Incoming Wilborn Comma Nautilus
 

Sorry if my thread is a bit long, but I'm really excited to start this journey for my first ever custom acoustic guitar with Ben Wilborn and I want to share this joy with you! :rolleyes:

As soon as I learned about Wilborn Guitars I was really fascinated by them, but after trying one in person from a dear friend, simply I fell in love.
Then I asked for more feedback on several forums and dozens of positive feedback on someone that is considered one of the best luthiers in the world prompted me to contact Ben, who turned out to be a wonderful person: for him to provide the attention to customer needs, to give suggestions to get a better tone and a better look, come way before the desire to sell an instrument.
From Ben's words emerges enormous passion for his work and after some email (maybe a few too many, since I admit to being a pain in the A), we managed to figure out the specs of the guitar.

Series: Comma - Model: Nautilus
Mahogany neck
Ebony bound neck and headstock
Ebony headplate, fingerboard and bridge
Ebony rear head plate with volute
Ebony bindings
Ziricote inlays
Florentine Cutaway
Multiscale design
Elevated fingerboard
Triple Laminated Sides
Arm Bevel
Schertler "open back" black tuners with ebony knobs
Schaller S-Locks "Blackchrome" strap buttons
Clear mylar pickguard
Visesnut flight case

Add-on: Master grade Adirondack Spruce top
Add-on: Ziricote back and sides (IMVHO it's the most beautiful wood in the world).
Add-on: TUSQ Nut, Saddle, Pins (is scientifically proven to be just way better than bone).
Add-on: Elevated fingerboard (click here to learn more about it)
Add-on: French Polish (a finishing method invented in the 1800s. Many of the best instruments in the world are varnished with this old method. To learn more about it, click here).

I gave Ben free choice for the top board, asking him to choose the Adirondack Spruce board he thinks the best (among all those he owns). He chose this master grade board cut in 2018:
https://i.ibb.co/LgnwBb5/IMG-6382.jpg

For the back I chose these Ziricote boards:
https://i.ibb.co/PmnwLx2/IMG-6338.jpg

Unfortunately I will not have the guitar before 2024.
Yes, his waiting list is very long, but the best things are the most awaited ones!
Over the time I will upgrade this thread with some news! :guitar:

Opinions???

#1 UPDATE - July 2022:
Although a very small update, I want to share it with you.
Wilborn, on my request, made a small figured maple plaque, with an inscription handmade by a calligrapher: "B. Wilborn - invenit et fecit".
It's latin, literally means "invented and made": it's a phrase used by the first art critics of the Middle Ages, it meant the authorship of a work of art).
The plaque will be glued into the body when it will be ready, but the wait is still long.

Hope you like this gem!

https://i.ibb.co/WG4nYRk/IMG-6723.jpg

Good looking choices, 2024? Wow a lot can happen between now and then, hopefully only good things.

Bruce,

Congrats, Ben's wait list has really expanded with the Comma series guitars. You have made a great choice and the woods look fantastic. You will not be disappointed.

Honestly before contacting him I never imagined the list would be that long.
Anyway the time would pass faster if I could stop thinking about this guitar (which seems impossible, eheh)

Well just to make you aware, there are no favors in the line. I have 5 Wilborns including the first commercially made Nautilus and I am in line for another, but I too am waiting to 2024 lol!!! You are behind me, I hate to say.

Congratulations on the build slot. The Comma series is in the top 3 guitars I'd like to play. I've just had my first build finished and it had a 2 year wait. I thought about that guitar every day of those two years. And I've played it pretty much every day since I got it. From experience, you can improve your playing and repertoire a LOT in two years! Enjoy the journey.

Well, I've never had a "top 3 / top 5 / top 10": I've always been a "one guitar lover" (of course one electric and one acoustic).
I've changed many guitars but I've only ever owned one at a time, I simply want the best and I don't like to change. :guitar:
I've tried several high end guitars, some friends own Olson, Ryan, Fylde but after trying a Wilborn I preferred it to any other instrument.
Maybe this is what can really show how much I appreciate Wilborn guitars and I hope Ben will be proud of this.

Anyway, in two years my playing will definitely improve a lot on my current guitar, as you said! :D

Tom, you are definitely on the 'extend my life' path with guitar comissions!!
As an aside, I commissioned a guitar from an unnamed builder 5 years ago, with a 3 year wait at the time, and now I'm thinking twice about just cancelling it after all these years ... especially given my luck at getting a Mark Hatcher build slot in a short period of time, and my awesome S Kinnaird guitar that had a short lead time because someone had cancelled!! I've been lucky.

Waiting is one thing, waiting 2 years longer than told is quite another. That is a tough pill to swallow and unless the builder is world renown, I would probably not wait any longer.

Mr. Pizza--you are in good hands with Ben! And welcome to the Wilborn Fan Club. Awesome human creating awesome guitars--it doesn't get any better.

I've waited for over 2 years on a couple of my custom builds--it makes the final outcome that much sweeter. If the waiting gets too tough, just go back and drool over some previous comma series build threads. Oh wait, that might make it worse!

Congrats on your build with Ben--I look forward to seeing it come to fruition!

yes, when I asked for info on this forum, many people besides talking about the qualities of his instruments, spoke very highly about him.
And, after speaking to him, I can only confirm what I heard here.
Now all I can do is continue GASSING on that guitar. :wild:

Actually there is one more thing you can do. Come to the next B.I.G. and meet the man in person! He plays a mean guitar and mandolin!

Forgive me, but I've no idea what the BIG is. Any additional explanations?

Bowersox International Guitarpalooza!

Everything you could want to know and more...

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=610733

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=625561

A must-do event in any guitar lover's life! :D

Aww well, only the best little guitar show in the world haha. Held in Sept. in Texas and Ben has been there for both and has played a concert with his partner Brad as well. We have another forum member from Italy who almost came both years, but travel is tough from Europe right now as you know. We did have one fellow make it from France though! However, hopefully things are better by fall. The show is 3 days long. If you scroll down the custom shop to page 2 or 3 you will find a few threads about B.I.G. this last fall.