Viva La Prima – Handcrafted Finnish Offset Guitar
A modern offset guitar, handcrafted in Tampere, Finland
Viva La Prima is GAS Guitarworks’ own take on the modern offset guitar.
Every Viva is handcrafted at our workshop in Härmälä, Tampere. Behind the model is more than 30 years of experience in guitar building — and a deep understanding of how different woods behave in an instrument.
Viva La Prima takes the ergonomic foundation of the classic offset guitar and brings it into the present day. Its construction, wood selection, playability and every detail have been designed around the demands of a modern player.
The result is a highly resonant and stable electric guitar that typically weighs just 2.8–3.2 kg, and feels equally at home on stage, in the studio or on the sofa.
Viva La Prima at a glance
- Handcrafted at the GAS Guitarworks workshop in Härmälä, Tampere, Finland
- Typical weight approximately 2.8–3.2 kg
- Prices from €3,500 incl. 25.5% VAT
- Typical build time approximately 4–8 weeks
- Lifetime warranty for the original owner
What is an offset guitar?
An offset guitar is an electric guitar whose body has an asymmetrical, or offset, waist.
On a more symmetrical guitar body, the two inward curves of the waist sit roughly opposite each other. On an offset body, one is positioned closer to the neck and the other closer to the bridge. This creates the characteristic shape that appears to lean slightly forward.
So the term offset does not simply mean an asymmetrical body or differently shaped horns. The defining feature is the position of the guitar’s waist.
Perhaps the best-known offset guitar is the 1958 Fender Jazzmaster. The Jaguar followed in 1962, and since then countless manufacturers have created their own interpretations of the offset concept.
The shape was not developed purely for looks. One of the original ideas behind the offset body was improved balance and playing ergonomics, particularly when playing seated.
Over the decades, offset guitars have become closely associated with genres such as surf, indie, alternative and punk. But body shape alone does not determine what an instrument should sound like or what kind of music it should be used for. An offset guitar can just as easily be a vintage-inspired single-coil instrument, a powerful humbucker-equipped workhorse or something entirely in between.
Viva La Prima – a modern interpretation of the offset guitar
Viva La Prima combines the ergonomics of the classic offset shape with modern guitar building.
The goal was never to create another version of a Jazzmaster or Jaguar. Instead, the offset shape serves as the starting point for an entirely original instrument.
A lightweight body, a stable carbon-fibre-reinforced neck and a wide range of pickup, bridge and fret options make Viva considerably more versatile than the traditional idea of an offset guitar might suggest.
Depending on your preferences, the guitar can be built with a Faber Tune-O-Matic bridge, a fixed hardtail, a Tele-style bridge or an offset tremolo system. Pickup options include GAS Guitarworks’ own hand-wound humbuckers, single coils and P90s.
In other words, offset describes the shape of the Viva body. Almost everything else can be tailored around the player.
Built on decades of experience with wood
Over the decades, instruments at GAS Guitarworks have been built from traditional tonewoods and less common species alike — from reclaimed timber to submerged wood that is thousands of years old.
Work with wood long enough and one thing becomes very clear: not every piece of the same species behaves the same way. Weight, density, grain structure, stiffness and the way the wood has dried all affect where a particular piece will work best in an instrument. That philosophy is at the heart of Viva La Prima.
The body woods are selected specifically for their weight, structure and suitability for the instrument. The standard two-piece body options are
- thermally modified pine
- Finnish poplar
Optional body woods include:
- Two-piece swamp ash (+€100)
- Thermally modified swamp ash (+€150)
- One-piece bodies by special order (please ask for price and availability)
Necks are made from hard maple, with thermally modified maple available as an option (+€50). The fingerboard can be either maple or AAA-grade Indian rosewood. For additional stability, the neck includes carbon-fibre reinforcement alongside a dual-action truss rod. The veneer-style fingerboard construction is also radiused on its underside rather than simply being installed as a flat slab.
The goal is a neck that is not only comfortable to play but exceptionally stable — particularly in conditions such as those found here in Finland, where temperature and humidity can change dramatically over the course of a year.
