Do you ever incorporate a story into custom builds?
 

I got an idea from my Bob Thompson build thread. Have you ever "told a story" with certain inlays or other art?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...psph28i0mg.jpg

My upcoming Bob Thompson OM features some Brazilian Rosewood from a ship that sank, so I thought some sort of boat and the year it sunk would be an interesting effect.

My initial builds often featured my name somewhere on the guitar/bass for security purposes. I had known a few local musicians who had gear stolen over the years. I thought it would be harder to sell something with someone else's name on it. Eventually, I was on a bass forum and guys were complaining about basses with fancy tops, calling them coffee table basses. I thought this was a funny salute to their complaint. ;)

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...u/DSC01156.jpg

https://scontent-dfw5-1.xx.fbcdn.net...08&oe=5C307746

This acoustic was a nod to fishing with my grandpa and watching fishing shows that often featured beautiful acoustic music in the background. Truth be told, we often used a yellow jig and grub when fishing in Canada for walleye and pike with really good success. I thought a fly was a little more elegant.

What are some stories that were built into some of your gear?

Yes, it’s very common for us to build “themed” guitars for our customers and also spec guitars. Since you asked ... here is just a small sampling of them:

http://www.mcknightguitars.com/gallery/

As someone who has been in an Irish band for a couple of decades, I have Celtic knot inlays on 2 guitars. I have three others with an orchid inlaid on the headstock - my wife raises orchids and it's a way to give her a nod. But in both cases, they make an attractive but not over the top ornamentation and are not so far out that they would create a problem were I to sell one.

We have commissioned a Bowerman OM-41 Adirondack/Brazilian Rosewood with a fully inlaid front (headstock, fretboard, pickguard & bridge) by Harvey Leach for a client. As he is a Christian and wanted to play this guitar in church and at his gigs, we've decided to create a religious themed inlay. The guitar is about to start in a couple of weeks so maybe I would have inlay photos to show then :D

I have one in process.

I made this one about 20 years ago. The ships of NOAA Corps and its predecessors from 1855 to present. All hand-cut and etched, no CNC, no automated routing or cutting. I look back on all that work and think "Gee, this set of inlays would take about 45 minutes work these days" :D

https://i.imgur.com/T0ZOSAj.jpg

Talking about wood from sunken ships, I made the sides of a guitar from Teak recovered from the SS Pegu that was sunk on 8th July, 1917 by a German U-Boat. Teak not being the best choice made this more of an art project than a musical instrument but I wanted a boat decking effect and as the Teak was recovered to replace the decking of the Cutty Sark, it seemed the perfect stuff.

The guitar was completed on 8th July 2017 - 100 years to the day of the Pegu's sinking.

https://overendsite.wordpress.com/20...-and-a-guitar/

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I have a very special guitar, called the "Aki Jiimaan", for my esteemed client Tim B. that definitely tells a story. This one is on the verge of completion, after a long wait. I glued the bridge on last night, and today and tomorrow, I'll finish the assembly and set-up.
Tim wanted a guitar with some special inlay that depicts his favorite place on Earth, the Aki Jiimaan, or Land of the Canoe- the homeland of the Ojibwe Indians in Canada. Tim has traveled here for years to spend time in the pristine wilderness, camping, fishing, canoeing...

We commissioned Jimmi Wingert to do the inlay work, because something on this magnitude is beyond my skill set. Unfortunately, Jimmi had some enormous life changes, and was unable to complete the job. She did produce a beautiful design, though, and Tim bought the design work. We wound up sending it to the DePaule workshop in Vietnam to get the shell work done. They did a masterful job.

This project has taken nearly two years to complete, due to all the delays and re-routing of the inlay work. And I have to say, it was quite a nerve-wracking tightrope walk for me to inlay this incredibly complex shell work into the fingerboard and headstock. But it turned out a success, and I think it looks stunning.

Tim has been infinitely patient and kind through the whole process. And now his wait for this guitar is almost over. The Aki Jiimaan will be coming home to him in just a few more days. Once everything is fully dialed in, it's on the way to him.
The back and sides are Brazilian Rosewood, and the top is Sinker Redwood. I'm confident this guitar will sound as amazing as it looks.

Here are some photos of the Edwinson Eclipse OM Aki Jiimaan guitar, before the lacquer work.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/1/925/41...12e9a77d_b.jpg https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1783/4...36cd5802_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1770/4...1f57c293_b.jpghttps://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1824/4...4aa9820b_b.jpg

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1766/2...1f8da8b4_b.jpghttps://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1787/2...d495d353_b.jpg

Wow, sorry about all the dust on the upper fingerboard! I'll post some new photos of the guitar once it's strung up and fully detailed. For good measure, here are a couple more shots of the rest of the guitar. Thanks for looking!

https://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1769/4...01f99a25_b.jpghttps://c2.staticflickr.com/2/1783/4...2117f26a_b.jpg

All of my instruments have a theme and a name. Otherwise the design process feels haphazard and meaningless. Unfortunately I can't post pictures anymore due to the "paying customers only" rule...

Absolutely amazing!

Amazing stuff!

Holy stinking cow Steve Sheriff of Edwinson guitars! I have been waiting almost as long as your customer to see this and my word, I can't believe it. Loons, fish, mountains etc. I can see why this took so long and why you might have been a little nervous doing the inlay...that could be the boundary waters canoe area at the Northern Minnesota/Canadian border as well. Then you get past the inlay and turn it over and see that BRW!!!! Yikes, I am having guitar beauty overload!!! I think I need to avert my eyes or I may turn to stone!!!

Congrats on seeing this project through to completion, I know a few of the stumbling blocks that you had to get through!

Well, while not as dramatic as these other posts, I would add in a little background on my Tom Doerr Legacy.
I worked with Tom on creating a small 12th fret inlay....and the Brazilian wood pieces/chips for that little inlay are taken from the bridge of my very first guitar, a '64 D-18 which came to me back in about '66-67. It was kind of a "first guitar meets last guitar" kind of theme!
Didn't want to make it overly custom/personal.......it's just a tasteful little inlay which has personal meaning for me.
[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/9lx8WSjm.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i.imgur.com/r34nvWCm.jpg[/IMG]

What a wonderful guitar - I especially love the canoe and the fish.


What a brilliant idea - just goes to show size isn't everything.

LOL, Tom, you are just over the top, my friend! I love your enthusiasm. And I'm very happy to report, I just strung the Aki Jiimaan a couple hours ago, and WOW, right from the start it's got tons of sonic potential. The overtones and color started blooming in the first half hour. It's extremely well balanced across the spectrum. I think Tim's gonna like this guitar. I can't wait to hear what it sounds like tomorrow. It's incredible, listening to a brand new guitar wake up in the first couple of days. And that's only the beginning. Yeah, I'm pretty happy about it. Long time coming!

Absolutely stunning Steve!!
I'm curious(probably my most over-used comment!!), how does MOP stand upto strings rubbing against it? I've always wondered this when seeing ridiculously detailed fretboards.