Black Water Guitar Company

[explosivo]

Hi guys,

I've spent the past few months stockpiling lumber and tooling up/prepping my new shop space, and now I'm finally ready to open the doors and start taking orders.

I've got four prototypes in the works (two sixes, a baritone seven, and a fanned-fret eight) with a bunch of build progress pics that I'll post here when I get a chance (most of them are uploaded here).


Check out the site and let me know what you guys think
Black Water Guitars


Thanks,
Aaron.

[Underworld]

That 7 looks really cool. Do you plan on selling the protos?

[explosivo]

The seven and eight string prototypes will be for sale when completed. The single-cut six string is spoken for, and I'm keeping the neck-through six around for a shop guitar.

[Underworld]

Could you talk us more about specs and prices?

[explosivo]

Some specs? Sure.

Carved-Top Seven
Body: African mahogany w/ flame maple cap
Neck: 5pc African mahogany/padauk/flame maple w/ scarf joint
Fretboard: Wenge
Headstock Plate: Wenge
Scale Length: 27.00"
Number of Frets: 24
Construction: Bolt-on w/ threaded inserts and stainless bolts
Electronics: SD Invader (bridge), generic (neck) - if sold, I'll install pickups of the buyer's choice (off-the-shelf SD's or Dimarzio's - or different pickups if provided by the buyer)
Controls: 1 vol. 1 tone & pickup selector switch
Tuners/bridge are generic units, and if sold, I'll install hardware of the buyer's choice.

Price will be in the neighborhood of $1200-1500, depending on hardware/pickup choices.

Fanned-Fret Eight
Body: Padauk w/ wenge flat top
Neck: Goncalo Alves
Fretboard: East Indian Rosewood
Headstock plate: Wenge
Scale Lengths: 28.00" - 25.00", 7th fret parallel
Number of Frets: 24
Construction: Bolt-on w/threaded inserts and stainless bolts
Electronics: Lace Deathbars
Controls: 1 vol. 1 tone & pickup selector switch
The bridge are some custom aluminum baseplates that I had cut on a waterjet with stainless steel Gotoh-style saddles

Not sure on the pricing on this one yet. I'll have a more clear idea once it's complete, or at least closer to complete.


But as far as custom pricing goes, it's going to be in the neighborhood of $1300 or so to start and then go up from there depending on the options.

[explosivo]

Here are some pics of the eight string fanned fret:


Gluing the wenge laminate to the padauk body.






AutoCAD layout of the fretboard, to be used as reference while slotting the board.



Unclamped and trimmed to shape. I'm loving the wenge/padauk contrast.






Gluing up the scarf joint on the goncola alves neck.

[MetalGravy]

The back of the neck on that sixer looks pretty flat. Am I seeing that right? Will the 7 and 8 have similar neck profiles? What is the radius on the 7 and 8?

Those are some saxxy, saxxy axes!

[Konfyouzd]

Whoa... Will you be making ERGs like this? I love that upper horn. Reminds me of Claypool's basses.

[Valennic]

Sexy guitars man, and solid pricing. Careful not to get too overwhelmed with orders, with those prices you can expect a lot of inquiries

Good luck with this, I'll check back in frequently to see some of your work

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by MetalGravy

The back of the neck on that sixer looks pretty flat. Am I seeing that right? Will the 7 and 8 have similar neck profiles? What is the radius on the 7 and 8?

Those are some saxxy, saxxy axes!

The neck on the six is very thin (~0.750" at the first fret, 0.850" where it starts transitioning into the body), but it is round and feels really comfy in my hand. The seven and eight should have a relatively similar profile, but be a tad thicker.

Radius is 12" on both the sixes and the seven. The eight string will get a flatter radius, something like a 16 or a 20.

Originally Posted by Konfyouzd

Whoa... Will you be making ERGs like this? I love that upper horn. Reminds me of Claypool's basses.



http://www.blackwaterguitars.com/pics/11.jpg

Haha, yeah. I'm a huge Primus fan and love the shape of Carl Thompson basses.

I actually have been wanting to make another guitar in that style for myself for a while now (the spalted guitar in the header image is a better idea of the shape), and yeah, I'm totally willing to do that shape in extended ranges (the lower horn shape would actually suit ERGs really well).

Originally Posted by Valennic

Sexy guitars man, and solid pricing. Careful not to get too overwhelmed with orders, with those prices you can expect a lot of inquiries

Good luck with this, I'll check back in frequently to see some of your work

Thanks man

I'm trying to walk that fine line between pricing that drives business off (too high) and pricing that drives me under (too low).

[Qweklain]

Wow, that single cut in the "Guitar Gallery" looks gorgeous!! Do you do/plan on offering a 7-string model of that with a possibility of fanned-fret?

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by Qweklain

Wow, that single cut in the "Guitar Gallery" looks gorgeous!! Do you do/plan on offering a 7-string model of that with a possibility of fanned-fret?

Thanks

And yes, I'll gladly build anything you see in the gallery with 6, 7, or 8 strings, straight scale or multi-scale.

[Konfyouzd]

@explosivo - Something like the one in the header is exactly what I had in mind actually.... YGPM

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by Konfyouzd

@explosivo - Something like the one in the header is exactly what I had in mind actually.... YGPM

YGPM Back

[explosivo]

I got some more work done on the prototypes this weekend.

Eight-String

Extra bits glued on the headstock.


Removed most of the neck pocket material with a forstner bit.


The neck pocket, routed.


Laying out the pickup/bridge locations.


A nice, tight neck pocket and some big old routes for 4.5" wide Lace Alumitone Deathbars.






I'm personally a huge fan of the core wood showing through the cap wood at the forearm curve.


The body carves roughed out.


The heel carve, roughed out.


We're getting there... pretty sleek, but we can do better, right?






Not too shabby for a bolt-on neck heel, eh?

[explosivo]

Six-string Single Cut



A nice, tight neck joint. Roughly a 2° angle for the non-recessed TOM style roller bridge.


All marked out for the top carve "stair-stepping"


Top carve roughed out.


Top carve all smoothed out and mocked up.

[explosivo]

Baritone Seven-string

All mummified and ready to spray lacquer on the natural binding.


Dyed black.


Black dye sanded back and ready for color.

[powerofze]

That 8-string is looking real good

[aWoodenShip]

Originally Posted by explosivo

I'm personally a huge fan of the core wood showing through the cap wood at the forearm curve.

You and me both! Great work! And now I want it.

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by aWoodenShip

You and me both! Great work! And now I want it.

Just a heads up, it'll be for sale upon completion.

[Origin]

These look fanfriggintastic. Great to see independent builders with such attention to detail, devotion to aesthetics and very apparent capacity to ACTUALLY PRODUCE GUITARS when ordered looking forward to looking up this thread often.

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by Origin

These look fanfriggintastic. Great to see independent builders with such attention to detail, devotion to aesthetics and very apparent capacity to ACTUALLY PRODUCE GUITARS when ordered looking forward to looking up this thread often.

Haha, thanks man. Hopefully my experience in the manufacturing industry will lend itself to running, what boils down to, a small manufacturing company.

[chipsta21]

about how much would a 6'er cost?????

[explosivo]

Originally Posted by chipsta21

about how much would a 6'er cost?????

Depends entirely on what you're looking for as far as timber (wood selection, that is )/electronics/hardware and construction style. Shoot me some more detailed specs and I can hammer out a price for you.

[killertone]

You're in Marble Falls? Shit, man, I am in Bee Cave...I'd love a single cut 7 in 25.5" scale. Can't believe you are so close by. That is literally down the road.