# NGD: Blackmachine B7 (56k - lol)



## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

_(I actually got the guitar on Monday afternoon, but haven't had chance to take pictures until now!)_

I ordered my B7 in January of 2007, and on Monday the 21st of April I finally took the trip down to London to collect the guitar. It is a 2008 model, handbuilt by Doug Cambell in London under the alias of 'Blackmachine Guitars' (for anyone who doesn't know), and with Bareknuckle pickups handwired in Devon, UK.  (No epic-picstory, sorry ). I'd love to make a little video with it or something for you but as of yet I haven't managed to get anything learnt to actually record!  I took some pictures though, and here's a little review based on first impressions 


Playability:
_I'm still getting used to 7 strings, this being my first actual 7 string guitar, but the playabilty of the guitar is fantastic and has taken the sting off the transition for me somewhat. The action is very low and fast compared to what i'm used to, and the neck is incredibly comfortable (fairly flat at the back), your hand just glides across the rosewood. The access is much better than I anticipated: the cut is quite deep and the heel is smooth and friendly. This is easier to play than some 6 stringers that I've had, and is strung with 10-59s as I won't be down-tuning past Bb/As. The tension is quite nice on the scale, i'm glad i didn't take it to baritone as i'm not sure I would have really needed it for my style._

Aesthetics:
_I've been a longtime PRS fan and owner, and the ebony Blackmachines are really the antithesis of the PRS in terms of looks and statement. No flashy quilts/flames, gold plate hardware or bird inlays...just pure and plain natural woods and oil. It looks very understated and organic, and I've always been drawn to this aspect of Blackmachines in-particular. Unfortunately the pictures don't really give a good idea of how beautiful it is, it even smells like a forest or something  I'm glad I chose the cream ivoroid binding aswell, as I think it set's the guitar off nicely (the all black look is just a bit too black for me)._

Sound:
_The warpigs are mounted directly to the body. They are dark and brutal, aided by the Mahogany and Rosewood i'd imagine. The leads blew me away when I plugged it in though, I can't believe such a thin guitar can sing for so long and so powerfully! It sounds huge. The pickups are pretty high output of course, this is certainly an axe tailored towards metal, but the pickups do clean up quite nicely, albeit still very dark. The bottom string is maybe a tad crazy for my liking with the warpigs, but it could be my loose technique, or that i'm just not used to the 7th string yet...i'll be giving it a fair trial anyway, and maybe look at Nailbombs or something in the future._

Build Quality:
_It makes my Ibanez feel cheap and coldly constructed, the guitar is absolutely rock steady but when you pick it up you can see it's been crafted with passion and care has been taken over every little detail. The cutting and and shaping is very precise, looks like he took a lot of time on it. One thing that I am slightly worried about is the amount of clouding on the body of the guitar, in the oil or whatever, it looks kinda greesy and I have not been able to clean it off with a cloth...if Clive reads this then i'd appreciate it if he could get in touch regarding this, incase he had a similar experience with the ebony and oil._

Specs:
_- Blackmachine B7, 25.5" scale.
- African ebony top, headstock and fretboard (Tung-oiled)
- Chambered Brazilian mahogany body (40 years old)
- Honduras Rosewood neck (bolt-on) with ebony fillets
- Ivoroid binding (body, neck and headstock)
- Gotoh fixed bridge and Sperzel tuners
- Bareknuckle Warpig 7s
- Paul Gilbert control arrangement with end-pin jack_


Anyway, enough rambling, i'll write a proper review of it for Harmony Central or something after the courting period , but here's some photos I took of it, more are sure to follow!


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## Randy (Apr 23, 2008)

GAS ATTACK!


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## HighGain510 (Apr 23, 2008)

Nice! Props to you for not making a teaser thread saying it was coming in a week and then not taking photos of it for two!  Looks cool.


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## jammy (Apr 23, 2008)

It's arrived at last then!

A total beaut - worth the wait


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## OrsusMetal (Apr 23, 2008)

Very nice! I'd like one just like that!


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## jammy (Apr 23, 2008)

Something I've just noticed - what's with the mis-alignment of the string ferrules on the back?


