Wilborn Nautilus BRW/Sitka NGD, it is here!!!!!!!

[mikealpine]

Wow, Tom, pretty special project! It may be your last, or just the last for a while. You can always sell the one you play least. Either way, this one will be a joy, for sure!

[Dogma]

What's the finish story? Or are you going to (cruelly) make us wait for the process to reveal itself?

[Steve Kinnaird]

Your “last custom”? That hits some of us harder than others!
However, Ben will do ya right, and if your prediction comes true (last custom and all that) then you will be going out on top. I look forward to playing this one, for sure! Tell Mr. Toad howdy from East Texas.

Steve

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by mikealpine

Wow, Tom, pretty special project! It may be your last, or just the last for a while. You can always sell the one you play least. Either way, this one will be a joy, for sure!

Yes, I guess that is true, I just hardly ever sell anything, but you are right.

Originally Posted by Dogma

What's the finish story? Or are you going to (cruelly) make us wait for the process to reveal itself?

I am a cruel and unforgiving master and you are going to have to wait. It will be different, probably again not to everyone's liking, and there is a good story behind it.

Originally Posted by Steve Kinnaird

Your “last custom”? That hits some of us harder than others!
However, Ben will do ya right, and if your prediction comes true (last custom and all that) then you will be going out on top. I look forward to playing this one, for sure! Tell Mr. Toad howdy from East Texas.

Steve

Yes, but remember there are two builders who are over-represented in my collection and one of them starts with the letter Steve Kinnaird and I love each one.

[Steve Kinnaird]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

…Yes, but remember there are two builders who are over-represented in my collection and one of them starts with the letter Steve Kinnaird and I love each one.

And they love you, Tom. They will also be proud to have a new brother (or sister, they’re even cooler) from the shop of Wilburn guitars.
Enjoy the fun ride, amigo!

[soma5]

Originally Posted by TomB'sox

Ben uses laminated sides, 3 layers in his case. For this guitar he is using EIR for the inner layer which matches the BRW pretty well, Madrone for the inside layer as it is strong, lightweight and glues well and will have the grain running perpendicular to the inner and outer layers to form a strong bias ply.

First the madrone is resawn...please take note of the roll off table being mounted to the garage door lol.

Attachment 98917

Attachment 98918

Here are all the layers set to be laminated from bottom to top, BRW, madrone, EIR repeat in reverse order for the next 3.

Attachment 98919

Please take note of the sapwood on the back and then on one of the sides. Ben has laid that out so the two areas of sapwood would meet in the cutaway area and should look pretty cool if it all works out.

Wow, Tom. I have to say that you have the best of taste in guitars AND guitar builders!!

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by soma5

Wow, Tom. I have to say that you have the best of taste in guitars AND guitar builders!!

Thank you Al, you are very kind.

An update from Ben today. Sides are bent, in the form and have the end blocks glued in.

The arm bevel support has been made shaped to fit perfectly on the side. You can see the sapwood in the cutaway area.

Finally the bridge in a beautiful black ebony, this is the first look at the new finish.

nautilus 17.jpg

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[justonwo]

Always wanted to try one of the comma series guitars. They sound so good in his demos. Congrats!

[s2y]

Originally Posted by justonwo

Always wanted to try one of the comma series guitars. They sound so good in his demos. Congrats!

I was able to try a bunch at BIG. All were very impressive. I have an EIR+Euro spruce Nautilus due summer 2024.

[dcn]

Tom, what an awesome final (for now?) project! This will turn out unique and stunning, I am sure. Also, everyone needs a little wabi-sabi in their life!

Ben's work is a joy to play and watch come together (and it comes together fast!).

[Nemoman]

Looking mighty fine, Tom!

The finish looks awesome whatever it is!

[Guitars44me]

Man, Tom, that bridge is so aerodynamic it’s already flying!

You’re gonna have a lot of fun with this one…

Cheers

Paul

[TomB'sox]

Originally Posted by justonwo

Always wanted to try one of the comma series guitars. They sound so good in his demos. Congrats!

They sound better when you are playing them as the sound wraps around you like you are in a bubble with the guitar.

Originally Posted by s2y

I was able to try a bunch at BIG. All were very impressive. I have an EIR+Euro spruce Nautilus due summer 2024.

Congrats on the build Sam!

Originally Posted by dcn

Tom, what an awesome final (for now?) project! This will turn out unique and stunning, I am sure. Also, everyone needs a little wabi-sabi in their life!

Ben's work is a joy to play and watch come together (and it comes together fast!).

I like wabi-sabi better then asymmetrical, sounds better, thanks!

Originally Posted by Nemoman

Looking mighty fine, Tom!

The finish looks awesome whatever it is!

Yeah, so far so good on that.

Originally Posted by Guitars44me

Man, Tom, that bridge is so aerodynamic it’s already flying!

You’re gonna have a lot of fun with this one…

Cheers

Paul

Yes sir, makes it great to spin around your head for the big finish to a song!

[TomB'sox]

Neck and headstock work:

Here is a little inlay at the 7th fret. It is a Chinese character for friendship that Ben inlaid at my request. Ben and I met in 2016 I believe it was. I was at Woodstock and this weird guy was on the stage a couple of tables down from Steve and Ryan whom I already knew. I picked up one of his guitars, he just smiled, I sat down and within 2 minutes I said I wanted it (this was on Sunday the last day of the show), he just looked at me, smiled again, and something like, well alright then and we made a deal. Who knew at that time we would become such good friends. He has come to each and every B.I.G., sold guitars at all of them, played at all of them, done demos, stayed at the house, I visited him at his shop as well, gone out to eat with us, laughed so hard our stomach hurt at times making eating hard to do and garnering side long glances from other patrons (you know the looks, wishing you would leave so they could enjoy a nice meal), and played at my wedding making the lovely Kathy come to tears with her favorite song as she walked down the aisle (well sidewalk since there was not aisle). Since this is my last commission, and he happened to be the one doing it, I wanted something to commemorate the development from strangers to friends.

nautilus 23.jpg

[TomB'sox]

Here is the set up for the headstock overlay, a cut out left over from the back, along with all needed to shape the headstock.

nautilus 24.jpg

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