November 19, 2008
At last, I've uploaded the pics for the short-scale, 4-string bass. This is truly a beautiful instrument and one I dreaded parting with. I hadn't played bass for some time, but this commission convinced me that I may need to build one for myself. Click on the bass pic below to see the full spread and specs.
This instrument is sold, but I'd be happy to discuss building a similar one for you with the scale length of your choice.
~Jeffrey
November 10, 2008
The new Kronos fretless 6-string is finally completed and photographed. This is a truly beautiful instrument and it was well worth the extra effort I put into this newest incarnation of my Kronos design. I made a few changes and upgrades, the most important of which is a Honduran rosewood neck that imparts some pretty amazing sustain for a fretless guitar. Used in combination with the soft maple and walnut body, I think I've found a good formula.
Several other feature upgrades include the incorporation of threaded T-nuts and hex screws to hold the neck securely instead of the typical wood screws, a 660mm (26") scale length, and a fully carved headstock badge. These and other features are revealed as I run 'em down using the photos to illustrate on the new Kronos fretless page. Click on either of the following photographs to get there. Don't miss it.
In addition to announcing the new Kronos, I have some extremely important news regarding my sales representation. I'm honored to have just been added to the ranks of the highly skilled luthiers represented by Cliff Cultreri at Destroy All Guitars. Click on the link for the opportunity to find more information about me and my instruments, including guitars immediately available and their prices. I'm looking forward to a very long and productive relationship with Cliff and DAG. For the moment, the above-mentioned Kronos fretless is available through either myself or Cliff. See my Contact page for more communication options regarding the acquisition of an instrument designed and crafted by me.
More instruments and news coming, so drop back by soon!
~Jeffrey
November 5, 2008
This update features the very cool Arcadia DC Jr. model I mentioned a couple of months ago. I'm just now getting around to putting some pics up of this beautiful guitar. If I were playing in a rock'n'roll band, this would most certainly be my main guitar. The Arcadia shape looks great with my typical pickguard shape and the white P90 pickup cover really drives home the white pearloid look. Take a look.
It's one of my more affordable models, but do understand that I'll be building a minimal amount of straight-ahead guitars like this in the future. For the coming year, I'll be concentrating on some new intensely carved instruments to be featured in my exhibitions at the Montreal Guitar Show and the Healdsburg Guitar Festival. More on those later, but if you'd like an Arcadia Jr. within the next 8 months, better make your order fast. I'll be exhibiting in July and August, so it'll be September of 2009 before I can get to another Arcadia Jr build if you miss this window.
'til next time,
~Jeffrey
October 28, 2008
My studio processes involve working with a variety of guitar design ideas using actual instruments, rather than just experimental lab rigs. I want to know how something feels in my hand or how a concept plays in a practical situation. At any given time in my shop, there are a half-dozen on-going prototypical builds in progress besides the high-end commissions and carved instruments. That's just the way I work and always have. I'm constantly working on new ideas and pushing my skills to places they've never been or to make sure they don't stagnate.
One of the working models morphed into a fretless 6-string project which got close enough to being a finished instrument that I decided to complete it and make it available. I've dubbed it the "Lazarus," because it's taken on new life. With the shape of the economy being what it is, I'm releasing this instrument for someone who is interested in playing one of my fretless guitars, but isn't ready to commit financially to a Kronos. Or, you may just be interested in a fretless instrument that you're more comfortable taking on the road. I'll write more about the Lazarus as I play catch-up with everything else. Please drop me an email for the price and more details if you're seriously interested in this instrument.
This guitar is a real rocker, by the way.
~Jeffrey
October 22, 2008
For everyone who's been patiently waiting for some updates and pics of the latest guitars, I'm going to do a quick sneak peek-a-thon right now with some previews of the guitars I've completed or am assembling as we speak. I'm a one-man operation and in addition to the designing, building, and carving, I also do my own photography and webmastery. When I'm slammed with building and assembly, it's difficult making the time to compose the new pages and resize photos to post.
My guitars are built, finished, assembled, wired, and set-up completely by me, alone, which is extremely time consuming. Rather than devise a dozen new shortcuts to help me produce my instruments more quickly or cheaply, I'm spending more and more time with each guitar to make sure it's a worthy representative of my body of work. If there were indeed shortcuts to excellence, it wouldn't be that uniquely special.