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## technomancer (Apr 23, 2008)

Looks sweet, though if the oil finish on the top is as bad as some of those pics and your question seem to show I'd be more than a little bit pissed.


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## Randy (Apr 23, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> One thing that I am slightly worried about is the amount of clouding on the body of the guitar, in the oil or whatever, it looks kinda greesy and I have not been able to clean it off with a cloth...if Clive reads this then i'd appreciate it if he could get in touch regarding this, incase he had a similar experience with the ebony and oil.[/I]



I'd imagine there's something you're supposed to use, chemically, that works specifically with that finish...


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## TimSE (Apr 23, 2008)

Holy crap

it must be said (from someone would doesnt care for the looks of blackmachines) That thing is fucking lush


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## sakeido (Apr 23, 2008)

oh god oh god oh god oh god 
What's up with the binding by the forearm part? It contours down, like there should be a bent top there, but there isn't. Enditol's had it as well.. I'm trying to figure out what its for


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## FYP666 (Apr 23, 2008)

GAS INVASION 

It looks amazing!


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## Nick (Apr 23, 2008)




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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

Thanks guys, i'm pretty chuffed with it, it's been a long time coming, and patience isn't my strong point 



jammy said:


> Something I've just noticed - what's with the mis-alignment of the string ferrules on the back?



I don't know the reason, the majority of BMs i've seen are the same though, maybe something to do with intonation etc.



Sakeido said:


> oh god oh god oh god oh god
> What's up with the binding by the forearm part? It contours down, like there should be a bent top there, but there isn't. Enditol's had it as well.. I'm trying to figure out what its for



That's the arm camfer, Doug recommends it now as it supposedly makes playing much more comfortable over long periods. The body slopes rapidly down, it's quite hard to see in my pics. Again, the majority of newer BMs i've seen have it, although some are more noticeable than others, especially with a light binding.


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## Randy (Apr 23, 2008)

The guitar looks ace.


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## Stitch (Apr 23, 2008)

jammy said:


> Something I've just noticed - what's with the mis-alignment of the string ferrules on the back?



It follows the intonation track of the string saddles.

Very nice sir! You should totally bring it to Edinburgh.


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## Stitch (Apr 23, 2008)

sakeido said:


> oh god oh god oh god oh god
> What's up with the binding by the forearm part? It contours down, like there should be a bent top there, but there isn't. Enditol's had it as well.. I'm trying to figure out what its for



If you look in this pic you can see that the binding is quite 'thick'






The body is bound THEN contoured, removing some of the binding. It's kind of like on some Gibsons - the binding is thickest at the joint with the neck where the body is also thickest as less of the maple cap has been contoured away.

I think it looks sweet, personally...


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## Codyyy (Apr 23, 2008)

hooooly crap.

That looks fucking awesome. Video


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## Stitch (Apr 23, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> _(I actually got the guitar on Monday afternoon, but haven't had chance to take pictures until now!)_
> 
> I ordered my B7 in January of 2007, and on Monday the 21st of April I finally took the trip down to London to collect the guitar. It is a 2008 model, handbuilt by Doug Cambell in London under the alias of 'Backmachine Guitars' (for anyone who doesn't know)...



Was this intentional?


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## Austin (Apr 23, 2008)

awesome guitar! 
In addition to all its other wonderful qualities, I love how the black machine's volume knob is placed away from the bridge a bit (I have large hands).


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## Mr. S (Apr 23, 2008)




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## kristallin (Apr 23, 2008)

Blackmachine = automatic stiff. Those guitars are so friggin' sexy with their understated, sleek look. Definitely on my shortlist of guitars I want to play at least once.


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## Parka Dez (Apr 23, 2008)

Welcome to the brotherhood.


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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

Stitch said:


> Was this intentional?



Backmachine Guitars? nope that was just my crazy hands 

Fixed.


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## Sephiroth (Apr 23, 2008)

Oh god! 

How much did that run you?


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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

Sephiroth said:


> Oh god!
> 
> How much did that run you?



