Wow!!! I had missed this one when it came out - I think it is one of the most stunningly beautiful visual captures of the essence of your work. Bravo!!!
Thank you, I really enjoyed this one. A bit of a strange combo with the two locations and the 90 hour build getting in the middle of it but it did turn out pretty well. Thanks for watching! B
That looks so wonderful- the colours of the various woods go together so harmoniously. The fixing of the control cavity backplate is absolutely inspired, as is the inlay on the back of the headstock. I like the signature in the nut too- there are so many little ideas on this guitar that I've never seen on any other instrument.
Hi Ben, I have watch many of your creation and this one inspires me to build my own dream guitar. I have learned so match from your craftsmanship and hope that I can attend one of your courses, but unfortunately distance wise I couldn't do it. From the Philippines, many thanks.
I love the idea of the location pins and magnets to hold the back plate. and the little veneer strips on the headstock, I never would have thought of that.
This is growing to be a gorgeous guitar. I have a request, could you do a tutorial on finishing a guitar, paint and stain with clearcoat and then polish. You have shown these steps in other videos, but normally at the end. The finish is what a buyer sees first, and it is the finish some use to spend their money or not. The finish is miles more important than the choice of wood or the electronics, from a buyers point of view.
Ben, you are the master, I could only ever dream of owning a masterpiece like that, let alone making it from scratch, it's beautiful now, can't wait to see it complete.
Fantastic build. Loved seeing it come together. Would rather have seen this beauty end up with an oil finish instead of the lacquer, but that's just personal preference. Still an amazing looking guitar either way. Here's to hoping there's one more where we can see this thing strung up and playable.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars and it shows, you have a very skilled and hard working team there, that does not happen by chance, if I had a cap I'd doff it 🎩 😀. I only wish my lutherie skills were better I'd quit as a college lecturer and apply for the job!
Awesome looking already. Waited for this video patiently. Except for the top body wing this guitar is really looking beautiful because of the wood grain.
Incredible detailed work on these works of art.I find the bodies to boxie like tele styles,they should try a very contoured(Curved,Rounded) body shape ,i think they would look incredible brings the guitar to the next level.Just my thoughts.
Thank you. It is something I particularly like about violins and viola da gambas from.my earlier life and I am glad it works well on electric guitars as well. B
I would like to know why you chamfered that backplate so much, as I felt the fit prior to you going at it was quite nice. Thanks for sharing your design and making skills with us... but why the chamfering? I also loved the front face of the body, but not the back (personal preference).
Hi Benwise Your guitarchitecture knows no limit. What gorgeous wood and pinstripes. The angle proportions and layout of the central lengths of wood are so well balanced. One might even say GuitArtItechture. Gorgeous Benwise, GORGEOUS. The guitar, Im on about your craft! Oh, btw, in the last two vids you stated that ISOtunes are offering 10% off with code Crimson 10. You 'corrected' this on Whats on the bench but didnt correct this today 'mate' ; ) It truly is a better deal, being a fixed £10 off all items. But, that's £10 per transaction regardless of numbers of items purchased. Hope it's a helps to point this out. Keep going with great builds!!!!
Very original looking wood, although I wouldn't personally have gone for such a high gloss. What would be really cool is custom hardware to match the exotic nature of the wood and make the guitar really special, something like Alembic or Tone Revival do. I am being picky though, but that's what people do at this price point :-)
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars you need to get a 3D printer for metal sintering and make custom tailpieces and knobs. I'd love to see the knobs embedded with insects in prehistoric amber, or intricate metal tailpieces - elevate them to art! I did see that Ritter guitars were using real human teeth for dot markers, that might be a bit too far for me...
Excellent work Ben, as others have said though, bevelling the edge of the closure plate looks very odd in my humble opinion. But, you are the maestro and we have come to expect the unexpected. Can't wait to see it finished and hear what it sounds like.
I was doubtful about the body shape at the beginning. I was wrong (again). This is simply exquisite. Carbon fibre's an odd choice for a nut. It's hard and slightly conductive. Does this help?
