Guitars by Jake - What's Happening

JG - Newsblog - here's where I'll fill you in on what's goin' on...

News / progress

August 20, 2010

Its....HOT outside. Needless to say, work in the woodshop slows just a bit in the summer. This is the time to do some assembly work, wind pickups, apply some oil, all in the Nicely air condition area of the shop!

Of course, There is plenty to do in the woodshop, but its happening later in the afternoon, or in the evenings for the most part. Somehow, however, through this stifling summer inferno, Progress is happening!

Here is some work being done on the carved top neck heel area. Full acces, and still plenty stable. I used a "two step" type of carve to dress the heel. Quite comfy, really.

Seeing as how these two are not pre-ordered guitars, I can take my sweet time on them, getting to them whenever I can. Well, Its time to get them done. I'm over-flowing with Ideas that I need the time and space to complete!

Oh my, its that fretless bass!!! Its Actually on the assembly bench!!!

I gotta brag a bit about this thumbrest....It came out quite nice!

Look for this fretless in the " available guitars" section real soon!

This one is an order, and its in finish!!! Should be ready in a couple of weeks. A bit of interesting variations from the standard Karlin doublecut, but its a Karlin none-the-less.

Well, thanks for your time, thats it for now. Have a good next couple of weeks!!

July 16, 2010

Well, it seems my updates are beginning to get more spaced apart these days!

Several factors are involved here... including summer time, with kids home from school, Getting caught up with some projects, but most importantly.....Whats happening over at Birdsong! I have been helping out getting that going in whatever spare time I got. Its pretty exciting!

This will of course Not change the flow of things around here. If anything, I may just have to stretch my build times a whopping month. from 3-4 months, I will now say 4-6 months. Still Very reasonable for a completely handcrafted instrument!

On to what's happening around here.

The latest guitar to leave the shop.......and another Texas native!

This model still un-named, but it will be designated jg-5. This one features a sycamore body, the usual maple neck, Texas ebony fretboard, and Mesquite pickguard and fret dots. A set of Suhr vlp '60s, Wilkinson vintage style bridge, Jumbo frets, and a slightly angled headstock, needing no string trees.

These will mostly be built to order, as my inventory efforts will be on the single cut Karlins. One of which just sold, and has found its self in good hands!

The new shop set-up has been great, and it has certainly made it easier to work! Plenty of room to move around, even some room for future growth! (paint booth is coming before too long!)

Got some really exciting projects coming up.... here is a sneak peek at one of them!

Then of course the usual suspects... You know, The fretless bass, and the carved top Karlin? Well, they're coming, just cant put them at the front of the list. The Karlin has had some progress though, and the bass just needs to be assembled. Soon enough, soon enough....

Well, as you can see, Im still here! Sorry for the long space between updates. I will try to be more regular with them from here on out! Thank you all for your time, and for checking out the work I am blessed to be able to do!

Until next time....

May 18, 2010

O.k. Finally, a proper update.

Shop is done!!!! (about freaking time!) I remember the first time I moved my shop. It took about two days. Nothing to it. This time around, I have been at it for about a week and a half, working pretty much night and day! I say its done, but there is still a few loose ends to tie up. Nevertheless, I can finally get back to building guitars. Tomorrow will be the first official work day with the new arrangement. My biggest fear, I won't know where everything is right away! I'll get used to it though.

Here's a couple of completed pics....

wood working area

The new wood rack...

and the assembly room.

Much more organized! (need a new air conditioner in the assembly room, but that's not too big of a deal)

On to what's happening with the guitars!

The Fretless bass....JG6-03-09, Should be in assembly early next week. Then, you will be able to find it in the "available guitars" section.

Heres a couple of pictures of Rene's JG5, My new "S" style. (His is the one on the right) His will be the first, And, it will be another "Texas Native"! Following his, will be one with a Spanish cedar body, (the one on the left) and soon after that, one with a black walnut body, and ebony fretboard! Exciting stuff!

Notice the slightly angled headstock. I just cant help but think .."why not?"

Still a bit of carving to do, and the goo you see on the headstock is just double stick tape residue. It will go away soon enough! Gotta love it! Texas Ebony fretboard and head stock veneer!

That funky little table you see in the above pics is actually for my son's room. One of many other projects I took on this last month. Geeze. Can't a guy get some rest?

Still working on that carved top. As it is an inventory guitar, it takes a back seat to clients orders. It will be getting going again very shortly however.

Also, I got an order to make a guitar very similar to one of the earlier Karlins! It should be based on this one, but with a few slight differences. I find it an honor that someone wants one that is like one of my earliest designs! Here is the origional...JG4-05-08 Stay tuned for the new one! JG4-14-10!

Cant wait to get started on all of this! Gonna be a good next couple of weeks! Stay tuned.........

May 7, 2010

I know its been awhile since I've posted anything up here, but no, I have NOT fallen off of the face of the earth! I am actually in the midst of some really cool stuff! At the moment, the shop is being completely re-arranged, so that I have a good bit more room to work, possibly a spraybooth, and more storage and assembly areas. Good things all around.

There is a fretless bass ready for assembly, but it is being put on hold until the shop gets done, so it can be the first out! So, no pictures until then.

Also, those of you who have instruments on order, fear not. I had this move planned for a while, and should not cut into anybody's build time.

Thank you for your patience, and keep an eye out for some great stuff coming up soon! I will be properly updating the site as soon as I have some more great pictures of the shop progress! (there will be guitar progress pics as well, I promise!)

March 29, 2010

Lots of stuff going on around here. New designs that got put on the back burner, others that took their place, More new ideas than I know what to do with! All of this of course, takes a backseat to Clients, and their Custom orders.

Toward the end of last year, I came out with the Estrella. A "T" styled guitar. It was one of the "Texas native" guitars. Pecan body, Mesquite fretboard, absolutely beautiful, and full of rustic charm.

In the same theme of the Estrella, we are doing an "S" style guitar. It will function like the guitar it takes aftter, but will definately be a JG! Here is a sneak peak.....

Locally harvested Sycamore body, with mesquite pickguard. It will have a maple neck, with "Texas Ebony" fingerboard, and mesquite dots. Very natural looking. I cant wait to really dive into this build.