I don't mind saying as it's common knowledge to anyone who emails him. I ordered it back when they were under the old price scheme, so it was £1700 (a B2 was £1500). Shortly after there was a price increase, and I believe there has been another since.


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## Kotex (Apr 23, 2008)

Very, very nice man. Excellent pictures too.


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## sakeido (Apr 23, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> I don't mind saying as it's common knowledge to anyone who emails him. I ordered it back when they were under the old price scheme, so it was £1700 (a B2 was £1500). Shortly after there was a price increase, and I believe there has been another since.



There has indeed.. a comparable guitar is ~$1,000 more now


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## spsb (Apr 23, 2008)

That ebony top is , it's one piece?

Congrats.


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## daybean (Apr 23, 2008)

those guitars are awsome, love the all wood finish, great guitar and pics. im to poor to have one at the moment, even if i had the chance theres a waiting peiod, on their site, i saw that they were taking only six orders for 2009.


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## Groff (Apr 23, 2008)

Blackmachines = Smexy!


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## playstopause (Apr 23, 2008)

Gorgeous! Epic win.


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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

spsb said:


> That ebony top is , it's one piece?
> 
> Congrats.



Hey, ermmm good question haha, i'm not too sure, probably! 




daybean said:


> those guitars are awsome, love the all wood finish, great guitar and pics. im to poor to have one at the moment, even if i had the chance theres a waiting peiod, on there site, i saw that they were taking only six orders for 2009.



Yeah that's a problem, he gets backlogged quite easily (as evident from the time I had to wait for mine) so I think he's really limited the orders this time to try and prevent it happening as much in future (and allow him enough time top build ones for guitar shows etc.)


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## wannabguitarist (Apr 23, 2008)

I want one of those so bad I just can't see myself owning a guitar that costs that much (or any music related equipment that's worth more than my car)

When did he start using Mahogany? I thought he always used swamp ash


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## sakeido (Apr 23, 2008)

daybean said:


> those guitars are awsome, love the all wood finish, great guitar and pics. im to poor to have one at the moment, even if i had the chance theres a waiting peiod, on there site, i saw that they were taking only six orders for 2009.



Make that five.. one of the six is mine  hopefully the first one ahaha


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## Apophis (Apr 23, 2008)

Congrats


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## Leec (Apr 23, 2008)

For the love of fuck!


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## Blind Faith (Apr 23, 2008)

Emm i think i know where you live can you just confirm your house number


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## SHREDTOKILL (Apr 23, 2008)

i think there cool guitars, but i just cant get over that headstock, ick.


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## tie my rope (Apr 23, 2008)

faaaaaaaaaaaaap


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## HaGGuS (Apr 23, 2008)

..
Such a nice guitar ...
congrats ...


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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

Blind Faith said:


> Emm i think i know where you live can you just confirm your house number



Number 57, second floor 




SHREDTOKILL said:


> i think there cool guitars, but i just cant get over that headstock, ick.



Yeah a lot of people don't, they certainly divide opinion. It was one of the main selling points of Blackmachine for me!


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## skinhead (Apr 23, 2008)

Fuck, that beast is pure sex


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## TomAwesome (Apr 23, 2008)

Absolutely gorgeous!


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## Randomist (Apr 23, 2008)

really sorry to say it, but on looks alone, i don't like that guitar, I like the headstock and the general shape, its just the little (well I'm going from the pics here, so some of what i see may be due to those...) flaws, like the binding looks patchy, and not just on the arm contour that looks so steep its pointless, and the finish looks .... well you've pointed it out yourself that that isn't fantastic...
i hope it comes good for you, and i'll assume that it plays well from the way people on here worship these things...
In the end though, its your guitar, if you like it, then I'm pleased for you


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## canuck brian (Apr 23, 2008)

Stitch said:


> It follows the intonation track of the string saddles.



It's a fixed Gotoh bridge with identically spaced holes under the individually adjustable saddles. It doesnt' matter where they are on the back and positioning them in any position other than a straight line wouldn't matter. I've seen this on Nolly's guitar as well. Call it is for what it is - a flaw. That being said, it still looks awesome - i bet it rips with those BK's in there..... 

