Neato Mosquito, Daddy-O'...my newest archtop design

John Backlund · September 30th, 2008, 09:43 PM

For a larger view of this guitar illustration, click on the link below...
http://www.coroflot.com/user_files/i...eyNGc0ikzx.jpg

tschommer · September 30th, 2008, 10:57 PM

Nice! I would like to see these jazz boxes with a venetian cutaway (especially the original one with no cutaway). I'm thinking the rounded lower horn would look better with the oval sound holes.

John Backlund · September 30th, 2008, 11:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tschommer

Nice! I would like to see these jazz boxes with a venetian cutaway (especially the original one with no cutaway). I'm thinking the rounded lower horn would look better with the oval sound holes.

I'm working on that type too, so there'll soon be a few of them posted. I prefer that style myself, I just didn't have the basic line art completed for that cutaway version before I had this one, kind of like a kid with a new toy...I had to jump ahead with what I had at hand as far as basic body templates go.

macheesmo3 · September 30th, 2008, 11:43 PM

I think it looks really great... but to be honest I think the pickguard just takes into " a little too much" territory . The lines and paint look great though !

markothefish · October 1st, 2008, 04:58 AM

I love it . It could be the Ultimate Rockabilly guitar. I can hear it now played through a Gretsch Amp , crancked but not distorted . I think its my favorite design of yours , John . Great work..

Slow Reflexes · October 1st, 2008, 05:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Backlund

...For a larger view of this guitar illustration, click on the link below...

As usual, I love it... but the link no workie!

goldtopper · October 1st, 2008, 06:27 AM

Amazing guitar!
I would prefer a black abony fretboard, not that maccassar crap.

jkingma · October 1st, 2008, 07:32 AM

Nice picture, but when are you going to build it??

B Valley · October 1st, 2008, 09:32 AM

I'd still like something in '88 Chevy Yellow Gold to match my wagon. I've seen some '57 Chevy guitars before, but they always do a big fin. I'd like to see one of your designs in yellow and stainless.

SteveY · October 1st, 2008, 09:51 AM

Rocker Box is totally cool!
Love the maple neck!

Loved the non-cutaway too, but this one just knocked that one off my background.

markothefish · October 1st, 2008, 10:07 AM

I like this one you did ... It would be sweet in Black and red

TeeBird · October 1st, 2008, 10:10 AM

Hey, it's a Buick!

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by goldtopper

Amazing guitar!
I would prefer a black abony fretboard, not that maccassar crap.

I had to go and look up what "maccassar" was, I'd never heard of it before...so I'm now a little more ejoomicated than I was ten minutes ago.

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 11:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jkingma

Nice picture, but when are you going to build it??

Me? never.

Somebody else?.....I suppose anything's possible.

guitardedzen · October 1st, 2008, 12:03 PM

that's ultimatly bad ass...I've been kinda dormant on the site in the past few months, do you have a link to all your designs? I'm wanting to check this out!!. I do vote for a venutian cut and possibly different pickguard (*ducks*) Gorgeous though! Gotta nice concept for a "rat rod pinstriped rocker box in flat black"?

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 12:29 PM

One of the things about this guitar that I really like are the color-matched and chrome 'Saturn' knobs...I'm going to use them on some other guitar designs too.

I scrounge the internet for photos of objects that may eventually be useful in the making of guitars and their components..I had this steel ball laying around in a file of 'junk' for quite a while and decided this was a good opportunity to use it for something...

I cropped it and stuck it down on a white background, centered a second 'squished' steel ball over the top of it, dak shaded underneath the squished ball onto the main ball to give it a little depth and dimension, added a couple of black rings, the outside one then overlayed with a white ring superimposed over it then erased back to simulate a metallic, reflecting metal...added the color-matched red to the 'base plate' of the knob....and presto! a very cool and retro-automotive knob!...

Duplicate it four times, rotate them to appear to be in naturally random positions, shoot a little digital airbrush reflective 'glare' onto them in strategic places...and we have a set of them for the guitar....

ccrnnr9 · October 1st, 2008, 12:36 PM

That is awesome. I love the looks. I must say that vintage white/cream color as a second color is perfect! If I had to modify one thing it would be to have a double cutaway and more rounded horns however that is one sweet design! I only say this probably because I have a lust for ES-335 style guitars that I cannot get over.
~Nick

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 12:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitardedzen

that's ultimatly bad ass...I've been kinda dormant on the site in the past few months, do you have a link to all your designs? I'm wanting to check this out!!. I do vote for a venutian cut and possibly different pickguard (*ducks*) Gorgeous though! Gotta nice concept for a "rat rod pinstriped rocker box in flat black"?