In other news, another Texas native just left the workbench, and soon after, found a home! Here is the Hackberry Karlin, pictured below.

Hackberry is certainly not what most would consider a "Tone wood", But I knew from the beginning that this one was best suited for those of us who consider ALL wood "Tone wood" Tone is subjective anyway, and sometimes a piece of wood just needs to be turned into a guitar. This little experiment just so happened to work out for the best! At just shy of 7 lbs (for a single cut guitar!), this guitar has a sound all its own! Very punchy, without getting too bright, or too dark. a nice piece. I will put up better pictures in the gallery as soon as I can get to it.

Coming soon........

The first carved top Karlin. One piece curly maple top, deeply carved, sitting atop a one-piece mahogany back. It will feature a 5 piece maple, wenge mahogany neck, with Wenge fingerboard. (Still debating how I'm going to do the fret markers)

The same internal chambering as this years Anniversary guitar. All other bits and pieces will be Wenge. (Tailpiece, pickup rings, so-on,)

Also in mid build, the purple heart, cherry and maple fretless bass. Going lined/fretless with this one. Soon enough.

Just one more thing to mention... If you happen to be in the San Marcos Texas area, you can try out a couple of guitars I built last year. They are up for sale at Mazak music. Go check them out!

Feb13,2010

Well, Its done, and a few days early as well! Im talking of course, about the 2nd anniversary Karlin. I still have a couple little tweaks here and there, and apparently, I can not seem to remember to clean all of the dust off of a guitar before taking pictures of it. Oh. well. I'm not about to go drag everything downstairs and start all over again. Besides, Im getting real ones taken later this week, by someone who knows what she's doing.

All in all, I'm quite happy with the way this one turned out! Beautiful walnut, front and back, chambered mahogany core, ebony fretboard, 5 piece neck, hand-wound pickups, ebony knobs, (metal ones in the pictures for now, just waiting for replacements)) Just a thing of beauty.

Well here you go!

There is other stuff going on around here, but I have been focused on this one for the last week and a half. The next one done should be another Texas native, the one with the Hackberry 1 piece body. Brendans guitar is also about to land on the assembly table real soon here.

There is also some great inventory guitars coming soon. No pictures for now, but I will start showing progress of those next week, or so. (heres a hint.... lined fretless bass, with purple heart fretboard, flame maple, cherry and purple heart body. Also, an estrella with a birdseye maple top, and another Karlin, this time semi hollow with an ebony top, and walnut body and back, and a new design, the S.E.S. ) Well I guess that was more than a hint, but you get the picture. These builds will take shape over the course of this year, as well as a few Texas natives.

That's all for now, Have a good one, all!

January 22, 2010

O.k. Here we go 2010!

So I was asked by someone that was interested in a guitar a while back "why don't you talk up your guitars more" I guess what he meant by that was, "why are you not trying harder to convince me that this is the perfect guitar?" Well, my response to a question like that is, there is no perfect guitar. Only the one that's right for you. And besides, I prefer my guitars to do all of the convincing.

The last thing I need, is to be one of those guys, who sits there and claims that I make the "greatest most innovative guitar to date!" or even worse, to dog other builders, claiming that they are inferior. No good can come from an attitude like that. It just takes one little variation in a carve, one little otherwise unimportant, usually characterized as "mojo" type of thing to have someone who spent their hard earned money on one of my guitars say " Well, this guy said that this the greatest guitar on the planet, but..." When otherwise, he would appreciate the fact that it was built by one pair of human hands, and not an exact replica of the one before it.

The fact is, these guitars are unique. No two will ever be exactly alike. I just don't do that. I suppose I could make that my goal, but then I would lose interest pretty quickly. The fact is, the more exciting it is for me, the better the outcome, and more innovative ideas will follow. I build guitars because I love building guitars. Not because some big corporation has me sitting on a production line, installing knobs, or slapping on made in (name ANY country here) stickers.

This is the way I do it!

Anyway, enough of that nonsense. On to what's happening around here.

The anniversary guitar for this year is going great! have a look!

The next "Texas Native" is about at the same progress level, maybe even just s bit closer. They should both be done sometime next month.

During all of this, I decided I had room for just One more guitar style. (trying to keep the deigns down to a sane number!) In a month or so, you will start seeing progress on the JG5 S.E.S. This guitar will have a more "modern" appearance, and a very slightly extended scale length. 25and3/4 to be exact. the benifits I am looking for are better tension for lower and "drop" tunings, and hopefully any additional tonal benifits that come along with it. Keep an eye out for that one! I think the first one will be a Texas Native with a two-piece pecan body. Just to be different, I guess.

More Texas natives to come this year as well! I plan on doing quite a few of these in the months to follow. These are great guitars made in a very eco-friendly manner, using locally harvested wood, and my own hand wound pickups.

Along side these, you can expect to see a "K" series bass, Fretless, made with all Maple and purple heart!

And still to come, an Estrella with a birdseye maple top, alder or mahogony back,(havent decided yet!) possibally with tortoise shell binding (as suggested by Scott over at Birdsong guitars)

Stay warm, springs almost here.

Jake

January 2, 2010

Happy new years!

Man, am I happy to be done with the hollidays! Dont get me wrong, I love this time of year. But those two weeks can really throw a person off-course!I have been working in the shop during the hollidays, as much as possible, trying to get things ready for 2010. Got some good stuff coming up, and big plans for some great guitars! The semi hollw (well, chambered) single cut is coming along nicely, with some specification decisions finalized, we should start seeing that one come together real soon here.

The Hackberry Texas native Karlin is about to have a neck built for it, that should be nice.

Also, of importance today, Three real nice inventory builds can now be seen at Mazak music in San Marcos Texas.

The Texas native bass, the first singlecut, and a real nice double cut style are all there. Go check em out, if you are in the area!

December 5, 2009

Ha! It actually tried to snow here in central Texas yesterday! Just a little flurry, and it melted when it hit the ground, but it snowed none the less!

The first Estrella made it home to its new owner this week, he is quite happy with it! It is a great little guitar.

Thanks again Clark! (this is his second JG!)

