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Michael designed and played the first-ever Double V-neck guitar. He designed it because he wanted to do something truly unique on guitar. Not something to be 'cooler' than other players, just different. When he played it live, he used to turn it upside down as a stage trick. Then, he decided to, instead of turning it upside down, have another two necks added on the bottom to make 4 necks. This had an added bonus - he could now add an extra string to the bottom ones to have two 6 and two 7 string necks. Here's some information about the two creations:
Two Necks:
Info from http://www.angelo.com

Michael's first version of the Double-Guitar was actually two separate guitars. He took a Gibson "Flying V" guitar and fastened it to a snare drum stand. This was a right-handed guitar faced in a left-handed playing position. Another Gibson "V" was strapped (right-handed) around his shoulder. He played the left side first, then the right side, then both at the same time. The Double-Guitar has come a long way since then. Dean guitars built the first "factory" custom Double-Guitar. Dean Zelinsky himself designed the bodies.

Next, Michael and guitar tech Kenny Breit came up with a new way to attach the two guitars. They took a flight case latch and retrofitted it to the back of each instrument. Now it took about 15 seconds to put the Double-Guitar together.

When Michael first performed the Double-Guitar "in concert" it started to "feed back" when he began to play both guitars at once. Immediately after that show he started thinking about some way to dampen the strings (when he played both guitars at the same time). Something that could stop noise at high volumes and be moved out of way when it wasn't being used. Michael invented the String Dampener. It is adjustable and fits any guitar. The "String Dampener" has gone through several new modifications and is available through M.A.C.E. Music.

Michael has had custom made Double-Guitars built for him by Dean Guitars, Wayne Charvel for Gibson guitars and BC Rich guitars and Aria Pro guitars among others.

Dean Guitars built Michael a brand new Double-Guitar in January 2003, then another one in October 2003. Both of the Dean Double-Guitars were designed by Dean Zelinsky. One of them, the Mach 7, is pictured to the left.

Four Necks:

An original stage technique of Michaels' was to take the double neck guitar and flip it upside down and play it as a trick. Then, he thought "why flip it upside down when I can add two more necks". So, it was done. Wayne Charvel designed the guitar and it was made in conjunction with Gibson Guitars. Wayne later changed the necks and neck logos to say Ritz Guitars which at the time was his new guitar company. (Wayne is now associated with Jackson, I think.)

The four neck, or 'Quad X-400' guitar was shaped like an 'X', and worked the same way as the double neck. All of the necks could be played as single guitars, or hooked together to make the 'X' shape. Click here to see a still from the Nitro 'Freight Train' video which shows Michael using two necks from the Quad as a Double Neck. The top two necks are six string guitars, and the bottom two are seven string guitars, but with a high A string rather than a low B. This was so Michael could harmonise with some of Jims' vocals I think.

The Quad was first seen on the album insert to 'Proud To Be Loud' by Jim Gillette (who would later become the singer of Nitro), which featured Michael on guitar. It is unknown if he used the Quad (or parts of it) for the album. It is seen again inside the 'O.F.R.' (Nitro) album insert. Michael then used it on the 'Freight Train' (the first single lifted from 'O.F.R.') video for the second guitar solo. It was then used on the first two nights of the Nitro 'Out-Fuckin'-Touring' tour before it was stolen - someone sneaked into the bands' bus in El Paso, Texas and ran off with it! A new Quad is currently being made by Dean Guitars for Michael, and will be ready around Autumn 2004.