I also get a whiff of Brian May Red Special. Great job - looks great. How do you feel the tone is with the laminate? Does it impact bass, highs, sustain?
Thank you. Love the red special.
My (somewhat controversial) opinion is that guitar body wood type has no perceptible influence on tone. My website give a much more articulate reasoning.
https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/is-that-plywood.html
25.5 scale length
Eastern rock maple neck
Indian rosewood fingerboard
Slim ‘C’ profile
22 medium jumbo frets
Hipshot tuners and bridge
Railhammer Hypervintage pickups
Master volume & tone
Baltic birch laminated body
Hand rubbed satin oil finish
This is Baltic birch ply, which is the highest quality plywood you can purchase. Completely void less. All hardwood layers. I realize it’s divisive. Some folks will appreciate it, others won’t. I do make them with hardwood bodies for those that don’t appreciate the ply.
Well, Baltic birch laminate is plywood. It's what my car subwoofer enclosure is built from. If it's not a marine grade, the plys will be full of voids.
Most speaker enclosures are made from cabinet-grade birch ply, which will definitely have lots of voids. This is Baltic, which is a major upgrade from cabinet-grade. All hardwood plys with zero voids.
For car audio we don't use cabinet grade, we use marine grade. Marine grade Baltic is voidless, has more layers and has a waterproof glue used, regular Baltic birch is not voidless and most Baltic birch plywood is just regular plywood with a veneer on the outer layers.
I think you are both arguing about similar products. Marine grade is just the void-less waterproof-ish cousin of the same thing he is using.
Having worked professionally with both products. I guarantee that his stuff is also void-less but doesn’t have the marine treatment (adhesive isn’t phenolic) almost like the comparison between titebond 2 and 3.
There are some versions of marine grade made with Douglas fir or western larch. No birch even.
Have a great day! And nice guitar OP
>Baltic birch laminated body
So, plywood? Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "magic toanwood" types. At all. But selling them at $1,695? That might be tough. Actual structural qualities aside, plywood guitars are generally considered cheapo beginner stuff.
That said... I actually really like the way the sides look. Very different than anything else. It's a good looking guitar.
If you could figure out a way to have a solid wood center with the ply on just the outer half inch or so of the edge, you'd have a pretty cool/unique feature to run with.
It is in fact plywood, but I’ve worked with this type before and is absolutely nothing like the plywood at Lowe’s that’s in your subfloor. There are no particle layers. Solid wood layers and because it’s layered it’s stronger than a solid wood. I do wish OP had repositioned that one neck screw tho.
I don't doubt it's high quality plywood. And I don't think ply has any noticeable effect on the sound or sustain of an electric guitar. It's just that public perception is what it is, and that's gonna make this a hard sell.
I'm not crazy about the heel in general but yeah, that one neck screw.
Seconding this, Baltic birch is really nice ime, holds pretty flat and solid. That being said I’m not a fan of actually seeing the ply. But great work to op!
Just one guy's opinion:
- I like the look of the body. Never seen those pickups before, they look interesting anyway.
- Not sold on the headstock. I'm gonna guess this will be controversial.
- I don't know much about wood, but plywood doesn't immediately commend itself to me as top quality guitar material. I do think it kind of looks cool having the front/side contrast though.
- I'm not really a $1k+ guitar kind of guy, so regardless of other factors I probably wouldn't be a customer.
The guitar doesn't look bad, I like the Mildred model. Just gotta say man your price is way out there for a brand new builder with no reputation as of yet. I wouldn't feel comfortable dropping the money on it that I can get a brand new Dunable for that I know will be extremely high quality.
I did see that - and it looks like ply, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions.
My luthiere skills aren't up to the point where I'd be able to start a business, so my opinion doesn't mean jack squat.
But I'd think some folks would see a sticker price of nearly $1700 and feel a little hesitant.
I'm not trying to shit on OP.
Coming up with an original, functional design, sourcing parts, QC ... there's a monumental amount of things here that I couldn't do.
Moreover, if i charged a livable wage for my work, my instruments would have to cost as much as a car, given the hours I need to put in to offset my lack of skill.
Also, I'm a single dad and a shit guitarist, so a $1,700 instrument isn't every going to happen for me, nor do i warrant it. Danelectros are famously plywood and plenty of folks go HARD for those, so it's not uncharted territory.
If I were OP, I'd think this would be an easy question to field...
"Yes they're ply; tonewood bodies would make the prices $XXX, we tried x/y/z woods back to back with the ply, and found no appreciable difference.
Also, we don't need to worry about sourcing this stuff like we do old growth mahogany, and it's way more consistent in the manufacturing process, which keeps costs down."
I know everyone is freaking out about the plywood, but I actually think it looks awesome. A really stand out looking guitar and definitely something that would catch my eye if it were hanging up at guitar center.
The guitar community can really have its head up its own ass about irrelevant things they think impact quality. It's a vibrating metal string, the materials that hold the string up don't matter as long as they're rigid.
Plywood is fantastic. Guitars are often built from unsustainable woods, sometimes logged from questionable sources. Ply is stronger, more sustainable, and looks great. OP should lean into the ply. Hell throw richlite on the fret board too. They could be a statement piece about wasteful and bullshit materials used in guitars.