That was of course the first "Estrella" guitar, but it was also another "Texas native". I build these using native Texas hardwoods for the body and fingerboard, as well as matching wood extras. (pickup rings, truss rod covers, etc) I have a great local source for these woods, and it is always dry and ready to work with. Guitars made from the "Texas Native" series have no upcharge for body woods, and I throw in the pickup rings for free, so it is easy to get one of these for close to base price, depending on whatever other upgrades are included.

Here is just some of the wood I use.......in this pile, Pecan, hackberry, Ash, and Sycamore

Getting started on the second anniversary guitar, gluing the back to the core, Next I will route out for chambering, and glue on the top.

This is gonna be a beauty! Thats just the back!

I've been playing the heck out of my new Birdsong bass this last couple of weeks! I am by no means a great bass player (yet!) but I'm loving it!

Well, I'm feeling a bit under the weather today, so I think I may get some stuff done on the site. I have been told my website does my guitars no justice, so I will see if I cant spruce it up a little. I am a guitar builder folks! Not much of a technology guy! I can do what needs to be done and not much more. Many people have offered to trade guitars (or discounts) for making me a new website, but to be honest, I really like doing things my way, even if it means it isn't as shiny or flashy as it could be.

To me the most important thing is the fact that all of the information is here. Anything you want to know about these guitars can be found here, and that is the main thing. So, off I go, and we shall see what we can do!

November 20, 2009

Good news today!

Scott from Birdsong guitars and myself decided a while back, that we would build each other a guitar. So, yesterday, we made the trade!

I must say, It is a truly great feeling having someone build a guitar for me for once! There is something special about having a guitar custom made, just for you. When you build guitars, Sure. You can build one for yourself, and do it any way you want. But to have another very talented builder make one for you is a great feeling! It means a lot to me that Scott put his heart and soul into this bass, after everything he has already done for me. Scott deserves more gratitude than I could possibly show! I am truly grateful for the opportunity to work with him! Thanks Scott you are a great friend!

Now, If I could just find the will power to put this bass down, and get some work done, I will post more pictures some where on the site. Oh yeah. There's Scotts guitar. see, I told you you could see it when it was done!

In other news.....

Clarks guitar. jg7-01p-09

The first Estrella. Texas native series, spalted pecan body, maple neck, and mesquite fretboard and pickup ring. Nearing completion, should be done next week, and shipped the week after.

Also very worth mentioning, is the 2nd anniversary Karlin. It is underway!

This time around, it is already spoken for. The world is a funny place! It just so happens that one of the ideas I was kicking around for this years guitar is Very close to what was ordered! so, with his permission, (Thanks Brandon!) I am making it the Anniversary guitar!

We are talking a beautiful piece of Bastogne Walnut for the top, Dense african mahogony core (Chambered!) and a great looking piece of Claro Walnut for the back! 5 piece neck, with mahogony maple core, and purple heart accent stripes. Hand crafted ebony tail piece, and pickup rings...and adorned with various inlays and other fun stuff!

This time around, it should be toward the end of February, or early March. Normally I like to have these guitars out in January, but this guitar is something else!

Thats it for now, got some rain coming.....

November7, 2009

Just a quick message today.....I'm putting my currently available guitars on sale for the months of november and December, and including a hardcase and shipping.

Go check them out on the "available guitars" page!

November 4, 2009

New stuff going on around here!

The first Estrella is almost ready!

Beautiful Spalted pecan body, maple neck, and mesquite fretboard. Kent armstrong tele bridge pickup, and one of my handwound humbuckers in the neck. Coil split for more tonal goodness.

Sorry fellas, she's spoken for.

Also coming soon, Brendans double cut. This is a Karlin, but not a standard one. in fact, you may never see another one like it. 24 frets, set back controls, and some other non-standard stuff, this one falls under the category of custom. Beautiful bastogne walnut top, and dense mahogony back, and neck.

Still has a ways to go, but soon enough.

Scott from Birdsong Guitars Karlin goes on the assembly bench this weekend, but as I have said before, You cant see it until he does!

Got a nice hot zebra colored pickup wound,

and a couple more soon to be ready

Also, a quick pic fro the back wall, of my current inventory. Go check them out at the "Available guitars" page!

That's all for today, again sorry for the super high quality pictures. Guess I need to think about getting a better camera.

October12, 2009

Got the Local bands tribute page started! Only 4 bands on their as of right now, but there is Many More to come! I am just waiting on info from more musicians, and well, being musicians, they'll get to it when they wake up! (just kidding.......I can wait until 4 in the afternoon!) Go check it out!

Lookie here!

Go see more pictures at the available guitars page! Just put a whole bunch up this morning! Good stuff.

Feelin kinda generous today....Maybe I'll throw a hard case in with this one as well if you ask nice!

The base price is now $1400 for all guitars and basses. If you have made inquiries already at the origional base price, that price will still be honored.

Got to see that Bass Scott is building for me! Oooooooh thats nice! I must say, that is a fine piece of walnut! Go check it out, and all the other great things Scott is doing over at Birdsong guitars. I cant wait! His Karlin is coming out quite nice! It now has a couple of coats of oil on it, and looks pretty good! All of this goodness should be happening pretty soon!

Brendans walnut and mahogony beast of a guitar has finally gotten some progress! I may even set the neck tommorow! He is quite happy about that!

The prototype T shape guitar is about to be put back on the list real soon here, because I got my saw fixed! Turns out it was just the switch. That was great news! Only took a couple days for it to get here in the mail, and the saw was back up and running.

Any way, that's enough time wasting for now. Good night, and be well!

Jake.

September 27, 2009

Geeze this week has whooped me. Had some sad news about a couple of friends.

Two sepperate instances. But, I must say....

To both families.....My Deepest condolences. I am truly sorry for your loss, and if there is anything I can do, please let me know.

Now I will go ahead and finish with the update.

The single cut got put into finish today, and is looking great. This guitar should look great with black hardware, and rose wood pickup rings! (Notice there are no string through holes?) Yup. Hand crafted Ebony Tailpiece, with a 1/8" thick brass insert to retain the strings! Normally I like string through, and it is standard, but I wanted to change things up a bit. I will put up pictures of the tailpiece as soon as I get it sanded.

