high detail and finished in 24k gold and nickel.”