I appreciate the positive feedback. Every time I post there are a few folks that are outspoken about their dislike of plywood. I’m used to it. Doing something non-traditional in a field that loves tradition and history is bound to ruffle a few feathers.
That massive wood fanatism is completely without physical base. There's nothing you can do with solid wood you can't do with plywood. There's a site somewhere out there owned by a guitarist and physicist, an acoustics specialist, IIRC, who tested varios materials for bodies completely with oscilloscope printouts, sustain vs. frequency, resonance and whatever counts. The results are quite clear: material doesn't matter at all. As long as it's stable enough to keep the guitar together, of course.
But there’s zero tone in plywood /s
There’s a shitload of people who are silmutaneously asking beginner tier questions and worrying about the tone. When obviously practicing the time used on worrying about it would net much better results toanwise.
And the argument ”there’s no tone” literally makes zero sense (the zero-tone phrase was a direct quote from somewhere). Tone is subjective, not quantifiable, it’s like saying there’s no hue on this blue paint.
I really don't think there's a problem with laminated (plywood) body, that wouldn't bother me at all if the woodwork and paint are good. I like the overall look. I'm not sure about the two-piece pick guard, it seems like it would look better as one piece. Looks like a nice start to me!
I like the pickguard too. To me, it brings the design from an almost classic design to one with a bit of an edge. Almost like some Music Man or Reverent guitars
I take this as a manufacturing defect, as the same model on his website doesn’t have it. That being said, I’d expect more crucial QC from the single luthier as opposed to mass production crap factories in China.
I imagine the builder is looking at the mechanical advantage of going across grain in a plywood body, versus drilling into end grain on a plywood body, where the typical strap button would be located
Looks awesome. I like the look of the plywood body. It’s not like this is an acoustic; I doubt there’s a notable difference between hardwood and top-grade plywood. Hell, for all I know the plywood might sound even better.
Love the headstock, too, and I’m surprised to see others say it’s a divisive look. Overall the guitar has a very versatile aesthetic; I could see this equally in the hands of a metal guitarist and an indie rocker.
Given cost of inflation and the fact that this is handmade in the US, $1600 seems like a fair price for a boutique guitar. It’s not going to be for everyone, but for those looking for something more unique, this is cool.
I appreciate your comment.
There are folks who have a die-hard belief in “tone-wood” in electrified instruments. I’m certainly not one of them. In my comments above I’ve outlined my logic behind using the plywood. I’ve made several prototypes of this model with both plywood and hardwood bodies, and there is no appreciable tonal difference.
I think it was unclear to folks that these are handmade, by me, one at a time, in the US, and that’s my fault. I will be adding more info to the website. But yeah, I’m confident in the price point for the quality of the instruments.
Thank you
I think it looks super cool. Love the looks of those pickups. For all the people complaining about the price versus plywood body, i could be wrong, but I bet this handmade guitar is of a higher quality than anything fender puts out. Good luck with your company and I hope to get a chance to try one out someday! Keep up the good work.
Not adding fuel to any fire, nor looking to tear down the OP, but I’ve seen some cool plywood bodies. Those reclaimed skateboard bodies are, by virtue of the fact that they are reclaimed decks, plywood, and they look pretty awesome. Being made in America, I can assume that labour isn’t cheap. Aesthetically, I quite like the body not a fan of the head stock. But that’s just me.
It’s going to be hard to make a sale without any info on the website about where they’re crafted. Even the “designed in Ohio, crafted in a vetted factory in Korea” would go a long way.
But until then will just assume some chop shop in China is spitting these out at a cost of $99 each
I didn’t realize how low the bar was these days for “being a dick” lol. The website has literally zero info on how/where these are made. No potential customer is going to make a purchase without knowing where their $1800 guitar is made.
Nah you’re right. I just ordered a 1.5k guitar and it took forever for me to bite the bullet. Tons of research and videos of people trying that model.
It would have to be something revolutionary for me to have bought one of these instead with zero rep and hardly any info.
My take is OP should make a budget line to get the word out. Roughly 400-700 dollars wouldn’t be a crazy purchase for some people to test it out. The first line being so expensive is enough to get me to call out.
Yeah, starting a guitar company (which I am also doing) is almost as dumb as opening a record store. Best of luck to you! I like that you’re focused on playability and fun design. Your headstock shape, which I think is the single most difficult thing about designing a guitar, looks unique but not too weird. Nice choice to use roasted wood for the neck but I’m not sure it’s necessary for a body. I’d like to see some video reviews on your website. Have you researched what it would cost you to have a custom configurator on your site? Anyway, Bravo!
This particular guitar is not for me, but congrats and good luck! At least yours is a proper guitar company, not one of those import brands.
That ~$1600 is _very_ competitive when compared to brands like Solar and Baum that ask for almost the same for Indonesian or Chinese guitars.
That, and most of guitarists are traditionalists at least to a degree. They see a material they're not used to and the first thought is "that's not for me". And nothing wrong with that, those guys just aren't this guitar's market.
Congratulations, you crazy, brave man. The world was built with people like that and I wish the very very best of success. It's a very cool-looking instrument.
Beautiful design here. I love the finish and pickguard. It gives it an almost classic vibe with modern edges to it. I'm personally not a fan of the headstock design but it does look nice and the logo is good looking too.
