Mar 29, 2007 01:11 pm Oooo, custom guitar made specially for you :) Lucky!
I've pre-ordered my guitar
Posted on Mar 29, 2007 11:47 am
TallChap
Answer:On a good day, lipstick.
Member Since: Jun 24, 2004
I'd posted a while back about having a new guitar built for me by my Luthier buddy in Pennsylvania. I finally put together a proposal to him. For some nice gear-porn see www.mikehaneytheguitardr.com/
I'll post pics/music when I get the thing. It could be a while. Funny thing about it is that I didn't really give too many directions as I am absolutely confident in his ability to make something that plays well, sounds fantastic, and looks wonderful. I basically sent him a clip of Richard Thompson, and said, "this kind of sound" (obviously I don't play like that...). I know it will have that low end growl, projected mid-range, and glossy highs.
I'm going to be in so much trouble with 'er indoors.
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Mar 29, 2007 01:11 pm Oooo, custom guitar made specially for you :) Lucky!
Mar 30, 2007 07:04 pm I'm pretty stoked. It'll take some time to build, so I'm trying hard not to get too excited. It will make me depressed (I'm so emo!) when I play my Fender acoustic thinking, "I wanna play my new guitar...." Waahh
Did I mention my luthier friend does magical things with mother of pearl and abolone inlays?
My bass (he helped me build it) has a large MOP/abalone rose inlaid into the headstock (birdseye maple with a vintage finish). I gave him no direction on what to do this time, but I know there will be something sweet on the new one.
Mar 30, 2007 08:19 pm very very cool. A real treasure, I'm sure it'll be.
Mar 31, 2007 06:18 pm An acoustic I assume??
I remember you posting about this awhile back indeed. For sure keep us posted on the progress. And make sure to post pix when you get it.
Apr 02, 2007 10:44 am Yep, acoustic. It's going to be similar to a Martin 000, but better....hehe.
Check out the website above. There are a couple on there. The 'shiny' left hander has a 'bear claw spruce' top - similar to a flame maple. That's one idea my buddy has (but not a lefty). I'm going to PA in June so we'll do some brainstorming on woods and stuff then. Honestly, I think his guitars sound and play better than a lot of the higher-end stuff in the stores.
Yeah, Noize, I hadn't actually ordered at that point. Now I've got my order in, and am drumming my fingers waiting...
I remember him once making a thinline tele that was strung like an acoustic (no visible pickup/no pickguard), and he made a lovely ebony bridge in the shape of a butterfly - replete with abalone inlays. I might nudge him that direction...
Geesh, so many options....
May 21, 2007 04:44 pm So my buddy called me on Friday night. He'd just finished a course on inlays (he does great inlay work already) with a chap called "Grit" Laskin
www.williamlaskin.com/gallery2.php Warning - serious gear porn on the link...
Now my friend is all fired up on wanting to do something very special with my guitar...
I told him he was never going to make anything that played badly, looked bad, or sounded bad. I'm open to whatever he wants to do. I'll be stoked if it even approaches the stuff of Laskin's site.
I may end up with something quite startling.
May 21, 2007 04:46 pm www.williamlaskin.com/detail2.php?thisid=31
One of my favourites. That's "Grit" Laskin on the ladder.
May 21, 2007 10:32 pm Now I gotta wipe the dribble off the keyboard here. Man that is some cool stuff TC. I would love to have something like that done someday.
Jun 10, 2007 09:07 pm Okay...trouble...
Sorry, that should be Trouble (capital 'C'). As I write I am in Pennsylvania (Bethlehem) having just spent a couple of days with my buddy and his family. I've played so many guitars, tried so many necks, looked at so many woods....I'm a mess.
Also met with my friend's mentor - Frank Finnochio. Amazing stuff. He gave us some pointers too.
So far (and remember that I have left all design to my friend - I said "I don't want a Martin or a Taylor, and I don't want a dreadnaught...."):
Englemann Spruce top
Indian Rosewood sides and back
Mahogany neck
Ebony fingerboard (possibly Macassar Ebony)
Some inlays....
Some dots
A 16-1/2 body size in similar style of a Martin 000 - but with softer curves on the waist
Single rounded cutaway
Here's the good bit.... A top bout sound port...
Extra little hole up top. I can't believe the difference in tone! It's like "mastering" for your acoustic. You not only hear the difference from the playing perspective, but also out front. Louder too. Amazing!
Now begins the hard part...Waiting.....
Jun 11, 2007 10:21 pm I have a Gurian JM that I bought new back in the late 70's for $550.
