Grateful Dead Music Forum

It's been pretty quiet in this area for a while... so I thought I'd make an announcement and show a few pics...

I've decided to call my enterprise IO Custom Guitars, with a new website at http://www.iocustomguitars.com It's not entirely complete yet, but I'd appreciate any comments/suggestions.

Here are a few pics of the latest 'spec' build. There's still time to have a say with the inlay... The body is Quilted Maple front and back, Padauk in the center, Wenge and Maple layers for stripes. The fret board is Katalox, 14" radius, 24 Medium frets. The neck is Curly Maple, Wenge and Padauk. The electronics cavity cover is the matching Maple piece cut from the back. Gold Schaller Locking Tuners, Gold Kluson Harmonica Bridge, Custom made Brass Tailpiece. DiMarzio DP104 pickups, OBEL, UGB and Blaster preamps... Please contact me for more information on the projected electronics. I've just put the first coat of finish on it... Completion will likely be in December

Beautiful - please post or pm me some info on pricing - thanks!

Just a note... the Padauk looks redder than it really is... it's browner than the photo looks, and it will get browner yet in the future, as it ages.

The price is $3200 and that includes a peghead inlay of choice.

Here's what the tailpiece and bridge looks like:

Hey
Gave the new website a poke around. Looks good so far. I do love looking a guitars. Very pretty.
I don't have any ideas and I didn't see any problems.

The neck volute seems a bit large to me but otherwise it is gorgeous work.

For me the volute is the selling point. It's so incredibly hard not to just be an irresponsible youth and drain my bank account on that guitar right now. I love everything about it.

The volute is big... it's as big as I'd ever make one... it's the second neck with a volute for me, the first was quiet small, and this one as large as possible... or reasonable ... the first one sounded fine, with very good sustain and clarity, and I want to see if this one is any different... just checking it out

...and it may look bigger in the photo than it seems in person. It feels and looks pretty natural to me, better than the first small one, though the next one will most likely be somewhere in the middle.

Recently finished... here are some pics and clips:

Stunning. Love how the body and neck layups match. Top carving and headstock inlay are elegant. Embarassed how long it took me to spot your logo.

Been lurking here for years, registered recently, and I think that's my favorite guitar I've seen posted. Love the body contours coming off the points of the pickguard. Just beautiful all the way around. Where did you learn the craft if you don't mind me asking?

Thanks for the kind words "o)

Where did you learn the craft if you don't mind me asking?

Well, that's a really long story... but the Reader's Digest version is: I learned high quality wood working skills in the early 80s from a friend from high-school and worked with wood directly for a couple of years. I've played guitars for 40+ years... made my first one when I was 18. I've been making things my whole life, and sculpting, our house... I make things "o) I'm mainly self taught, with help from lot's of various sources of additional information... wherever I can get it. I've collected tools for 40 years, tools being vitally important to a good job "o) I'm an engineer at heart... so building guitars to me is quality wood work, engineered properly, with a sculpted form following function, using my hands which have had the benefit of training for 50 years, and experience from 58 years of living in the 'learning curve' "o)

Beautiful guitar!

I can personally attest to Brian's professionalism, expertise and exacting attention to detail....and that's on just my Jerrycaster! I would recommend IO Custom Guitars for any type of work, from tech stuff to luthier level.

Good luck with your business, I'm sure it'll be a success!!

Wow. Stunning....