Nearly overlapped and crooked ferrules


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## John_Strychnine (Apr 23, 2008)

a part of me just died.


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## auxioluck (Apr 23, 2008)

That is a guitar worth every penny and every second. Congrats man, i still have not acquired enough funds for one of these. But I will. That is an axe worthy of commendation. Congratulations!


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## Uber Mega (Apr 23, 2008)

Randomist said:


> really sorry to say it, but on looks alone, i don't like that guitar, I like the headstock and the general shape, its just the little (well I'm going from the pics here, so some of what i see may be due to those...) flaws, like the binding looks patchy, and not just on the arm contour that looks so steep its pointless, and the finish looks .... well you've pointed it out yourself that that isn't fantastic...
> i hope it comes good for you, and i'll assume that it plays well from the way people on here worship these things...
> In the end though, its your guitar, if you like it, then I'm pleased for you



Hey! Just seen you're in Leeds, cool buddy, where abouts do you live? I live in Headingley and go to Leeds College of Music 

There's few guitars that divide opinion as much as Blackmachine, which is absolutely fair enough. What I would say though, is that the binding is very well done especially for a handbuilt guitar...It's probably just be my shoddy photos. 

The whole package is extremely well crafted and finished, and i'm honestly hyper-critical when it comes to guitars. The contour deffo serves a purpose, it just blunts the edge that would otherwise be a tad uncomfortable i imagine (like resting your arm on a knife blade). In terms of the finish it is stunning (it's just a sheet of ebony wood really), my gripe that you mentioned though was that either the oil was not applied evenly, or that i just need to let it soakin/settle down (this guitar is literally a few days old, the strings etc. haven't even had time to settle yet)...i'll see in a few days in that case 

This is the 9th guitar (6th high-end) that i've owned and the playability and sound destroys the others, which is the most important thing for me. The fact that it looks killer in my opinion is a nice bonus aswell though! 

If you're local then you should come round for a jam and take it for a spin matey 

Thanks for the kind words everyone!


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## MerlinTKD (Apr 23, 2008)

That is _not_ a guitar.

That is a work of art.

A fucking amazing work of art!! 


A question: that neck looks especially wide... how wide is it, exactly?


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## noodles (Apr 24, 2008)

Win.


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## -K4G- (Apr 24, 2008)

So finally it arrived huh? 



Congrats man! That looks stunning.


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## petereanima (Apr 24, 2008)

holy mother of truck, i want a B7 sooooooo bad. :-/


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## Michael (Apr 24, 2008)

Gorgeous guitar man.


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## -Nolly- (Apr 24, 2008)

Awesome bro! Knew you'd love it!

I was checking out your guitar's sister B7 again last night at Doug's, it's SUCH a nice guitar. FWIW, the ferrules were exactly the same as on yours.

Welcome to the brotherhood


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## dtrax (Apr 24, 2008)

I'm fucking speechless.


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## Thrashmanzac (Apr 24, 2008)

that is one of the nicest guitars i have ever seen...


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## 7 Dying Trees (Apr 24, 2008)

Each and every one of these threads just makes me want one even more... Seriously, these guitars are the shit and well worth their price!


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## Pauly (Apr 24, 2008)

7 Dying Trees said:


> Each and every one of these threads just makes me want one even more... Seriously, these guitars are the shit and well worth their price!



+1

And he does lefties!!!!11


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## Uber Mega (Apr 24, 2008)

KillForGod said:


> So finally it arrived huh?
> 
> 
> 
> Congrats man! That looks stunning.



It did indeed! Thanks a lot 




MerlinTKD said:


> That is _not_ a guitar.
> 
> That is a work of art.
> 
> ...



According to my wonky ruer and slightly shakey hands: 47mm at the nut/fist fret, 58mm at the 12th fret, and 65mm at the end of the neck (25th fret). I'm not sure if thats wide or not haha? When I look at it it doesn't look wide at all, I was actually thinking it'd look kinda like a toothpick if it was missing that other string 





-Nolly- said:


> Awesome bro! Knew you'd love it!
> 
> I was checking out your guitar's sister B7 again last night at Doug's, it's SUCH a nice guitar. FWIW, the ferrules were exactly the same as on yours.
> 
> Welcome to the brotherhood



Ahh is that the one that's still waiting for a case?