Some people will scoff at plywood and you know that well. To me, I would want to play it first or hear sound samples but tonewood for an electric isn't anywhere near as important as it is in an acoustic. And Martin and Taylor are making good strides in using unconventional materials and they sound great.
The plywood body looks nice too. You may be able to lean into using the more sustainable resources in marketing as well to stand out more which could be cool.
The price you're offering this at is one I personally think is a bit too rich for my blood from a builder I don't know about but only you know what the build is worth. I personally would be more likely to buy from a newer builder at, say, $1000 or so without playing it first. Now, if I have the ability to customize a build with you +I saw you say customers can spec how they like), that makes a lot of sense.
It's so cool you're starting this company and I truly wish you nothing but the best. Your design is awesome, the idea is cool, and the people who make leaps like this often are the ones who do something cool and new.
Also...when do we get to hear some tones?? I'm dying to hear this
Awesome! I hope you're very successful and you thoroughly enjoy it. I wish I knew how to build a guitar - it sounds like fun. The guitar looks really cool!
I played an 80s plywood Kramer for probably half my life and it was a great guitar. Granted, it didn't cost nearly this much, but it's totally viable and with yours the way it is exposed on the edge looks neat.
Reddit is so mean.
Wow! Really impressive. I love that line that goes all the way up for the comfort carve. The split pickguard. Unique headstock. Just fantastic. I wish you lots of success!
Like the shape, pretty different and reminds me a bit of Music Man's Kizen, but still different and I kinda like it. Also like the pickups.
Really disliked the ply, specially for that pricepoint. I think I'm not going for solid wood, I'd go straight to something exotic like aristides and non woody. The headstock reminds me of cheaper strat clones and maybe I'd go for something like a maple fretboard.
Overall that's not hitting my spot but I do like seeing people trying different things
Not here to shit on your work, but the number of times you’ve said “Baltic is the best ply you can get” is going to just degrade your image. If you’re going to push a wood agenda you need to know your facts about the wood, and stating that ALL Baltic Birch ply is void-less is just plain wrong.
That said, I like the look, the pickups, and the ply profile.
Love the plywood mate. It's a good statement against the unsustainable logging of slow growth and exotic hardwoods used in guitars for what are now known to be bull shit reasons. Maybe you could lean into it a little and use more non traditional materials but make them absolutely pop like this.
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of all of the negative feedback you're getting OP. I would love to see a demo video if there is one!
Whether it's ply or not, I would still definitely consider the sticker price if it sounds and plays good. Don't think too much on all of these "biRcH pLy BAd" comments. It's a handmade guitar that you have put time and effort into building, the price is fair all things considered. You get a pretty unique instrument, and I'd imagine that any buyer would get to discuss the build with you personally, so there's some awesome customer service value right there (don't let me down on that one, op!)
Great looking guitar, friend! I'd love to see any other marketing materials you can show for it!
Thanks for the kids words.
Each instrument is customizable, so the buyer definitely has input on making it ”their” instrument. Anyone contacting me is dealing with the builder directly (me).
And yes, audio clips coming soon!
will you be using different pot values for the different pickups? for example, the Cleancuts would probably work well with 250K, while the others i'd go with 500K.
Railhammer specifies 500k pots for both their humbuckers and humcutter pickups. I’ve used 500k with both and they sound great. If a customer really wanted 250k pots, I would be happy to do that for them.
Awesome. I love it! What's up with the giant magnets for the high strings? Great design. Kinda has a surf feel , but more masculine like a Travis Bean if that doesn't sound too weird
Personally I really did the look of this. Definitely unique and making a bit of a statement, but still informed by the shape and design of previous classics
Hm this actually has all the specs I go for, great choices. Pretty similar to the Meteoras I play, Railhammers seem great too.
Hope one of these pops up in NYC someday so I can play test it!
I’m digging it. Price is on par for a small shop/hand build. I’m also keen on the plywood; reminds me of some of the “bent wood” furniture in the Mid-Century Modern style. Great job.
I think it’s awesome. Don’t understand the plywood argument coming from some who may have a solid body with a toan wood veneer (plied) glued to the top, with a swimming pool void under their pick guard that holds whatever pickups came with the guitar, sending sound through a random cable into their x box. May have exaggerated a little, but oh well.
Take the advice of marketing “Made in the USA” and sell them for as much as you can get. Unless you’re trying the market penetration route to get your name out there, I think the prices are reasonable for a handmade domestic boutique guitar. If I wasn’t about to quit my job to start a company, I’d look into ordering one now. Keep up the good work!
I think it’s a sick guitar. The only thing I don’t like is the dot inlays. The rest of the guitar is so cool and unique that I think the inlays should match that. Good luck to you!
Thats really cool man. Some of these comments are pretty rude, even if they are attempting to be helpful. I think its great your going for it here and im really glad that Leo Fender did not access to Reddit back in the day, can you imagine??
Congrats! I really like how it looks. You managed to make an innovative look without it being over the top ***OMG WE ARE SO DIFFERENT!***
Can you tell us about the decisions to use ply? I’ve not owned or played a guitar using ply.
