Alembic Guitars Club

Alembic products => Factory to Customer => Topic started by: mica on July 29, 2004, 02:33:09 AM

Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on July 29, 2004, 02:33:09 AM: Here's the pictures I tried emailing you:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/11580.jpg)

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/11581.jpg)
These are rough ideas. Just want to see if we're in the neighborhood. If you like where we're headed, I'll make a materials mock up for you to see. My mom thought that the designs grouped at the larger fret spaces only seemed a bit lopsided. I like the way they look spread out on the fingerboard. As for the other 5 positions, they can be marked with side marks only, or maybe something simple like dots. What do you think?
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kc1961 on August 26, 2004, 06:09:32 PM: How about a larger Peace Sign below the tail peice on the body of the guitar, then space the other four symbols along the fret board?

I love the Sun and the Saturn! The star is a little plain, and the rose/heart is a little complicated.

I tried to send this post weeks ago, and I guess it did not work...sorry!

Keith
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: susan on August 27, 2004, 11:13:04 AM: Keith,

A larger peace sign below the Tailpiece sounds great.

I don't see how I can get the Rose/Heart any simpler since the request was for a 5 petaled rose, one petal for each member of the family (the center bud doesn't count) It was difficult to get it to look like a rose with any fewer petals. You only see the last drawing not the ten I threw away.

The Star I'll put further down and make it a little larger encompassing several frets and have it in mother of pearl outlined in silver. My thoughts on the star since it's for the youngest member of the family is that he's reaching up to his brothers.

-Susan
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kc1961 on August 27, 2004, 03:42:04 PM: Maybe I'll get a better feel for the Rose/Heart with a more finished image. I like your on the Star.

You indicated that the guitar is built...do you have any photos you can post? I would love to see what you have!

Thanks!

Keith
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: jalevinemd on August 27, 2004, 05:25:29 PM: Keith,

Welcome to the club. I really like the inlays, so far, especially the idea of a larger peace sign below the bridge. What type of guitar are you having built?

Regards,

Jonathan
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kc1961 on August 30, 2004, 03:04:06 PM: Jonathan,

Thanks for the welcome. It is a Further. I am really excited to see the inlay work progress. We should see some pics of the base guitar soon.

Keith
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kmh364 on August 31, 2004, 05:29:55 AM: Cool! Welcome to the club.
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: palembic on August 31, 2004, 06:28:11 AM: Hurrah ...one six-stringer on the higher frequencies more on this club. That's a good thing!
Welcome Keith!
I would go for the peace sign below the bridge.
1 eeny-teeny-weeny discussion point (but I think Susan can give -as always- give the correct answer in this matter):
the sign as described on the scetch above, and we all know as the peace sign, was ever showed to me as being based on an old rune that symbolised Death. If you turn it upside down it would be Life.
I could be wrong but life could be more appropriate for this guitar. Of course we ALL have -and I bet you in the first place- THIS (what you designed now) sign in mind as THE peace sign.
Rune wise it doesn't make sense I think.

Well ...just my ideas ...you know ...I'm bad.

Paul the bad one

Paul the bad one
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kc1961 on September 02, 2004, 12:17:55 PM: Paul,

You are right about thespirit of this guitar...life and love is the idea.

The symbols are for specific members of my family, so they mean a lot to me. I have not heard about the Death association with the Peace Sign...it has always stood for tolerance and, well, peace.

Thanks for the post!

Keith
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on September 12, 2004, 01:31:32 PM: Here's your guitar in the setup room, with most of the finish on, ready for fingerboard inlays:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/12624.jpg)

Lookin' good!
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: hollis on September 13, 2004, 12:28:38 PM: Sweeeeeeeet!
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on September 16, 2004, 05:37:33 PM: Here's a mockup of the peace body inlay:

(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/12778.jpg)

Of course, this is just on an random Further, not on your specific guitar.

I had you fingerboard inlays rescaled, but somehow I failed to save it properly, so I'll redo that in the morning.
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: ox_junior on September 16, 2004, 06:12:34 PM: Wow that is awesome looking! I love the quilted maple, you got some fantastic wood for this one.

What's that center stripe between the two purpleheart stripes? Offsets everything very nicely.

Mike
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on September 17, 2004, 11:37:00 AM: You can name it .jpg but if it's still Photoshop format, you can't fool the browser

Here's yesterday's picture in a browser-friendly format:

and the mockup #2 of the fingerboard inlays:

The frets are shown slightly wider than reality, but I find it helps in design to really steer clear of them. The rose is scaled down within the heart. The four fingerboard inlays are spaced for visual balance.

Once we get the line art approved, I can make a mock up with materials.
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: caveman on October 30, 2004, 09:10:19 PM: Hey, what's the extra hole in the control cavity for?
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on November 04, 2004, 11:41:09 PM: That's an on/off for the side LEDs. If you see tape in the neck pickup while the guitar is in spray, it's usually protecting the wires from the finish. Speaking of finsh, the logo is inlaid and under a coat of finish:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13897.jpg)
Mike has been in inlay overdrive. Here's the dry-fits of your fingerboard inlays:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13898.jpg)
Mother of pearl and custom cast red acrylic
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13899.jpg)
Mike picked a cool piece of Tahitian mother of pearl for the disk - it mimics the faint banding on Saturn. This shot is the darkest view, it's a very active piece of shell. The rings are white mother pearl. To get Cassini's division, Mike held his breath and sawed the ring - it's too small the file later.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13900.jpg)
Hard to tell how cool this looks. Agoya and golden mother of pearl.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13901.jpg)
White mother of pearl framed with sterling silver.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13902.jpg)
This was actually still wet in this photo, but mom couldn't resist placing it for the pictures. There's some really neat grain in the Ebony, but it's impossible to see unless you see it in person.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13903.jpg)
Here's some idea of scale.
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/13904.jpg)
Since Mike had just finished these, I found an identifiable scrap of mother of pearl.
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: the_mule on November 05, 2004, 01:41:10 AM: Well, who would want any more proof of the great craftmanship Alembic offers! The fingerboard inlays aren't entirely to my tase to be honest, but the body inlay 'cartouche' is absolutely stunning! This'll be a truly unique guitar!

Wilfred
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kmh364 on November 05, 2004, 06:38:13 AM: Very nice!
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: smiley on November 06, 2004, 03:31:11 AM: Wow! Very nice quilted top. Is that a standard top or upgraded to 5a?
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: mica on November 12, 2004, 05:55:52 PM: Here's the real thing, the peace symbol inlaid:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14266.jpg)
but this is under a prepped surface of the finish when it's sanded between coats. Your guitar was fretted today:
(http://club.alembic.com/Images/631/14267.jpg)
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: flaxattack on November 12, 2004, 11:04:49 PM: amazing.....
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: palembic on November 13, 2004, 09:20:32 AM: Gosh ...the birth of a classic!!!

PTBO

oh ...and a LOT of scrap to make boxes!!!!
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: hollis on November 15, 2004, 11:59:04 AM: I just can't stop smiling while looking at this guitar. Not only is it beautiful, but it denotes a certain sense of whimsy. It looks like a party getting ready to happen! I love this guitar. What a blast!
Title: Keith's Custom Guitar
Post by: kc1961 on November 15, 2004, 04:55:45 PM: I am really happy with the way it looks...it captures the spirit that I was going for. I can't wait to play it and get the party started!