Cheers dude, i'm super chuffed with it! Did you get everything sorted that you wanted to at Dougs? (was it amp related?).




Again, thanks so much everyone


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## brother mack (Apr 24, 2008)

that finish is fucking sick dude! I want!


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## angryman (Apr 24, 2008)

Holy Fuck, my dream guitar!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congrats dude I'm Jealous.


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## AVWIII (Apr 24, 2008)

Oh. My. God. That is hot! Congrats!


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## toolsound (Apr 24, 2008)

That has to be the sexiest 7-string guitar I've ever seen. I would be all over one if they were closer to my price range.


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## Ruins (Apr 24, 2008)

congrats dude very beautiful instrument you've got your self


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## eaeolian (Apr 24, 2008)

I would *love* to play one of those. I'd be afraid I'd like it too much, though.


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## Decipher (Apr 24, 2008)

Wow. Stunning guitar.


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## Wolfie (Apr 24, 2008)

OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!!!!!     


Thats my dream guitar right there!!


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## Esp Griffyn (Apr 24, 2008)

Nice, looks like a real quality build! I love the minimalist aesthetics, the only thing I don't like about those guitars is the headstock, but other than that, top quality stuff!


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## -Nolly- (Apr 24, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> Ahh is that the one that's still waiting for a case?
> 
> Cheers dude, i'm super chuffed with it! Did you get everything sorted that you wanted to at Dougs? (was it amp related?).



Yeah that's the one, though the case had arrived that day, along with the case for my B2, which is why I was at Doug's. I had picked up the amp from Doug's business partner about 30mins earlier, so got both things done in one journey 

Very glad you're happy with it! How are you finding the Warpigs? It would have been cool to AB your guitar with the other B7 with Nailbombs..

EDIT: To the naysayers on the headstock/general design etc, I dare you to see one in real life and not fall in love.


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## unconventional (Apr 24, 2008)

BAD ASS


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## Shawn (Apr 25, 2008)

That is absolutely beautiful.  Great pics!


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## 7slinger (Apr 26, 2008)

absolutely awesome, and I love the headstock


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## NiCkMiLnE (Apr 28, 2008)

its incredible thom, utterly beautiful mate


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## Ancestor (Apr 28, 2008)

Great looking guitar. Now go play it!


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## Zak1233 (Apr 28, 2008)

omfg such a nice guitar and pics!! major gas mhmm


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 29, 2008)

Stitch said:


> It follows the intonation track of the string saddles.
> 
> Very nice sir! You should totally bring it to Edinburgh.



Its probably just a drilling mistake. There is no reason to change where the strings anchor because the only thing that affects intonation is how the saddles are set.


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## TripleFan (Apr 29, 2008)

No, it´s most likely not.
The saddles of the wound strings sit usually further back than those of the plain ones. To acommodate that and make inserting the strings easier the string ferrules for the wound strings are often drilled further back as well.


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## Uber Mega (Apr 29, 2008)

God knows, i'll ask the man himself.


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## cow 7 sig (Apr 29, 2008)

man thats an awesome guitar


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## stux (Apr 29, 2008)

Yeah there was definatly a price increase, I got a b7 priced up the same as this but swamp ash and with m7s and it came to £2300! But I will still have it, I just have to save up and order one next year


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## xwmucradiox (Apr 29, 2008)

TripleFan said:


> No, it´s most likely not.
> The saddles of the wound strings sit usually further back than those of the plain ones. To acommodate that and make inserting the strings easier the string ferrules for the wound strings are often drilled further back as well.



The holes in the bridge are in a straight line and not staggered. That means that staggered holes in the back of the guitar would make inserting the strings more difficult, not less.

My blackmachine has the ferrules in a straight line so at the very least hes inconsistent in making restrings easier for his customers.