Soon! I promise! (like the dartboard in the pic? Classy, huh?)

The stupid saw broke on me today. Gonna have to get that beast fixed next week. But,....Whatever. Ive got Plenty to keep me busy for the next couple of days while I figure this out.

The JG7 prototype, which I have designated for my T style guitar is coming along nicely, with a fretboard cut, and a neck (coming soon......Its what killed the bandsaw!)

This should give me plenty of time to get Scotts Karlin up to speed. Its not far behind that one above. I'm just not supposed to put up pictures, because he wants to be surprised. Well, Good for you Scott! (Click there to see what Scotts got going on! Good stuff. Including my bass!)

I went to see My favorite local band play this weekend! Good ol Beans and rice! (funny name, serious bandwich). They Now have in there posession TWO Karlins! They still have the road test Karlin, (which is doing GREAT by the way,) and Marcus, took a liking to jg4-05-08. a build from last year that I recently pulled from a music store and cleaned up. For him I stuck some 11s on there, and set it all up nice, and it roars! Beautiful sounding guitar. Even more so, the two guitars together! (the other guitarist Rene got to hang on to the other one!......Lucky s.o.b!

(sorry for the picture quality, I have no excuse.)

Lets see, what did I not get to mention......Brendans guitar, slowly but surely, a couple of other really fun projects that are in line, and OH YEAH! The next anniversary guitar! All I can say is hollow body......and Walnut. Lots and lots of walnut. It is still just in the planning stages, but I'm going to get started as soon as I can so I can have it done by January. I got big plans for this one! (Assuming I don't have to buy a new bandsaw. Damnit.)

Last but not least, I will be working on a new page, That will feature all of the local bands in my area. We kind of live in a medium sized town, right smack dab in between Austin and San Antonio. Both great places to go see live music, but there is some great bands coming out of right here in New Braunfels, (that play in both of those cities as well!) That deserve some recognition. I should have that up in a week or two, once I start getting some info from all of the bands.

Anyway, I know there has been quite a bit of sad news around here lately, and I just thought I would lighten things up a bit with a picture of the new boss.

(that's my girl, asleep on the job!)

September 19, 2009

Got another one ready to go! This time its a bass. JG6-02-09.

Read more about it at the Available Guitars Page. Plenty of other stuff going on as well. The single cut is next on the list, with final sanding happening on Monday!

Got a body at the laser ingravers, soon to return home to get work done on it, Got Scotts pickups to wind next week, Brendans guitar is coming along slowly, (but surely!), and some other projects along for the ride.

I hope all is well, and Happy Saturday!

September 8, 2009

Ok. Its done. Jg4-07-09. This will be the last double cut for awhile, unless one is requested. I am going to be concentrating on the single cut, my new bass, and a slightly Tele influenced model until I feel all nostalgic, and want to build an" Original" Karlin. I don't believe any one is original, because no two are alike. How can there be an original style, if they were all different guitars? Oh well, what ever. How's This for original?

The Bass is in the finishing stages as we speak. I would put up pictures, but its upstairs in that rediculously painted orange room, and the camera doesn't seem to like it. But, take my word for it, it is coming out great! The first single cut is ready to get frets, and the pickups are on their way! Stan hinesely pickups in that one! I still have to make the tailpiece, and pickup rings and such, but soon! I promise.

Keep an eye out for my take on the Tele design........ I figured what better way to use some of that reclaimed Native Texas hardwood? How about a spalted Pecan body, and a maple neck with a mesquite fingerboard? This first one done will be on the rustic side, with the body full of character. Its gonna be nice! I will be using a Kent Armstrong bridge pickup, and I plan on winding a humbucker for the neck. Mismatched coils of course, (split the coils, and you got a tele!) Well, almost. Close enough for me. Ive never been one to worry about copying anything to the "T". In fact, I prefer to put my own spin on things, as much as possible. This should be a good example of that.

Brendans guitar has had some progress, and will be routed here shortly. Its got one heck of a neck joint! a full 6 "! Not to mention some great wood choices. This should be a sweet guitar!

Scotts Karlin is about to go into final sanding, after a bit more last minute shaping. I still need to make some pickup rings for that one, as well as a truss rod cover. And the pickups.......Ahh yes need to get to that! Oh well, best get on it!

August 20, 2009

Well, it looks like I'm not gonna make it to that convention I wanted to go to this year. Just a case of plain ol bad timing. (wife just getting back to work, and kids starting school next week!) I just don't think I will be prepared enough to put my best foot forward. Oh well, there's another one in December. We shall see how things go then.

However, the guitars I was building for that convention, will still be getting finished! They will be available here very soon. I promise not to dissapoint! Here is a little sneak peak!

The one directly above was actually finished not too long ago, but I decided last minute to use the pickups on another project. It is now waiting for either Stan Hinesely pickups or my own handwounds. (maybe with zebra coils!)

There was more pics to show, but apparently the computer and I are not getting along today. Guess I should stick to making guitars!

Also getting some progress is Brendans guitar......

Damn! another picture I forgot to rotate! Im batting a thousand today. Yes there is an eye inlayed in the 12th fret. I know. Lets just leave it at that. Aside from the fact that the guitar looks back at you, You should see this wood when its finished! WOW! Bastogne walnut.... It just jumps out!

Guess I should let you know that jg4-05-08 is still up for sale, At a Very reasonable price!

See the available guitars page for pricing and info. The price for this guitar is way below what it is worth. This guitar plays unlike any other guitar I've played. Smooth, fast, and it sounds so good! The only reason Its priced the way it is, is due to the fact that it has spent some time in a music store, and was built in 08. Nothing is wrong with her.

Get this thing off my wall! I need the space for the bass Scott is building for me!

Well, thats it for now, I think little miss Sydney is waking up!

August 11, 2009

Ok. Guess Im back at it. I have been for the last week or so. With the wife home for a couple of weeks Ive actually got quite a bit done! Oh, and yes, Sydney is doing great! (what a cute kid!)

On to what's going on around here.