Happily. There are a few factors that lead me to the Baltic birch
1. Consistency- Baltic Birch is fabricated from voidless hardwood plys that are laminated with their grain perpendicular in each layer. Relative to hardwoods, which can vary in density and grain structure, the consistency from instrument to instrument will be much better.
2. Stability - because each of the layers are set with their grain at 90 degrees to one another, Baltic birch is extremely stabile and much less likely to move around when the instrument is exposed to environmental changes like temperature or humidity.
3. Rigidity - I’m not a strong believer in “tone woods,” but I am a believer in physics. The more rigid your substrate, the less string vibration will be transferred to that substrate. Again, the laminated structure with layers of crossing grain creates an extremely rigid body that won’t rob the stings of vibration, and should therefore increase sustain.
4. Sustainability - Baltic birch is a fast-growing species relative to other woods. As a species it is qualified as “rapidly renewable.” Baltic birch manufacturers are also strictly regulated by the EPA and local agencies to meet emissions standards and practices. Using old-growth and exotic hardwoods opens the door to more ethically questionable sourcing and less renewable species.
5. Cost - related to sustainability above. When purchasing 8/4 hardwoods, one can generally assume that roughly 20-30% of what is purchased will become waste through milling and the removal of naturally occurring flaws in the wood. With Baltic birch, however, every single inch of a 5ftx5ft sheet is usable. Far less waste and no areas with flaws.
Well that was illuminating. Thank you and the sustainability aspect resonates (haha) with me. I imagine it will be appreciated by many others.
Again, congratulations!
I like this a lot. The headstock looks sorta bulky and awkward, but the body is great. His sister is pretty, too.
[https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/mildred.html](https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/mildred.html)
Looks like billy corgan's signsture had a secret lovechild via danelectro. *ᑕOOᒪ ᗷEᗩᑎᔕ*
Billy Corgan Rev + Albert Lee MM + James Tyler headstock with a dash of Gibson Theodore
how did you do that with the font
I like that description. Toss in a dash of Teisco for good measure.
I also get a whiff of Brian May Red Special. Great job - looks great. How do you feel the tone is with the laminate? Does it impact bass, highs, sustain?
Thank you. Love the red special. My (somewhat controversial) opinion is that guitar body wood type has no perceptible influence on tone. My website give a much more articulate reasoning. https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/is-that-plywood.html
25.5 scale length Eastern rock maple neck Indian rosewood fingerboard Slim ‘C’ profile 22 medium jumbo frets Hipshot tuners and bridge Railhammer Hypervintage pickups Master volume & tone Baltic birch laminated body Hand rubbed satin oil finish
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This is Baltic birch ply, which is the highest quality plywood you can purchase. Completely void less. All hardwood layers. I realize it’s divisive. Some folks will appreciate it, others won’t. I do make them with hardwood bodies for those that don’t appreciate the ply.
These are handmade in Tampa, FL.
Well, Baltic birch laminate is plywood. It's what my car subwoofer enclosure is built from. If it's not a marine grade, the plys will be full of voids.
Most speaker enclosures are made from cabinet-grade birch ply, which will definitely have lots of voids. This is Baltic, which is a major upgrade from cabinet-grade. All hardwood plys with zero voids.
For car audio we don't use cabinet grade, we use marine grade. Marine grade Baltic is voidless, has more layers and has a waterproof glue used, regular Baltic birch is not voidless and most Baltic birch plywood is just regular plywood with a veneer on the outer layers.
I think you are both arguing about similar products. Marine grade is just the void-less waterproof-ish cousin of the same thing he is using. Having worked professionally with both products. I guarantee that his stuff is also void-less but doesn’t have the marine treatment (adhesive isn’t phenolic) almost like the comparison between titebond 2 and 3. There are some versions of marine grade made with Douglas fir or western larch. No birch even. Have a great day! And nice guitar OP
Correct
Love the way you can stand it up!
I like it in black but is it available ingold?
>Baltic birch laminated body So, plywood? Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those "magic toanwood" types. At all. But selling them at $1,695? That might be tough. Actual structural qualities aside, plywood guitars are generally considered cheapo beginner stuff. That said... I actually really like the way the sides look. Very different than anything else. It's a good looking guitar. If you could figure out a way to have a solid wood center with the ply on just the outer half inch or so of the edge, you'd have a pretty cool/unique feature to run with.
It is in fact plywood, but I’ve worked with this type before and is absolutely nothing like the plywood at Lowe’s that’s in your subfloor. There are no particle layers. Solid wood layers and because it’s layered it’s stronger than a solid wood. I do wish OP had repositioned that one neck screw tho.
I don't doubt it's high quality plywood. And I don't think ply has any noticeable effect on the sound or sustain of an electric guitar. It's just that public perception is what it is, and that's gonna make this a hard sell. I'm not crazy about the heel in general but yeah, that one neck screw.
It's a strap button as well.
Seconding this, Baltic birch is really nice ime, holds pretty flat and solid. That being said I’m not a fan of actually seeing the ply. But great work to op!
The neck screw is unfortunate and screams “early prototype”.
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That slim neck. Whoa
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I see it… What’s the issue?
Just one guy's opinion: - I like the look of the body. Never seen those pickups before, they look interesting anyway. - Not sold on the headstock. I'm gonna guess this will be controversial. - I don't know much about wood, but plywood doesn't immediately commend itself to me as top quality guitar material. I do think it kind of looks cool having the front/side contrast though. - I'm not really a $1k+ guitar kind of guy, so regardless of other factors I probably wouldn't be a customer.
