Looking for feedback... New guitar design: looks and tone (sample inside!)

[scottieL]

I designed and built these guitars in shop class when I was in highschool. I'm curious what other people think of my design as it's a little unconventional....

 

Guitar 1 (on the left): Lacewood top, zebrawood back, 22 fret 25.5" scale bolt-on maple neck, grover locking tuners, dimarzio Area 58's (neck and middle), area '61 in the bridge, wilkinson tremolo.

 

Guitar 2 (on the right): Birdseye maple top, koa back, 24 fret 25" scale deep set maple neck (all the way to the bridge), Grover locking tuners, Duncan '59/JB set, les trem stop tailpiece.

 

Both guitars were wired and set up by a pro and play as well as any high end guitar.

 

HOW IT SOUNDS!!!:

 

Back of guitar 1:

 

Let me know what you think, honestly, brutally if you must. All opinions appreciated.

[Kirk_Hamlett]

The body looks weird with the top half of it being pointy and the bottom half being round.

[CrackerD]

They're different!

 

I like.

[Grantus]

Not really my thing, but I can see how some people would like them.

[ajympt]

Is it a Maple Leaf? I'm impressed that you made those in shop class ( I think I recall making a pencil holder and a bowl ) but honestly, kind of awkward looking. That said, I like them more than some of Gibsons recent output. Keep at it.

[drawdeep]

Pretty wood... shape is definitely an acquired taste but it looks kind of "leafy" which is cool in an odd way. I think what thows me is that they are "wide in the hips"... I think a similar shape done more narrow could have worked a little better aesthetically.

 

Definitely like the headstock shape on the second one. Wondering if you had set the middle tuners out a little, would you have needed the string trees, which are a little strange.

 

Mad props for building your own... way better than I could do!

[xStonr]

Nice looking wood but an odd shape for my tastes. Doesn't mean there's not a market out there though.

[Fireproof777]

You wanted brutal honesty......well imo, they're butt-ugly, possibly fugly. That being said, if you've ever read through Vintage Guitar magazine, there's a whole collection of people who can appreciate (and seek out) the fugliest of guitars. You built it and that's cool (not many people have done that) and that's good 'nuff. I think you should market them....you might be surprised what happens.

[scottieL]

Thanks for the responses guys, it's not for everyone I guess...

[clay sails]

Horseshoe crab body: not my thing.

 

The necks look nice to play and I like the headstock on the guitar on the left.

 

The fact that you designed and built these at all impresses me: keep it up.

[caveman]

I recall seeing a body design that was similar to those but not quite as pointy. Yours reminds me of a holy leaf a bit.

 

I hope you got an A+.

[scottieL]

I got 91% for the one on the right, 83% for the left (finished it by spring and killed time till the end of the year)

[Orange Jackson]

I really, really, really, like the headstock that you did on the first one.

The strat style.

THat is awesome!

 

 

The bodies, i'm sorry to say, do nothing for me though.

[Poster Nutbag]

 

Horseshoe crab body: not my thing. The necks look nice to play and I like the headstock on the guitar on the left. The fact that you designed and built these at all impresses me: keep it up.

 

 

I was thinking the same thing, though one that looked like a real Horseshoe crab may be cool. But I want one for a pet anyway.

 

scottieL, just the fact that you were able to come up with any kind of new body shape is something to be proud of. It's harder than it seems, since almost everything has been done and you have design constraints for hardware, balance, etc.

[Cyprusg]

My opinion is that the guitars are pretty ugly. The half circle at the bottom with the sharper design at the top just isn't working. But I do like headstock on the left guitar.

 

Also you've done something that I've always wanted to do, so major props to you. What's ugly to me is beautiful to someone else, I know because there are a lot of fat chicks with boyfriends.

[The Gunslinger]

I don't dig the body shapes. The trem on that HH guitar looks interesting.

[fu2jobu]

Horseshoe crab body: not my thing.

 

Agree

 

[Steadfastly]

I think you did quite well for your first couple of builds. I'm not into pointy guitars as they look way too dangerous for me, but you should try again with a more traditional body style and see what you can do. I would bet you would do an ok job.

[Tubefox]

I don't know, it's sort of cool. It's like a mutant SG.

 

However, it is not cool enough to spend my money on.

[scottieL]

What's ugly to me is beautiful to someone else, I know because there are a lot of fat chicks with boyfriends.

nice...

[Steadfastly]

Quote:

What's ugly to me is beautiful to someone else.

 

 

While beauty is in the eye of the bee-holder, you have to make sure you don't get stung!

[scottieL]

K I got it, the looks aren't for everyone. But what about the tone??? check out the link in the original post...

[handen]

It's like Jerry Garcia's Alembic had a kid with downs syndrome.

[ExiledCrow]

Not crazy about the body shape, but I really like the wood choices. Like the headstock on the right.

 

MAJOR props for self-building, I know I couldn't. At work so the listening will have to come later.

[Surrealistic]

First let me say I'm very impressed that you could make something like that at school. I hate the looks though, sorry. For me if you'd continued the roundness of the lower part all the way around they'd look a lot better - but there's a market for all tastes out there I know.

 

As for the sound - well, it's hard to tell from that clip. You can obviously play very well but I'd like to hear the tone without all that reverb & other FX. From what I can hear I suspect it does sound really nice but I know from my own recording experiences over the years that it's possible to make a dead-plywood-plank of a guitar sound half decent with the judicious application of enough FX.

 

Sorry if this comes over as critical - I really am impressed by anyone who can build anything useful, let alone a high quality instrument.

 

Edited to add: Although the shape doesn't work (for me) I really like the top on the one on the right.