New Site Version

[verhoevenc]

So I finally bit the bullet and said "screw it, I'm gunna release the new version before I have actually guitars to go in all the "model" slots." Either way, I'd like to present the new version of my website. Although it takes the same format as before there's a lot new there. The menu isn't static and floats in the bottom right corner, the site reacts to the user's screen resolution to optimize viewing (hopefully hahah), and the background has a rotating image so every time (well, for the first 3 times statistically) you visit the site you get a slightly different experience. It features all of my new model designs and some new galleries of finished builds.

Let me know what you guys think:

http://www.muxguitars.com

Chris

[ScottR]

Niiiice.

SR

[frets]

Looks good. I'll be interested to see you build that retro styled model too.

The background doesn't cycle for me though. It seems to flash the other guitars and then goes back to the Marlin.

How do you pronounce MuX by the way? like "mucks" or "mewks"?

Edited September 3, 2011 by frets

[Ripthorn]

It looks really good. My one comment is that the floating menu interferes with some of the text. For example, in the Lutherie Resources area. I know you can just scroll down, but it can make for a somewhat cluttered appearance. Just an observation. Overall, though, I think it has turned out quite well.

[MiKro]

MuX SuX, Just kidding Chris, looks good so far. Some tweeking maybe, but have not put my thoughts on what parts yet.

Mike

[Tim37]

im digging the F guitar thats pretty sweet i cant wait to see one built.

[verhoevenc]

Hmmm.... the text and menu interference was the reason for having the home screen determine the user's resolution, and then scaling accordingly. Perhaps I missed a spot, or need to change the configurations for when to use hi-res or low-res versions of the site! Thanks for the heads up!

As for the background not cycling, the home screen will ALWAYS be the Marlin. It's when you go to other pages that one of the 3 faded black background shows. If with this knowledge it still seems broken I'd love to know which browser you're using, etc.

Thanks guys!

Chris

[bayvan]

The site looks good. I experienced small bug with go back functionality. When you push the back button on the browser it redirects back to the home page and not to the previous page you visited. For better user experiance it should send you back to the page you visited before. For example lets say i clicked models and then i clicked meet the builder and i click on the go back button on the browser it should get me back to the models page but it dose not. It sends me to the home page.

[brian d]

Hey Chris,

I'm not getting the background cycling... Google Chrome browser on a Mac. I'm getting a black background with a faded Marlin which is so subtle as to be barely noticeable. I'm also getting the issue with the back button always going to the "enter" page. I think it would be good to have the menu on that page as well, or get rid of it altogether as it has no other info.

On the gallery page, the photos of guitars which were taken portrait but rotated to landscape look a bit weird because of the visual cues in the background that look wrong.

Love the overall feel of the site, and the floating menu is very classy - doesn't interfere at all with text on the browser/res (1680x1050) I'm using.

It goes without saying (but I'll say it anyway) that the guitars are gorgeous and the lutherie resources videos are terrific.

[verhoevenc]

That's very strange that chrome/mac is giving you issues because well... I'm chrome/mac as well hahaha. The back button issue comes from the fact you're only ever on ONE page. That's why I have internal navigation. This format was necesary in order to accommodate not reloading the menu, etc. every time a new page comes up (and it's a relatively larger file than you'd want to do that too often with. The transparency needed to make it work requires a very high resolution to look good on some browsers (IE cough cough). But yeah, you end up at the enter page since that actually WAS the last page you were at That's why there's internal navigation. For anything that goes 1-level deep, simply clicking anywhere else on the menu gets you to where you're going just fine. Anything two levels deep (for example: going to models, baracuda, then f-style) these pages has built in "back" buttons, which would return you to the baracuda 'level' since it's not on the menu, but 2nd level deep.

As for the pictures of older guitars. I agree, they're annoying. Sadly, my options are rotate them, or have them going directions I don't want them to go. I'd love to be off and take new pictures of them, but most of those guitars are either 1- gone, or 2- have so many scratches from being played so much they're no longer picture worthy (I play my guitars ). I'll look into the rotating background though... cause that's strange. Also, how many times did you visit? Cause it won't give you a new background for each page you go to, it gives you a new background every time you re-visit the site. For example, visit, click on models and tell me what you see as the background. Then refresh, click models again and what do you see? Refresh and go to a non-starting-page a couple times and one should see several different backgrounds?

Chris

[brian d]

Hey Chris,

I visited the site 4 or 5 times, always the same background. (Just went on again a few times... now I'm getting the 3 different backgrounds)

Chris, my wife uses Corel Paint Shop Pro Photo to remove backgrounds from photos - I wonder if that would help with the rotated photos?

Brian.

[verhoevenc]

Yeah, that's why I'm shooting all my new stuff with the guitars on black velvet. That way it's REALLY easy to remove backgrounds, of use them naturally and still keep a very neutral feel that highlights the guitar, nothing else.

Chris

[masterblastor]

The site looks awesome man. It renders properly in IE. I'd change the font to something sans serif to match up with the nav a bit, but I'm the anti-serif so take that with a grain of salt.

Are you in Seattle as well?

[verhoevenc]

No, I'm DC area now.

Chris