Gotm Theme

[zyonsdream]

I was thinking that it would be cool to set up a theme for a GOTM. Not every month but once in a while. For example, Build a traditional tele or a unique shapes only month. Give a two month notice and see what people can do with that time.

I thought it would be cool to do a cigar box month or something tricky. Something that forces people outside of their comfort zone. A lot of times the builds in the GOTM are so different in Genre that it’s hard to determine the one I like the best.

[rhoads56]

hahahaha

HaHaHaHaHaHa

HAHAHAHAHAHA

cough cough

HAHAHAHA HAHAHAHAHA

Excuse me, i was just having guitar build off, and cariburst flashbacks, i wasnt laughing at you, really.

..

Tried it, twice now, even gave longer than 2 months, and it didnt work because no-one finished their guitars. The cariburst comp had ZERO finalists, despite there being ten or so entries. The guitar build off had 7 or eight entrants, and only one finished guitar, and this comp was limited to the more experienced guys...

[zyonsdream]

I hadn’t realized that it had been done in the past. I guess it’s a good idea in theory but in practice it wouldn’t pan out.

I know I would be lost if someone started the baritone fanned fret with a floyd rose acoustic GOTM competition.

[Daniel Sorbera]

We had a guitar box build recently and IIRC it turned out pretty good. I'll have to go search and find the thread.

[rhoads56]

We had a guitar box build recently and IIRC it turned out pretty good. I'll have to go search and find the thread.

Big difference between a three stringed instrument with a premade box and bolts for machineheads, versus a guitar that most people would spend $500 just on parts to build (not to mention months of time).

[black_labb]

what about a yearly competition, like tele of the year, fancy wooded guitar of the year, cigarbox guitar of th year, best original shape ect.

that way it wouldnt be specifically for the comp, anyone who had finished a guitar that fit a category throughout the year could enter the comp.

[killemall8]

what about a yearly competition, like tele of the year, fancy wooded guitar of the year, cigarbox guitar of th year, best original shape ect.

that way it wouldnt be specifically for the comp, anyone who had finished a guitar that fit a category throughout the year could enter the comp.

i like that idea, seems like it work

[WezV]

Perry is right - it doesnt really work. I was really keen on the build off idea but i am one of the entrants who didnt finish, mainly because other projects got in the way and this one was always lower priority. I still havnt gotthe final touches done actually - must sort that out.... only 4 months late.

Was it pretty much this time last year we started talking about a build off before!!!

Out of the 7 entrants we had a couple of good reasons for not finishing, my feeble excuse, one person who finished on time and a few people who never bothered to show up again!!!

[black_labb]

what do the guys with more experience in this forum than i think of the idea i put forward about a yearly comp with multiple categories. how many categories would you guys think would be suitable

possible categories could be

tele

V

strat (inc suerstrat)

metal (something that looks metal)

original (not that some metal designs arent original, just the voting would be based on the voters style preference)

bass

LP

novelty section (they can be usable, but this section refers to instruments with a particular theme, im thinking of something like the shovel bass a few months back)

acoustic

the issue i can see in the categories is where to stop (ie well you did a category for a lp, what about prs single cuts, do they fit in ect.) maybe a gibsonish category to cover more things. i dont know how far it would go, but i think its a good idea.

[WezV]

I think the real question is why? Is GOTM not enough? I agree some annual kind of thing might be nice but if anything it should complement GOTM, maybe with the 12 winners going through to a GOTY vote.

the Build off thing was a nice idea that appealed to me because the idea was we produced tutorials that would benefit Project Guitar - i still hant finished mine but i will one day.

Anyway... only so much room on the front page for all this stuff!!!

[zyonsdream]

It’s not that the GOTM is not enough. I thought it would be cool to see folks match wits and see who could come up with the highest votes in a specific genre of build. In the GOTM you get a very wide variety of guitars which can make it hard to compare features, quality and difficulty of build. If everyone has the same style of guitar to work with it allows everyone to compare on an equal level.

