— Prototype · for family
S-style · 1961 · Sherwood Green.
The first one I built end-to-end, and the one I learned on. My wife picked the colour — a dark Sherwood Green — and the gold hardware to match. Christmas gift to our daughters. There's a signature and a message behind the neck plate. Stays in the family.
Specifications
Hardtail · 4-piece body, 12-yr air-dried German alder, quarter sawn · AAAA maple neck, quarter sawn · Rosewood fingerboard, 9.5″ radius · Fender Vintage bridge · 3× CTS 250 kΩ custom split-shaft pots · CRL 5-way switch · Switchcraft input jack · Vitamin-T oil-filled .047 µF capacitor · Fender Vintage tuners · Fender Pure Vintage 1961 pickups · Vintage nitro finish · Gold hardware · Schaller security locks · NOS
— Build · for Lennard
S-style · 1961 · Pelham Blue.
Pelham Blue with gold hardware — the owner's call. Neck profile sits between a C and a U: not too thin, not too thick, oiled on the back. Fingerboard edges rolled, so it plays like it has had decades of use.
Specifications
Hardtail · 2-piece body, air-dried US American alder · AAAA maple neck, quarter sawn · Rosewood fingerboard, 9.5″ radius · 3× CTS 250 kΩ custom split-shaft pots · CRL 5-way switch · Switchcraft input jack · Vitamin-T oil-filled .047 µF capacitor · Fender Vintage tuners · Fender Pure Vintage 1961 pickups · Vintage nitro finish · Gold hardware · Neck partially finished with vintage nitro · NOS
— Build · for a colleague
S-style · 1961 · Sherwood Green.
Built for a very special colleague and friend, whose leadership, values, and honesty I admire. Same pre-CBS specifications as the Pelham Blue, but in nickel hardware throughout — the quieter choice.
Specifications
Hardtail · 2-piece body, air-dried US American alder · AAAA maple neck, quarter sawn · Rosewood fingerboard, 9.5″ radius · 3× CTS 250 kΩ split-shaft pots · CRL 5-way switch · Switchcraft input jack · Vitamin-T oil-filled .047 µF capacitor · Fender Vintage tuners · Fender Pure Vintage 1961 pickups · Vintage nitro finish · Nickel hardware · Neck partially finished with vintage nitro · NOS
— Build no. 0001 · for Matthias Freund, Ulm
S-style · 1961 · Black Gloss.
Built for Matthias Freund, a musician here in Ulm. He has owned many guitars and never stopped looking for the final one. I offered to build it in the spirit of pre-CBS, and shaped the neck to fit his hand. It has been his go-to ever since, and I see it on stages around town.
Specifications
Build no. 0001 · Hardtail · 3-piece body, 12-year air-dried German alder, quarter sawn · AAAA maple neck, quarter sawn · Rosewood fingerboard, 7.25″ vintage radius · Fender Vintage bridge · 3× CTS 250 kΩ custom split-shaft pots · CRL 5-way switch · Switchcraft input jack · Vitamin-T oil-filled .047 µF capacitor · Fender Vintage road-worn tuners · Fender Pure Vintage 1961 pickups · Vintage nitro finish · Partially lacquered neck · NOS
— Build · for Nick
T-style · flamed maple top, mahogany body.
Built for Nick, who came to me without a fixed picture of what he wanted. I sent him photos through the build so he could watch it take shape. The combination of Häussel P90s with the old mahogany works well. I won't repeat this exact build — every instrument is its own — but the recipe goes into the notebook.
Specifications
Hardtail · 1-piece old-stock mahogany body, chambered, neck from same piece of old-stock mahogany · AAA maple top · Malaysian Blackwood fingerboard, 9.5″ radius · Babicz bridge · 3× CTS 250 kΩ custom split-shaft pots · CRL 3-way switch · Switchcraft input jack · Orange Drop capacitor · Fender Vintage road-worn tuners · Häussel P90 pickups with aged nickel covers · Oil finish · NOS