NGD Gillett Guitars new 6-string electric ... made in Rocklite!

Andyjr1515

Hi

I'm very excited.

Those of you who follow my build threads know that I haven't bought a guitar in years, because I make them.  But I've just bought one and I am SO excited.

Gillett Guitars brought out a unique range of electro-acoustic basses a couple of years ago...and they really are unique, carrying a number of design patents.

Well, they are just about to launch a new 6-string electrics using similar design principles.  And they've built one of those for me in the new Rocklite Sundari man-made rosewood substitute.  I was happy to be their guinea-pig whatever it came out like - I'm just intrigued and enthralled by the design and - having played a prototype a few months back - the sound spectrum.  But boy oh boy


Here it is, in their workshop.  Now - the two cutaways are carved walnut - but all the other main components of back, sides, top and fretboard are ALL Rocklite!






Just look at the grain on that last photo where it's been sanded into the cutaway block!  This is artificial wood - manufactured and finished by absolutely standard Gillett methods.

And it sounds fantastic.  I had the Carvin hybrid (copy of the Taylor T5?) a while ago but couldn't get on with the pretty restricted sound palette.  This is something else.


I've agreed to give Gillett full feedback of how it fares in real life - and they will feed that back to Rocklite but before I get my mitts on it, I've agreed they can show it at the London Guitar show at Kempton Park this coming weekend (I'm doing grandfather stuff in Aberdeen - drat!) along with the launch of their mahogany model.  If you're going, pop over to the stand.  If you mention that you are off TheFretboard forum, they may even let you have a play!  Just don't drool on it!


Can't wait to get my hands properly on it.  

Do you get the impression I might be very, very, very excited about this?   

Winny_Pooh

Looks like a fun gigging guitar and the material is interesting indeed, what strings are you using on there?

Andyjr1515

Winny_Pooh said:

Looks like a fun gigging guitar and the material is interesting indeed, what strings are you using on there?

I think they are Rotosound 10's, standard electrics.

There are a couple of Bareknuckle magnetics (interestingly, with the single at the neck and humbucker at the bridge) and a double piezo under the bridge saddles.  The active eq allows treble boost on the mags and bass boost on the piezo.

sev112

Don’t think I have seen conventional pickups on a thin line electroacoustic, it will be interesting to see / hear how these sound, as I may think about retrofitting it to mine, where the piezo is sooooo tinny

Andyjr1515

sev112 said:

Don’t think I have seen conventional pickups on a thin line electroacoustic, it will be interesting to see / hear how these sound, as I may think about retrofitting it to mine, where the piezo is sooooo tinny

There are a lot of things different with this guitar.  The string ball end bar is under the black cover at the back and so the strings actually come, undamped, through the body chamber to the bridge, free to resonate.

The bridge itself sits on a F1 racing car type space frame which the top and sides then attach to.

It really is a 'chuck away the rule book and start again' design.

Now, usually, that approach results in a lacklustre result.  However, trying their prototype a few months ago at a show, and this one in their workshops last week, I certainly seemed to be able to find easily 'proper' electric sounds and 'proper' amplified acoustic sides that I haven't been able to get either from the Carvin hybrid or my Les Paul fitted with the Ghost acoustic emulator.

I will only know for sure when I get it home in a few weeks and do a direct comparison with my electrics and acoustics through my own amp.  Be assured, I'll do a full review and let everyone know how it fares...   

DrBob

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

Andyjr1515

DrBob said:

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

Not sure - I'll pass that question to Gillett.

Flattery will get you everywhere, by the way   But, yes - I thought my guitar buying days were well over.  Plus this was twice the price of ANY guitar I've ever bought in the past.  

Time will tell whether it ends up in the "jack of all trades, master of..." category that I think the Taylor T5 and Carvin slipped into, but I played it A LOT last week at Gillett's workshops and, if anything, came away even more convinced than when I ordered it that it might well be master of both - and all bits in between.

From a builder's point of view, it is also immensely useful to see the Rocklite product used as standard wood in the full spectrum of CNC machining, hand tool work, sanding, finishing and playing before using it in one of my own builds next time someone wants the increasingly scarce and controlled rosewood.   

Rabs

DrBob said:

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

That was exactly my first thought too..

Looks very interesting indeed and beautiful @Andyjr1515 .. I will be interested to see what you think after you have had some time with it.

Andyjr1515

Rabs said:

DrBob said:

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

That was exactly my first thought too..