A lightweight offset guitar without compromise
Viva La Prima typically weighs approximately 2,800–3,200 grams.
When the body wood is selected from the beginning for its weight, structure and individual characteristics, the finished guitar can remain genuinely lightweight without resorting to unnecessarily complicated construction.
You will notice the difference — especially during a long show.
A guitar weighing around three kilos is a very different instrument to wear for an evening than a five-kilo heavyweight. And at home, you are much more likely to pick up a guitar when doing so does not require a technical T-shirt, a lifting belt and half an hour of warm-up exercises for your back.
Neck and playability
Viva La Prima uses a 25.5-inch scale length. The standard fingerboard radius is either 9.5" or 12", with optional compound radii of 9.5"–12" or 10"–14" available for +€60.
A compound radius means that the fingerboard is slightly rounder near the nut and gradually becomes flatter as you move up the neck. This gives chords and rhythm playing a natural feel in the lower positions while providing more room for large bends further up the fingerboard without the strings fretting out as easily.
Choose from three Viva neck profiles (neck thickness measured at the 1st and 12th frets):
- Viva Almost Even C – 20.5 mm / 22.5 mm
- Viva Fifty-Sixty Soft V – 22.5 mm / 23.5 mm
- Viva Junk in the Trunk C – 23.5 mm / 24.5 mm
Nut width is 42 mm. Standard frets are Jescar nickel silver, available in different sizes with either 21 or 22 frets. Jescar stainless steel frets are available as a +€250 option, offering outstanding wear resistance together with a smooth surface that many players particularly appreciate for effortless bends.
Every Viva is fully set up at our workshop before delivery and leaves GAS Guitarworks ready to play.
Pickups and electronics
Viva La Prima can be wired around the way you actually use the instrument. As standard, Viva guitars are equipped with GAS Guitarworks hand-wound pickups. Available configurations include:
- Two humbuckers (H-H)
- Humbucker and single coil (H-S)
- Two P90 pickups (P90-P90)
- Optional SSS (+€100) and HSS or HHH (+€150)
Control layouts can be volume/tone or volume/volume/tone. Custom wiring options are also available — just ask. The offset body gives Viva its recognisable visual identity, but the rest of the instrument can be configured for very different playing styles and genres.
Choose the bridge to match your playing style
Traditional offset guitars are often associated with a floating vibrato system. Viva La Prima is not tied to any single bridge design. Standard bridge options include:
- Faber Germany Tune-O-Matic + stop tailpiece
- F-style hardtail (54 mm)
- Short Tele-style bridge
Optional body woods include:
- Super-V BladeRunner tremolo (+€150)
- Halon or Mastery offset tremolo and bridge (+€250)
If the vibrato arm is an important part of your playing, the guitar can be built around that requirement. If you prefer maximum simplicity and the solid feel of a fixed bridge, Viva works equally well that way. The instrument adapts to the player — not the other way around.
Viva La Prima – specifications
Below are the key specifications for Viva La Prima. For the complete range of standard features, finishes and optional upgrades with pricing, see the Viva La Prima specification page .
| Body shape | Offset |
| Made in | Handcrafted at GAS Guitarworks, Härmälä, Tampere, Finland |
| Body wood | Thermally modified pine or Finnish poplar, two-piece; optional swamp ash (+€100) or thermally modified swamp ash (+€150) |
| Neck | Hard maple, carbon-fibre reinforcement, dual-action truss rod; optional thermally modified maple (+€50) |
| Fingerboard | Maple or AAA Indian rosewood |
| Neck profiles | Viva Almost Even C, Viva Fifty-Sixty Soft V, Viva Junk in the Trunk C |
| Nut width | 42 mm |
| Scale length | 25.5" |
| Radius | 9.5" or 12"; optional 9.5"–12" or 10"–14" compound radius (+€60) |
| Frets | Jescar nickel silver, 21 or 22 frets; optional stainless steel (+€250) |
| Bridge | Faber Tune-O-Matic + stop tailpiece, F-style hardtail or short Tele bridge; optional offset tremolo systems |
| Pickups | GAS Guitarworks hand-wound; H-H, H-S or P90-P90; optional SSS, HSS and HHH |
| Tuners | Kluson or Gotoh Traditional |
| Finish | Nitrocellulose lacquer; gloss body and satin neck |
| Gig bag | MONO M80 gig bag |
| Weight | Approximately 2.8–3.2 kg |
| Price | From €3,500 incl. 25.5% VAT |
| Build time | Approximately 4–8 weeks for a made-to-order instrument |
| Warranty | Lifetime warranty for the original owner against defects in materials and workmanship |
Price, build time and warranty
Viva La Prima prices start from €3,500 including 25.5% VAT.
