I missed replying to this! I didn't realized you are the "Ernie" of Element fame!! Now I have to search for your music, based on Steve's high praise. Thank you for your kind comments, I definitely know how fortunate I am on many levels.

Wow Steve. Thanks a million.

Thanks Mike but this was all Steve. When he built my guitar awhile back, all I did was ask about a design concept and a few designs later, there it was. As much as I’d like to, I can’t take credit for any of it. He named it after me because I begged him to. :)

. :D

By the way, I’ll say it here too, really enjoy your music! You are very talented, a pleasure to listen to.

Hmmm, okay. I don't recall any begging, Ernie! I appropriated your name without even asking your permission! But it was that guitar I made for you, with a whole new category of rosette developed for it, and a new bridge shape... I had this blinding flash of inspiration to riff on your name, and call this new aesthetic approach the "Element" style. That's just a cool word, and I like the implications of it. As in, the periodic table of elements, which are the fundamental building blocks of Matter.

Mike asked me to make slimmer arm and rib bevels, and he is going to be getting a brand new bridge design also. And as luck would have it , Mike has a pretty awesome last name too. So hereafter, the slim bevel design, and the new bridge, will be defined as the "Appollo" style. That's great, because my original bevel style is called "the Joel Stehr-influenced Kevin Ryan arm bevel". That's a pretty klunky label.

Just a note to any future custom build clients: If you decide to induce me to create some new designs for your guitar, I hope your last name isn't something like "Bohonkis" or "Futzwald".

Well darn...

Steve, there you go again! Enthusiastic hyperbole endears you to us all. But take care with the moniker "Master". The term itself denotes such a high level of understanding and execution that it should be reserved for the best of the best. I deeply appreciate your kind words, but feel like I am yet climbing toward apogee. Now as for the word "true", well I'm truly "something or other"....:D

Anyway, carry on with that beautiful build. It's looking great!

SK

Aloha Mike and Steve:

This eclipse is looking just beautiful! Those lovely circular dot design elements are an Edwinson signature. The eclipse is Steve's most popular model, I believe. I know Steve loves this wood combination also. Welcome to the Edwinson family, it will be love at first strum, Mike. Very excited for you, and to watch Steve bring this instrument to life!

Thank you very much! Sorry to have taken so long to reply, life has been busy. I appreciate the kind words!

Steve has been making progress, I will let him post updated pictures when ready. I am only posting now because I want to express how easy and fun Steve has been making this journey. We started in one direction with fretboard inlays, then I threw Steve a complete curveball and we are headed in another direction. And he’s running with it, letting me bounce ideas around, making mock-ups, changing them around, really making the process interactive. And never getting mad at me, which is the nicest part!! In all seriousness, he’s been fantastic to work with, and I wanted to share that. I’m sure we’ll have new pictures up soon. Have a great night!

Thanks again for being awesome, Mike.
The neck construction is well underway, with the bolted mortise and tenon cut and fitted, the headstock profiled, plated and bound... Now for the fretboard inlay.
I think we've finally got the elusive formula figured out for the fretboard inlay. We'll know tomorrow, and if it's a go, I'll post the reveal photos as soon as I get the inlays planted and leveled. (Hint) It involves Ebony and Zebrawood.
Again, this is the first time I've done a design like this. It's not a major art project, dripping with pearl- just looking for clean graphics, harmonizing with the rest of the guitar design.
I just like that Mike is challenging me to evolve my guitars, just like Sage 97 did. So the fretboard will be considered "Appollo style". The Appollo style is accruing several new style appointments. Fretboard, bridge, cutaway... This is gonna be a pretty nice guitar, I think.

Next up will be the neck carve. Then the bridge will be designed and made. And it will be a built guitar!

I'm sorry, but the question has to be asked......

Why don't we have any photos on this page??!!:D:D

I'm a safe distance from "awesome", probably much closer to "pain in the neck" (or lower anatomical spot). :) I'm very flattered at having some items named after me! And it's fantastic to be given some latitude with the design. It's all coming together beautifully!

You will, very soon, unless this post causes a spill-over to the next page...

But ideally there will be image updates later this afternoon or tonight. Thanks so much for following along!

Here are some preliminary photos of the neck construction. I hope to have some pics of the fingerboard inlay later today. The neck is some nice old, dense Honduran Mahogany, with a black/Aniegre/black center lam. Neck joint is a bolt-on mortise and tenon. Truss rod access is through the sound hole. The fingerboard and headstock have Zebra wood purflings and Ebony bindings all around. Front head plate is Ebony, and the back head plate is Macassar Ebony. The frets will be my favorite, Evo Gold, which are harder than Nickel/Silver, but not hard enough to ruin my fretting tools, like stainless steel.Attachment 12381Attachment 12382Attachment 12383Attachment 12384

The neck joint is cut and fitted, so this thing is really starting to look like a guitar now.Attachment 12385Attachment 12386

Stay tuned for more, soon. Once the inlay is done, I’ll glue on the fingerboard and heel cap, and carve the neck. Thanks for looking!

As mentioned in my Wilborn build, I am envious that you two came up with any fingerboard design at all hahaha. I completely flopped in my attempts at anything cool! Maybe I can steal your thrown out ideas for mine!

Originally I asked Steve if he could do something that "bleeds" off the edge, some kind of blocks, which then also become the side markers. He even made a mock-up that looked really nice. But then he mentioned the copper tubing with the abalone centers, and that he would want to incorporate that into the inlay somehow. Those are prevalent in the back strip, the rosette, and in Steve's logo. That got me thinking about taking it in another direction, and I sent Steve some basic ideas. We went back and forth a few times, I swear he has unreal patience! First framed in one wood, then another, and so on, but the end result is going to be something I know I will never get tired of. I'm sure we'll see more updates soon.

Thanks for enabling...uh, encouraging me and watching as things develop!