Here's another interesting instrument that passed through the workshop recently- one of Mario Maccaferri's G40 guitars, which were made between 1953 and 1964.
Best known for his Selmer gypsy jazz guitars that were popularised by Django Reinhardt in the 30s and 40s, Maccaferri continued to push the boundaries of traditional guitar design by experimenting with plastics. He moved to the US in 1939, and began to pursue reed manufacture, eventually using plastics, and then using his discoveries in a line of plastic guitars.
Far from being 'toys', they were intended to be serious instruments. The G40 represents the pinnacle of his designs: one can find a wooden fanned bracing pattern beneath the arched soundboard as well as various metal supports with the plastic. There's also a sneaky screw adjuster hidden beneath the tailpiece that allows for neck tilt adjustment allowing for easy changes in action and playability. It's similar to the Fender 'micro-tilt' adjustment that can be found on Fender electric guitars from the 1970s, except that he was almost 20 years ahead of them!