96 art Custom Instruments

11/17/2024

I'll let the photos (and Reverb link) speak for themselves on this one.

https://reverb.com/item/85752509-96-art-multiscale-headless-7-string-solidbody-guitar-with-sophia-tremolo-buckeye-burl-ash-purpleheart

11/12/2024

Final assembly

09/15/2024

08/04/2024

Three straight days of amazing music at Osheaga 2024 and I am going to go home full of inspiration and energy. I have a handful of solid ideas for new instrument, pickup, and amp designs after watching a constant stream of musicians and their gear on and behind the stage. I know I am probably preaching to the choir on this one, but - get out there, see some live music, support each other as artists, and be open to inspiration from everything you hear and see

04/20/2024

I posted about this amp a few weeks ago and haven't stopped modifying the design since. I haven't written down every single iteration, but at this point I'm well over 100 variations of component swaps or changes to the circuit. Some of the eyelets on the circuit board have been resoldered so many times I've had to replace them. More amusingly, the circuit is so far from the original layout that a third of it is now embarrasingly sloppy point to point. I think I'm about 80% of the way to where I would like it to be in terms of the tones available. Then it'll be time to redesign the layout and make everything tidy so I can have a design for a sale-able version.

When you buy a handmade guitar, amp, or other gear from a small shop, you're not just buying the result of an equation of time and materials needed to create a physical object, you're buying all the heart and soul that got poured into the design and development process. Regardless of the money involved, that's the part that makes this process rewarding and worthwhile - the acknowledgement that someone out there appreciates the vision I tried to create.

04/20/2024

Just finished this instrument. My first totally new design in more than a year. Very rewarding to do a back-to-basics design focusing on simplicity, comfort, and unique-ness.

More photos and all the details on Reverb: https://reverb.com/item/81630302-96-art-solid-body-set-neck-doublecut-jr-mahogany-and-maple-guitar-custom-handmade

04/04/2024

First one of these I’ve ever installed, anyone else tried one?

03/01/2024

This page has been dormant for a long time, during which I’ve mostly been busy with oddball pickups, guitar modifications, repairs, and commissions that I didn’t manage to photograph. But I did take a few photos of my latest project, which may develop into something sale-able eventually. This is a low power tube amp I built for myself, designed for simplicity and zero hiss/hum operation at home or in a studio. And good looks. I probably spent more time and struggled more on the looks than on the circuit inside it. And while I am more than happy with the outcome, I’m also already brewing up a handful of changes for the next iteration!

05/21/2023

After 25 years of use and abuse, the three corner file in the background has been worn beyond its useful life, so I treated myself to LMI’s three corner cant file. What a revelation. It makes fret end dressing fun again. I’m so happy we have vendors putting effort into developing and marketing such useful products for guitar work.

03/12/2023

One of my recently finished projects, this purple burst guitar is a new body shape for me, designed in partnership with it's new owner. Neck through, cherry body with a curly maple top. Finish is gloss on top, matte on the back of the body, and satin on the 5 piece neck. Ebony fretboard, Hipshot locking tuners, and a really amazing bridge from Sophia Tremolos. The trem block on this bridge is a work of art, it's almost a shame it's hidden inside the body!

03/05/2023

I’ve been so focused on building lately that I’ve ended up with three completed instruments that have yet to be photographed or shared - so today’s project is to get caught up!

02/11/2023

Buckle up, this one’s going to get weird…