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## sakeido (Apr 29, 2008)

Shut up about the goddamn ferrules already. If that is the only thing wrong with the whole guitar, and it looks intentional to me, and it is on the back side, fuck it. For all we know he also drilled out the baseplate on the bridge to accommodate the bigger strings easier as well.


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## Edroz (Apr 29, 2008)

sakeido said:


> Shut up about the goddamn ferrules already. If that is the only thing wrong with the whole guitar, and it looks intentional to me, and it is on the back side, fuck it. For all we know he also drilled out the baseplate on the bridge to accommodate the bigger strings easier as well.




yeah, the nerve. how dare he point out flaws in the almighty Blackmachine!


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Apr 29, 2008)

Edroz said:


> yeah, the nerve. how dare he point out flaws in the almighty Blackmachine!



yea, no shit


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## noodles (Apr 29, 2008)

sakeido said:


> Shut up about the goddamn ferrules already. If that is the only thing wrong with the whole guitar, and it looks intentional to me, and it is on the back side, fuck it. For all we know he also drilled out the baseplate on the bridge to accommodate the bigger strings easier as well.



Mind ratcheting down the attitude a wee bit? 

FWIW, if I payed that much for a guitar, I'd be anal about attention to detail. The ferrules are off, which is plain as day, and in this price range, it is a fairly big oversight.


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## sakeido (Apr 29, 2008)

Edroz said:


> yeah, the nerve. how dare he point out flaws in the almighty Blackmachine!



deleted


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Apr 29, 2008)

it would be really annoying, about as annonying as waiting a year for a guitar that cost thousands of dollars only to find out a basic detail was fucked up on it


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## sakeido (Apr 29, 2008)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> it would be really annoying, about as annonying as waiting a year for a guitar that cost thousands of dollars only to find out a basic detail was fucked up on it



Considering the guitar is pure sex in every aspect except the absolute smallest one on the guitar, I don't think I'd care at all and would be pissed off at people pointing it out over and over and over


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## Stitch (Apr 29, 2008)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> it would be really annoying, about as annonying as waiting a year for a guitar that cost thousands of dollars only to find out a basic detail was fucked up on it





This thread is on a fast track to hell. With the exception of the most enlightened xmwucraidx or whatever th hell is name is, show me one person who was unhappy with their guitar. These guitars are built to be tone monsters...if you want it all to be the way you ordered then get a Carvin or something. People are buying these because they look plain yet badass and represent the epitome of tone.


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## Uber Mega (Apr 29, 2008)

I've dropped him an email about this, i'll post his reply...but I don't see why anyone would say it's a "flaw" or bad craftsmanship...so you're saying that someone who can cut, build etc. a guitar to specific measurements of within a millimeter is incapable of drilling 6/7 basic holes the slightest bit straight, on nearly every Blackmachine in existence...seems a bit of a stupid thing to say. I am almost certain that the ferrules are drilled the way they are 'intentionally' on every blackmachine, he obviously believes it serves a purpose.

If not then, well, oh man...


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## noodles (Apr 29, 2008)

sakeido said:


> Considering the guitar is pure sex in every aspect except the absolute smallest one on the guitar, I don't think I'd care at all and would be pissed off at people pointing it out over and over and over



Yeah, it is a minor detail that does not effect sound/playability, but we are not talking about a $600 guitar. At well over three grand, I'd be a bit perturbed that the ferrules are straighter on my $325 Dean.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Apr 29, 2008)

Stitch said:


> This thread is on a fast track to hell. With the exception of the most enlightened xmwucraidx or whatever th hell is name is, show me one person who was unhappy with their guitar. These guitars are built to be tone monsters...if you want it all to be the way you ordered then get a Carvin or something. People are buying these because they look plain yet badass and represent the epitome of tone.



well, i feel that the attitude around here toward black machine , and it seems edroz elluded to as well, was that they have the reputation of basically what you just said, like god himself built these things. But in all honosty, 99 percent of the members on this board have never even touched a black machine, and even though this may be the best guitar in the world, he posted pics because he wanted people to look at them, and thats what we were doing, and commenting, i dont think theres a thing wrong with that


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## sakeido (Apr 29, 2008)

noodles said:


> Yeah, it is a minor detail that does not effect sound/playability, but we are not talking about a $600 guitar. At well over three grand, I'd be a bit perturbed that the ferrules are straighter on my $325 Dean.