The final price depends on your choice of woods, pickups, bridge, electronics and other options.
In-stock you will find finished Viva La Prima guitars that can be purchased as they are. 4–8 weeks depending on the current workshop schedule.
Every GAS Guitarworks instrument comes with a lifetime warranty for the original owner lifetime warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.
Financing is also available through Resurs Bank Musiikkitili .
Come and try Viva La Prima
You are very welcome to visit the GAS Guitarworks workshop in Härmälä, Tampere to try Viva La Prima for yourself, compare different instruments and talk about what kind of guitar would work best for you.
If you want to try a specific instrument, please arrange your visit in advance so we can make sure it is at the workshop.
The workshop address is Lentokentänkatu 49, 33900 Tampere, Finland.
Handcrafted in Härmälä, Finland. As always.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about offset guitars and Viva La Prima
Here are answers to some of the most common questions about offset guitars and Viva La Prima. If you can’t find what you’re looking for, get in touch!
An offset guitar is a guitar with an asymmetrical body waist. The two inward curves of the body are positioned at different points in relation to the neck rather than directly opposite each other. The offset shape was originally developed in part to improve balance and playing ergonomics, particularly when playing seated.
No. A Jazzmaster is an offset guitar, but not every offset guitar is a Jazzmaster. The word offset describes the geometry of the body rather than a particular guitar model, bridge design, pickup type or electronics configuration. The Jazzmaster is simply one of the best-known guitars to use an offset body.
Yes. The model now known as Viva La Prima was previously also referred to as GAS Viva. Viva La Prima is now the official model name used both in Finland and internationally.
Offset guitars are often associated with surf, indie, alternative, punk and shoegaze. But the body shape itself does not define the sound or intended use of the guitar. Pickups, scale length, bridge, electronics, woods and amplifier choice have a far greater effect on the final result. Viva La Prima can therefore be configured for a very wide range of musical styles.
Viva La Prima typically weighs approximately 2.8–3.2 kg depending on the woods, hardware and other components used.
Prices start from €3,500 including 25.5% VAT. The final price depends on the materials and options selected for the instrument.
A finished instrument that is already in stock can usually be shipped within a few business days. The typical build time for a made-to-order Viva La Prima is approximately 4–8 weeks depending on the current workshop schedule.
Yes. Viva La Prima is an established guitar model, but within that design you can choose the colour and finish, body and neck woods, neck profile, pickups, electronics and wiring, bridge system, tuners and other details. You can find the complete selection of options and prices on the Viva La Prima specification page. If you are looking for an instrument designed completely from the ground up around your own ideas, GAS Guitarworks also builds fully bespoke custom guitars.
Yes. Viva La Prima is designed and handcrafted at the GAS Guitarworks workshop in Härmälä, Tampere, Finland. This is not an overseas-manufactured instrument that is simply assembled or finished in Finland. Each Viva is built at our workshop from raw wood blanks through to the finished instrument.
You can try Viva La Prima at the GAS Guitarworks workshop in Härmälä, Tampere Lentokentänkatu 49, 33900 Tampere, Finland. We recommend arranging your visit in advance if you want to make sure a particular instrument is available to try.
GAS Guitarworks
How can we help?
Guitar & Bass Service
Professional setups, fretwork and repairs for guitars and basses.
GAS Guitars Available Now
See which finished GAS instruments are currently available from our online store.
Subscribe to our newsletter and enter the giveaway
Newsletter subscribers can enter our giveaway for a new, hand-built Viva La Prima custom guitar.
'