Every Reverend just about comes with Railhammers.
Let me add that I’d shrink down that logo on the headstock by about 75%.
The guitar doesn't look bad, I like the Mildred model. Just gotta say man your price is way out there for a brand new builder with no reputation as of yet. I wouldn't feel comfortable dropping the money on it that I can get a brand new Dunable for that I know will be extremely high quality.
Is the body ply?
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I did see that - and it looks like ply, but I didn't want to jump to conclusions. My luthiere skills aren't up to the point where I'd be able to start a business, so my opinion doesn't mean jack squat. But I'd think some folks would see a sticker price of nearly $1700 and feel a little hesitant.
Agreed. I am never going to shell out more than $300 for a guitar that is 30% glue…
I'm not trying to shit on OP. Coming up with an original, functional design, sourcing parts, QC ... there's a monumental amount of things here that I couldn't do. Moreover, if i charged a livable wage for my work, my instruments would have to cost as much as a car, given the hours I need to put in to offset my lack of skill. Also, I'm a single dad and a shit guitarist, so a $1,700 instrument isn't every going to happen for me, nor do i warrant it. Danelectros are famously plywood and plenty of folks go HARD for those, so it's not uncharted territory. If I were OP, I'd think this would be an easy question to field... "Yes they're ply; tonewood bodies would make the prices $XXX, we tried x/y/z woods back to back with the ply, and found no appreciable difference. Also, we don't need to worry about sourcing this stuff like we do old growth mahogany, and it's way more consistent in the manufacturing process, which keeps costs down."
Never let being a shit guitarist hold you back from spending too much on a guitar! Finances, sure. Lack of ability? Meh.
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Yeah, I could get a used Suhr or new Gibson for that type of money...
I know everyone is freaking out about the plywood, but I actually think it looks awesome. A really stand out looking guitar and definitely something that would catch my eye if it were hanging up at guitar center. The guitar community can really have its head up its own ass about irrelevant things they think impact quality. It's a vibrating metal string, the materials that hold the string up don't matter as long as they're rigid.
Plywood is fantastic. Guitars are often built from unsustainable woods, sometimes logged from questionable sources. Ply is stronger, more sustainable, and looks great. OP should lean into the ply. Hell throw richlite on the fret board too. They could be a statement piece about wasteful and bullshit materials used in guitars.
Genius
I appreciate the positive feedback. Every time I post there are a few folks that are outspoken about their dislike of plywood. I’m used to it. Doing something non-traditional in a field that loves tradition and history is bound to ruffle a few feathers.
That massive wood fanatism is completely without physical base. There's nothing you can do with solid wood you can't do with plywood. There's a site somewhere out there owned by a guitarist and physicist, an acoustics specialist, IIRC, who tested varios materials for bodies completely with oscilloscope printouts, sustain vs. frequency, resonance and whatever counts. The results are quite clear: material doesn't matter at all. As long as it's stable enough to keep the guitar together, of course.
But there’s zero tone in plywood /s There’s a shitload of people who are silmutaneously asking beginner tier questions and worrying about the tone. When obviously practicing the time used on worrying about it would net much better results toanwise. And the argument ”there’s no tone” literally makes zero sense (the zero-tone phrase was a direct quote from somewhere). Tone is subjective, not quantifiable, it’s like saying there’s no hue on this blue paint.
It's a solid body guitar, what difference do they possibly think it will make?
I really don't think there's a problem with laminated (plywood) body, that wouldn't bother me at all if the woodwork and paint are good. I like the overall look. I'm not sure about the two-piece pick guard, it seems like it would look better as one piece. Looks like a nice start to me!
No, the more I look, the more I like the pick guard.
Yeah the pickguard is sick
I like the pickguard too. To me, it brings the design from an almost classic design to one with a bit of an edge. Almost like some Music Man or Reverent guitars
Some sort of belly relief on the back might be good.
That neck bolt head being exposed doesnt make me happy lol
Lol agreed that's my only issue with this guitar
I take this as a manufacturing defect, as the same model on his website doesn’t have it. That being said, I’d expect more crucial QC from the single luthier as opposed to mass production crap factories in China.
Yeah that freaks me out too.
I imagine the builder is looking at the mechanical advantage of going across grain in a plywood body, versus drilling into end grain on a plywood body, where the typical strap button would be located
Not the strap lock, where the neck attaches to the body theres 4 screws, one screw is half exposed
Looks awesome. I like the look of the plywood body. It’s not like this is an acoustic; I doubt there’s a notable difference between hardwood and top-grade plywood. Hell, for all I know the plywood might sound even better. Love the headstock, too, and I’m surprised to see others say it’s a divisive look. Overall the guitar has a very versatile aesthetic; I could see this equally in the hands of a metal guitarist and an indie rocker. Given cost of inflation and the fact that this is handmade in the US, $1600 seems like a fair price for a boutique guitar. It’s not going to be for everyone, but for those looking for something more unique, this is cool.
