Guitar Of The Month For June

[ProjectGuitar.com]

Time to Vote need another peek then look here

[Daniel Sorbera]

I voted for the Multiscale Custom. It's classy, yet simple, and the finish looks really cool. As always all the guitars were excellent. That acoustic looks very nice.

[zyonsdream]

Boggs:

I really like the Figured Purple Heart top on this guitar. I’ve built with it before so I can appreciate the time it took to build this guitar! Purple Heart can be a killer on your tools and elbows. Surprisingly for me the Cuban Mahogany worked with the bright top and over time when that Purple Heart browns it will blend in better. I’m still not sold on the usefulness of Stainless Steel frets and wonder how they sound on a bass. I was also put off by the Purple Heart cover plate. It seemed to clash being directly over the Mahogany. I’d also like to see a custom built neck over a purchased neck.

Scottyd:

This is one of the coolest crotch walnut tops I’ve seen in a long time: not overly busy but with enough figure to catch the eye! I’m a real sucker for walnut and even though I don’t play bass, I’d pick this one up in the store. I’d drooling over the matching covers and the lack of inlay on the board. These are all plusses for me. The scroll on the upper horn was also done with perfection and is one of the best I’ve seen. A lot of them look sloppy and contoured without attention to detail; this one is done to perfection. Although I like walnut sap the back of this bass doesn’t match the front in terms of wood quality. This was really the only drawback for me with this bass.

Verhoevenc:

Every month a person posts an acoustic that makes me want to go out and buy everything I need to get started. The wood choices and body styling are excellent and the craftsmanship is great too. I wish we had more people posting acoustics to warrant an acoustic GOTM and an electric GOTM. My eye always goes to the electric and I’ve never been able to keep an acoustic around the house for more than a few months so I guess that’s why I never throw my vote towards an acoustic. However, this was an excellent build. The only thing I didn’t get was the inlay on the fret board. Maybe the picture wasn’t clear but I didn’t understand it.

Zyonsdream:

This guitar started life as a neck through EVX and due to a router slip a salvage job was needed to avoid wasting the wood. I turned it into a bolt on and ended up thinning the body thickness and making the lines a lot sharper. I’ve heard feedback that organic bevels would look better which I agree with on the bigger EXV models but in this case, I was looking for an early 80’s metal monster and to me the geometric bevels gave this guitar that look. I’ve also heard that some people don’t like the reversed headstock… well, that was just my personal preference since I originally started this project for a personal build. On a side note and with the risk of not getting any votes, I will not vote for myself as it seems narcissistic and self centered to do so!

Andronico:

Finally! A travel guitar I would actually own and play. I love the tuners and the body stylings. It sort of reminds me of a Steinberger guitar which is a cool thing. The built in effects really make this thing rock. I could honestly seeing this guitar being a compeditor in the travel guitar market. The only thing I would prefer to see different is the knob placement on the face of the guitar but I can see how this helped out with wiring the effects so I can understand why they are the way they are. Keep up the good work!

Boner:

Being a fan of pointly guitars I could really sink my teeth into this build. It’s loud and sharp and would knock teeth out on stage! The pink color and matching pickup both do wonders for this and harkens back to the days of spandex and hair metal! I also like that it has more modern day specks like a baritone scale lengh- something that would have never happened in the 80’s! However, there are a lot of things wrong with this guitar too. You didn’t specify if this guitar was a bolt, set or neck through but I’m guessing it’s a neck through given how thin the pink looks under the beck pocket. That being said, that pickup should not have to be that far out of the cavity since you are using a kahler which needs very little neck angle. The angle is off which means the saddles of excessively high to comensate which means the pickup is on the high side. This is just a personal thing for me but since my main guitar is the neck through, I like to see it with the right neck compensation in the angle.

Micguard:

Dude, I really love how you blended a telecaster with a stratocaster; pure engienious! It’s the best looking hibrid I’ve seen to date. I’m being honest here: fender should buy this design off of you today! Simple as that. I’d like to see the exact same design with a Tele bridge since I’m not big at all on a folcrum style bridge. The binding is a good touch. This guitar just has a lot of class to it! Great Job! Oh, now just go load that with stacked rails or some stacked humbucker to get rid of that single coil sound!

Jyrki:

I like the wine red color and the semi acoustic design with the unique F hole but the pictures are really unclear and hard to see detail. Sorry.

