He set fire to an electric guitar alone onstage in front of a stunned crowd at the opening of Clarion Hotel Union Brygge in Drammen. (The newest addition to his empire opens Wednesday in Oslo, a luxurious art hotel named The Thief.) In Britain in 2002 he chained himself to the gate of a waste treatment plant to protest nuclear power.

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For the gigging musician, this could be an excellent investment, especially if your set list calls for the sound of a nylon classical guitar on one song and an electric sitar on another.

NPR: The Variax: Many Sounds from One Guitar