Bespoke Guitars
Originally posted on December 7th 2015 on the Sustain & Resonance blog.
Custom-Built. Tailor Made. Bespoke. Just ask Brian May, Eddie Van Halen, Prince or Steve Vai about their custom guitars and they will tell you that they would never take the stage without their custom axe. The more I age, the more I appreciate the finer things; cue in bespoke guitars. Now like most guitar weekend warriors out there, I do not have the finances nor the guitar hero-like-status that Gibson, Fender, PRS and others custom shop builders require for their one-of-a-kind model. My cravings for an iconic one-of-a-kind guitar lingered and my curiosity got the best of me. This was the beginning of my quest for custom guitars.
My first guitar was a Fender Strat, not a Stratocaster or SuperStrat but a Strat that comes in a starter pack with the 5 watt amp and guitar strap. I was 12 when I received this glorious instrument through that is another story all together. As my guitar career furthered as my curiosity to find a unique sound erupted, I began to tinker with upgrades. The first upgrade I equipped the Strat was a trio of Fender Texas Special pickups. I was hooked; the pickups changed my playing and played my confidence in guitar. I wanted more.
Being raised in the south, I absolutely loved the TV show, The Dukes of Hazzard. So with these new hot pickups in place, I stripped the red candy paint, and pained the body Mopar Orange, painted a white block style "01" and painted "The General" in the same fashion of the car from the show. Next was a change in the tuner pegs and my first custom guitar was complete. And I was addicted!
The next custom guitarI attempted was a Les Paul style guitar. I took a different approach on this one. Instead of buying a cheaper model and upgrading it, I decided to start from the ground up. I decided my next Bespoke Axe was going to be one where I, like the famed musicians above, would pick out every detail of my next instrument. I headed to my local exotic lumber yard and began choosing which tone woods I would use on this new instrument.
After a year of work, I wound up creating a Les Paul style mahogany body fitted with a maple cap. One tone and one volume knob, a three way switch and a Pearly Gate and 59 pickups (wired with the treble in the up position due to my aggressive rhythm playing) from Seymour Duncan to tie the electronics all together. I was amazed by not only by the sound or the uniqueness of a one-of-a-kind axe, but by the time and energy a custom guitar needs to be completed. The attention to detail and personal connection I have with this piece of wood and metal shines through my playing and creates a certain motivation that my other guitars don’t provide. Many of songs have been written on this custom axe, and I firmly believe its uniqueness and handcraft status plays a major role into its creative powers.
For those of you who lack the tools and/or the know-how to mold a piece of wood into an instrument, there are plenty of luthiers (stringed instrument builders) available who take custom orders; for a pretty penny. If your budget is limited or do not have woodworking knowledge, a great alternative would be to purchase a guitar kit. Guitar kits are packs of guitar parts that come unassembled (think buying furniture from Ikea). The kit provides you with a guitar body, neck, wiring, electronics, knobs and anything else one would need to create a six string. These kits come in virtually any iconic guitar shape you can imagine and most of them provide the option to select your exact specifications. Warmoth.com or PrecisionGuitarKits.com are both great resources at your disposal for kit builds.
If your old axe has seen better days or you have an idea for the ultimate shred machine, look into customizing your gear or build your own to better suit your needs and fuel your inspiration. Whether you change your pickups, add a new paint job, or build a unique masterpiece, you will be surprised by how a few modifications can send your playing into the stratosphere. Go ahead, bespoke your musical life.
-S&R