I like very hard nuts, the conductivity won't hurt but I don't think it will help in any way, the strings are all grounded through the bridge already.. Hard but = bright sound with good sustain.. vb, B
from a players perspective I love everything about this guitar except for the gloss neck. leaving the neck itself satin would've given a much better feel to the player... Other than that one thing? GORGEOUS.
You have a good point, if it does end up selling then we will ask the client which they prefer and adjust accordingly. I'm in two minds myself.. I seem to love the one I'm playing when I'm playing it, if you know what I mean? B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I love the Art Deco idea. Thee were a few old masters like D'Angelico and later, John Monteleone that did amazing archtops. Maybe an updated take on that, expressed in a solid body... Custom trapeze tailpiece... inlay... You could do this...
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars As a lifelong drummer who has had to hang the sticks up due to injuries and old age. I have been playing around with bass guitar, would love to see you do a few bass guitars
Farting hell!! Haven't got to the end of this build yet but that finish looks extraordinary! I love the shape too Is there a way to get that kind of grain definition without the shine?
Hi Ben, two questions why does'nt the fret top ever get varnished ( at least until now I have never seen one varnished ) and two, can the fret be made with a play of more woods or design of more parts
Hi.. on maple fretboards you tend to lacquer over the whole thing including frets and then remove the lacquer when you level them, if you don't do this it would just be scraped off by the strings as you play. as to different materials, go wild.. B
I'd love to have seen this french polished instead of pollyed. Not much different to a camera, but IRL... Shellac isn't the ideal finish for a guitar I'll accept but the polly kinda ruins it a little for me. Of course to do a good polish would have taken days of work, albeit 5 mins at a time, and probably weeks of waiting before the final finishing. Beautiful guitar either way.
The opposite in fact, as long as the edges are curved it is ok if you are particularly skinny, but if you carry a bit more weight the guitar feels like it was moulded for you personally and is very nice to use. Vb, B
No need the way I play, really. They work best for me on trem guitars and are an upgrade for a heavy player or someone who does huge bends etc all lot. Otherwise, well, optional. B
Asking the right questions! I did this, stopped filming. Thought for a few seconds and the air was blue!! Turns out only two had to be pulled and reglued. I'm a bloody fool sometimes! B
If you want to get a perfect sanded finish you need to lightly damp down the grain in between sanded costs a few tines.. Ie sand to 300 grit, wet lightly to raise the grain, sand agin at 300, wet again etc a few times. In the end the grain doesn't raise any more and you have a perfect platform on which to apply finish. B
Sandpaper, for me. Once it's dry. Unless it is actually dry you can wipe it off with paper towels, just don't hang about or it will stick. Other than that, let it dry before you touch anything and it's just like a patch of slightly harder skin for a day or two.
I almost always like the soundtrack, but, why not try and ask a few bands if you can build them a guitar, in exchange of being able to use their music as a soundtrack for a year on any video you want or something ? Or maybe you've already tried something like that. And sure, a custom guitar like the big projects you do would of course also be quite pricey, but still. I mean, someone like Dave Grohl is up for a lot of stuff, he might do it, and i am thinking having Foo Fighters as a soundtrack might do well ? Or am i being weird ?
tried with capital c and lower case c as well as space and no space.. but thankyou for your reply. have been entertained by your videos for many years ..
Fascinating build. Kinda miss Ben's commentary though as he makes plans and tries to figure stuff out and so on, that always gave your build videos a very "human" aspect I think.
That was a function of the earlier episodes being filmed while April and Matt were about, and I wanted to see what people felt about it too. I think digression is a part of what makes the channel both entertaining and educational.. I will go back to it for sure! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Good to hear! these videos weren't bad though and the build looks awesome! Really looking forward to seeing and hearing it finished :)
Loving the video series but, please wear a mask and preferably use some extraction as well, especially when cutting the carbon nut. It's for your own health.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I'm so use to having to write out a risk assessment, coshh and safe system of work before, I do anything at work so I end up going a bit over board. I'm currently saving up to do a build with you guys. Looking forward to meeting up with you all :)
Try searching Holm Oak. Oak like this is pretty rare (especially in such a large billet) to the best of my knowledge. Pen and bowl blanks are easier to find though if you fancied a mosaic top.
