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A guitar makers diary – Crimson Guitars 010712

Welcome to the Crimson Guitars workshop blog, here you can follow every stage of every custom guitar we build from day to day, you can even trawl through the last five years of posts using the menus to your right. If you’re interested you can sign up to be notified via email every time a new blog is posted (about once a week and we promise no spam at all!!) There is also now a search box in the left menu that will find anything in the blogs pages.. enjoy and please share us with your world.

The detachable double neck guitar from www.crimsonguitars.com is one of the more complex custom guitars we have ever built. It is essentially a six string guitar and a six string bass guitar that can be played either as a twin neck, through either one or two amps, or the two can be taken apart and played as a standard (though incredibly cool) guitar or bass. This video is a quick breakdown of the features of this unique instrument and a demonstration of how the guitar and bass bolt together. For a demonstration of the tonal possibilities see the demo video..

here.. subscribe to our Youtube channel and let me know what you think in the comments!

Part of my time has been spent working on the video above and also in cutting out a few photos of the Eyry.. there are 3 times as many as usual considering there are pretty much three distinct instruments here..

When I finish cutting out the rest of the photos I will create the gallery page for this unique bespoke guitar.

Until then these few will have to do..

Of course the way the bass and guitar connect is the prime focus of the design.

But the custom flight case from Adrenaline Flight cases is also a high point for me!

Now, back to the usual workshop diary and to the new NST Acoustic we’re building. I chose to carve the bridge in situ to allow more even clamping pressure as it was glued down.. an idea that makes sense at the time but not one I would recommend now, carving this proved to be a mite tricky!
Eventually though the bridge is complete and everything is fine sanded one last time, and the oiling process begins
I build up multiple coats of oil making sure to rub the excess off before it gets too tacky.
After that process the fretboard is carefully masked off to protect it from the leveling/polishing processes.
And then finally the ebony fretboard is oiled and oiled until it is properly saturated and the lemon oil starts to pool on the surface like this.
The sperzel tuners, beautiful lightweight US made tuners, are installed..
And I get to making the ivory (hippo in this case) nut. The scalloping is not really necessary but it has turned into something of a signature of mine..
The saddle is also created.. there is something missing though..
A way to fix the strings to the bridge, I’ve never like the standard options and these pins driven right through are plenty strong enough.
The guitar is strung up for the first time and I am ecstatic!
This little IV clamp comes in useful and lets me wire in the jack socket.
and the eq system.
I don’t build enough acoustics but really enjoyed this process for a change..
Another beautiful case, for standard instruments I haven’t found a better option than those made by Hiscox cases
Easing back in to the electric guitars I have a strat to wire up.
I’ve installed a custom set of Tweedtone pickups from Wizard Pickups
The flip flop finish looks stunning,
and all strung up I am the proud owner of a revitalised Japanese strat.. now.. who wants it? 😉
Davids Robert Fripp/PAF Hollow crossbreed guitar is also in need of some fretwork.
they are blacked off with permanent marker.
and leveled with this home customised file.
This file has had its edges rounded over and polished and it is used to re-profile each fret.
They are then all polished up with a loose leaf mop that is loaded with jewelers rouge
The final result is one of the best fret jobs I’ve ever managed to do.. things get better with experience and this is going to be guitar number 124 or thereabouts…
The fretboard is oiled in its turn.
and I start cleaning excess lacquer out of the various nooks and crannys in this guitar.