Backlund Neptoon 1500

[J Backlund]

The guitar was shipped from the Netherlands last Monday but is currently stuck at FedEx in Memphis due to a minor import paperwork snafu, but it should be back on the road within a day or so, if not sooner. This is the only image I have of it finished, so it will have to do for right now...

[Bucksstudent]

Do you mean that someone's going to play that thing?

 

I actually think it's pretty cool.

[slideroni]

I'll take it! I'll take two! (in my dreams)

Seriously, it's nice to see these being made manifest in the physical world. Keep up the good work.

[J Backlund]

 

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Bucksstudent wrote:

 

Do you mean that someone's going to play that thing?

 

 

 

I actually think it's pretty cool.

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I'll probably have a few casual demo videos of it being played by some local guitar talent, but I don't play guitar much anymore myself, so it's probably not destined for a lot of use other than as a display piece at a NAMM show or two. Otherwise, I expect that it will mostly be an interesting wall-hanger at home.

[jpnyc]

John, you are very, very good at what you do. 

[J Backlund]

 

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jpnyc wrote:

 

 

John, you are very, very good at what you do. 

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I appreciate that! (but remember, you don't get to see my screw-ups)

[knotty]

Loved it pre paint. 2 tone spoils it for me.

[J Backlund]

 

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knotty wrote:

 

Loved it pre paint. 2 tone spoils it for me.

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I'll try harder next time.

[Will Chen]

Absolutely stunning. A total work of art. John, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of your pieces hanging in a museum at some point.

[J Backlund]

The guitar arrived intact today from Holland, so that's a relief. I took a handful of rather poor photos of it after unpacking it...

 

 

 

 

[J Backlund]

 

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Will Chen wrote:

 

Absolutely stunning. A total work of art. John, I wouldn't be surprised to see a few of your pieces hanging in a museum at some point.

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Thank you very much, Chen.

[gardo]

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J Backlund wrote:

The guitar was shipped from the Netherlands last Monday but is currently stuck at FedEx in Memphis due to a minor import paperwork snafu, but it should be back on the road within a day or so, if not sooner. This is the only image I have of it finished, so it will have to do for right now...

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Wild  for sure

reminds me of this

I also like the black tele style hanging next to it on your wall.

[PurpleTrails]

That turned out boss-tastic.  Really beautiful piece of work.  How does it play and sound?  Does it have any neck dive?

[DaveAronow]

This is the single coolest musical instrument I've ever held in my hands.

[Virgman]

Do you make these on order for people or is this for yourself?

 

Do you sell many of these guitars?

[J Backlund]

 

Do you make these on order for people or is this for yourself?

 

Do you sell many of these guitars?

 

I don't personally sell or build guitars at all.

 

I had this guitar commissioned for myself based on my design illustrations of it. I just received the basic pre-fab parts to complete another one yesterday, so there will eventually be three of them in existence, my two, and a third being made by the Dutch luthier who's made three of my guitar designs for me, Marco Krijger in the Netherlands. There are no plans that I am aware of to produce any more of them. As it stands now, I won't allow any of my guitar designs to be built as special order custom shop instruments. The few designs currently being made are marketed by Retronix and are of Korean manufacture.

 

Here's the Neptoon 'kit' I received yesterday, along with Neptoon #1....

 

[J Backlund]

Double post

[DaveAronow]

John, the forum is a mess. One day one thing works, the next day it is broken. And vica versa. But it seems like the forum will not allow one thing to start working properly without something else breaking.

[Floyd Rosenbomb]

I like it, but not the two tone.

All orange would do for me.

Cool.

[brandass]

I like it' date=' but not the two tone. All orange would do for me. Cool.[/quote'] +1. Freakin' sweet nevertheless, I'd hit a MIK version for sure. Well, ok, depending on price, my expendable income isn't boundless. Let's say I'd make a serious stretch for it.

[J Backlund]

+1. Freakin' sweet nevertheless' date=' I'd hit a MIK version for sure. Well, ok, depending on price, my expendable income isn't boundless. Let's say I'd make a serious stretch for it.[/quote']

 

Thanks!

 

I highly doubt that this guitar will ever see production, I expect it to remain a rare oddity. If, by some quirk of fate, it was to become available as a Korean-made production guitar, I would estimate that it would retail between $1200 and $1500, with a 'street price' somewhat below that, but that's just an uneducated guess. If the Neptoon was built as a special order custom shop guitar like the JBD-400 was, I would expect a hand-built U.S. Neptoon to cost around $4000, maybe more. My orange/cream Neptoon #1 cost me around $2,600 to have made and painted, and there's no profit figured into that, just my personal costs to be able to have one for myself, and it was a bargain at that price. There's no way I could have afforded to have a well-known U.S. luthier build this guitar for me, not on what I make. It could have easily gone north of $5000 with all the unique fabricated parts it required, and that might include a gig bag to carry it around in at that.

[mistersully]

John' date=' you are very, very good at what you do. 

[/quote']+1

[Jkater]

 

+1

 

+1 = +2

[DaleH]

That guitar is awesome. Don't blow the walls down with those amps though.

[Quarter]

... Neptoon #1 cost me around $2' date='600 to have made and painted, and there's no profit figured into that, just my personal costs to be able to have one for myself, and it was a bargain at that price. ...[/quote']

That is an awesome price for such a high end, detailed, and unique build. I would have easily guessed double that price. I've been very impressed with all the work Marco has done for you, he is a very talented craftsman.