That wood is sooooooooooo gorgeous!!!!! Nice work, ben! (And badger too!)
Watching your build videos is absolutely mesmerizing. Thank you for providing me countless hours of entertainment.
It is my pleasure, thank you for watching! B
Wow!!! I had missed this one when it came out - I think it is one of the most stunningly beautiful visual captures of the essence of your work. Bravo!!!
Cheers, I got to keep this one for myself and am very very happy I did! Thanks for watching! B
That oak is one of the best tops I've seen on a guitar.
my gob is smacked my jaw dropped stunning work sir beautiful
Thank you very much! B
Beautiful build Ben! It's been a pleasure watching this guitar come together!
Thank you, I really enjoyed this one. A bit of a strange combo with the two locations and the 90 hour build getting in the middle of it but it did turn out pretty well. Thanks for watching! B
That looks so wonderful- the colours of the various woods go together so harmoniously. The fixing of the control cavity backplate is absolutely inspired, as is the inlay on the back of the headstock. I like the signature in the nut too- there are so many little ideas on this guitar that I've never seen on any other instrument.
It's beautiful sir. Love the ebony lines you put in the back of the headstock. I did not notice those before. Intresting inlay idea.
It looked great before, but when the finish was applied, WOW!
I love when finish makes the wood pop! B
You put so much love into what you do. I love watching you do a build and seeing the passion that goes into it!
The wood combo works fantastically. VERY well done sir! ...Hope to hear her sing.
I enjoyed the percussive acoustic bgm.
Thanks all!
Hi Ben, I have watch many of your creation and this one inspires me to build my own dream guitar. I have learned so match from your craftsmanship and hope that I can attend one of your courses, but unfortunately distance wise I couldn't do it. From the Philippines, many thanks.
I love the idea of the location pins and magnets to hold the back plate. and the little veneer strips on the headstock, I never would have thought of that.
I just really admire your use of hand tools throughout. Very satisfying viewing.
I have several weaknesses, and good hand tools is certainly one of them! B
That wood is exquisite.
This is growing to be a gorgeous guitar.
I have a request, could you do a tutorial on finishing a guitar, paint and stain with clearcoat and then polish. You have shown these steps in other videos, but normally at the end. The finish is what a buyer sees first, and it is the finish some use to spend their money or not. The finish is miles more important than the choice of wood or the electronics, from a buyers point of view.
True, and yes we have plans to do more finishing tutorials in the new year. B
Really enjoyed this one.. What a beautiful piece of wood!
Pinstriping is the new copper leafing, isn't it, Ben?
Love the grain on the oak cap!
Ben, you are the master, I could only ever dream of owning a masterpiece like that, let alone making it from scratch, it's beautiful now, can't wait to see it complete.
Fantastic build. Loved seeing it come together. Would rather have seen this beauty end up with an oil finish instead of the lacquer, but that's just personal preference. Still an amazing looking guitar either way. Here's to hoping there's one more where we can see this thing strung up and playable.
Next one coming in a few days.. B
I love watching you work
Magnificent so many ideas, oh to have that selection of wood at your fingers, making it all look so simple, thanks.
It has taken 15 or 20 years of collecting and of v hard work to get to this point.. does make my palette more interesting now though. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars and it shows, you have a very skilled and hard working team there, that does not happen by chance, if I had a cap I'd doff it 🎩 😀. I only wish my lutherie skills were better I'd quit as a college lecturer and apply for the job!
Awesome looking already. Waited for this video patiently. Except for the top body wing this guitar is really looking beautiful because of the wood grain.
This might be the most beautiful guitar that has ever been across your bench Ben. Stunning in every way. Well done
I messed up a bit towards the end.. that back plate is a fail unfortunately :( B
Beautiful wood, with particular shape
I'd like to hear Ben's beauties play.
Wow beautiful. I even like the thought of a cherry red top natural back and sides with a hi gloss finish.... Either way still love it. Great wood
this guitar is BEAUTIFUL!! love it!!!