I'm fairly certain that on a guitar built for downtuning and perfect playability, strung with up fat strings, the holes on the bridge have also been machined out so they are more rounded rectangles than just straight holes.. and he moved the ferrules around to match. Since, to me, the ferrules on the back line up in the same pattern the saddles on the front do and seeing as how this has happened on a few guitars in a row, I am fairly sure he is doing it on purpose.


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## Stitch (Apr 29, 2008)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> well, i feel that the attitude around here toward black machine , and it seems edroz elluded to was that they have the reputation of basically what you just said, like god himself built these things. But in all honosty, 99 percent of the members on this board have never even touched a black machine, and even though this may be the best guitar in the world, he posted pics because he wanted people to look at them, and thats what we were doing, and commenting, i dont think theres a thing wrong with that



But there a fair few that are determined to beat them down, simply because they can't understand the concept of global economies and can't deal with the fact that its the cost of two JPM7's from where they live.


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Apr 29, 2008)

right, but before you start slinging mud about how mentioning the ferruels took this thread to the dump, you should look at who started being pissy, the bm fanboys
i dont really care that i cant afford one, i , like thousands of other good musicians, can make killer tunes on a 3000 dollar guitar, OR a 500 dollar ibby so it dont hurt my feelings too much, besides if i were to spend that kind of money, i could get 2 shermans, which i'm sure are just as nice


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## sakeido (Apr 29, 2008)

Stitch said:


> This thread is on a fast track to hell. With the exception of the most enlightened xmwucraidx or whatever th hell is name is, show me one person who was unhappy with their guitar.



He is so unhappy with it, he won't sell it.. not even for its original purchase price.



7 Strings of Hate said:


> right, but before you start slinging mud about how mentioning the ferruels took this thread to the dump, you should look at who started being pissy, the bm fanboys



It was more an issue of a number of people showing a lot of disrespect for the thread starter, who finally got his guitar after a long wait and a significant cash investment, and then people zeroed in on the smallest detail and started criticizing the guitar without any regard for, you know, if he cared or not. I always figured that it was kind of an unspoken rule that people don't bash a poster's guitar, and keep it to themselves if they have nothing good to say.. that has not happened here. IMO.


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## Uber Mega (Apr 29, 2008)

If I wasn't the OP, and this thread wasn't about my guitar, I would have trolled the shit out of it by now


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## Stitch (Apr 29, 2008)

7 Strings of Hate said:


> right, but before you start slinging mud about how mentioning the ferruels took this thread to the dump, you should look at who started being pissy, the bm fanboys
> i dont really care that i cant afford one, i , like thousands of other good musicians, can make killer tunes on a 3000 dollar guitar, OR a 500 dollar ibby so it dont hurt my feelings too much, besides if i were to spend that kind of money, i could get 2 shermans, which i'm sure are just as nice



You've just proved my point. If Blackmachine were US based, I sincerely doubt the prices would be of the order of $5k. Try at most half of that. Things are hard and expensive to get.


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## Stitch (Apr 29, 2008)

sakeido said:


> It was more an issue of a number of people showing a lot of disrespect for the thread starter, who finally got his guitar after a long wait and a significant cash investment, and then people zeroed in on the smallest detail and started criticizing the guitar without any regard for, you know, if he cared or not. I always figured that it was kind of an unspoken rule that people don't bash a poster's guitar, and keep it to themselves if they have nothing good to say.. that has not happened here. IMO.



Its not a Schecter or Ibanez, why would it count?


