Hi Guys!
I've been out and about taking photos and sharing my latest prototype guitars this weekend.
Here are some of the images. Videos to follow soon (hopefully).
You can also see my new case design. I mentioned previously getting sample cases to try from multiple suppliers. Some of these would not fit well, others could not be supplied in any quantities beyond one or two so weren't worth considering at this time. I finally found a manufacturer to work with who was able to provide some samples; made to the exact size and requirements I specified.
I've asked for a few changes, but visually, I'm happy with the design and quality. Its a semi-rigid padded case, similar to what I've seen Taylor use.
The black guitar is finished in a clear coat over the carbon. This took quite a bit of trial and error as well as working with suppliers to find a high quality paint finish that was super clear, thin and also durable (and one that worked without needed extensive specialised facilities to cure). I'm pretty happy with the results, and the carbon really shines silver in the light. I cant wait to add translucent colours over this, as it makes for such a light and shimmering base (but that's another hurdle for further down the road). There are no binding layers or gel coat layers used in my process, so the carbon really shines through the super-clear coating.
I would consider myself to have quite a steady hand, but doing such thin fades around the edge with a small airbrush really tested that! There were more than a few restarts and do-overs! :P I was pretty set on having only the smallest possible black fades to really show of the carbon. Paint in general has been one of the most challenging parts; both from the point of sourcing materials that meet the requirements and worked with the process I've used; but also due to being something which I have had limited experience with in the past.
The images are quite compressed to get them to upload here, so you may see some banding/artifacting in the carbon weave; that's not there in reality or in the higher quality images.
These images were taken at the
Big Fish in Belfast.