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Here are the latest progress pictures of the electric guitar model last seen in Canton Custom Guitars Design #2.

Mr. Canton on the instrument:

I decided to go further with the rounding of the edges to see what both designs looked like. I also thinned out the top horn and created some more contouring there as well. Also note the output jack location. Right now the fret work needs to be completed and some fine shaping with sandpaper here and there. Next week I will be starting to add oil coats for finish, then it will see final assembly.

The resulting guitar is just beautiful IMHO and I like the contrast created by the front’s sharper edges and the back’s softer organic look.

Note the highly sculpted heel on the guitar’s bolt on neck. The extended heel on the neck reaches far into the guitar body which explains the unusual bolt pattern.

Lovely. I can’t wait to see the finished guitar.

By Robert Irizarry on April 30th, 2008 | Stumble it! | 11 Comments →

Topics: Electric Guitar

A while back, Al Shaffer purchased the Koll extended range guitar featured in Koll Guitars Multi-Scale Archtop and promised to share his experiences with the instrument.

And so, here is Al Shaffer describing a recording session with his jazz group “The Three Halos” and a restaurant’s “guitar night” with a local jazz musician playing the Koll.

The Three Halos Recording Session

The trio is “The Three Halos” and I focus mainly on an NS Designs WAV4 Electric Upright Bass and sometimes a Steinberger XM fretless bass guitar. My guitarist wanted to check the Koll out so I brought it for him to play. We actually never got around to using it through the afternoon.

At the end of the session we decided to record an improvisation with myself on the Koll and the guitarist on his chambered swamp ash Klein along with our drummer. I played it directly through my Hartke HA2500 amp and HCX 115 cabinet, no effects at all. I didn’t think it would sound very good through the bass rig, but was surprised how well the seven string worked with a bass amp. I have a set of heavy flatwound strings on the Koll and was able to think both as a guitarist and a bass player with the combination.

This was really the first time I played it at any volume or with any other musicians. I felt very good playing in this environment and the multi-scale fretboard was never an issue. I had been having trouble with the seventh string when playing the guitar at home, but that disappeared in this situation. I think that the single coil pickup had a very unique sound and covered the range of the guitar beautifully.

If you will note in the video (seen below), I do not always have the guitar in its proper position as I am seated and I found that to be a bit uncomfortable. My Kleins always seem to sit correctly when I am seated.

From the session, here are Al Shaffer on the Koll, Joel Knispel on guitar and Marshall Hughey on drums:

Guitar Night

The other outing with the Koll was taking it to a “guitar night” at a restaurant hosted by a very good local jazz guitarist, who is also a Benedetto dealer. I had called him up and asked him if he would be
interested in trying out a seven string headless guitar and he was up for it. He did look rather oddly at it when I took it out, but did not seem put off. He played it for the entire first set of mostly jazz standards. He was playing through an AER Compact 60/2 (which sounded great!).

His remarks afterwards were that he had a bit of trouble with the seventh string and that he stuck mainly to the 5th to 9th fret positions because he had some worry with finger position at the more “fanned” higher areas of the fretboard. I do believe that given more time he would have been completely comfortable with the fretboard. All in all I think he enjoyed the experience and was definitely interested in Saul Koll’s work.

Upcoming Canton Electric Guitar

Al also noted that guitar builder Rick Canton is making him an ergonomic electric guitar with a similar multi-scale fretboard.

Rick is hard at work on several models so expect to hear more.

Many thanks to Al Shaffer for feedback on this truly unique instrument by Saul Koll.

By Robert Irizarry on April 27th, 2008 | Stumble it! | 10 Comments →

Topics: Electric Guitar

Threaded comments? What are threaded comments? Glad you asked.

Threaded comments make conversations in the comments section easier to follow. Rather than have one long list of undifferentiated comments, you can now reply to a specific comment and have your comment nest itself underneath - making it clear that you are responding to that particular reader.

Many of you may remember threaded comments from before the recent redesign but styling and functional concerns with the old code prevented me from including them at the time. Thanks to the Wordpress Thread Comment plugin, they’re back.

For a couple of examples, check out the comments section on The Hohner EGS Electric Guitar and Eight (8) Ways to Combat Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI). Or see this post’s comments section for examples. And don’t be shy. Give them a try!

By Robert Irizarry on April 24th, 2008 | Stumble it! | 10 Comments →

Topics: Blog Notes

Here’s yet another beautiful electric guitar from builder Chris Forshage. Being built for Mike Friedman, it includes a ported bout and a lovely redwood top.

Mike on his search for the right instrument:

I wanted a guitar like this for some time but did not know where to get one or if anyone would make it. The Klein seemed like a good choice and a number of players whom I admired played them but I have been playing amplified, small bodied acoustics and I wanted a hollow or semi hollow guitar. So to make a long story even longer.. web searches led me to your blog and it was here I learned of Forshage. Great but where to test drive one? I e-mailed Joe Giglio without so much as a common acquaintance or letter of introduction and he most graciously invited me to play his. I cannot relate how much of a kindness he showed to me and my son when we visited him; he is a gentleman and a hell of a player.

And so, Mike ordered himself a Forshage ergo electric guitar which is in its final stages of construction.

Guitar Specs:

• Redwood top and mahogany back guitar body
• H-S-H Barden pickups with Duo Tone humbuckers
• 25″ scale maple neck with ebony fretboard
• ABM headless bridge system

No Sound Holes?

Chris custom builds his guitars and this instrument is no exception. Mike came up with the idea of porting the upper bout rather than go with the traditional sound holes on the front.

Mike on porting the upper bout:

Instead, I thought that instead of a sound hole, why not port the upper bout; I saw something similar on Adrian Legg’s guitar. I noticed some time ago on an acoustic I had with a preamp in the bout that it sounded better to me when the hatch was opened. Some other makers do this too.

Wrap Up

Mike’s very excited about his redwood topped electric guitar and we can look forward to further updates once the instrument is completed. Thanks for sharing Mike!

By Robert Irizarry on April 21st, 2008 | Stumble it! | 18 Comments →

Topics: Electric Guitar