demonx Posted May 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2014 Thanks guys In between all those above comments was a discussion about the only negative thing the customer was unhappy about. I packed this guitar different to how I normally do, I filled every empty space in the case with packing beans. Some of those beans rubbed against the clear coat and left cloudy marks on the guitar. So a discussion on how to approach this, clean, polish etc was in between all the excited positive feedback. Apparently packing beans are bad for guitars. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted May 18, 2014 Report Share Posted May 18, 2014 Oh wow... I've wrapped guitars with bubble wrap inside the case before without any problems, but never packing peanuts. You try to go the extra mile to get the axe home safe and see what happens Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted May 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 24, 2014 A couple teaser pics from a build I string up today. I'm still yet to do a photoshoot, I hope the weather is good enough tomorrow to get some decent snaps of this beauty! 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 26, 2014 Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Impressive timbers. What's that neck wood? SR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted May 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 26, 2014 Impressive timbers. What's that neck wood? SR Tasmanian Blackwood. One of my favorite Australian Timbers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 Awesome. I would have guessed that but it is darker than most of the examples I have seen. I'd love to find some of that over here. SR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted May 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 Awesome. I would have guessed that but it is darker than most of the examples I have seen. I'd love to find some of that over here. SR There is huge color variety in Tassy Blackwood. It can sometimes look very light and can also get darker than this. These boards are exceptionally nice. It isn't always this nice and at times it can get highly figured as well. To get these boards (I bought about fifteen meters in this batch) I picked through what may have been about thousand meters of the same looking for color, grain and other things. That place is now out of business so I'll have to find a new supplier once my current stocks are depleted which isn't far away.. I actually sent one from this batch to a fellow forum member a while back in part of a timber trade, so if he's reading this, he will now know what it'll look like once cleared! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted May 27, 2014 Author Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 Another one I finished up this week. This is Jon's All Aussie Timber SS7 27" scale 16" radius 24 frets Recessed kahlerbridge Tasmanian Blackwood 3 piece handcarved Neckthru Tasmanian Tiger Myrtle top Tasmanian Sassafras body Queens Ebony fingerboard Tiger Myrtle Binding White side dots - Small Kahler 7300 Hybrid Floyd Rose Lock nut Grover Straplock system Grover Tuners CTS volume pot 500k CTS Push pull Tone 500k Bareknuckle Juggernaut Calibrated Soapbar pickups More pics here: http://searlsguitars.com.au/Gallery/043/043.html 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sancho Marino Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 The top on that last one almost looks like a swirl... very cool lumber man! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted May 27, 2014 Report Share Posted May 27, 2014 I really like the clean lines and naked simplicity of your builds. This one is no different. Very nice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 14, 2014 I'm a bit behind on posting updates. I've been extra flat out on non guitar work, however it's mostly over so I'm back in the workshop every day. Catching up on the sealing of this one: Have been cutting up several slabs to make guitar blanks: Got a new toy for doing radius sanding and fret leveling - love it by the way. Very cool gadget. Jon picked up his SS7 Also - something different. Taking on an acoustic build as a side project for myself (like I have time!!) Should be interesting! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Today I cut up an eight and a six string neckthru, a handful of bolt on's and a whole heap of old neck blanks I had laying about the workshop. You can see various silhouettes in the fire. I think it was a bit of "stress relief" to just burn them all! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 17, 2014 Report Share Posted June 17, 2014 Now that's a purge! SR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted June 18, 2014 Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Dang, i couldnt ever do that. Saw that some guy is selling on of your flamed maple neck through guitars already. What was up with that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 18, 2014 Dang, i couldnt ever do that. Saw that some guy is selling on of your flamed maple neck through guitars already. What was up with that? He's had that on order since last year. A week or so ago he's messaged me, wishes it was seven string and said he's selling his two most expensive guitars as he needs money and he'll be ordering a seven string soon. Also, there's a new trend these days where people go on waiting lists with boutique luthiers who have long waits, sit it out and then sell the guitars for a profit as soon as they get it. Now I'm not saying this is the case, however i did see it listed at about 20% more than the price I sold it for... Not saying this is the case, but the guy seems to have a different piece of gear for sale every day of the week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 So did you blacklist him from further orders? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 So did you blacklist him from further orders? No blacklisting or anything like that. If he buys another guitar, so be it, the guy seems like a great bloke and everyone has their reasons. I haven't actually taken any orders since last year. I've had to knock back all requests as I've been "closed" for three and a half months due to doing a shopfit for my partners business, everything I've been doing since (guitar wise) is finishing off the trickles of last years jobs and was doing just one day a week work trying to progress guitar builds while I was doing the shopfit. That aside, in the future I plan on steering away from taking orders and selling from stock. I'm aware there is not as much demand for that style business model in our "boutique industry", but I'll get more enjoyment from it that way and I don't want to turn building guitars into something I hate, as previously I have lost the passion for something that was once my life by turning it into a business. I can see that happening building guitars for a living and I want to steer clear of that. I'll be going back to the way I was hobby building, but on a bigger scale if that makes sense. I want to just build what I feel like and hoping it sells. I think I'll enjoy life a lot more that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rhoads56 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 Just do what I do... tell them what they have to order 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted June 19, 2014 Report Share Posted June 19, 2014 That aside, in the future I plan on steering away from taking orders and selling from stock. I'm aware there is not as much demand for that style business model in our "boutique industry", but I'll get more enjoyment from it that way and I don't want to turn building guitars into something I hate, as previously I have lost the passion for something that was once my life by turning it into a business. I can see that happening building guitars for a living and I want to steer clear of that. I'll be going back to the way I was hobby building, but on a bigger scale if that makes sense. I want to just build what I feel like and hoping it sells. I think I'll enjoy life a lot more that way. That is what i have tried to do the past few years. Granted, your rep is massive compared to mine. But it has practically pushed me to bankruptcy from a business point. I agree it is much more enjoyable though. I wish i could still make money doing it that way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted June 25, 2014 Author Report Share Posted June 25, 2014 Acoustic progress: Bunya top joined: Headstock rough cut: Heel stack in clamps: Back in clamps: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 8, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 Not many updates lately, so here is a workbench pic from today: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 8, 2014 Report Share Posted July 8, 2014 That top startles me every time I see it.....I think striking is the best word for it. My mind's eye keeps trying to put a piece of coco heart wood in between the pups. The neck is giving it a case of cocobolus interruptus. SR Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Not much to report lately, been very busy doing CAD work, but I tinkered with the acoustic a little to give my brain a rest from the computer: As well as the other day getting some more done on this one: Cocobolo Sapwood top Black Limba neckthru Cocobolo fingerboard with Cocobolo Binding Tasmanian Blackwood back 27" scale 16" radius 24 frets - Dunlop 6150 Kahler 7327 bridge Floyd Rose locknut Grover tuners Grover straplock system Lace Deathbar bridge Lace X-Bare neck Switchcraft jack CTS pots Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 18, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2014 Couple more pics: 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demonx Posted July 19, 2014 Author Report Share Posted July 19, 2014 Starting on the Rosette for the Acoustic: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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