It's all coming together
Wow! Sick looking wood man , just awsome, so are your skills dude, a artist!
just wanted to say i like the music you guys put on this one...can't wait to see this build complete...looks sick so far! :D
I am just in love with that wood! 😍😍
The smiley faces made that wierd.. but I agree! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars that's hilarious, mate.
Out of this world sick
Incredible detailed work on these works of art.I find the bodies to boxie like tele styles,they should try a very contoured(Curved,Rounded) body shape ,i think they would look incredible brings the guitar to the next level.Just my thoughts.
That's going to be beautiful
You've excelled yourself with this, Ben. It's simply stunning.
Thank you! B
Flame Maple: ... because I look likes flames...
Silky Oak: Hold my beer...
i love the black white black detail
Thank you. It is something I particularly like about violins and viola da gambas from.my earlier life and I am glad it works well on electric guitars as well. B
I would like to know why you chamfered that backplate so much, as I felt the fit prior to you going at it was quite nice. Thanks for sharing your design and making skills with us... but why the chamfering?
I also loved the front face of the body, but not the back (personal preference).
It got wonderfully, then went to hell over time and, well, I messed up. I don't like the back much myself :/ B
Hi Benwise
Your guitarchitecture knows no limit. What gorgeous wood and pinstripes. The angle proportions and layout of the central lengths of wood are so well balanced. One might even say GuitArtItechture.
Gorgeous Benwise, GORGEOUS.
The guitar, Im on about your craft!
Oh, btw, in the last two vids you stated that ISOtunes are offering 10% off with code Crimson 10.
You 'corrected' this on Whats on the bench but didnt correct this today 'mate' ; )
It truly is a better deal, being a fixed £10 off all items. But, that's £10 per transaction regardless of numbers of items purchased.
Hope it's a helps to point this out.
Keep going with great builds!!!!
Very original looking wood, although I wouldn't personally have gone for such a high gloss. What would be really cool is custom hardware to match the exotic nature of the wood and make the guitar really special, something like Alembic or Tone Revival do. I am being picky though, but that's what people do at this price point :-)
Oh. Yes. High price, high quality and the options to specify exactly what you really want in a guitar. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars you need to get a 3D printer for metal sintering and make custom tailpieces and knobs. I'd love to see the knobs embedded with insects in prehistoric amber, or intricate metal tailpieces - elevate them to art! I did see that Ritter guitars were using real human teeth for dot markers, that might be a bit too far for me...
What kind of clear do you use?
Excellent work Ben, as others have said though, bevelling the edge of the closure plate looks very odd in my humble opinion. But, you are the maestro and we have come to expect the unexpected. Can't wait to see it finished and hear what it sounds like.
I guess you would need a gap somewhere to lift off the cover plate so why not make a feature of it and go all the way round?
I'm unfortunately not happy with what I did on the back plate.. very.not happy :( B
I was doubtful about the body shape at the beginning. I was wrong (again). This is simply exquisite. Carbon fibre's an odd choice for a nut. It's hard and slightly conductive. Does this help?
I like very hard nuts, the conductivity won't hurt but I don't think it will help in any way, the strings are all grounded through the bridge already.. Hard but = bright sound with good sustain.. vb, B
At last! A novelty free guitar !
thank you Ben
My pleasure, thank you for thanking me! B
from a players perspective I love everything about this guitar except for the gloss neck. leaving the neck itself satin would've given a much better feel to the player... Other than that one thing? GORGEOUS.
You have a good point, if it does end up selling then we will ask the client which they prefer and adjust accordingly. I'm in two minds myself.. I seem to love the one I'm playing when I'm playing it, if you know what I mean? B
The workmanship is unbelievable but I’m not sure about that upper bout....
The pop on that figure when the finish was applied is absolutely ridiculous.
