Axtra Guitar Museum – A.E.I.O.U.

Welcome to the Axtra Guitar Museum

The Axtra brand is listed in Jim Roberts’ book American Basses with the following description:

Founded by Bill Michaelis in 1985, Axtra Guitars of Kenosha, Wisconsin, is a custom specialty shop that builds instruments to order.

Check out the Axtra Guitar Owner’s Group on Facebook

Jeff Loomis

Axtra Sanctuary

Jeff’s custom-made Axtra features the album cover of “Into the Mirror Black” by Sanctuary.

Here is a collage featuring Jeff’s Axtra, along with commentary from Edward who worked on the guitar.

This Axtra is featured in the music video for “What Tomorrow Knows” by Jeff’s band Nevermore.

Jeff currently shreds with the metal band Arch Enemy.

Chuck Schuldiner

Axtra Prophecy

Charles Michael Schuldiner (May 13, 1967 – December 13, 2001) was an American musician. He founded the pioneering death metal band Death in 1983, in which he was the lead vocalist, guitarist, primary songwriter and only continuous member until his death in 2001.

Axtra built the Prophecy guitar personally for Chuck.

Chuck playing his
Axtra Prophecy Live

Joe Kopecky

Seven-String Axtra

Rock/metal/progressive guitarist and composer. Member of the bands: Imperial Fall, Backward Sky Falling and Kopecky.

Joe playing his Axtra live with Backward Sky Falling on March 6, 2022 at the legendary Shank Hall in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Joe playing his Axtra live with the Secret Society of Starfish in Racine, Wisconsin.

William Kopecky plays Axtra 4-string fretted and fretless custom basses.

William Kopecky playing his Fretless Axtra Bass

Jim Aho

Angel Landing Axtra

In the 1990’s in the United States, Jim Aho played the “Angel Landing” Axtra guitar with the band Mind Medicine, a cover band that played all over Southeastern Wisconsin.

You can see the Angel Landing in this Mind Medicine group photo.

Jim Aho was most recently spotted in 2019 volunteering with The Rockin’ Psalms out of Green Bay, Wisconsin when they did a special tribute show to the Armed Forces of the United States.