The new bass headstock design. The one on the first bass was a version of the Karlin headstock, by clients request. This one is being built for inventory, so I can make it how I want. Aint that great?

Got some real progress done on the single cut design.....

Making loads of progress on Scotts guitar, as well as Brendans. (both Karlins). Hopefully they will both be done by the vintage guitar convention in september. They both agreed to let me display their guitars, so you can see them up close and personal, if you happen to be in the New Braunfels Texas area around the middle of September!

My bass being made by Scott over at Birdsong guitars is coming along nicely! Cant wait to play that bad boy!

Other than that, same thing, different day!

July 31,2009

Here at JG Guitar Works, we take pride in the fact that every thing we make is 100% handcrafted, and of the finest quality. Even the help.

Welcome aboard, Sydney May Goede. Aint she cute?

Not quite old enough for shop help, but definately good for company moral! She is the third and final addition to the Goede Family. Thats right, good help is hard to find, so........

Alright, alright. .Enough with the mushy stuff. Not many guitar progress pics today, as the camera has been switched to family mode for the last week or so. Next time I post however, You will see progress on the new single cut style Karlin, the k style bass Im working on, and Finally......Brendans Karlin.

I got to see my bass I'm having made for myself over at Birdsong guitars today! Outstanding! Just the finest looking hunk of black walnut and Ebony stripes I could ever want! I cant wait! Scotts guitar, which is the other half of that deal, is coming along very nicely. (sorry, no pics!.........Until its done!)

I haven't gotten much done over the last few days, but that should be obvious, with a new baby in the house! I am back at it 100% now however, and ready to build some guitars!

All I can say, is what a joy it is, knowing that there will (hopefully, if they're interested....) be someone to do this long after Im gone. And of course, while Im here too! There is very little quite like knowing you have something to pass along to your kids, and its even better having kids to pass it along to!

August 22, 2009

Its Done! The Texas Native, anyway. I still have a couple bugs to work out, like getting some better springs for the neck pickup, and other tiny little things. But, Its done! She should be on her way to her new home after a week long settle in period.

Scroll down for Pics!

How about all that Texas Goodness. Every Natural material in this guitar has Texas origins! Even the logo, where I normally use crushed seashells any way, For this one I actually went down to the coast and collected some!

In other news, The first anniversary Karlin has been sold, Making way for some new wall space in the shop, and more inventory guitars to come! One of which is going to be another Karlin Bass. A couple of differences from the first, one of which will be a Schaller roller bridge, and Kent armstrong pickups. All of this on a body made of spalted pecan, with a mesquite top Just like the one pictured above! (had enough for two!)

This and a couple others will be featured at my booth at the vintage guitar show in september, In New Braunfels Texas! See you there!

August 8, 2009

Sorry, no pics today. I just dint feel like going through the camera, and all that noise. Ill get more pics up when I start assembly on the Texas Native, quite possibly next week! Just a few more things to do before that stage begins, and a couple other guitars in line in different stages.

Such as.......Scotts Karlin. I will be blending the neck into the body, and putting the Crushed turquoise logo on the back. (I know, its starting to sound a bit interesting, isnt it?) Well, it is! Lets just say, hand made Walnut pickup rings, Hand wound pickups, Special wiring, gold hardware, and a bunch of other cool stuff! I cant wait.

Brendans Karlin with the bastogne walnut top is the least finished, due to inlay work. Not much going on there. (sorry buddy, soon! I promise!)

Another announcement, I am sick of making pickups! There is NOTHING wrong with my pickups, in fact people who use them really like them. I just dont like making them! (hows that for honesty?) But- Do not despair, those of you who like the fact that I use hand wound pickups! I will be using Stan Hinesely pickups in my guitars now. He winds all of his pickups by hand. That is his specialty! And believe me, he knows his stuff! Thanks Stan!

One more thing of interest. The 1st anniversary Karlin. Its gotta go. Its just too pretty sitting around here, and its getting too hard to resist the temptation to pick it up and just play the heck out of it. (ill be honest with you, It has gotten a couple of hours of playtime!) In fact, I will drop the price on it just a bit more, since Ive played on it just a bit. Im not calling it used, cause its still in pristine condition! However, now is the time to pick it up, before I convince wifey to let me keep it!

August 8, 2009

Uh...more progress. Mostly on the Texas Native, but there was alot of other good stuff going on as well. Scott from Birdsong's Karlin Has the neck set, body rough carved, and is almost ready for final sanding! But, of course, No pictures Allowed! (What a tease!) The JG-4b for Brendan is still in inlay work phase, which usually slows things down a bit for a build. Once that is all done, progress will flow like a well oiled machine!.

On a side note, I am planning on setting up a booth at the vintage guitar show in september, here in New Braunfels Texas, And then again, at another convention in Katy Texas in December. For these shows, I will be building a couple of extra inventory guitars, available for sale, one will be a Karlin bass, and the other will be an Estrella, which is my take on a classic design. Also there will be a few Karlins on display, some available, some that clients have agreed to let me display, to demonstrate how a custom order can be done.

As far as progress pics goes, well here is some shots of the Texas native in the finish stages! (I just brought it outside for pictures, no this isn't where I finish the guitars!)

Also, I have been getting a lot of my wood from a local source, (that I know for a fact that the wood is dry, and of the finest quality!,) I will be using this reclaimed wood for many of my builds. I will still be using various other types of woods, but mostly on custom orders. (if you want it, I can get it!) But here is a n example of some pecan I just picked up, that will be the main body wood for my next bass guitar.

And, on top of all of that goodness, I now offer Hand crafted wooden pickup rings, to match, or compliment your guitars body woods....Oops! thought I had pictures of them, but I guess I erased them. Oh well, maybe next update. Oh well. I promise they are really nice though!

Now it is time for me to go out in the shop, get covered in fine sawdust, and listen to the radio at rediculous volumes. See you next time.

June 20, 2009

Progress! Some to show, some to tell you about. The guitar Im building for Scott of Birdsong Guitars is going great! Sorry, No pics until its Done! But I couldnt be happier with the progress. I got to pick out the wood for the bass hes making for me the other day though! That was fun! I will be starting a 5 string bass soon, still in design phase, but that will change shortly.