Hitone:

Being a LOOONG time Devener Broncos fan I’ve always pondered having the logo turned into a guitar. This is an inspiration to me to get started on such a build. I’m guessing some Mavs fan will be super happy with this hanging on their wall. Hopefully they take the time to play it and not just use it to look cool in their fan room. I’ve got nothing I could crituque on this guitar. Just killer if you ask me!

Jukkasil:

This is a unique build with a lot of old school Gretch looks. Filtron syste pickups and about a half inch raised neck from the body. The guitar isnt really my style but it is obviously well constructed. The roller nut and Nashville bridge gives away its age alittle though. That sort of ruined it for me but I’m sure it helps the guitar stay in tune bettere.

Rhoads56:

White and gold = pure class in my book! You’ve won this competition 4 times and this is why. Understated elegance. The trans scale is a little beyond my playing ability but I can repesct its usefulness for the right player. It’s just a very clean guitar and is going to make a player very happy for sure.

Orgmorg:

I contunied to be in awe of your builds. The use of reclaimed luumber in an enviroment where the least bit of defect in a build leads to a glorified bonfire is a breath of fresh air for me. When my better half saw this build she asked if I could get one at guitar center! She seemed saddened when I told her it was a custom built guitar. One thing that popped out for me was the jack plate. That was just really cool looking. Your builds remind me of really old; well taken care of Danelectros or even old delta blues guitars that were built by the hands that would play them. If the price was right, I’d love to add this guitar to my collection which is generally a big key indicator of who I vote for. On a forum where everyone strives to build the most quilted, highly polished or inovative design, you go back to basics and use matereals that set you apart from the rest. I havent voted for your builds in the past but I feel that I should swing my vote your way this month, which is exactly what I did; congratulations!

[GregP]

Tonnes of choice... I had to go with the Stratobastard, though.

Pretty sure Trem-Kings aren't fulcrum designs, btw, zyon! Not having ever installed or used one, I can't say for sure, though.

Loved a bunch of the rest. Had a soft spot for Crusty!

[Andronico]

Andronico:

Finally! A travel guitar I would actually own and play. I love the tuners and the body stylings. It sort of reminds me of a Steinberger guitar which is a cool thing. The built in effects really make this thing rock. I could honestly seeing this guitar being a compeditor in the travel guitar market. The only thing I would prefer to see different is the knob placement on the face of the guitar but I can see how this helped out with wiring the effects so I can understand why they are the way they are. Keep up the good work!

Thanks a lot Zyonsdream ! You are right about the knob´s placement, but remember that one of the original ideas was that this guitar could be easily modifficated for a lefty player (like my son) and with this specification in mind the placement has to be symetrical.

[WezV]

this keeps getting harder and harder

Boggs - i am not sure abotu the shape, it just doesnt flow well to my eyes.. i think its because the bottom horn is wider than the top one.. i love the wood choices though - especially the mahogany on the back and the workmanship looks very neat.

Scotty D - absolutely stunning work, i like everything about it ...if i was being picky i would like to see the pickups either matching better or contrasting with the walnut top

Verhoevenc - i really like the neck inlay - she looks like she needs a good playingin to me.. the bridge looks a bit pale at the moment but should darken naturally anyway

Zyonsdream - its fun and i quite like the finish, i think i have said before that i would prefer to see a bit more of an organic bevel on this design

Andronico - This was a real contender for me, the amount of work and effort you put into every single aspect of the build was inspiring - a true project guitar. I really enjoyed watching it all come together and want to see you build more.

boner - well it certainly makes a statement. Still only one post though - you should consider doing a build thread or participating more in the forum

mickguard - i like a lot of things about this build but i think i will save my vote for the improved version!!

Jyrki - Its a beautiful looking tele and a very neat build.. again.. I would like to see some build threads from you as well, lots of skill in the two guitars you have shown and it would be nice to see them come together

Hitone - its great, i could criticise it for just being a wall hanger and not being practical... but what would be the point. the work looks really neat as usual

Jukkasil - another great alternative build, i like the old look this guitar has but the soundholes are not quite doing it for me. Again i am going to suggest that we see some build threads and in progress pictures.. you have 4 posts and 3 of them have been GOTM entries. I dont have an issue with that but it would be good to see these instruments develop

Rhoads56 - there are a few guitars this month i would like to own... but only one i would give my right arm for. Its good to see it being played so effortlessly for the first time. I'm really liking multiscales anyway at the moment. i think i said in the build thread that some of the contrasting angles made it look strange at first but it really has grown on me... I will take one in black with less angle on the bridge pickup please

orgmorg - good to see you didnt use shiny chrome hardware on this one... the attention to detail is great - i particularly like the jack socket... the only criticism i can come up with is that the body wood on the back isnt crusty enough

[Bmth Builder]

Ormsby Multiscale,

followed this build over at UG and its just amazing, mostly because everyone just picks it up and plays it like its a normal guitar, and seeing that I think has made a lot of us want to now own one.

