Dream custom guitar?

[G-Yo]

What's your dream custom guitar?

I may have an opportunity to have one made by a good friend who is an excellent craftsman. If he's up for it, my initial thoughts are a LP or Tele style guitar with P90s. Wood grain body, high level of figuring, etc. Even if he's not up for it, it's fun to think about.

So, I'm curious what others think. If you could have any guitar body shape, any style, any pickups, neck scale/radius, headstock, etc - would you stick to a custom version of a classic shape? Tele or otherwise? What would your dream custom guitar be like?

 

[4pickupguy]

I hope you commission your friend to make your paul/tele dream guitar!! Currently it would be the strat I bought to assemble. It would be this:

A tribute to a guitar I had stolen in 2002. The original had a Les Paul style stop tailpiece and bridge but I want a trem. I have had all the parts for two years now.

 

[Recce]

Currently it would be the strat I bought to assemble. It would be this: View attachment 1087583
A tribute to a guitar I had stolen in 2002. The original had a Les Paul style stop tailpiece and bridge but I want a trem. I have had all the parts for two years now. View attachment 1087584

Looks like you need to build.

 

[JeffBro]

isn't there something special about some guitars? Like a 59 Les Paul or 1950s Fender Strat?

 

[Jupiter]

Gil Yaron Guitars

gilyaronguitars.com

 

[El Marin]

So, I'm curious what others think. If you could have any guitar body shape, any style, any pickups, neck scale/radius, headstock, etc - would you stick to a custom version of a classic shape? Tele or otherwise? What would your dream custom guitar be like?

I got it last January

After some years thinking and using my Faithfull Tele I had an epifany. To me, the most comfortable guitar is a Gibson SG- Okay, I got one in 2001, but I don't like humbuckers on bridge position, so add a Tele pickup, then a Bigsby. I am a Bigsby lover. The guitar needed a refret and I went to stainless steel jumbo frets and by the way a refin. Because the most beautiful colour in a guitar is goldtop... really

Now I have the best of every guitar I have ever dreamed and I cannot put it down. It took me 33 years to figure out what I wanted but it was worth the pity.

 

[oregomike]

What's your dream custom guitar?

I may have an opportunity to have one made by a good friend who is an excellent craftsman. If he's up for it, my initial thoughts are a LP or Tele style guitar with P90s. Wood grain body, high level of figuring, etc. Even if he's not up for it, it's fun to think about.

So, I'm curious what others think. If you could have any guitar body shape, any style, any pickups, neck scale/radius, headstock, etc - would you stick to a custom version of a classic shape? Tele or otherwise? What would your dream custom guitar be like?

That's a touch question, but I'd probably have Koll (PDX) make me something in his Troubadour series.

Models — Koll Guitar Co.

www.kollguitars.com

Or something from Shelton. https://www.sheltonelectricinstruments.com/guitars.html

 

[Freeman Keller]

What's your dream custom guitar?

I may have an opportunity to have one made by a good friend who is an excellent craftsman. If he's up for it, my initial thoughts are a LP or Tele style guitar with P90s. Wood grain body, high level of figuring, etc. Even if he's not up for it, it's fun to think about.

So, I'm curious what others think. If you could have any guitar body shape, any style, any pickups, neck scale/radius, headstock, etc - would you stick to a custom version of a classic shape? Tele or otherwise? What would your dream custom guitar be like?

I'm the other side of that equation - I build guitars.

Here are things I think about each time a new one comes along

A coustom guitar should be different. If I can buy it off the wall at GC why would I build it.

A custom guitar should be ergonomically perfect . I ask people to bring a guitar that they really like the neck and I duplicate it

A custom guitar should have perfect geomtry and be set up perfectly. it should be a pleasure to play

Ideally a custom guita should sound good - this can be difficult figure out what the new owner is looking for in sound.

