Tap Handle #848: Latrobe - Rolling Rock Extra Pale (Guitar)

Tap size:  11.5"

Rarity:  readily available

Mounting:  3/8" ferrule on 5/16" anchor bolt

As an amateur guitar player, I'm drawn to guitar-themed taps with unique features. I prefer such taps to be more than just a piece of wood or acrylic with a decal on it - I like the design to go a bit further in the details. This Rolling Rock tap fits that preference. While much of the tap is a beautiful piece of hardwood - maple I think - the tuning keys are metal, as are 2 frets and 6 strings on the neck. The label with the brewery's name appears on the head of the guitar. On the back of the head is another label that indicates this is the very common "Extra Pale" variety. The labels are made to appear worn by using Photoshop distressing techniques during the design to create fake scratches and rub marks. While there are no tuners on the head and thus no strings there, it would be counter-intuitive to do so, as that would block the view of the label. It's probably one of the best guitar taps released. One design issue to note: the wood surface on the underside where the ferrule screws onto the anchor bolt is unfinished (see last photo at bottom of page), which can cause the wood to crack over time...I would recommend applying a finish over the bottom to seal it. A second design issue to note: the anchor bolt extends farther into the ferrule than normal, leaving only about 3/8" gap for a bolt to screw into, making it hard to mount the tap flush to a surface; when I mounted it for display, I had to use extra washers as spacers so that the threads of the bolt could not be seen (and I used the shortest bolt I could find). There is another version of the tap that says "Town Fair" with 2 bottles at the bottom of the image (see photo inset); this second version is more rare and much harder to find, but other than the label appearance and rarity, the 2 versions are otherwise the same. This tap used to be quite plentiful and affordable on the secondary market, but in 2023, about half of those listed stayed at the historical price ($30-$40), while the other half jumped up into the $70-$80 range. At the time of this writing, the tap can still be easily found, but only at the elevated price.

For more about Latrobe and Rolling Rock, see this post.

Unsealed bottom surface