The arc of scalloping on the FB really blew me away when I first saw it, not really the idea, but it just looks quality

I do wonder whether it would look better with a white head stock and ebony TR cover, to continue the contrast between the body and FB, but who knows.

Edited May 25, 2008 by Neil Beith

[Mr. Preston Swift]

A great month once again! So many good choices, but in the end I'm a sucker for nice acoustics and Verhoevenc sure had one =)

[ihocky2]

I am in love with these Rustic Series that you have been doing Orgmorg. Once again they are just awesome work, and I had to vote for it.

[orgmorg]

Cool!

I'm glad people are digging them, cause I'm having a heck of a lot of fun building them.

I also love it that I am being encouraged to take it even further- OK Wez, next one will be extra crusty.

But man, it's doing weird things to my already quirky aesthetic sensibilities-

Even though it is obviously an incredible instrument, The Ormsby multiscale just didn't do much for me.

I may be screwed up beyond repair at this point- the rust must have gotten into my bloodstream.

I really liked Jukkasil's guitar, but even though I like funky f-holes, these seem a bit too much, and go too far into the bottom of the guitar. Either that, or the body is too small for them- something like a Gretsch 6120 body would suit them better. Otherwise, I love the look of the rest of it. I too would like to see you post more.

I like the stone finish on Zyonsdream's axe and I like the bevels the way they are- It's the way I would expect the edges to be done on an actual piece of granite or marble.

I ended up waffling between the Acoustic and the travel guitar.

I love the inlay on the acoustic, and it is overall a very nice instrument, but I ended up going with the travel guitar.

I admit I never paid much attention to it until I saw it finished, but I found myself really digging how well it all fits together in a nice compact package. It has a lot of features, but remains very simple looking, and very nicely done!

[WAK Guitars]

Ended up going with the multiscale. That is just an amazing looking guitar.

Hitone: You've inspired me to do a sports build. Haha as if I need another guitar to put on my list of wants.

Great month.

Edited May 26, 2008 by WAK Guitars

[ToddW]

Boy, some exceptional stuff. The multi-scale is beautiful and creative. The stratobastard is exceptional. The one I'd want to built.

But I decided to go with the little rocker even before I read the build thread. an ambidextrous travel guitar Designed the tuners and head stock end himself and milled out most the metal parts with files, saws, and a dremel tool? Built the effects board. Wow, I think Andronico deserves a MacGyver award.

[Boggs]

Verhoevenc, I had to go with your acoustic. I do understand the level of skill it takes to build something like that and that is a beautiful example. It really drew me to want to play it! Stunning work!

Scottyd, outstanding workmanship. The scroll was wonderfully executed. Beautiful top, too as is the layering... I think if anything, the straighter lines of the horns was a bit too much in contrast with the beautiful flowing curved lines elsewhere on the instrument.

Of course, I love my bass, but would never vote for my own build... The customer for this is a shredder of sorts and note definition and durability is what moved me to the SS frets. She likes a piano-esque ring and this bass delivers. The neck is bubinga and purpleheart and so to bring the purpleheart to the headstock front with the trussrod cover made sense to me. That butted up against the brass nut has the same kind of effect as the rear cover against the golds of the Cuban mahogany. I understand the desire to have me build the neck too, but I can offer a wider range of woods, profiles, and hardware without having to invest in and store all of the different woods or tool up for them.

Zionsdream, very nicely executed design and build. I am not a pointy fan myself, but yours looks very artistic and more playable than most. I like the hint of a curve in the extended lower bout... Nicely done!

Andronico... A travel guitar that makes sense! Nice work, man! I think I would have liked a black bridge and hardware to look a bit more cohesive overall, but other than that, it looks great!

Boner, again, pointy is generally not my thing, but that really looks cool! Again, it looks reasonably comfortable to play, too. Excellent execution on the theme...

Mickguard, I had thought about doing what you did, but I could not have done it any better than you did! nice work!!

Jyrki, Beautiful hollow Tele... Very rich color and classy look on a timeless theme...

Hitone, I cannot say the shape or proportion suits my taste but I can appreciate the workmanship there. I'd love to know what it sounds like and how it plays...

Jukkasil, that looked like a real challenge to build. Very interesting concept, but I feel the top holes are a bit overpowering. Anothe one I would love to hear though and to know if it is feedback resistant enough to gig...

