Installing Locking Input Jacks

I just wanted to throw up a couple of pictures of the pocket inset locking input jack that comes standard on all of my electrics.  It is one of the last details that gets completed before the guitar goes to finish.

General Update

Well, as some of you know, things have been exceedingly busy at my place in the past several months.  My wife and I had a new baby, I have been working on remodeling some rooms, been exceedingly busy during my engineering day job, and on top of that, I have 9 new guitar orders,with new orders coming in at a rate of several per month.  That being said, I am trying to stay more disciplined, and have to stay more structured.  To date, I built what was 'inspiring' to me when I walked down into my shop.  With so many orders, that is simply not fair to many of you who have supported what I do for so long.  So, I have developed a scheduling system that I will attempt to hold myself to.  In the down time on my focus guitars, I do however, have time to get things started on the new orders.

I also have 3 'students' who are building with me.  This sort of frantic timing now is the only way I am going to be able to do this for the rest of my life, which is my goal.  So please hang in there with me.

The Feldman OM, Rye GA, Huff Hollowbody, and Pelham Singlecut will be going to finish inside of two weeks, which is VERY EXCITING.  At that point, 'all' (and I use that term slightly sarcastically) I need to do is setup.  After those guitars are delivered, I will jump headlong into finally finishing the Rye ALS, and then move into the new orders more aggressively.

Here is a batch of new orders, 5 new acoustic backs that are all joined and braced.  I need only carve the braces and install the joint liner.

Here I am gluing the liner into Corey's GA.  His back is ready, and as soon as I install the soundport, I will be able to join the sides to the back.

 This is the Rye GA, a beautiful guitar.  We made some choices - elimination of the soundport, increased box volume, etc... to make this guitar ideal for a big, full, dynamic recording guitar.  Jake is incredible, and runs a great studio that can be seen at http://www.sonusclarusmg.com/.  Check it out.

 This is a shot of the Feldman fretboard.  You may not be able to see, but this is my FIRST SEMI-HEMISPHERICAL Fretting job.  It was a learning process, and something I balked at for too long.  But now, I love it, and almost want to do it on all of my guitars...It eliminates so much post setup fretwork.  Each fret end .030 before the edge of the fretboard, and are filed to be little hemispheres...comfortable.

 Here I am gluing the fretboard down.

 Clamping the fretboard

 The new baby Leighton chilling with the Feldman box.

 Here I am gluing on Jake's neck to his body.

 I am doing final neck fitting here on the Feldman OM

 This is Jake's neck to body connection.

 This is the final carve on the ALS Hollobody.  This is going to be a really cool guitar!

And a final shot of the hollowbody.

Steve's GA

This is going to be a premier GA, built for another Steve...It is in its very initial stages now...

Mike's Commission

Hey Everyone,

Here are some sequential shots of the development of Mike's singlecut 4 string.  It will feature Nordstrand dual coils and a Nordstrand 3 band preamp.  You can see how I joing the neck and body plates, and I accomplish my carving.  Enjoy!

A NEW YEAR - A LOT OF NEW GUITARS

Like I said, I was going to be busy.....

 This is a shot of the ladder bracing going on Adam's EIR back

Here is a headplate with MOP Ziegenfuss inlay and MOP outline on red heart abalone wheat inlay for an upcoming special bass.

 Here is a quick shot of the binding on Jake's close up box...curly honduran mahogany on cocobolo.

 and another shot showing the same thing, but the back

 Here are the two closed boxes of Jakes' and Stephens GA and OM, respectively.  They are SOOO close to heading to finish.

 Here are the bent sides for Corey's cocobolo GA.

 and a couple of closing shots of Seth's ALS hollowbody...

December Updates

Well, there is a great deal going on.  There have been a large influx of orders recently, and I am busy.  Here is a quick update of where things are.

 Here is Seth's ALS hollowbody.  It is coming together!  I finished fretting yesterday, and will be gluing the body together for final shaping, sanding, and preperation for the bridge and Bigsby tremelo.

This is Pelly's neck laminate.  Cocobolo inside of quartersawn maple.

 This is Adam Hundley's EIR GA.  It is going to be a beautiful guitar - dark and stunning.

 This is Drew's set of Cocobolo for his Bryleigh - another stunner.

 This is Jake's ALS singlecut, almost refinished.  I am super slow on this one...

 This is a shot of the neck assembly of Seth's ALS hollowbody.  I use a two-way truss rod, and two .125 carbon reinforcement bars for rock hard stability.  I don't always use carbon, but though that this would be important on a heavy tremelo based guitar.

 This is Feldman's almost done OM.  Between he and Jake, I have a learned that good people offer me waaay more patience than I deserve.  This should be off to finish in a couple of weeks.

 This is Jake's GA - beautiful guitar with amazing Coco B&S.  I will show better pictures soon.

This is Corey's Coco GA - I have the ladder bracing in on the back and the sides bent.  It is coming along!