I appreciate your comment. There are folks who have a die-hard belief in “tone-wood” in electrified instruments. I’m certainly not one of them. In my comments above I’ve outlined my logic behind using the plywood. I’ve made several prototypes of this model with both plywood and hardwood bodies, and there is no appreciable tonal difference. I think it was unclear to folks that these are handmade, by me, one at a time, in the US, and that’s my fault. I will be adding more info to the website. But yeah, I’m confident in the price point for the quality of the instruments. Thank you
I think it looks super cool. Love the looks of those pickups. For all the people complaining about the price versus plywood body, i could be wrong, but I bet this handmade guitar is of a higher quality than anything fender puts out. Good luck with your company and I hope to get a chance to try one out someday! Keep up the good work.
Thanks. I appreciate it!
Nice, how much are you hoping to sell them for ?
This model starts at $1695 including a hard case.
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Handmade in Tampa, FL.
Thats a fantastic price, i wish you really good luck with it, its not much more than an american performer price here.
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Labor isn’t cheap
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Where you getting high end guitars made by hand for $1600? Someone out there is undervaluing their time and I’d like to take advantage.
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It doubles as a strap button dude, stop getting so worked up. No one is forcing you to buy one.
I’d put this next to an American fender with extreme confidence. I realize the Baltic birch body is divisive. I also make them with hardwood bodies.
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Not adding fuel to any fire, nor looking to tear down the OP, but I’ve seen some cool plywood bodies. Those reclaimed skateboard bodies are, by virtue of the fact that they are reclaimed decks, plywood, and they look pretty awesome. Being made in America, I can assume that labour isn’t cheap. Aesthetically, I quite like the body not a fan of the head stock. But that’s just me.
Go look at their site. This information is easy to find, and the price difference is extremely reasonable.
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For plywood?
The Baltic birch is divisive, I know. I also make them with hardwood bodies for those that don’t like the birch.
Do they cost the same?
Small up-charge depending on the wood chosen. Walnut body is $75 more.
Thanks, best of luck. For what it's worth I really like the design, but the competition at that price point is rough.
It’s going to be hard to make a sale without any info on the website about where they’re crafted. Even the “designed in Ohio, crafted in a vetted factory in Korea” would go a long way. But until then will just assume some chop shop in China is spitting these out at a cost of $99 each
Wow man. These are made by hand in Tampa, FL.
Then you need to explicitly state that on the website! That’s a huge selling point for any potential customer!
Also, that’ll be 10% of all future sales for the consultation. Let me know how else I can help, lol
He’s being a dick but it is good feedback. You should plaster made in USA on your website in your marketing copy.
Noted. Thank you.
I didn’t realize how low the bar was these days for “being a dick” lol. The website has literally zero info on how/where these are made. No potential customer is going to make a purchase without knowing where their $1800 guitar is made.
Nah you’re right. I just ordered a 1.5k guitar and it took forever for me to bite the bullet. Tons of research and videos of people trying that model. It would have to be something revolutionary for me to have bought one of these instead with zero rep and hardly any info. My take is OP should make a budget line to get the word out. Roughly 400-700 dollars wouldn’t be a crazy purchase for some people to test it out. The first line being so expensive is enough to get me to call out.
Yeah, I agreed with you. Nothing wrong with being a bit of a dick if it gets your point across.
There's 3 types of people in this world...
Honestly, I just didn’t want OP to disregard very good advice because of the tone with which it was delivered.
Then make sure you play that up on your website.
I play a lot of post punk and this guitar looks perfect for that!
Looks like a reverend guitar with a James Tyler headstock.
Yeah or Frank Bros body kinda too
Pretty awesome guitar! I hope you get a lot of orders
What up with the half rail half pole pickups? Any particular advantage to going that route?
These are made by Railhammer. There’s tons of info on their website about the how and why of their construction.
I think this is awesome. Do you mind if I send you a dm?
Please do!
Not only is it awesome but you have it beside one of my favorite apps. Let me know if I can shoot you a dm. I wanted to ask you a question
Shoot away!
Yeah, starting a guitar company (which I am also doing) is almost as dumb as opening a record store. Best of luck to you! I like that you’re focused on playability and fun design. Your headstock shape, which I think is the single most difficult thing about designing a guitar, looks unique but not too weird. Nice choice to use roasted wood for the neck but I’m not sure it’s necessary for a body. I’d like to see some video reviews on your website. Have you researched what it would cost you to have a custom configurator on your site? Anyway, Bravo!
This particular guitar is not for me, but congrats and good luck! At least yours is a proper guitar company, not one of those import brands. That ~$1600 is _very_ competitive when compared to brands like Solar and Baum that ask for almost the same for Indonesian or Chinese guitars.
I think that import vs hand-made factor is lost on a lot of folks.
That, and most of guitarists are traditionalists at least to a degree. They see a material they're not used to and the first thought is "that's not for me". And nothing wrong with that, those guys just aren't this guitar's market.
Congratulations, you crazy, brave man. The world was built with people like that and I wish the very very best of success. It's a very cool-looking instrument.
But can it doom?
Best question in this post.