Here's a link to where I 'stash' a lot of my stuff online, guitars and otherwise. The guitar portfolio is at the upper right of the main page, there's something line 33 files in there. I add new ones to this site immediately when they're finished.

http://www.coroflot.com/John_Backlund

Pickguards come and pickuards go, they're a pretty easy thing to change on digital illustrations and well as real guitars so it's not a big deal that they, as well as some other details, don't appeal to everyone. I don't take such subjective preferences personal at all, and they're to be expected.

Slow Reflexes · October 1st, 2008, 12:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John Backlund

For a larger view of this guitar illustration, click on the link below...
http://www.coroflot.com/user_files/i...eyNGc0ikzx.jpg

Ah, found it... I think you meant "s3images" instead of "www" in that link ;)

JBD-X5 fullsize

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 12:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ccrnnr9

That is awesome. I love the looks. I must say that vintage white/cream color as a second color is perfect! If I had to modify one thing it would be to have a double cutaway and more rounded horns however that is one sweet design! I only say this probably because I have a lust for ES-335 style guitars that I cannot get over.
~Nick

As long as I've now started to 'mess' with classic guitar shapes (something I had vowed to NOT do, even relatively recently

), the 335 style guitars aren't far behind these '175' and 'L5' styles I've been doing 'Backlund Make-overs' on. I'll get to them, maybe in the next several weeks.

I still have zero interest in 'doing' any LP's and Strats though, I know they're fine guitars and true classics, but they visually just bore me to death. If I'm not personally interested in a guitar, I can't get myself to spend any time on it art-wise. I really like the archtop hollow and semi-hollows though, so it's natural for me to gravitate towards them when I'm not doing my original body styles.

guitardedzen · October 1st, 2008, 01:38 PM

WOW!!! that non cutaway is *****in too! Lookin forward to more!

ROADMAN · October 1st, 2008, 01:39 PM

great lines ..lovely color and lots of power...gotta love it...

guitardedzen · October 1st, 2008, 01:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Slow Reflexes

JBD-X5 fullsize

I think it nees some really tacky fuzzy dice fret markers....just me though!

John Backlund · October 1st, 2008, 02:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guitardedzen

I think it nees some really tacky fuzzy dice fret markers....just me though!

You can add all sorts of personal, 'cheesy', items to this guitar, but you'll have to provide them yourself as I don't consider the guitar a tacky novelty, I made it look the way it does because I like the 'look' I gave it. I haven't created a joke guitar design yet...at least as far as I'm concerned anyway.

They're not everyone's 'cup of tea', but I don't do them for anyone but myself and am fortunate that so many others seem to like them too (for the most part).

My designs aren't 'mainstream' (and probably never will be) even when based on established and classic profiles like this '175' style body, though they're certainly not avante garde or cutting edge design either, they simply reflect (but not directly copy) a combination of several popular styles of design from a period of time that generally spans from the late 1930's through the early 1960's....and contrary to the apparent impressions of many, usually pre-date 'The Jetsons' animated TV series by decades.

September 30th, 2008, 09:43 PM	#1 (permalink)
John Backlund Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: South Dakota Posts: 613 13 Photos	Neato Mosquito, Daddy-O'...my newest archtop design For a larger view of this guitar illustration, click on the link below... http://www.coroflot.com/user_files/i...eyNGc0ikzx.jpg

September 30th, 2008, 10:57 PM	#2 (permalink)
tschommer Tele-Holic Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Minneapolis Posts: 589	Nice! I would like to see these jazz boxes with a venetian cutaway (especially the original one with no cutaway). I'm thinking the rounded lower horn would look better with the oval sound holes. __________________ "When I die burry me deep, place two speakers at my feet, place some headphones on my head, and rock-n-roll me when i'm dead" - A T-Shirt

October 1st, 2008, 04:58 AM	#5 (permalink)
markothefish Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Greenville, Rhode Island Age: 42 Posts: 2,022 7 Photos	I love it . It could be the Ultimate Rockabilly guitar. I can hear it now played through a Gretsch Amp , crancked but not distorted . I think its my favorite design of yours , John . Great work.. __________________ Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

October 1st, 2008, 06:27 AM	#7 (permalink)
goldtopper Tele-Holic Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Somewhere Between Heaven and Hell Posts: 935	Amazing guitar! I would prefer a black abony fretboard, not that maccassar crap. __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ

October 1st, 2008, 07:32 AM	#8 (permalink)
jkingma Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Grimsby, ON. Canada Age: 44 Posts: 516 12 Photos	Nice picture, but when are you going to build it?? __________________ John Kingma, Creator of Fine Sawdust and Expensive Kindling.