The "Texas Native" Karlin is in the routing stages, with the neck basically done, and Carving will begin very soon!

Check out the neck pocket! I will be doing all of my set necks like this from here on out. Every extra bit of contact between neck and body helps! (Maximum sustain!)

I did a couple of quick wood finish samples for the clients last week, the first is bastogne walnut, for jg4b-08-09, and the other is mesquite for the texas native. look at how that walnut shines! (thats just a couple of quick coats!)

Im also working on the Gallery pages on the site, and creating a gallery for the finished Karlins, and other standard JG models. (I have to sort through all the old pictures still.) That should be up soon.

Another Karlin I am working on still needs some inlay work done to it before any real progress can be made, but I will be tackling that shortly as well. The Estrella is still where we saw it last, but as soon as I get confirmation from its daddy, work will continue on it, and the Estrella im building for inventory. Man, its good to be busy. Too bad I feel like garbage today. I think I will find something simple yet still productive to do in the air conditioned part of the shop, and get back to flingin' woodchips on monday. Anyway, Have a good weekend, and keep an eye on the news updates! Good stuff is coming! Keep cool, and be safe!

June 9, 2009

Got most of the body blanks ready for this batch of guitars. There is another Karlin being done, but the client doesnt want to see it until its finished, so unfortunately its progress will not be featured here. Guess he wants that surprise factor thing. I will tell you this, it is gonna be a beauty! Here is some of what else is going on.....

From left to right.....the first jg4-b, with a bastogne walnut top, The first "estrella" body,with a mesquite top, and last but certainly not least, a karlin with a mesquite top.

The one on the far right will be known as the "Native Texan" . All materials in this guitar are to be from Texas. Mesquite top and back, Texas ash core, and Texas ebony fret board. It even has a 5 piece mesquite and ash neck! Gotta love themed builds!

Here is a little something for those of you who want to know what Hand Crafted means.....

That is me cleaning up a hunk of genuine Texas mesquite to be transformed into a Very playable work of art!

(Who says mesquite is just for the bar-b-que pit?)

June 1, 2009

Been a busy week. Got a batch of three karlins lined up, not to mention a couple of other really cool projects in the works. The bass left the nest last week, unfortunately the camera was in the wifes car, which was in for repairs. So, No pics! (I am working on getting some soon, though.) Karlin jg4-04-08 found a new home today. SOLD! That's always a good thing.

Check out these pics of the new prototype, which I think I will call the "Estrella" . I believe it means star in spanish. Its the darndest thing. I name a guitar something that I can barely pronounce. Oh well. I think it will do all the talking for me. It is obviously inspired by a great classic guitar, but I am throwing my own twist on it. I will be building two of these. One of which will be up for sale here, soon enough. Keep up with this one! It should be great!

May 18, 2009

Got some great stuff up for sale! I had a couple guitars on display in local music stores over the last couple of months, and decided to take them home, clean them up, and put them up for sale here, instead! They certainly did their job in the stores, and they were admired by many, and certainly made an impression. I just felt it was time to bring em in, and get em cleaned up and ready for a new home! There is still one up for sale at Mazak music in san marcos, I am leaving it there for now, so there is still something out there to be played! Check out the Available Guitars page, (link at top of page) and see some great guitars, made available for a musicians budget! On another topic, got a couple of new and exciting things happening this week. That bass Ive been working on is nearing completion, (forgive the bad pictures, The camera doesn't like the bright orange walls in the assembly room. Yes, I said Bright orange! I hate it.)

May 6, 2009

More great stuff happening, and some cool projects in the works coming up. There is a friend of mine who I would like to put a link up for, since he has done the same for me, as well as been very helpful and generous in many other ways. Thanks, Bill! You can find his home remodeling / Lutherie / and many other fine artistic endeavors @ http://www.douglasdesigns.webs.com This guy does some great stuff. If you want some artistic faux walls, or cool stuff in general done, this guy does it.

For now, here is a bunch of progress on the k style bass that should be done pretty soon! I would have had more pictures up, and other info, but I have been busy, not to mention all the crazy stuff goin on in the world outside my little guitar building cave. Worries of pandemics, children being kept home from school, Babies on the way, and so on, and so on.... Crazy happenings all around. Amidst all of this however, I have stayed my course, and remain quite pre-occupied with the building of beautiful hand crafted works of playable art. Right, back to the bass.....

Here she is with the parts all layed out, kind of a preview of whats to come.

From left to right.. Me holding up the bass, with the neck in the pocket, and no screws. (Tight!) Right...the screws that will be holding the neck in when Im not there. (Plenty!)

And the logo...

And the back being carved. This pic taken before carving was completed.

I will be tackeling the frets probably as soon as this update is complete, and then there is just a few loose ends to tie up, and on to finish shaping/sanding, and then to the finish rack! I cant wait. In the midst of all this fun, there is another project in its early stages. It is a bit of an "inspired by" type of build, but other than some basic aspects of the shape and feel, This guitar is not meant to in any way be like the guitar that inspired it. Not my intentions. But.... a beauty in its own right! It will have a Cherry back, with thin maple stringers, a Nice Mesquite top, birdseye maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, and a Very versatile pickup selection. (one of my hmbuckers in the bridge, Coil splittable, and two hot single coils for mid and neck position.)

Any body want a nice solid ONE-PIECE african mahogony Karlin? I got this plank of mahogony, and it has some Serious density. This would make a great instrument for those who like a bit of heft to there guitars. (Maybe a 3- piece mahogony neck, with purple heart stringer? Got one set aside for it.....)

I know this has been a bit of a long news update, but I thought some progress pics where in order. Thank you for your time, and stay cool (Im already starting to miss winter!)

April 21,2009

Got another one just about done, just doing some finishing touches. I figured I would put up pictures anyway. Why not.

Should have it done today, if not tomorrow. This guitar will be for sale for 1400.00. Now that it is out of the way, (almost) I can get to some of those other fun projects I have been wanting to tackle. The bass is coming along nicely, The neck is just about done. I'll probably start carving the body this week. Cant wait to see that one done! Once it is done, along with another one of my prototypes I will redo the models page, with these guitars included. Soon enough.......