Those of you who haven't heard of Michael Gurian might like to know that he was a premier luthier, making guitars for Jackson Browne, Paul Simon etc, I think Paul Simon's wife plays it now.
He no longer makes guitars and his guitars are quite rare.
I feel very fortunate to have one, even though it was not custom made for me, to own a fine instrument is one of life's great pleasures!
I would love to see pics of yours when you get it, it sounds very nice!
Actually it would be kind of cool to see pics of everyone's favorite guitar.
Jun 11, 2007 10:40 pm Congrats TC, I can't wait to see the pix when its done!
Aug 01, 2007 04:52 pm Updated: Not very much...
It would seem that my Luthier friend has been "giving it some serious thought lately" - but not actually doing anything about it as he's finishing another one for someone else (who ordered another before his other was finished...he must be pretty good..).
One cool thing is that my buddy found some highly figured mahogany ($$$) to use for the sides and back, so he's weighing his options on that. Due to the cutaway, and the dangers of bending highly figured woods on turns like that, he's see-sawing on the rosewood and the mahogany. I told him I don't care about the wood, and I don't care about the time it takes. Once he's past his "pucker factor" on this it will be sweet! All I know is that he's pushing the envelope on this one, and it's going to be one of the best he's ever made! He's going to make this guitar at the very limits....
Lucky me. :)
Aug 04, 2007 04:12 am It looked like Al Gore in the first pic of the third row.
Aug 09, 2007 04:48 pm Nice one TallChap man...
Looks cool. Nice one!!
Im gonna get me a Coco Custom Les Paul one day....just need to decide what I'd like on it but something unique - pretty much looking like a badass ole Gibson with big covered PAF's and perhaps, a nice shade of green, tiger stripped, with a saltire on the headstock (and my name) and of course, signature on the stock ala Les PAul himself WITH, maybes, a big badass fretboard similar to one you had in those links but, more subtle and less pronounced....in fact, possibly small saltire inlays or something, ah dunno...
Guess thats why I aint fired the dosh yet on it ;-)
Costs here looking around £2000...a lot of wonga !
Coco
Aug 09, 2007 06:49 pm Coco, man! Where ya been?
Nice to see the avatar flying again in HRC land.
Quick calculation in my head on exchange rates (better coming this way than the other way round!).......
HOLY CRAP...that's a lot of dough!
Mine's 'close' to that.....
Pretty though...
Nov 05, 2007 11:10 am Update: Spoke to my friend yesterday and he's started building!!! Indian Rosewood on the back and sides as the figured mahogany wasn't wide enough to use. He's guaranteed me that this is going to be the best guitar he's ever built. I believe him.
He could only start mine once he'd finished building the one he was working on. The buyer of that guitar went over for a 'fitting' the other day (before the guitar went out for finishing), and ordered another one on the spot! Not bad.
Very excited now. Another three months and I'll be playing it!!!!
Nov 05, 2007 05:13 pm Sweet, keep it updated if you get pix and such.
Dec 10, 2007 01:51 pm Okay, update. Pics coming in the next week...
My buddy made three moulds before he was completely happy with the shape. We're now talking a body shape similar to a Gibson ES-185, with the Venetian cutaway. The Indian rosewood he's found for the back and sides is apparently "chocolaty purple with orange..."
Oh, and he mentioned "a big surprise...and it's not the soundport!"
So, the mould is made, the body is in and being shaped, and the back is joined and sanded to thickness.
I don't even have a "drum" at this point...
I kind of hate it when he gives me updates as it makes the wait more difficult.
Jan 02, 2008 03:38 pm Okay, I'm uploading some pics to my profile. Here's some carpentry verging on gear porn (for me, but I'm a sick man). Note the shape, and the lovely indian rosewood used on the back. Nowhere neer completion, but I have patience. I do.
Really.....
er....
Jan 03, 2008 08:06 pm Dude, nice looking guitar. It looks about the same shape as my Hohner, which I like very much. Not sure if it is the same size though, yours looks as if it is a smidgen larger. Nice logo and pretty wood!
Jan 08, 2008 01:17 pm Pretty wood....
Hehehehehehehehehehhehee
Yeah, I'm stoked. I have a JB Player ABG which is pretty much the same shape. I love that guitar, so I can't see why I won't adore the new one.
Mar 14, 2008 01:30 am I just registered so i could tell denmanjum that I too bought a Gurian JM in 1977 and paid about $350 for it. Funny thing is I gave it away once and sold it once, and both times it came back to me. I took that as a sign to never part with it again. Michael Gurian I hear is now in the Seattle area nd just manufactures purfling - you know - the sound hole decorations. But I love my Gurian which also was a production model as opposed to being made by the man himself.
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