One of my favourite parts if any guitar build, and this one in particular! Such nice wood!! B
Awesome video! Keep up the good work👌
Wonderful as always Ben. Are you finishing all guitars with lacquer now or do you still do any with the finishing oil? sweet finishing oil reveal..:)
It will be half and half, this current batch though are lacquer.. I too love the reveal though! B
Looks amazing
Hey Ben , Love your channel ! What finish do you recommend for a Maple fretboard ? Thanks and keep the videos coming
Varnish or lacquer all the way, anything else will let the maple get dirty too quickly.. B
It looks awesome!!
Amazing!
What was the finish? Lacquer? Catalyzed polyurethane?
Simply stunning. Something Art Deco about the overall design, to me.
Now that is an idea... guitars based on a series of design eras! Vb, B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I love the Art Deco idea. Thee were a few old masters like D'Angelico and later, John Monteleone that did amazing archtops. Maybe an updated take on that, expressed in a solid body... Custom trapeze tailpiece... inlay... You could do this...
For a resin build encase all the exotic shavings in a clear resin and then cut out the guitar shape and polish.
We have thought of doing that, you are right it would be very pretty! B
Looks fab. When I first saw the body size in ep1, I thought it was going to be a bass. Any plans on making a bass soon?
Yes. I want to do a few very soon. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars As a lifelong drummer who has had to hang the sticks up due to injuries and old age. I have been playing around with bass guitar, would love to see you do a few bass guitars
I've never seen a concave-backed guitar before. Are you sure the ergonomics will work?
I've built dozens and there are a few others who do as well, they are very comfy. B
Was that a piston under the lathe? Is it for a Hot Rod guitar?
Farting hell!!
Haven't got to the end of this build yet but that finish looks extraordinary!
I love the shape too
Is there a way to get that kind of grain definition without the shine?
Hi Ben, two questions why does'nt the fret top ever get varnished ( at least until now I have never seen one varnished ) and two, can the fret be made with a play of more woods or design of more parts
Hi.. on maple fretboards you tend to lacquer over the whole thing including frets and then remove the lacquer when you level them, if you don't do this it would just be scraped off by the strings as you play. as to different materials, go wild.. B
When I watched him take a fret saw to the back of that headstock, I initially cringed and then thought, "He knows what he's doing, probably."
I'd love to have seen this french polished instead of pollyed. Not much different to a camera, but IRL... Shellac isn't the ideal finish for a guitar I'll accept but the polly kinda ruins it a little for me. Of course to do a good polish would have taken days of work, albeit 5 mins at a time, and probably weeks of waiting before the final finishing. Beautiful guitar either way.
Wouldn't the control cavity cover start to move over time as it rest on your leg?
Surely the slight convexity of the body doesnt make it very comfortable to use when sitting or standing up??
The opposite in fact, as long as the edges are curved it is ok if you are particularly skinny, but if you carry a bit more weight the guitar feels like it was moulded for you personally and is very nice to use. Vb, B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars good answer 😆😆
Now I know where to get an insanely customized guitar.
What are you using for the black veneer?
Stained Holly or Poplar veneer. GREAT stuff. B
Where do you get the carbon fiber nut blanks?
Drop us an email, if they aren't already up.for sale at www.crimsonguitars.com I will make sure we list them asap. B
Haha well done Mike
You were great in Guardians of the galaxy
Thank you, some of my best work I feel. ;) B
Beautiful guitar, still no locking tuners?
No need the way I play, really. They work best for me on trem guitars and are an upgrade for a heavy player or someone who does huge bends etc all lot. Otherwise, well, optional. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Well, for me it's the easy way to chane strings ;)
a welcome relief after the '-Constipation-' 'Complication'
This needs skeleton tuners on ratioed gears. That would look awesome
That would be awesome! B
I just want to know how many magnetic beads ended up off axis to its mate.
Asking the right questions! I did this, stopped filming. Thought for a few seconds and the air was blue!! Turns out only two had to be pulled and reglued. I'm a bloody fool sometimes! B
11:57 Say, what was that you applied on the body there?
If you want to get a perfect sanded finish you need to lightly damp down the grain in between sanded costs a few tines.. Ie sand to 300 grit, wet lightly to raise the grain, sand agin at 300, wet again etc a few times. In the end the grain doesn't raise any more and you have a perfect platform on which to apply finish. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Oh, I see. Thanks
Ben how do you allways get the superglue off your fingers?