April 10, 2009

Quick update.... Pricing has changed! I have not necessarily lowered, and certainly Did not increase my prices, instead I have restructured them. I did this because I have had customers in driving distance, who did not need their guitar shipped, and did not want a case. So, instead of making a special price for locals, Unfortunately I no longer include shipping or hard shell case in my base price, which is now $1200. Also, Instead of all my guitars being three piece (or more) bodies, you can get one or two piece bodies, with or without laminations. With the new pricing structure, there are simply more options, which makes it easier to make your guitar unique. And if anyone out there has an idea for a guitar with a crazy artistic themed, laser ingraved body, or a picture of someone or something like that, or maybe a southwest type thing with a cactus and sunset......(I know, I know, ) The guy who does the laser work is itching to do something like that, and so am I. Unfortunately, I cant think of anything, Plus it would be fairly personalized, so....... If you have any ideas, for a very unique guitar, I can make it happen!

April 8, 2009

Been very busy the last couple of weeks. Got some great stuff happening lately, here is just a small sample.

Yup, Thats the Karlin Ive been slowly but steadily getting done, and ready to put up for sale. It should be done REAL soon. Thats not all, however. I was talking to Scott at birdsong guitars last week, and we agreed to build each other a guitar. He will be getting a Karlin, made to his specs, and I will be getting a Birdsong Sadhana bass, ordered to my specs! This is definately a cool project! I always wanted to have a guitar custom built for me, which is why I got into building guitars. I cant wait for my bass! I am Far from being a great bass player, but I will get to hone my skills on a TOP OF THE LINE short scale bass. I have played 34" scale basses, and as a guitar player, I just cant get used to the big bass/long scale. Scotts basses are just right! I was told he did not want to see his guitar until it was done, so....You will just have to wait as well.

Speaking of bass guitars......

Alright! This one is going to be a beast! I have learned that some builds go smooth, and some show you what the meaning of #^#&# is, all the way through. Thankfully, this one is going smooth as butter. Cant wait to see it finished! Here is a pic of some pre done truss rod covers, waiting for their guitars.... (I know, how exciting....right?)

For the rest of the week, (and well into next, im sure) I have pickups to wind, body blanks to start, guitars to assemble, And on, and on, and on. Gotta love it!

Also, I will be making some changes in other parts of the sit as well. Small things for now, but it will evolve astronomically in the very near future. Keep checking in, to see the evolution!

March 29, 2009

Progress on that bass! Here's some pics.

Its coming along nicely, with no major speed bumps as of yet. The body should be cut out sometime next week, and the fretboard should be on the neck. In other news, The latest Karlin will be back from the ingravers on tuesday, and after that, maybe a couple more weeks till finish!

Got me a crash- course in equipment repair yesterday, We wont go into details on why it was necessary. Lets just say if it sounds like a good idea because you are getting tired, and you are looking to save time, go do some thing else! ( I knew better) I had to change the blades on the planer. Turns out, they have a two-sided blade! Just had to turn em around, and all was better.

I guess I'm putting off working on prototypes like the Neck-thru for a little while, at least until I get caught up. Cant complain about being busy, though! I will get to it soon, and when it is finished, look for it to have a Very nice price tag! Being the prototype, and a little funnyness with the ingraving, You will get a heck of a deal on a neck through guitar, that normally will start @ 1750. Feel free to make an offer! It needs a good home.

March 23, 2009

Ok. Here's some cool stuff, I went and saw my favorite local band from new Braunfels Texas this past weekend, Beans and rice! Gotta love the name. Of course in the process I was forced into having a couple of beers. Still kinda recovering, and its monday. Good thing I don't do that on a regular basis! I recently finished a neck replacement for the Bas player, dustin, and one of the guitarists Rene played a Karlin on stage. Good stuff, here's a couple of pics.

Also, I added a couple more pictures to the Handcarved? Really? page. That guitar will be sent off to the laser ingravers tomorrow. I am still waiting on some of the wood for the Bass I am working on, so not too much progress there, but I do have the neck blank made, and the finger board cut and ready to inlay. Gonna work on the neck thru some more this week, and some stuff for Birdsong, other than that......Same ol, same ol.

March 14, 2009

Got some good stuff going on lately, Dustins bass neck is complete, go to the gallery to check it out. (got more pictures to put here, dont wanna croud things!) Finally got the neck-thru prototype back, The serial numbers are a bit bigger than I had hoped, but that has been fixed for future guitars. Other than that, it's coming along nicely. Got a bass build, gonna be a custom, A Nice one! Keep an eye out for progress on that! Helping Scott from Birdsong Guitars with some cool projects. Not to mention the ever growing collection of ready - to - aquire Karlins is steadily increasing. So any way here are a couple of pics of progress. I like progress.

Oh yeah, by the way.....Check out this piece of figured mesquite that is soon to be a guitar top for a guitar that I will probably never have time to finish!

March 3, 2009

Ok, heres some more progress on that guitar below. Not much, but some good stuff. I have been pretty busy finishing a couple of Non-Karlin jobs this last week or two. Now I can get back to these beautys! Check out the inlay on the Cocobolo fretboard. Its not perfect, But It sure gets me all happy! I cant wait to see this one complete! Chrome hardware? Bone nut? Wood Knobs? Cant decide. Still waiting for the neck thru to come home, and need to make some parts orders. Dustins Bass neck is in the paint curing stage, Other than that, just moving along, Doin my thing.

Feb20, 2009

I got some body blanks done, this one is my favorite..

I have no Idea what the wood is on the top, but I tapped it, and it rang like a bell! The back is Mahogony, with a walnut center, and maple accent stripes. Also, it has a hard maple core. It should come out really nice! (These pictures were taken before the edges were sanded smooth, sorry!) I wound a really hot humbucker, and as I was going to assemble it, I realized I had the wires backwards! Had to remake it. I love wasting time! ughhh

Luckily it was just one coil, and Its done now! it sits at 13k ohms. Pretty darn hot for hand wound! The client wanted a real hot bridge pickup to match the overwound neck pickup I made for him a while back. I just put an order in for humbucker parts, and will be winding pickups for inventory. They have been recieving good reviews, so I may start selling them on the site as well. Inquiries welcome. I will be collaborating with Scott from Birdsong guitars on some cool projects, coming soon! I am finishing up a neck I built as a replacement for a client that will be converted to fretless, look for those pictures in the GALLERY section on the front page. I will be working on the thinline semi hollow body some more, and the neck thru is almost complete! Man this is fun. I may never get rich doing this, but I will never be one of those poor saps sitting at a cubicle in an office wishing I was somewhere else for 8 hours a day!

