HarrisCustomGuitars

FelineGuitars

Harriscustomguitars said:

Welcome to the forum...

 Oh - I like that saw that takes junior hacksaw blades - where is that from?

Harriscustomguitars

Couldn't agree more, a builders passion that he instills on each and every build, will manifest itself every time, regardless of materials.

I see your a big mahogany fan! I've built guitar necks, bodies, and high end furniture from everything from 300 year old Cuban. Brazilian, Honduras and then what a lot of companies now use in our guitar industry! Utile and Sapele. Saying this, a slow grown, quarter sawn Utile blank, is a very stable product to work with, and like you were saying earlier, would probably lend itself to a metal player tonally far more than Cuban would!

I tend to take a laid back view to it all, I understand and respect all the qualities of the tonewoods that I like to build with, but I'm equally as happy to add a beautiful top to a build which doesn't have a track record. I like my guitars to look timeless, and beautiful, designs that appeal to a larger audience and also ones that will suit different timber combos well. Those who are hell bent on exact specs and exact timbers, probably need to put that passion and determination into their playing, then the end product will sound beautiful anyway.

I strive to build guitars that are stable, and strong, as well as lookers, and they have had some intense field testing and withstood the onslaught! this is what real life guitarists seem to want, something that stays in tune, and one that can take a drop or two, and will bed in and mature as they play it. If taken care of properly, a naturally finished guitar will just keep getting better and better the more it's played, and fed.

Very interesting hearing your thoughts

earwighoney

WezV said:

My preference is for straight grained quartersawn mineral rich mahogany for necks and flatsawn lightweight mahogany for bodies.  I will freely admit thats driven by a love of vintage gibsons - but when i repeat that it gives good results both tonally and ergonomically (if an LP can ever be described as ergonomic).  

A lot of the metal I like all use Gibson/Fender guitars! Some great points though WezV.  There as many different types of metal as their types of snowflakes however and I've noticed certain types of metal players like 'modern' guitars and others 'traditional'.  

Fairly sure the cricket bat above is English plantation grown Willow (probably dried and made in India as well)

As for exotic woods, I love them as much as many guitar nerds do.  I spend most of my time playing flamenco and acoustic guitar and I believe it makes a much larger difference than for the electric guitar (with things like pickups, amps, BIG MUFF's), but ultimately for all types of guitar I believe the sound is sculpted by the hand of creator with woods (pickups, and so on) being their tools.  

Above woods, I myself am more concerned with nut width, neck profile, body shape, string spacing at the bridge; comfort factors. 

***

Fine looking Walnut guitar HCG.  Did the solid Walnut body produce a heavier body than normal?  How was the Cuban neck btw for stability?  I've heard nothing but praise for it's workability and stability. In the acoustic guitar side of things, Cuban is my favourite choice for back and sides. 

WezV

its one of those things I have had to concede on.  Because i Love wood and can hear the difference it makes, but also own a solid rock maple guitar and love trussarts.

Many people want to use those guitars to prove wood choice makes no difference  All it proves to me is those builders factored the wood choice out of the equation and found other ways to make great sounding instruments.  

I do love  mahogany.  But tbh I have been lucky.  I have been building guitars 15 years and been given enough free old stock mahogany to make 5+ guitars on 3 separate occasions.  being given an 8x8" mahogany post when i was starting basically allowed me to teach myself howto build guitar.  Then i worked in a school when they were having the 1960's library rebuilt and i reclaimed a lot of the old mahogany shelfing.  just a few months ago my cousin turned up with 12 mahogany planks from a recently deceased woodworker.

At the same time I have worked with many exotic and unusual woods over the years.  I can hear the difference they make but i keep coming back to nice old mahogany because i have been lucky enough to keep finding it and many of the new exotics become next years endangered species (I used a lot of ziracote)

Harriscustomguitars

earwighoney;976192" said:

WezV said:

My preference is for straight grained quartersawn mineral rich mahogany for necks and flatsawn lightweight mahogany for bodies.  I will freely admit thats driven by a love of vintage gibsons - but when i repeat that it gives good results both tonally and ergonomically (if an LP can ever be described as ergonomic).  










A lot of the metal I like all use Gibson/Fender guitars! Some great points though WezV.  There as many different types of metal as their types of snowflakes however and I've noticed certain types of metal players like 'modern' guitars and others 'traditional'.  

Fairly sure the cricket bat above is English plantation grown Willow (probably dried and made in India as well)

As for exotic woods, I love them as much as many guitar nerds do.  I spend most of my time playing flamenco and acoustic guitar and I believe it makes a much larger difference than for the electric guitar (with things like pickups, amps, BIG MUFF's), but ultimately for all types of guitar I believe the sound is sculpted by the hand of creator with woods (pickups, and so on) being their tools.  

Above woods, I myself am more concerned with nut width, neck profile, body shape, string spacing at the bridge; comfort factors. 

***Fine looking Walnut guitar HCG.  Did the solid Walnut body produce a heavier body than normal?  How was the Cuban neck btw for stability?  I've heard nothing but praise for it's workability and stability. In the acoustic guitar side of things, Cuban is my favourite choice for back and sides. 

Thanks fella, that guitar wasnt overly heavy, but a nice weight. The neck was superb, Cuban that old is unrivalled by anything plantation grown, its wonderful to work with too, as you can imagine. I agree totally with all your other points. The neck profile and width play a huge part in comfort, and therefore overall enjoyably of the guitar.

And yes, the tone woods have far less influence on a solid body electric, compared to acoustics. It's as much the setup/rig, pups, strings, playing style ect that influence tone. I made a super strat for a chap a year ago, with two single coils. It was a sycamore/maple body, with flamed maple cap, flamed maple scalloped fretboard , and rock maple neck with carbon support. Most people would hate this, but the thing sounds rediculous. The diversity of tone that he gets from it, really does stick two fingers up to what a lot of people think.

