JAVA box build 17

My 17th build is a 4-stringer with a Strat-style pick-up in the bridge position. Oak neck bolted on. Made & given to Deke Dickerson after a show he had at the Musical Instrument Museum.  Deke is a collector of guitars & early western stuff. A wealth of  knowledge. Since most of his guitars are not that common..I thought a CBG belongs within the herd. His first! Short video made to check how well it plays & sounds. Pardon the few mess-ups (!!) this was done 1 hour before going to the show.

PADRON Serial No. 016

Build #16 started with an all wooden PADRON box and a red oak neck. I've this box in the past and like it's tonal qualities. Built with 3-strings and a 24in. scale...it is currently set up for acoustic only but may get an Elmar Flat Pick-up in the future.

NOSTALGIA Serial No. 15

This latest build has been on the work bench since early in the year. It's a three string with a nice all wooden box. The neck is attached to the box rather than the easier through-the-box method. The golden tail-piece is a "found object" that all I had to do was bend to meet my needs. A piezo is mounted under the bridge. Hand finished neck and box give a vintage/worn look. Current strung with light strings.

CHATEAU REAL serial no. 14

This 3-string acoustic build was based on a recent purchase I made: a SEAGULL MERLIN. I started with a similar box that I had used for build #6, Using a neck-through design, the real steel frets were placed exactly as the MERLIN'S. Scale length was set to 21" based on the MERLIN as well, however moved back a bit to capture optimal sound. No 4th (unison) string was added. It's a great blues finger-picker and can get pretty loud when a pick is used.

UPDATE 6-2015: This one $old to a friend at work!

MACANUDO PORTOFINO CAFE serial no. 13

I finally finished my 13th build after a year hiatus. For this 3-string build I scored a vintage Teisco single coil pick-up off eBay. I wanted that dirty blues sound heard often from the Delta regions of Mississippi circa late '60s/early '70s. Many of those players had cheap Japanese guitars equipped with similar pick-ups. Just add some overdrive and you're in business. The box is a deeper MACANUDO like the one Shane Speal started with and swears by. Nicely figured poplar neck fretted with medium frets available from C.B. Gitty. The video shows the low end twang with a treble bite this thing is also capable of.

PADRON 3000 SERIAL # 012

My latest build started with an all wooden PADRON box that I paired up with a nicely figured poplar neck. The neck was stained to match some of the wood on the box. Due to the cool natural stripe down the neck, no fret markers were placed. However, markers are burned into the side of the neck for reference. Another 3-stringer with real steel frets. The bonus came by adding the hand-made flat pick-up produced by a guy in Vienna named Elmar. WOW! what a great sound. I will definitely be a returning customer but his production is limited so you have to get on a waiting list. 

 INFO:
ORIGINAL FLATPUP

ROCKY PATEL OLDE WORLD RESERVE Serial # 011

Build number 11 started with a rough Rocky Patel all wooden box. I decided to give that "relic'd" look all the major guitar builders charge big $$ for. The poplar neck was "ebonized" with a stain/black paint mixture to give it a vintage look as well. No sound holes were made in the body. A piezo pick-up is placed inside just below the bridge. Real fret wire was used for the frets. The sound file below was recorded through a vintage Big Muff Fuzz into an early '60's Gibson Skylark tube amp. This set-up give a cool nasty sound!

Shake Dat Hip: