New Blackbird Savoy day!

[seamusknives]

A real "eye candy" look to it. I'd love to try one out some time. Congrats'.

WOW! WOW!
And Wow! Those are beautiful!.

[tommyld]

Found the perfect bridge pins (bocote wood, from Shabby Chic Guitars). Also switched to wood strap buttons (cocobolo, from Iluak Fittings)...hey, I get a kick out of wood hardware on composite guitars.

Also got a piece of curly ebony and made myself an arm rest.

[kramster]

Very darn cool I say!

[tommyld]

Originally Posted by tommyld

Found the perfect bridge pins (bocote wood, from Shabby Chic Guitars). Also switched to wood strap buttons (cocobolo, from Iluak Fittings)...hey, I get a kick out of wood hardware on composite guitars.

Also got a piece of curly ebony and made myself an arm rest.

Got some Macassar Ebony and made a new arm rest that matches a bit better.
Also added a matching Macassar truss rod cover, cause I can't help myself.
Also some Madagascar Rosewood buttons.

[Jimmy Koh]

Wow! Very nice!

[Acousticado]

I really like the accents, tommy. I'm a fan of pickguards...a complementary ebony one of your own making might look very nice.

[jricc]

Beautiful guitar. Very nice additions too. That armrest is fantastic!

[Earl49]

Impressive woodworking skills, Tommy. But I gotta ask -- have you spent any time playing it, or just making accessories for it?

[tommyld]

Thanks!

Originally Posted by Earl49

Impressive woodworking skills, Tommy. But I gotta ask -- have you spent any time playing it, or just making accessories for it?

Haha! I'm in the musical accessory business full time (primarily manufacturing guitar effects), so just outside my recording studio/office, I've got a workshop full of tools...it's just too tempting to make accessories during my breaks from playing.

I'm a serial tinkerer, but I think I've got the Savoy just where I want it. And it sounds and plays so, so great.

[Amar911]

Your added accessories are amazing! So, I guess that means you are a source for similar parts for any of the rest of us who want to upgrade our Savoys, huh? When we actually can get one, that is. The arm guards are spectacular!!!!

Do you notice a difference in sound/tone with the arm guard attached. I have one on a classical guitar, and it lets the top resonate better, as well as being more comfortable on my picking arm.

You are making me soooooo jealous.

[tommyld]

Originally Posted by Amar911

Your added accessories are amazing! So, I guess that means you are a source for similar parts for any of the rest of us who want to upgrade our Savoys, huh? When we actually can get one, that is. The arm guards are spectacular!!!!

Do you notice a difference in sound/tone with the arm guard attached. I have one on a classical guitar, and it lets the top resonate better, as well as being more comfortable on my picking arm.

You are making me soooooo jealous.

Thanks!
Yeah, I'd be happy to make some Savoy fittings for fellow owners.
(In case it's not clear from the pics, the arm rest has a lip/bevel that goes around just slightly to the side, which hides the three small adhesive strips that attach it, and keeps the arm rest a few milimeters off the top. Also, the truss rod cover has a thin layer of removeable adhesive, which is enough to keep it firmly in place, but is able to be installed/removed without any damage to the guitar.)

A slight improvement in tone, as it prevents dampening. But I made the arm rest more for comfort than tone...an arm rest positions my hand right above the strings and seems to give me more control/stability when fingerpicking. Some guitars really dampen when your forearm rests on the edge/top, but that doesn't seem to be a problem with the Savoy. Probably the small body means your forearm doesn't make enough contact to really dampen the tone.

Originally Posted by Acousticado

I really like the accents, tommy. I'm a fan of pickguards...a complementary ebony one of your own making might look very nice.

I've got no use for pickguards, especially ones that can be seen from space (sorry, Blackbird)...but I had a small bit of ebony left and a free five minutes, so here ya go:

[Chriscom]

Originally Posted by tommyld

I've got no use for pickguards, especially ones that can be seen from space (sorry, Blackbird)...but I had a small bit of ebony left and a free five minutes, so here ya go

That's stunning! Wow.

[Acousticado]

Originally Posted by tommyld

I've got no use for pickguards, especially ones that can be seen from space (sorry, Blackbird)...but I had a small bit of ebony left and a free five minutes, so here ya go:

tommy, your woodworking skills are really good, and although I've liked the pics of the Savoy with the stock Blackbird pickguard, honestly, I'm not so fussy about your smaller design/shape version. In fact, with your other tasty accessories, the guard seems a bit too much, so I vote no guard. In actual fact, I don't need pickguards with my playing style, but I usually like them on light colored wood guitars, but not so much on composite guitars. If I ever get a Savoy, it would be the burst version, definitely without a picguard.

All this said, hope my comment didn't make you work too hard!

[tommyld]

Originally Posted by Acousticado

tommy, your woodworking skills are really good, and although I've liked the pics of the Savoy with the stock Blackbird pickguard, honestly, I'm not so fussy about your smaller design/shape version. In fact, with your other tasty accessories, the guard seems a bit too much, so I vote no guard. In actual fact, I don't need pickguards with my playing style, but I usually like them on light colored wood guitars, but not so much on composite guitars. If I ever get a Savoy, it would be the burst version, definitely without a picguard.

All this said, hope my comment didn't make you work too hard!

Thanks!

Haha, no, it was just five minutes. I won't be using it myself, so I'll offer it to any Savoy user who fancies it.

The burst finish is amazing, but I wasn't willing to pony up the sizable upcharge for it. In the end, I love the unfinished feel, with no finish to scratch or chip.