Here are a few custom guitars and the specifications to which they were built

my son wanted a classical

my daughter wanted a blingy girlie guitar Her spirit animal is the blue darner dragon fly

A friend wanted "an acoustic guitar that looks like an ES-175). he also had some special requests for inlays

Another friend wanted a red 335 - he is a lefty

Another 335 cclone this time for my friend Jac. Jac plays jazz .

my damn kid again this time he wanted a double neck

Decided to build myself a resonator and I had some very nice koa

A couple more of the ones that I kept for myself a single cut hollow body and an acoustic archtop inspired by the old L-5's

 

[Recce]

I'm the other side of that equation - I build guitars.

Here are things I think about each time a new one comes along

A coustom guitar should be different. If I can buy it off the wall at GC why would I build it.

A custom guitar should be ergonomically perfect . I ask people to bring a guitar that they really like the neck and I duplicate it

A custom guitar should have perfect geomtry and be set up perfectly. it should be a pleasure to play

Ideally a custom guita should sound good - this can be difficult figure out what the new owner is looking for in sound.

Here are a few custom guitars and the specifications to which they were built

my son wanted a classical

View attachment 1087721

my daughter wanted a blingy girlie guitar Her spirit animal is the blue darner dragon fly
View attachment 1087724

View attachment 1087725


A friend wanted "an acoustic guitar that looks like an ES-175). he also had some special requests for inlays

View attachment 1087726

Another friend wanted a red 335 - he is a lefty
View attachment 1087727

Another 335 cclone this time for my friend Jac. Jac plays jazz .

View attachment 1087733

my damn kid again this time he wanted a double neck

View attachment 1087737

Decided to build myself a resonator and I had some very nice koa

View attachment 1087739

A couple more of the ones that I kept for myself a single cut hollow body and an acoustic archtop inspired by the old L-5's

View attachment 1087741

You have skills I don’t have.

 

[Freeman Keller]

What's your dream custom guitar?

I may have an opportunity to have one made by a good friend who is an excellent craftsman. If he's up for it, my initial thoughts are a LP or Tele style guitar with P90s. Wood grain body, high level of figuring, etc. Even if he's not up for it, it's fun to think about.

So, I'm curious what others think. If you could have any guitar body shape, any style, any pickups, neck scale/radius, headstock, etc - would you stick to a custom version of a classic shape? Tele or otherwise? What would your dream custom guitar be like?

I'm going to add something to the above post. Even if you friend is "an excellent craftsman" building an LP is not a trivial task. I have built a couple of them

 

[Peegoo]

Over many years I've built guitars for myself and others, based on features that are unavailable in any production guitar.

The problem for me with a "dream" guitar is the dreams keep coming, and they're different every time.

But I think this one comes closest because it contains all the criteria I consider essential (ergonomics, ease of playability, ruggedness, good tone, etc.), on a custom guitar--one of which is for it to be totally unique and employing a technique hitherto unused by any other maker. In this case, it's Steinberger straight-pull tuners behind a Tune-o-matic bridge.

Here's the first prototype, with a home-brew pickup that wasn't quite exactly the sound I wanted.

 

[schmee]

A custom guitar can be superb to look at. Whether it has "the mojo" will not be known until it's complete though. I can't explain why this is and I believe in science, but the 'combination of parts' on some guitars just is great and others are deadwood when you play them.

 

[Peegoo]

@schmee

I agree. Tone just...happens.

Sure--there are measures to take that can help encourage a good outcome, but there are no guarantees. Sometimes a combination of the best parts simply falls flat. And sometimes a $10 no-name guitar you pick up at a garage sale becomes a tone beast after a little TLC. You never know until it's done.

 

[TomBrokaw]

Headless, .strandberg-style body, or else Ibanez RG-style body
25.5" scale length
12" radius
Richlite or similar fretboard
Carbon fiber neck
SS frets
Dual Humbuckers with a 5-way switch wired for S/P/PP/P/S
Master volume, individual tone controls
Killswitch with inverter so depressing the switch can either kill the sound (normal) or allow the sound
Chambered, drilled, or otherwise weight-relieved aluminum body
Machine-turned and anodized finish, or else bass-boat sparkle with flakes that can be seen from orbit
Smells like unicorn farts
Tastes great, less filling

 

[jvin248]

.

