The Shrektar: An Interview with Graham Grimaldi

Graham Grimaldi is a guitarist based in Manchester, Connecticut. He plays in the alternative/midwest emo band Bluepenny, which performs regularly around New England and is releasing their debut full-length LP in Fall 2025. Graham is also working on a solo progressive math rock project, and creates guitar covers and content for social media.

Graham is the creator of the Shrektar, a Shrek-themed electric guitar with all the Shrek fixins (ogre-green body, leather pickguard, Shrek-ear horns). I saw this video of him tapping Vanessa Carlton’s “A Thousand Miles” on the Shrektar; when I clicked his profile page and saw he’s a fellow Connecticut inhabitant, I knew I had to interview him for Connecticut’s (self-proclaimed) number one guitar publication.

How did the Shrektar come to be?

It all started in the kingdom of Far Far Away… The Shrektar started as an idea I had been joking about for many years, talking about ridiculous guitar ideas with friends and being a huge Shrek fan. I started looking online and to my surprise, I could not find anyone who had made a real Shrek guitar. So I had to be the one to do it.

I’ve dabbled in crafty stuff throughout my life so I had a little experience with carving wood, painting, props, etc. so I was confident enough to at least give it a try. I’m not a luthier by any means, but I had pieced together a few guitars in the past with spare parts and 3D printing. I decided the Shrek aspect of the guitar needed to be subtle, so that it didn’t look like just a regular guitar with Shrek branding on it. So I used the color, ear shape cutaways, leather vest as a pickguard, and the Dreamworks logo on the headstock to convey Shrek in a minimalist form.

The guitar went through several iterations – what was that process like?

The Shrektar has actually gone through a couple different iterations from what it was originally. Upon initially finishing the project, I was unsatisfied with the playability of the guitar due to the crappy neck I put on it. I swapped the neck for a spare Epiphone SG neck I had sitting around, and only after painting it and bolting it on, I realized the scale length was not going to allow the guitar to intonate properly. So after a few months, I decided the Shrek guitar deserved a worthy neck and ordered a nice Strat replacement neck from Warmoth with stainless steel frets and a nicer fretboard. I 3D printed the “S” logo for the headstock this time around. The Shrektar was finally complete and plays like a dream.

Have you heard from Dreamworks or anyone from the Shrek films about it?

I have not heard from Dreamworks or anyone from the Shrek film series but I did receive a message from the band Smash Mouth, back when I initially posted a photo of the Shrektar. They loved the guitar and asked if I would send them it to play on their current tour. I was ecstatic and honored, as a long time fan of the band. Sadly however, the band’s complicated touring schedule made it too difficult to get the guitar shipped to them in time so it didn’t happen but I’m hoping maybe for their next tour!

My ultimate goal with the Shrektar is to somehow have it appear in the upcoming Shrek 5. I’m going to continue making videos with the guitar in hopes someone from Dreamworks sees it and puts it in the film.

What are the specs?

• Alder body (I should have done Swamp Ash)
• Roasted maple neck
• Pau Ferro fingerboard 12″ – 16″ radius
• Locking headstock tuners
• Seymour Duncan Invader humbucker
• 1 Volume knob

Is this your first foray into guitar building?

This wasn’t my first foray into creating a guitar, but I’ve yet to actually build a guitar from scratch. I’ve only pieced together spare parts and modified existing guitars. I would like to someday acquire the skills and tools to build one from scratch.

How did you approach carving the ear-shaped cutaways?

The ears were carved with a rotary tool and lots of sanding. I used a 3D printed Shrek bust for reference and just went slowly and carefully.

Tell me more about your previous guitar projects.

The first guitar had a 3D printed strat body and spare strat parts. I painted it yellow and called it the Beetar. The second was also a 3D printed body, it was shaped like a Xenomorph from the Alien series. The third was a telecaster I pieced together with Warmoth parts and experimented with resin casting in the body with some animal bones, shells, rocks, and cool stuff but I ended up KO’ing it by drilling the headstock tuner holes incorrectly. After those couple learning experiences, the Shrektar was born.

Can you play “All Star” on it?

You bet I can play All Star on it. It was the first song I played when I tuned it up for the first time. I’ve covered the song with bands I play in, but the Shrektar has yet to make its live music debut…maybe soon though.

What do you think Shrek would have in his guitar rig? Was the Seymour Duncan Invader his choice, or yours?

Shrek’s rig would consist of a Mesa Boogie Dual Shrektifier amp modeled through a Farquaad Cortex. The Invader I had for a different planned guitar project, but ended up using it cause it’s a great sounding pickup and I felt it looked right visually for the Shrektar.

What’s your favorite Shrek movie? Have you ever been to a Shrek Rave?

The first Shrek movie is definitely my favorite but the recent Puss in Boots: The Last Wish is a strong contender. I haven’t yet, but I’ve seen the rave come around a few times here in CT.

Beyond making videos, have you tried any direct outreach to Dreamworks or anyone from the films?

Not yet, but I think I have a good shot!

Many thanks to Graham for agreeing to this interview. You can keep up with Graham on Instagram, YouTube and TikTok. Dreamworks: drop him a DM!