So, while I'm still slammed in the shop, here are some photos of instruments I've just completed, are being assembled and tweaked, or are waiting for the finish to cure before rubbing them out. The individual pages are coming soon.
This is a shortscale bass I just completed. It's a magnificent instrument... one of my best. Featuring Hipshot hardware, hum-cancelling Bartolinis, and carbon fiber rods in the neck, this bass is a seriously wicked instrument. It's already sold, by the way, but I'd love to build another bass soon, if anyone's up for it.
This next one is the Argos fretless, which I'm now stringing and setting up. I'll shoot and post the final pics soon. In the meantime, enjoy these pics of the guitar and carved headstock badge.
Lastly, here's a sneak peek of the newest Kronos fretless body. That's soft maple with a gorgeous one-piece figured walnut top. The pickup cover is also heavily figured walnut. In addition, this body has a special feature 'round back that will remain a little secret until I've got the final pics posted. This instrument sports a Honduran rosewood neck with a fretless ebony board, ebony faceplate, and a stunning carved ebony headstock badge. Oh, and the custom carved ebony bridge.
I'll have the Nocturne posted soon, in addition to the final shots of the guitars previewed above. No definite dates for those, but certainly check back in within the next few weeks.
~Jeffrey
September 02, 2008
Just a quick one to link up the new page for the new Special Kay fretless I completed last week. It's based upon my DonnaKay design, but altered in a number of ways on the fly as I built it. My main goal was to produce a fretless electric guitar that felt right at home in Nashville, visually and tonally speaking. It's a great slide blues guitar with no slide necessary, btw. Or advised.
I'll write more text about it soon. In the meantime, enjoy the pics.
I'll have photos up of the Arcadia DC Jr. soon. I was in a rush to finish the guitar before leaving for Nashville last week and didn't get the chance to take photos before the trip. When the new owner gets the chance, I'm hoping for some pics of that guitar, because it's a real beauty. I've GOT to build another one of those, because it's a fantastic instrument. Stay tuned!
And don't forget to take a look at the carved Nocturne guitar linked below, if you haven't seen it already.
~Jeffrey
August 24, 2008
Time is flying fast this summer. I'm finishing up a half-dozen guitars this month and next, including a new intensely carved instrument, which I've given the working title "Nocturne for iO."
The new page features the project still in progress, but this one will be fully completed within the month of September.
I've just completed 2 other guitars - an Arcadia DC and a new fretless model I've unofficially dubbed the Special Kay. I based it originally upon the DonnaKay model, but I altered it quite a lot and added a pearl pickguard. I'm on my way to Nashville tomorrow to deliver the Arcadia DC to the new owner and will have the fretless with me there, as well. No time to post photos of these guitars this week, but when I'm back the following weekend, you can count on seeing some pics of these new instruments.
In the meantime, take a look at the new Nocturne project linked above. If you're interested in this fine instrument or one similar to it, please contact me via email or Annetta Glick at fineguitarconsultants.com.
~ Jeffrey
July 28, 2008:
New additions to the site this week are a revision to my sculptor bio page, including some more historical photos of a very challenging piece I did back in 1999. I've put a few thumbnails of the project at the bottom of that page, following a more informative bio than I had before. The photos, in turn, link to larger images and some basic info about the project. Nine years later, it's still one of my more memorable projects.
As I've mentioned before, I have a number of guitars going at once. During the month of July, I've been finishing up some very nice ones.
The Arcadia featuring a carved skull with batwings in a spray of roses is waiting for the finish to cure so I can finish it up. Do have a look if you haven't seen what this one is all about yet.
I've also got two more Arcadia doublecutaways wrapping up, one of which is this one, a semi-hollow jazz model with a single f-hole, set maple neck, and carved ebony bridge, which is a bit more extravagant than my Kronos bridge. I've got some pics up of this guitar in mid-finish stage.
Within the next week or three, I'll be putting up final photos of several others, including a 4-string shortscale bass, so check back and please do feel free to contact me with any of your inquiries.
~ Jeffrey