Sandpaper, for me. Once it's dry. Unless it is actually dry you can wipe it off with paper towels, just don't hang about or it will stick. Other than that, let it dry before you touch anything and it's just like a patch of slightly harder skin for a day or two.
I always scrape it off under my bench when wet if I can, other than that having well moisturised hands works well and it doesn't stay on for long. B
You should make one out of mesquite
What was the idea behind the triangles on the rear of the headstock?
It's Ben's runic 'B.C.' cypher. I think.
This.. though less easily readable this time.. well spotted. B
I almost always like the soundtrack, but, why not try and ask a few bands if you can build them a guitar, in exchange of being able to use their music as a soundtrack for a year on any video you want or something ?
Or maybe you've already tried something like that. And sure, a custom guitar like the big projects you do would of course also be quite pricey, but still.
I mean, someone like Dave Grohl is up for a lot of stuff, he might do it, and i am thinking having Foo Fighters as a soundtrack might do well ?
Or am i being weird ?
Yes!
I'm at 8:06 now and wondering why you glue in spherical magnets. You have no way of knowing whether you have oriented them correctly!
Dries van Oosten My thoughts, exactly. I would have used the small flat disc type. Easy to match polarity of the fields.
Great! What is the nut made of?
Steve SteveS carbon fibre
We sell them at www.crimsonguitars.com they are carbon fibre.. very hard and bright. B
shame, the Crimson 10 code doesnt work on Australian site...
Try crimson10 no space.. I hope it does work for you. B
tried with capital c and lower case c as well as space and no space.. but thankyou for your reply. have been entertained by your videos for many years ..
so like 3:15 why not use a table router?
I don't really feel comfortable with router tables and avoid them if I can.. my hangup though, they are perfect in many situations. B
Fascinating build. Kinda miss Ben's commentary though as he makes plans and tries to figure stuff out and so on, that always gave your build videos a very "human" aspect I think.
That was a function of the earlier episodes being filmed while April and Matt were about, and I wanted to see what people felt about it too. I think digression is a part of what makes the channel both entertaining and educational.. I will go back to it for sure! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Good to hear! these videos weren't bad though and the build looks awesome! Really looking forward to seeing and hearing it finished :)
Loving the video series but, please wear a mask and preferably use some extraction as well, especially when cutting the carbon nut. It's for your own health.
I know, I slipped up this time and will not do it again! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I'm so use to having to write out a risk assessment, coshh and safe system of work before, I do anything at work so I end up going a bit over board. I'm currently saving up to do a build with you guys. Looking forward to meeting up with you all :)
Also, I wanted to add a fair few bits of carbon etc... laminated into my build. Would you guys be against me adding a few extra bits in the build?
I bet that thing weighs a ton
The beast must weigh 30 pounds!
Hey wouldn’t be cool if he made a lefty guitar
I can’t find wood like that anywhere! When I look up silky oak the results are nothing like this.
check out the previous episodes, Ben gave a description above the comments.
Try searching Holm Oak. Oak like this is pretty rare (especially in such a large billet) to the best of my knowledge. Pen and bowl blanks are easier to find though if you fancied a mosaic top.
Boom
unfortunately I could never afford such a guitar.... :(
So make one :D
Or we offer interest free credit! ;) B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars even then it's too expensive ;) Besides, the wife would kill me if I bought such a guitar.
@@hammer9856 LMAO!!!
has anyone told you how much you look like skurge from thor ragnarok
Recently more and more.. it amuses me no end! B
Pretty fiddle. Needs gold hardware though. Just sort of the look it has. Not that i like gold hardware. I don't.
😎😎😎😍😍😍
Sanding without a dust mask? Not advisable. Filing and sanding carbon fibre without a dust mask? REALLY, REALLY not advisable.
agreed! Not sure of the point of the CFRP nuts really.... I don't think they look good, and it's a very odd choice of material for a nut.
класс !