September 30th, 2008, 11:43 PM	#4 (permalink)
macheesmo3 Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Ocean Springs , Mississippi Age: 35 Posts: 522	I think it looks really great... but to be honest I think the pickguard just takes into " a little too much" territory . The lines and paint look great though !

October 1st, 2008, 09:32 AM	#9 (permalink)
B Valley Tele-Holic Join Date: May 2008 Location: Glendale, Az Posts: 587	I'd still like something in '88 Chevy Yellow Gold to match my wagon. I've seen some '57 Chevy guitars before, but they always do a big fin. I'd like to see one of your designs in yellow and stainless. __________________ How many guitars is enough? Just one more...

October 1st, 2008, 09:51 AM	#10 (permalink)
SteveY Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Santa Cruz, CA Age: 58 Posts: 1,422	Rocker Box is totally cool! Love the maple neck! Loved the non-cutaway too, but this one just knocked that one off my background.

October 1st, 2008, 10:07 AM	#11 (permalink)
markothefish Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Greenville, Rhode Island Age: 42 Posts: 2,022 7 Photos	I like this one you did ... It would be sweet in Black and red __________________ Quote me as saying I was mis-quoted. Groucho Marx

October 1st, 2008, 10:10 AM	#12 (permalink)
TeeBird Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: Sebastian, FL Age: 46 Posts: 328	Hey, it's a Buick! __________________ Kawanga!

October 1st, 2008, 12:03 PM	#15 (permalink)
guitardedzen Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vermillion, SD Age: 22 Posts: 353	that's ultimatly bad ass...I've been kinda dormant on the site in the past few months, do you have a link to all your designs? I'm wanting to check this out!!. I do vote for a venutian cut and possibly different pickguard (ducks) Gorgeous though! Gotta nice concept for a "rat rod pinstriped rocker box in flat black"? __________________ My myspace page

October 1st, 2008, 12:29 PM	#16 (permalink)
John Backlund Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: South Dakota Posts: 613 13 Photos	One of the things about this guitar that I really like are the color-matched and chrome 'Saturn' knobs...I'm going to use them on some other guitar designs too. I scrounge the internet for photos of objects that may eventually be useful in the making of guitars and their components..I had this steel ball laying around in a file of 'junk' for quite a while and decided this was a good opportunity to use it for something... I cropped it and stuck it down on a white background, centered a second 'squished' steel ball over the top of it, dak shaded underneath the squished ball onto the main ball to give it a little depth and dimension, added a couple of black rings, the outside one then overlayed with a white ring superimposed over it then erased back to simulate a metallic, reflecting metal...added the color-matched red to the 'base plate' of the knob....and presto! a very cool and retro-automotive knob!... Duplicate it four times, rotate them to appear to be in naturally random positions, shoot a little digital airbrush reflective 'glare' onto them in strategic places...and we have a set of them for the guitar....

October 1st, 2008, 12:36 PM	#17 (permalink)
ccrnnr9 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Kirksville, MO Age: 22 Posts: 254	That is awesome. I love the looks. I must say that vintage white/cream color as a second color is perfect! If I had to modify one thing it would be to have a double cutaway and more rounded horns however that is one sweet design! I only say this probably because I have a lust for ES-335 style guitars that I cannot get over. ~Nick

October 1st, 2008, 01:38 PM	#21 (permalink)
guitardedzen Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Vermillion, SD Age: 22 Posts: 353	WOW!!! that non cutaway is *****in too! Lookin forward to more! __________________ My myspace page

October 1st, 2008, 01:39 PM	#22 (permalink)
ROADMAN Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: delta b.c. canada Age: 53 Posts: 1,138	great lines ..lovely color and lots of power...gotta love it...