The more guitars I've played, the more I've built... My Tele Esquire-H with a 4-way switch that runs both bobbins, is probably it. Chunky neck, simple controls I can't forget, covers the primary famous tones of Tele, Strat, and LP.

I do notice many dreamers want every exotic type of wood anyone has ever suggested, on their guitar. And they want all 400+ switching options with as many pickups they can find. It gets really too unnecessarily complicated to build. This includes pro players getting a 'signature' guitar 'deal'.

All maple neck is the most stable over time and environment. No exotic lumber dragged out of a rain forest exploiting indigenous peoples. Local fast growing woods.

.

 

[brookdalebill]

I want a long scale (25 1/2 inch) Les Paul, straight string pull at the nut, Steinberger gearless tuners back loaded like on a Firebird, traditional “open book” headstock, volute, ebony fretboard, medium jumbo frets, abalone trapezoid inlays, substantrial curly maple neck, beautiful one piece or perfect book-matched curly maple top, Cuban or Honduras mahogany back with belly contour, TV Jones Supertron (n), Classic+ (b) pickups, Tru Arc or Compton bridge, string through tailpiece, Evans Pull String B bender, or Bigsby, finished in either dark transparent green or amber.
It would have a master volume/phase switch placed out of the way of my picking hand.
So, I want a guitar that looks like a Les Paul, sounds like a Country Gentleman, has a B bender, and is a great country guitar.
An instrument that no one but me would want!

 

[G-Yo]

Gil Yaron Guitars

gilyaronguitars.com

Yeah, those look very nice. I like the double cut shapes, too. And p90s...

 

[G-Yo]

I got it last January

After some years thinking and using my Faithfull Tele I had an epifany. To me, the most comfortable guitar is a Gibson SG- Okay, I got one in 2001, but I don't like humbuckers on bridge position, so add a Tele pickup, then a Bigsby. I am a Bigsby lover. The guitar needed a refret and I went to stainless steel jumbo frets and by the way a refin. Because the most beautiful colour in a guitar is goldtop... really

Now I have the best of every guitar I have ever dreamed and I cannot put it down. It took me 33 years to figure out what I wanted but it was worth the pity.

It's interesting to me how we "figure out" what we like over time and after playing many different guitar types. Seems like there can sometimes be a difference between what we think we like and what actually feels/sounds good to play. I really like your SG. Looks classic, unique, and edgy at the same time.

 

[G-Yo]

That's a touch question, but I'd probably have Koll (PDX) make me something in his Troubadour series.

Models — Koll Guitar Co.

www.kollguitars.com

Or something from Shelton. https://www.sheltonelectricinstruments.com/guitars.html

Yeah, I'm a sucker for offset guitars, and p90s. Those are some really nice ones!

 

[G-Yo]

I'm the other side of that equation - I build guitars both for myself and for others.

Here are things I think about each time a new one comes along

A coustom guitar should be different. If I can buy it off the wall at GC why would I build it.

A custom guitar should be ergonomically perfect . I ask people to bring a guitar that they really like the neck and I duplicate it

A custom guitar should have perfect geomtry and be set up perfectly. it should be a pleasure to play

Ideally a custom guita should sound good - this can be difficult figure out what the new owner is looking for in sound.

Here are a few custom guitars and the specifications to which they were built

my son wanted a classical

View attachment 1087721

my daughter wanted a blingy girlie guitar Her spirit animal is the blue darner dragon fly
View attachment 1087724

View attachment 1087725


A friend wanted "an acoustic guitar that looks like an ES-175). he also had some special requests for inlays

View attachment 1087726

Another friend wanted a red 335 - he is a lefty
View attachment 1087727

Another 335 cclone this time for my friend Jac. Jac plays jazz .

View attachment 1087733

my damn kid again this time he wanted a double neck

View attachment 1087737

Decided to build myself a resonator and I had some very nice koa

View attachment 1087739

A couple more of the ones that I kept for myself a single cut hollow body and an acoustic archtop inspired by the old L-5's

View attachment 1087741

Um... wow! Beautiful work. I'm guessing you get a lot of joy making those for people. It shows in the end product. Hat's off to you, sir!