Looks very interesting indeed and beautiful @Andyjr1515 .. I will be interested to see what you think after you have had some time with it.

Can't wait to do the direct comparisons on my own gear

Rabs

Andyjr1515 said:

Rabs said:

DrBob said:

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

That was exactly my first thought too..

Looks very interesting indeed and beautiful @Andyjr1515 .. I will be interested to see what you think after you have had some time with it.

Can't wait to do the direct comparisons on my own gear

I am actually planning something similar (sort of) when or if I ever get to build again..

It is for a friend of mine who plays many acoustic open mic nights and id love to make him an electro acoustic which he can play live and record electric sounds with so he has one guitar that can do it all.

I bought a fairly cheap tune o matic piezo bridge.. It says that you just wire it in like a normal pickup, normal pots an all that.. I find it hard to believe and if it does work, that it will actually sound any good but its my first option at the moment.. If not I will get an EQ box for it and all that and have separate output jacks for the piezo and electric pickups...  We will see (and that's if it ever happens )

and will possibly look something like this

https://i.imgur.com/a7XuVHr.jpg

Andyjr1515

Rabs said:

Andyjr1515 said:

Rabs said:

DrBob said:

Has Lindsey Buckingham seen this ? Strikes me it might be very much his bag..
Also given the quality of guitar you’re capable of making for yourself it speaks volumes about how special this one must be if you’re actually buying it 

That was exactly my first thought too..

Looks very interesting indeed and beautiful @Andyjr1515 .. I will be interested to see what you think after you have had some time with it.

Can't wait to do the direct comparisons on my own gear

I am actually planning something similar (sort of) when or if I ever get to build again..

It is for a friend of mine who plays many acoustic open mic nights and id love to make him an electro acoustic which he can play live and record electric sounds with so he has one guitar that can do it all.

I bought a fairly cheap tune o matic piezo bridge.. It says that you just wire it in like a normal pickup, normal pots an all that.. I find it hard to believe and if it does work, that it will actually sound any good but its my first option at the moment.. If not I will get an EQ box for it and all that and have separate output jacks for the piezo and electric pickups...  We will see (and that's if it ever happens )

and will possibly look something like this

https://i.imgur.com/a7XuVHr.jpg

Looks good!  I have a Les Paul fitted with the Graphtech Ghost Floyd and acoustic emulator.  For what you describe, I think that config can work very well.  Go for it!

That LP will also probably be the best one for me to do a head to head with against the Gillett

Rabs

Theres another thing to these electric/acoustic hybrids..  From what I have read they will actually work better using a certain kind of string cos piezos don't really like standard electric strings and magnetic pickups don't do the bronze type so well..

There are these DR Zebra strings that I have heard are meant to work very well with the hybrids

These https://www.amazon.co.uk/DR-Strings-Zebra-Acoustic-Electric-Round/dp/B0002FOKQI

You know much about that?

Andyjr1515

Rabs said:

Theres another thing to these electric/acoustic hybrids..  From what I have read they will actually work better using a certain kind of string cos piezos don't really like standard electric strings and magnetic pickups don't do the bronze type so well..

There are these DR Zebra strings that I have heard are meant to work very well with the hybrids

These https://www.amazon.co.uk/DR-Strings-Zebra-Acoustic-Electric-Round/dp/B0002FOKQI

You know much about that?

When the guitar is solid but with additional piezo and acoustic emulation, I use standard electrics.  This one is different because there is some real acoustic input.  At the moment, Gillett are fitting Rotosounds but this maybe an area I can help them with with some experimentation.

 Interesting what you say about the DR Zebras - maybe one to try early on.  Thanks for the tip

paganskins

This one sounds good, the facebook video seems to be public and doesn't require logging into – not sure how to embed it

https://www.facebook.com/GillettGuitars/videos/1998831413764400/

Andyjr1515

paganskins said:

This one sounds good, the facebook video seems to be public and doesn't require logging into – not sure how to embed it

https://www.facebook.com/GillettGuitars/videos/1998831413764400/

Yes - I think that's the prototype. The production models have one or two changes but the vibe is the same. 

NorthernPaul

Thats a stunning looking thing

Andyjr1515

There's a pretty good video here of Ben Fletcher playing the Rocklite and standard Mahogany versions side by side.  Some shots of the internal structure of the guitars too.  Amazing construction and very different design concept.




I particularly like the bit where Ben says he actually prefers the Rocklite one (mine)