February 9,2009

Just got done updating the site, with a bunch of new pictures. I know I have been promising this new body style, But the best I can do for now is show you a picture of the pattern, as the actual guitar is at the laser ingravers.

This is the JG5. Great balance, slightly thinner body than the Karlin, 25.5" scale, 12" radius, Hand wound humbuckers.

This new shape will be available with neckthru, set neck, or even bolt on, if you want. Since the karlin is a fully thought out, complete design, I dont want to change too much. This guitar, on the other hand, I have reserved for total customization. You want it, you got it. ( upgrade prices still apply!) Imagine that guitar any way you want. Its coming soon!

January 31, 2009

I am completely covered in sawdust. I have been very busy this last few days! I found myself in a situation where all of my current prjects hit a stopping point.( one done, one in the laser ingravers, one waiting for parts) I have decided to use this time to build up my inventory of bodies and neck blanks. There will be something in clamps every day for the next couple of weeks. I have already made, and concieved the making of two Karlin bodies, one with a purple hart top, ash core, and cherry wood back, and another with a mystery wood top. (I don't know what its called, but it looks nice, and has a definate tap- tone.) A couple of neck blanks on the shelves, A fret board ready to inlay, and PILES of sawdust. I have also decided that my new shape, will not be neck thru only. I was pondering what to do with certain pieces of wood, and got to thinking, this thing needs a tune-o-matic, and a set neck! So the new shape will be open for all options, and total customization. I will leave the Karlin as it is. It doesnt want to be anything else, other than a well thought out, smooth playin, tone generating piece of art. Of course, I will still customize things like nut width, wood types, so- on and so-on.

January 26, 2009

Its done! The 1st anniversary Karlin is complete. Because of me coming down with a severe cold and/or flu for the last week and a half, I am a little behind the date I was going for, but its done now! Just got finished with the final setup, checked everything over, test played her a bit, and.......Perfect! Pictures will be up soon, I don't feel like driving myself crazy trying to figure that out right this minute. I think I will go "test play" her some more, instead. The neck thru prototype goes to the laser ingravers tomorrow, and the hollow body is still waiting for parts. but soon.

January 17, 2009

I recieved the 1st anniversary guitar back from the laser ingravers today. It looks great! I believe that from this point on, all JG guitars will have the serial numbers, along with my signature laser ingraved on the back. This will be the Only outsourcing done to these guitars. If you see one without it, it is an 08 or something I made before that time.

January 10, 2009

Today is officially the first anneversary of JG Guitar Works! Some interesting things going on...... Yesterday I brought the 1st anneversary Karlin to a friend with a laser ingraver, to get it ingraved with some commemorative stuff. (on the back, of course) Also, I brought jg4-05-08 To New Braunfels music, to be displayed locally. (Thanks guys, Your the best!) I got the top on the semi hollow body yesterday, probably gonna take off the clamps today. The neck thru is coming along nicely, I'll put the headstock venear on today. and when all of this is done, I think I will wind a pickup or two! Busy day! Best get to it.

January 3, 2009

Just got the shop cleaned out, and ready for the new year. Got a lot of cool projects coming up. The first Anneversary Karlin will be done shortly, and then, on to my neck-thru model! Plus, I have a semi hollw body design, (more of an electric with tone chambers) Thats coming soon. Also, I just made a pattern for a single cut version of the Karlin. (cant wait to make one of those!) Somebody requested one of my hand wound humbuckers, (what an honor!) Thats for this week. The Wolff Elite, one of my one-off customs made it home safely to its owner the other day. Everyone was very happy! So as the last couple of days of my vacation start to dwindle away, I think I will get an early start. Maybe after lunch.

December 26, 2008

I hope every body had a good Christmas! I know I did. For the most part, I have been on vacation, but I still found time to place some orders for parts today. In doing this, I think I should be able to get the prototype for my neck-thru model done by February, and even better, the 1st aneversary Karlin will be done sometime next month. (probably in the first two weeks!) I hope the rest of your hollidays are full of joy and all that good stuff, and be careful. Looking forward to a great 2009!

December 20, 2008

Sorry the dates are skipping around, I think Ive got it figured out now! (I am a guitar builder, not a computer geek!) So I guess I am officially on vacation, seeing as how I mailed off the Wolff Elite. There will be changes and updates on the site still however, As I use this time to figure things out. Thanks for your patience!

December 15,2008

The site is finally up! This has truly been a good day! Aside from a few snags here and there, what I would consider a great first year as JG Guitarworks is almost over! Ive met some cool people, done some cool things, and held my own in tough times. I want to thank Scott and Jamie of Birdsong guitars for helping me get on my feet, and out on my own. I have a couple of guitars built in 08 for sale, and when I get the hang of this technolgical computer junk, I will have more pictures up, but for now, look at these pretty little things!

These are the two I have in inventory as of right now. I do have a very nice Zebra wood topped Karlin coming up in January. It will commemorate my first year in buiseness. Almost every piece of wood in it represents big things that have happened in my first year. Of course Ill tell you all about it when I get a better grip on this computer thing!

December 16, 2008

Hello again. Just got done checking up on a guitar I built a while back, that is now in the posession of Marcus from Beans and rice. An excellent blues/ rock band from New Braunfels Texas. He put a different gauge of strings on it, and wanted me to make sure everything was where it was supposed to be. It was. (Did a little tweeking just in case.) Also, just finishing up on some loose ends, and waiting for a case so I can send out the Wolff Elite, a custom guitar I did this year. So Greg, if your seeing this, she will be on her way shortly. Thanks for your patience!

830.822.0516

home