conventional guitars (relatively speaking)

When I came across a beautiful flamed piece of light Swamp Ash large enough for a one-piece body, an interpretation of the iconic Tele seemed in order.  A tightly figured Bird's Eye Maple neck, black bakelite pickguard and butterscotch tinted nitrocellulose lacquer pay tribute to the original.  A mini humbucker in the neck position and an intonated bridge constitute more modern appointments.

On a more traditional note...  Swamp Ash body, Maple neck with block inlays and Lindy Fralin Jazz Bass pickups.  The finish inspired the name ('Wizard of Oz').

Framire body and set neck.  Similar in appearance to Korina, but with a brighter, snappier sound.  Rosewood fingerboard and headstock overlay, 25 1/2" scale.  2 BoneTop P-90 style pickups.  Wilkinson adjustable wraparound bridge, volume, tone, 3-way.  Gotoh vintage style locking tuners.  Thin nitro finish. The wood and the scale constribute to a bright, punchy sound.

Mahogany body w/ figured Bubinga top, Mahogany neck w/ Purpleheart fingerboard and headstock overlay.  Tonepros adjustable stoptail bridge, Sperzel locking tuners.  The knobs are from a 40's vintage radio, the truss rod cover is pearl.

In addition to the magnetic Tele-style configuration,  there are piezos mounted in the 'point technology' tremolo for a MIDI output.  The top is Wenge, with a Maple 'faux' pickguard inlaid.  The  white and black sections on the fanned fretboard correspond to the white and black keys of a keyboard, a feature patented by Aaron Wolfson.

Built for my friend Fabian, this custom guitar has a hollow Mahogany body w/ a fiddleback Ash top and a flame Koa set neck w/ a flame Maple fingerboard.  Reverse tremolo/headstock.  The electronics are loaded through the tremolo spring cover.

All-Mahogany body and neck, Rosewood fingerboard.  Loosely inspired by the work of Zemaitis.  I used an old brass bridge and knobs over a thin sheet of aged copper.  A P-90 in the neck and a vintage Gibson Lap-steel pickup in the bridge give a full, rich sound.  The back is finished in black lacquer.

addl. Photos courtesy of Miyaji Gakki Tokyo, 1-4 Kanda Ogawamachi, Chiyodaku, Tokyo

http://miyaji.co.jp

The copper top on this guitar is left to oxidize naturally.  A brass plaque depicting the buddha is inset into the top.  Vintage radio knobs with metal tops and brass hardware reinforce the theme.  The bridge pickup is a green 'BoneTop' Tele-style, the neck is a cream 'square tab' DiMarzio PAF humbucker - the earliest series, which by now have aged nicely and offer some of the best PAF-tone out there.  Mahogany body and neck.  Nitrocellulose finish on the back.

These guitars are an offshoot of my collaboration with Thomas Nordegg, Steve Vai's (and many others') longtime tech.  Based on the Ibanez Jem model they explore various technical parameters.

This example has a Lacewood top and is stripped down to the essentials.  A LSR nut and Steinberger gearless tuners ensure tuning stability while streamlining the appearance.

A bit over the top, with a Snakewood fingerboard with Abalone purfling, gold hardware and a Sustainiac circuit, this guitar has a Mahogany body and a figured Maple neck.  The finish is nitrocellulose lacquer.

Sister to the Jem 2 with different finsh.

The result of staring at a left-over piece of prime old-stock Honduran Mahogany, too short by 1/2"  for a regular LP style body.  The neck appears a tad longer and as a result also offers better access to the upper frets.  The wood speaks for itself, tonewise...  24 frets, Ebony fingerboard, locking Gotoh vintage style tuners and a Bigsby tailpiece with roller bridge. SD Antiquity Seth Lover pickups.

Flame Maple top over a Swamp Ash body.  Bird's Eye Maple neck.

Swamp Ash body, flame Maple neck.  Callaham trem and a versatile pickup combination.

Swamp Ash, bird's eye Maple, Tele bridge/pickup and a vintage Gretsch Filtertron make for a deceptively simple guitar.

Two versions of the same guitar - the eternal quest for tone...  Swamp Ash body.  First version  Mahogany neck w/ Madagascar Rosewood fingerboard, reverse headstock, flat profile.   Second version bird's-eye Maple neck w/ a V-shape.  Various pickup combinations.

Producer Rob Schnapf left some parts - a Warmoth neck and two TV Jones humbuckers - which didn't fit our current projects at my shop.  I decided to make him a Gretsch Corvette knockoff for his birthday.  It has a Mahogany body, a Bigsby tremolo and the lacquer finish is lightly relic'd.