Rhoads56, brilliant work on the multiscale design! A bit too "common" in the headstock design for my taste, and a bit too in contrast with the flowing lines of the body, but that is a minor thing overall and purely a matter of taste. Superb work...

Orgmorg, very cool concept! The one thing that doesn't make it for me is the shape of the crescent moon cutout. It is a bit too "deco" for me for a relic look...

That all said, I am stunned and pleased that somebody thought to vote for me. Whoever you are, thank you so much as I honestly do not feel worthy to be in "competition" with these extraordinary craftsmen!

Boggs

[avengers63]

Boggs: Big masses of purpleheart just don't do much for me. Maybe it's because the color is a little overwhelming. I presonally thing PH is best used as an accent than as a main tone.

Scottyd: That walnut is nice!!! For the whole piece, though, I need a little more color. Everything's close to the same tone of brown. I like the sculpting on the horn, though.

Verhoevenc: I have NO DOUBT that acoustics are harder to build than electrics. That alone should get acoustics a slight nod. This one is simple & classy looking. Nice & clean.

Zyonsdream & Boner: These super-pointy things do nothing for me. Both of these are... long. To each their own, but these are not for me. Sorry.

Andronico: I've stated before that I feel small bodies aren't well suited for natural finishes. They're just better suited for solid colors. That being said, you're my pick for the month. The volume of work you put in is simply staggering. The whole thing is extremely impressive to me.

Mickguard: It looks like a really great finish. Clean & simple. It's hard to go wrong with a reserved appearance on a classic shape. I'm not so much for the strat/tele combo, though.

Jyrki: I LOVE the finish. It's really top notch. Unfortunately, there's nothing "unique" about this one. I'm not knocking it in any way, it just doesn't stand out enough to me.

Hitone: Gimick guitars don't do much for me. Sorry.

Jukkasil: I'm not so hot for the f-hile shapes or the unfinished look of the wood. I'm interested in how the dearmond style pups sound, though.

Rhoads56: Sorry, Perry, but I just couldn't vote yours above Andronico's. A dude in his basement making everything by hand is a lot more impressive to me than a professional luthier customizing everything. By all rights, you should be able to do these on demand. That makes it a litle more expected, if not routine, than a tricked out piece by an amateur. I hope you understand that I'm NOT cuting your work or suggesting that it's substandard in any way.

Orgmorg: Those rustic guit-fiddles you're making are great! They look like something Cousin Jed cobbled together in the barn. They have a real redneck, half-a$$ed quality to them that I find really cool. My only concern would be the roughness of the rusted tailpieces. I'd be concerned about the rusty metal shortening the life of the strings. I'd be leery about the feel of them on my hand/forearm as well.

[tim290280]

Voted for scottyd's bass.

My thoughts:

msherman: Should have kept it in the comp!

Boggs: Love the inlay and general design. Just a little too purple for my liking, guess I'm not a fan of purpleheart.

scottyd: Not much I don't like about this build. The extra detail on the upper horn and pickup covers is a clear winner!

verhoevenc: Great looking guitar, and amazing finish considering the last minute disaster. A lot of great details in this. Though I didn't immediately recognise what the neck inlay was with out the description.

zyonsdream: interesting.... Very metal guitar, but I don't know if the headstock fits with the body design. I like it but don't love it.

Andronico: I love this little travel guitar. I felt the back of the guitar should have had covers over things, keep it uncomplicated in looks.

Boner: Um pink? I don't think we should encourage spandex and tube socks on rock guitarists to come back.

Mickguard: Good solid build, and the decal is great work. It will definitely have a few people do a double take. Though the knob above the other control assembly seems out of place.

Jyrki: Really like this guitar, especially the offset of the binding and back/top colours. Also another for double takes.

Hitone: I'm not a Mavericks fan.

Jukkasil: This looks like it should have a bigger body on it with the size of the "f" holes. Makes it look a little cluttered. I like the natural finish though, which would have gone well with a wood binding.

rhoads: I bumped into the youtube build vids by accident. Really appreciate those and the various build threads with this. The more I see of this guitar the more I like, simple and elegant. The white body and wenge neck is a great design.

orgmorg: I get the idea for this, but I'd really have to hear it to fully appreciate it. It would need to have a beautiful sound to contrast the rugged looks. Images of front porches in summer spring to mind.

[RFR]

I vote for the acoustic. I really admire someone who can build an acoustic.

Everyone else's entries a nice too.

Roman