So this is why I keep an open mind, and build what people want, rather than constantly feed them my opinion.

Regards

HCG

Gassage

Very interesting stuff and thanks.


I totally get the flame being scrap thing- isn't falming caused by some form of structural defect or something? Is it wind stress? Can't recall.

Harriscustomguitars

Gassage;976277" said:

Very interesting stuff and thanks.





I totally get the flame being scrap thing- isn't falming caused by some form of structural defect or something? Is it wind stress? Can't recall.

I've got to be honest, I don't know precisely how the flaming occurs. A lot of a trees character comes from how it stores it's nutrients during its life. Maybe someone has more info on this subject.......

But.....I have use all kinds of rippled, figured, curly, tiger striped (call it what you will) timbers ranging from tulip/poplar all the way up to the most incredible pieces of flamed macassar ebony, and I've never had any issues with their structure or stability. Providing timbers you use are down to the correct moisture content, for where they will spend their life (within reason), and they are free from checks, cracks, splits, shakes ect and they are suitable for your application I.e quarter sawn for necks......you shouldn't have an issue. Saying this, all timbers are different, and different pieces react in different ways.

For a true test you need to use a freshly sharpened, finely set up surfacer, and skim both faces lightly, then allow the timber to stabilise in a suitable environment, with correct moisture levels, then re surface it once it has done all of its initial moving. Flatness and trueness can then be check with straight edges and winding sticks ect


And to the other guy, I'm sorry, I can't remember where I purchased that little saw, I remember it was a small independent UK luthier supplier though.

Regards

HCG

TTony

Harriscustomguitars said:

And to the other guy, I'm sorry, I can't remember where I purchased that little saw,

LOLz - "the other guy" has been known to make the odd guitar or two himself

WezV

Flame is technically a structural flaw, but I agee its more down to the individual piece of wood than anything else. Certainly not such a flaw to be unsuitable for guitars obviously.


But if you took two equal sized bits of maple with equal density and comparable grain direction the flamed one would always be weaker and less stable.

Heavy quilt is totally unsuitable for necks for a reason... But that's the extreme end of this discussion and most flame is strucurally closer to straight grain than quilt

Harriscustomguitars

Hah, I don't doubt it, I'm sure he's made many beautiful guitars, but he's still a guy (I think), and I can't remember where it's from either. If I come across an invoice, I'll let you know

HCG

FelineGuitars

Wonder if it was from here :http://www.gmcluthiertools.com/fingerboardslottingjig.htm

http://www.gmcluthiertools.com/apps/webstore/products/show/3596993

Harriscustomguitars

Ahh there you go! I highly recommend their tools too, nice to support the smaller
companies, and their tolerances are very small, they get my vote.

Regards

HCG

Harriscustomguitars

On the beautiful timber front, here's a solid ripple sycamore abraxis 6, charcoal stain, polyester finish.

Harriscustomguitars

And a fine example of macassar ebony, with figuring, on an abraxis 6 again, and a mix of oils to finish. Casting back to the preferred materials for a metal guitarist, if natural beauty, high attack, and big sustain are on your list, a body compromising of these two, (limba body, could use a rich mahogany), really will take some beating.

Enjoy

HCG

FelineGuitars

Thanks - I ALWAYS like finding new quality tools

Harriscustomguitars

Hand scalloped frets, using microplanes. These things produce an unrivaled finish prior to fine sanding.

HCG

Harriscustomguitars

So, how many of you players out there are into multiscale guitars?

As I said previously, we will be looking in the direction of designing and building our own custom multiscale at some stage this year, if there is the demand.

There are a few I've had to hand of late, that command upwards of £3000, and they just do not hit the spot when it comes to quality and level of detail/finish.

Whats your thoughts, positive or negative

HCG

earwighoney

Harriscustomguitars said:

So, how many of you players out there are into multiscale guitars?

As I said previously, we will be looking in the direction of designing and building our own custom multiscale at some stage this year, if there is the demand.

There are a few I've had to hand of late, that command upwards of £3000, and they just do not hit the spot when it comes to quality and level of detail/finish.

Whats your thoughts, positive or negative

HCG

Ibanez make a few budget multiscales. 

MS's seem to be a pretty divisive thing.  In the acoustic side of things, they seem to be favoured by 'modern' type players (slap, pop, bongo guitar type players) and 'modern' metal players in the electric side of things. 

Of the MS's I've played, I felt if there was a greater differential in scale past an inch it could be bit much (if that makes sense). 

Harriscustomguitars

Interesting, yes I understand, so you wouldn't want more that 25 on the high e and 26 on the low for example. Whats everyone's thoughts on scale differences..... Could be interesting? and nice to created a design that works for what people want.

A Harris multiscale would be high end, as all our instruments are, I will design a modern, tasteful body and then as with all our range, the customers will decide their build specs.

HCG

earwighoney

Harriscustomguitars said:

Interesting, yes I understand, so you wouldn't want more that 25 on the high e and 26 on the low for example. Whats everyone's thoughts on scale differences..... Could be interesting? and nice to created a design that works for what people want.

A Harris multiscale would be high end, as all our instruments are, I will design a modern, tasteful body and then as with all our range, the customers will decide their build specs.

HCG

I think Multiscale is possibly best suited to custom guitars so players can have their individual scale differences addressed to the tunings they use and the string sets they favour. 

Btw, I had a look at your website and the designs look great.  They seem to be in the 'modern metal guitar' side of things.  Do you have any inclinations to build something outside that?  Always good to see designs outside the tradition F/G type thing.