I think a yearly thing would work. We could start it January first and then end it December 31st.

Your guitar has to be started and completed in that year. You can’t submit anything started earlier than January 1st and no kit guitars.

Go basic with it and have two categories.

1.A telecaster or Stratocaster

2.A dreadnaught acoustic.

Those choices can generally be built without huge costs and in a decent time frame. After the shape, everything else is up to the builder’s imagination.

[WezV]

thats pretty much like the build off we tried last year. See januarys GOTM for the one guitar to finish. we voted the shape to be Les Paul and even decided we would all contribute a prize, i sent mine to erik because i think he earned it!! i guess most of us just lost interest..... life gets in the way!!!

[rhoads56]

Yup, we thought that making people DONATE GOODS to enter the comp, would tie them to their commitment. Even that didnt work.

[CrazyManAndy]

I would love a genre specific build off, but as these guys have said, it rarely, if ever, works out. Now, a couple of group builds, like the blues tribute guitar, would be really cool, and much more feasible.

CMA

Edited November 28, 2007 by CrazyManAndy

[rhoads56]

I would love a genre specific build off, but as these guys have said, it rarely, if ever, works out. Now, a couple of group builds, like the blues tribute guitar, would be really cool, and much more feasible.

CMA

And even that really isnt happening. I pulled out of that project more than 18 months ago, and took a lot of **** for it, yet its still nowhere near finished, and the participants are some of the more skilled around here. THIS IS NOT A DIG AT THOSE INVOLVED, they are all doing a great job, but an example of what can happen to good plans. The best intentions are always upset by other factors.

[CrazyManAndy]

Yeah, I look at it occasionally. What's the hold up?

The ReRanch forum just did a group build, of course the neck wasn't made from scratch, but it virtually came together in just a few days. Around 20 or so participants, I think. Currently it's being finished. (clicky)

CMA

[fryovanni]

I am going to stay quiet. These things are just not for me.

Peace,Rich

LOL, Sorry I just read option #2 " I don't have time to build something that isn't commisioned". Nice

Edited November 28, 2007 by fryovanni

[Jehle]

We had a guitar box build recently and IIRC it turned out pretty good. I'll have to go search and find the thread.

Big difference between a three stringed instrument with a premade box and bolts for machineheads, versus a guitar that most people would spend $500 just on parts to build (not to mention months of time).

Yep, that was an experiment with mini-build competitions. We had a few cigar box guitars entered for that one, and one made from plywood IIRC. To build a guitar in one month would be a push for me. I don't build for a living and often I get 5 minutes to do something at a time. I could whip out a $15 CBG in a month with no problem though (and that's even winding my own pickups).

Like Perry said, this has been tried before. Yes, it's a cool idea. Yes, I'd like to do it. But, I don't know how many people could actually get their stuff together that quickly... unless you just buy a guitar made that meets the rules. eBay anyone?

[digi2t]

A theme gotm would be fine, but I would never be able to enter. Just the fact of having that kind of pressure to "slap" something together would turn me off. My Flying V that I posted recently evolved like this;

Bought the wood - March 2005

Stared at the wood - Rest of 2005

Decided on the shape - January 2006

Rethought the concept - most of 2006

Talked myself into a V - November 2006

Cut the wood - February 2007

Routered the body - July 2007

Found THE graphite neck - September 2007

Finally completed the sucker - 2 weeks ago

I'm no candidate for a "Biker Build-off" or OCC employee of the month. I need to be spiritually moved at some point, and like the Space Shuttle heading to the pad, that can take awhile...

Cheers.

[westhemann]

like Rhoads said...It never really works out.

Thanks to Erikbojeric,we at least got a damn fine tutorial out of the GBO...and I think most of us had a little fun discussing things,but we had about a dozen entrants(from memory)and Erik was the only guy to finish.It is three months after the deadline now,and I believe his is STILL the only guitar.

