Bespoke Guitars

Richard at RSRarewoods can offer a fully custom guitar design and build service.

Richard will work with the client to design a completely bespoke instrument, as with the turned products, the guitar body timber can be selected to enhance the aesthetics of the instrument, with the body style or a completely unique shape can be created. Right or left handed instruments can be made.

The only things that influence the dimensions are the scale length, number / type of pickups and any switch and tone/volume controls desired.

Richard does not take templates and reuse them. Each guitar is completely unique to the client.

Pickup type is at the discretion of the client, whether they be new mass produced, new 'boutique' made, vintage hand wound, or supplied by customer, all are possible.

Cost is highly variable, influenced by the choice of timber and complexity of body shape/style, pickups & electronics, neck customisation and hardware.

As an indication, the example instrument shown below was £1200.

As new instruments are made, and permission is given to publish the build process, they will be shown here.

Future projects will include bass guitars.

Neck rests similar to the one shown in later pictures are available here

The customer wanted an SG style bodied guitar of reasonable weight, and a uniquely grained/featured piece of timber for a clear finish to showcase the wood, rather than a painted or stained body.

In this example, the pickups are Epiphone humbuckers with 3 way switch and dual tone/volume controls.

The chrome brightware (tailstock, bridge, knobs and locking tuners) are all sourced from a small scale British manufacturer.

Unless requested otherwise, instruments are fitted with Ernie Ball Ultra Slinky strings. These can obviously be specified by the customer, or the instrument can be left unstrung for the customer to fit and tune themselves.

A suitable board was sourced from a small scale board producer in Devon as shown below, with a CD for scale. This is spalted beech.

The entire process was done step by step with the customer, making sure that both the customer was happy at each step, and that the design was a collaboration, ensuring its unique design.

A basic outline design was agreed and orientated on the board in conjunction with the customer to pick out certain features in the wood.

Body shape rough cut on bandsaw and the body milled to thickness desired for the body.

Once scale length, pick-up and bridge/tailstock choices have been made, they can be marked on the centre reference line ready to be cut out.

More refined body shape cut out.

Recess and through-holes for  pickup selector switch, tone & volume controls and cover plate.

Further refinement of the 'horn' profiles and the edge corners rounded and  whole body sanded.

Pickup recesses and basic neck pocket routed out. Wiring loom hole drilled through from neck pocket through each pickup recess and into main electronics recess.

First coat of finish applied. Test fit of pickups, Tail stock, bridge, controls, custom scratch plate and jack, temporary knobs fitted as knurled chrome ones had yet to arrive..

Mahogany inlay for neck pocket fitted for 'robustness'. shown here in final fit and finish.

Custom headstock designed with customer on maple neck with rosewood fret board.

Locking tuners.

Close-up of final knurled knobs and selector switch (orientated at customers request). Shows off the fantastic grain in the wood.

Rear view of the completed instrument.

The completed instrument.

All raw timber has been finished in tung oil. An extremely hard wearing finish that hardens with light.