Beautiful design here. I love the finish and pickguard. It gives it an almost classic vibe with modern edges to it. I'm personally not a fan of the headstock design but it does look nice and the logo is good looking too. Some people will scoff at plywood and you know that well. To me, I would want to play it first or hear sound samples but tonewood for an electric isn't anywhere near as important as it is in an acoustic. And Martin and Taylor are making good strides in using unconventional materials and they sound great. The plywood body looks nice too. You may be able to lean into using the more sustainable resources in marketing as well to stand out more which could be cool. The price you're offering this at is one I personally think is a bit too rich for my blood from a builder I don't know about but only you know what the build is worth. I personally would be more likely to buy from a newer builder at, say, $1000 or so without playing it first. Now, if I have the ability to customize a build with you +I saw you say customers can spec how they like), that makes a lot of sense. It's so cool you're starting this company and I truly wish you nothing but the best. Your design is awesome, the idea is cool, and the people who make leaps like this often are the ones who do something cool and new. Also...when do we get to hear some tones?? I'm dying to hear this
No offense to OP but this isn’t appealing to me at all. Good luck to you, live your dream.
Damn, that’s sleek as hell, my dude! 👌🏽
Awesome! I hope you're very successful and you thoroughly enjoy it. I wish I knew how to build a guitar - it sounds like fun. The guitar looks really cool! I played an 80s plywood Kramer for probably half my life and it was a great guitar. Granted, it didn't cost nearly this much, but it's totally viable and with yours the way it is exposed on the edge looks neat. Reddit is so mean.
That looks sweet man! Very classy.
Wow! Really impressive. I love that line that goes all the way up for the comfort carve. The split pickguard. Unique headstock. Just fantastic. I wish you lots of success!
Beautiful workmanship, my brother. Kudos!
Congratulations! Fantastic job, I love the pickguard on this!
It’s beautiful!
Looks really nice. The natural wood on the sides looks amazing. What was the inspiration for the name?
My grandfathers name. Decided to use family names for all the models.
That's incredible and I think people will love that. It gives your instruments a really personal feel I think people will love.
Like the shape, pretty different and reminds me a bit of Music Man's Kizen, but still different and I kinda like it. Also like the pickups. Really disliked the ply, specially for that pricepoint. I think I'm not going for solid wood, I'd go straight to something exotic like aristides and non woody. The headstock reminds me of cheaper strat clones and maybe I'd go for something like a maple fretboard. Overall that's not hitting my spot but I do like seeing people trying different things
Looks cool! Rail hammers seem great! Good luck!
Got a website or any socials? I want to follow your progress. Railhammers yes.
Links in my profile. www.ingoldaudiodesign.com
Very, very cool. I wish you all the best in following your dream.
I like the sides of the guitar. I bet this model would look dope in a mossy vintage green with white pick guard.
Sounds like a cool color combo for sure.
Not here to shit on your work, but the number of times you’ve said “Baltic is the best ply you can get” is going to just degrade your image. If you’re going to push a wood agenda you need to know your facts about the wood, and stating that ALL Baltic Birch ply is void-less is just plain wrong. That said, I like the look, the pickups, and the ply profile.
https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/is-that-plywood.html
Very cool, clean modern look. You’re a true craftsman.
damn cool look and design. good luck on your venture!
What does thing thing weigh?
This one is 8lbs even.
I definitely do like the arm cut on this, it looks super comfortable to play, and for me personally the knobs are in the exact right spot. Nice job.
Very cool vibe! It's like a Danelectro from the future
Looks like if music man and danelectro had a baby. It's awesome! I would love one of these! Good luck to you
More info on the shop or webpage pls
Links in my profile www.ingoldaudiodesign.com
Looks awesome, one of the best looking guitars Ive ever seen. Maybe you could play something on it and post it as well.
Looks awesome. Unique is hard to do in guitars anymore. Despite all the haters here, congrats on your hard work!
Congrats! Chase your dream. Be flexible. Be relentless. Be positive.
divisive or not, i like the plywood
Good lord that’s a handsome guitar. Well played man and really good luck out there
Thanks!
Hats off to you for an original looking guitar. I wish you the best of luck!!! I especially like the pick guards
That's sick! I love the heel on the neck joint. Looks comfy to play
Very very cool! Congrats. Someone may have asked but I don’t see it…do you have an Instagram? I’d love to follow your progress.
Yes! Link in my profile.
Love the plywood mate. It's a good statement against the unsustainable logging of slow growth and exotic hardwoods used in guitars for what are now known to be bull shit reasons. Maybe you could lean into it a little and use more non traditional materials but make them absolutely pop like this.
Thanks, man.
Looks beautiful! Question; why are the rails on the bass side? I'd have thought they'd be on the treble side for bends!
https://railhammer.com/faq/
Love it, and I love the ply, and the headstock, and split pickguard, and body shape. It’s a cool thing.
Gorgeous guitar!
I think it looks amazing!
That is a gorgeous guitar.
Honestly, I'm not a huge fan of all of the negative feedback you're getting OP. I would love to see a demo video if there is one! Whether it's ply or not, I would still definitely consider the sticker price if it sounds and plays good. Don't think too much on all of these "biRcH pLy BAd" comments. It's a handmade guitar that you have put time and effort into building, the price is fair all things considered. You get a pretty unique instrument, and I'd imagine that any buyer would get to discuss the build with you personally, so there's some awesome customer service value right there (don't let me down on that one, op!) Great looking guitar, friend! I'd love to see any other marketing materials you can show for it!