Luckily he finished,or the prize would have gone to the fanciest cardboard cutout.

And I pushed that GBO as hard as I could...getting as many entrants as I could round up,trying to get more,running the polls,organizing the prize donations and setting up the forum it was hosted on...and it was still almost a complete bust.

The "carrieburst" I think I was even going to build one when it first started circulating...I can't recall why that failed.

Best thing you guys can do is do it amongst yourselves,try to set up a free forum and lock in the rules,and do it privately,then enter them all in the month of your own deadline...

I for one am not willing to try again to coordinate another one...trust me when I say it is like herding cats.

[Jehle]

Luckily he finished,or the prize would have gone to the fanciest cardboard cutout.

Ya know... A fancy cardboard cutout contest is possible to do in a month.

We could just have a simple design contest. No actual building needed. It could be a sketch on a napkin, a CAD, or cardboard mock up. Extra points for if the cardboard guitar actually plays a note.

The main complaint about having any sort of monthly competition (which it doesn't have to be) is that a full on guitar requires a lot of wood working and time to get everything done, let alone to let the finish cure. I say, set the bar lower.

Here's a few ideas:

1) build a fret bender to pre-radius fret wire

2) find an inexpensive alternative to an expensive tool

3) wind your own pickup and post a sound clip

4) you open the door and find a group of orcs. What's your THACO Wes?

5) find a creative way to use a 5 position strat switch to do something else

6) make something usefull from plywood

There's all kinds of easy stuff like that we can do in a short time frame. New tools and jigs are always welcome too. Any thoughts?

Oh, and the orcs roll a 2 on initiative...

[WezV]

and Erik was the only guy to finish.It is three months after the deadline now,and I believe his is STILL the only guitar.

i have been playing mine for a couple of months but when i missed the deadline i lost my motivation to finish it off. Its been played by a few people and they have liked it so i should have all the final detail stuff sorted soon - too late for the build off though and i dont think i would have beat erik anyway!!! I will post the tutorial when i have it done but the photos did trail off a bit so it may have some gaps

i should point out that i felt very commited to this idea.. stuff just got in the way and it became less of a priority as the year went on

[WAK Guitars]

Luckily he finished,or the prize would have gone to the fanciest cardboard cutout.

Ya know... A fancy cardboard cutout contest is possible to do in a month.

We could just have a simple design contest. No actual building needed. It could be a sketch on a napkin, a CAD, or cardboard mock up. Extra points for if the cardboard guitar actually plays a note.

The main complaint about having any sort of monthly competition (which it doesn't have to be) is that a full on guitar requires a lot of wood working and time to get everything done, let alone to let the finish cure. I say, set the bar lower.

Here's a few ideas:

1) build a fret bender to pre-radius fret wire

2) find an inexpensive alternative to an expensive tool

3) wind your own pickup and post a sound clip

4) you open the door and find a group of orcs. What's your THACO Wes?

5) find a creative way to use a 5 position strat switch to do something else

6) make something usefull from plywood

There's all kinds of easy stuff like that we can do in a short time frame. New tools and jigs are always welcome too. Any thoughts?

Oh, and the orcs roll a 2 on initiative...

I think a smaller thing like wind your own pickup month could work.

I kind of like the annual awards idea with different categories. We could have like the top three from each month and put them into categories.

I think anything would be cool if we could make it work.

[zyonsdream]

how about this. A guitar of the year. In January, you take all of the GOTM winners and have a final round so there is a guitar of the year.

That would be pretty cool

[digi2t]

how about this. A guitar of the year. In January, you take all of the GOTM winners and have a final round so there is a guitar of the year.

That would be pretty cool

Excellent idea. No pressure there. One final showdown for all the marbles. Kinda like the Alamo, the Berlin Wall, The Cuban missle crisis........ WHERE'S MY PAPER BAG...... I'm starting to hypervenyolwhnqwnlwqmdnc..