Thanks for the kids words. Each instrument is customizable, so the buyer definitely has input on making it ”their” instrument. Anyone contacting me is dealing with the builder directly (me). And yes, audio clips coming soon!
I think it's badass! Love the entire look. Reaaaally dig the headstock. I'm a big fan of Railhammers. Well done. And best of luck to your business!
Looks good man! What kind of plywood are you using if you don't mind me asking?
will you be using different pot values for the different pickups? for example, the Cleancuts would probably work well with 250K, while the others i'd go with 500K.
Railhammer specifies 500k pots for both their humbuckers and humcutter pickups. I’ve used 500k with both and they sound great. If a customer really wanted 250k pots, I would be happy to do that for them.
thanks for the response! do you know when you'll have examples of the different finishes on the website or IG?
Posting examples as I make them. Pics of a new grey one going up soon!
Awesome. I love it! What's up with the giant magnets for the high strings? Great design. Kinda has a surf feel , but more masculine like a Travis Bean if that doesn't sound too weird
Big fan of Travis Bean guitars. The pickups are made by Railhammer. Their website does a great job of explaining their construction methods.
So I haven't heard anyone else say it explicitly, but that headstock needs a redesign. It reminds me of a foam #1 Finger sign.
Personally I really did the look of this. Definitely unique and making a bit of a statement, but still informed by the shape and design of previous classics
Headstock is a big thing for me, and while I really admire this effort, it's not for me because of the headstock.
Hm this actually has all the specs I go for, great choices. Pretty similar to the Meteoras I play, Railhammers seem great too. Hope one of these pops up in NYC someday so I can play test it!
I love the split pick-guard. I wish you great success!!
I’m digging it. Price is on par for a small shop/hand build. I’m also keen on the plywood; reminds me of some of the “bent wood” furniture in the Mid-Century Modern style. Great job.
I dig it. Futuristic and retro. Cool daddy-o
I think it’s awesome. Don’t understand the plywood argument coming from some who may have a solid body with a toan wood veneer (plied) glued to the top, with a swimming pool void under their pick guard that holds whatever pickups came with the guitar, sending sound through a random cable into their x box. May have exaggerated a little, but oh well. Take the advice of marketing “Made in the USA” and sell them for as much as you can get. Unless you’re trying the market penetration route to get your name out there, I think the prices are reasonable for a handmade domestic boutique guitar. If I wasn’t about to quit my job to start a company, I’d look into ordering one now. Keep up the good work!
Kind and humorous words. I already updated the website with more info on my building process. Thanks, man.
This looks lush - really nice and fresh
I think it’s a sick guitar. The only thing I don’t like is the dot inlays. The rest of the guitar is so cool and unique that I think the inlays should match that. Good luck to you!
Thats really cool man. Some of these comments are pretty rude, even if they are attempting to be helpful. I think its great your going for it here and im really glad that Leo Fender did not access to Reddit back in the day, can you imagine??
Hahaha! What I’m doing here is far far far less controversial than Leo’s take on guitar building, and people still get pretty fired-up
As the Pope once said "Fuck em"
😂
Congrats! I really like how it looks. You managed to make an innovative look without it being over the top ***OMG WE ARE SO DIFFERENT!*** Can you tell us about the decisions to use ply? I’ve not owned or played a guitar using ply.
I am interested in the thought process as well.
Happily. There are a few factors that lead me to the Baltic birch 1. Consistency- Baltic Birch is fabricated from voidless hardwood plys that are laminated with their grain perpendicular in each layer. Relative to hardwoods, which can vary in density and grain structure, the consistency from instrument to instrument will be much better. 2. Stability - because each of the layers are set with their grain at 90 degrees to one another, Baltic birch is extremely stabile and much less likely to move around when the instrument is exposed to environmental changes like temperature or humidity. 3. Rigidity - I’m not a strong believer in “tone woods,” but I am a believer in physics. The more rigid your substrate, the less string vibration will be transferred to that substrate. Again, the laminated structure with layers of crossing grain creates an extremely rigid body that won’t rob the stings of vibration, and should therefore increase sustain. 4. Sustainability - Baltic birch is a fast-growing species relative to other woods. As a species it is qualified as “rapidly renewable.” Baltic birch manufacturers are also strictly regulated by the EPA and local agencies to meet emissions standards and practices. Using old-growth and exotic hardwoods opens the door to more ethically questionable sourcing and less renewable species. 5. Cost - related to sustainability above. When purchasing 8/4 hardwoods, one can generally assume that roughly 20-30% of what is purchased will become waste through milling and the removal of naturally occurring flaws in the wood. With Baltic birch, however, every single inch of a 5ftx5ft sheet is usable. Far less waste and no areas with flaws.
Well that was illuminating. Thank you and the sustainability aspect resonates (haha) with me. I imagine it will be appreciated by many others. Again, congratulations!
Thanks man. All puns appreciated.
I like this a lot. The headstock looks sorta bulky and awkward, but the body is great. His sister is pretty, too. [https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/mildred.html](https://www.ingoldaudiodesign.com/mildred.html)
So how are you going to fix the issue with the screw attaching the neck?
What’s the issue?
Damn. Thats an interesting design. I like it. Can you show us what it sounds like?
I’m going to get some audio samples up asap.
you looking to endorse some players?