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## 7 Strings of Hate (Apr 29, 2008)

well, this is my last post in this thread, but sakeido, its not the fact that he hates the guitar, its the principal of the idea that he paid 3 grand, it should be flawless, and for the record, if you look at practically all the posts, they all are kissing the guitars ass anyway, so i dont think there is any disrespect to the poster that he put pictures of his guitar up for veiw and a couple people asked what was up with a weird detail


all i know is, if it was a black machine or a ibby or whatever, and something looked weird, people would be asking about it, so instead of saying "your an idiot, its a blackmachine, its the best guitar in the world", you could actually discuss it


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## Edroz (Apr 29, 2008)

Stitch said:


> But there a fair few that are determined to beat them down, simply because they can't understand the concept of global economies and can't deal with the fact that its the cost of two JPM7's from where they live.




dude, that has nothing to do with what we're talking about. i'm sure a "fair few" of us (including myself) just want to know what the purpose of the misaligned ferrules are for and if it IS done intentionally, and the reason for it.

i've never played a Blackmachine or seen one in person. i am however curious about them and how they're made (like many other guitars i've never played)


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## noodles (Apr 29, 2008)

*OK, guys, knock it off already. Some of us think the ferrules look dumb, and some of us don't care. This thread is going to hell, so just agree to disagree and stop cluttering the thread up.*


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## Stealthdjentstic (Apr 29, 2008)

that thing looks orgasmic, and your photography is much better than the websites


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## Uber Mega (Apr 30, 2008)

I got an email back from Doug today regarding the ferrules:

"The string ferrules are placed according to the pattern of holes in the bridge".

So I went and looked at my bridge, because I thought the bridge holes would _surely_ be in a straight line...Wrong. Blackmachines have Gotoh hardtail bridges, and the actual holes in my bridge are the EXACT same layout as the holes drilled in the back, I don't know why but there you have it.

There are a few Blackmachines (Dez has one) that don't use Gotoh bridge, they have a piece of wood with staggered saddles attached directly to it, the ferrule holes also follow this and therefore look even more misaligned on the back.

Hope that clears it up


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## Stitch (Apr 30, 2008)




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## sakeido (Apr 30, 2008)

I feel vindicated now


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## noodles (Apr 30, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> So I went and looked at my bridge, because I thought the bridge holes would _surely_ be in a straight line...Wrong. Blackmachines have Gotoh hardtail bridges, and the actual holes in my bridge are the EXACT same layout as the holes drilled in the back, I don't know why but there you have it.





Of course, this means Gotoh sucks.


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## Roundhouse_Kick (Apr 30, 2008)

Ferules!!Ferules!! Damn ferules. Shoddy workmaship i tell thee! Bloody cowboys cant even drill in a straight line.

And half the headstock is missing!!

_And he forgot to paint it!!!!!_





That guitar looks amazing. Congratulations, i'm sure its worth the long wait. I haven't been priveledged enough to play or see one in person yet but one day I hope it will!!


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## Uber Mega (Apr 30, 2008)

noodles said:


> Of course, this means Gotoh sucks.



haha  you may be right!


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## El Caco (May 21, 2008)

I just saw this for the first time. 

Congratulations, it looks incredible.I wish I could have one but if I sold all my guitars and gear I still would not have enough money.


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## Uber Mega (May 21, 2008)

s7eve said:


> I just saw this for the first time.
> 
> Congratulations, it looks incredible.I wish I could have one but if I sold all my guitars and gear I still would not have enough money.



Thanks, do what I do and live off of Flapjack and milk for 2 years  I couldn't afford it either really tbh, my overdraft and credit card have taken a battering


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## neon_black88 (May 21, 2008)

I could probably sell everything I own and not be able to afford one of those 

Looks really fuckin nice though man. Love the finish.


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## TomAwesome (May 21, 2008)

Very nice!


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## El Caco (May 21, 2008)

Uber Mega said:


> Thanks, do what I do and live off of Flapjack and milk for 2 years  I couldn't afford it either really tbh, my overdraft and credit card have taken a battering



Maybe if I was single with no kids.


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## Uber Mega (May 21, 2008)

s7eve said:


> Maybe if I was single with no kids.



Sell them, sell them all!


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## xwmucradiox (May 21, 2008)

sakeido said:


> He is so unhappy with it, he won't sell it.. not even for its original purchase price.



I told you the craftsmanship was less than steller and that the finish work was not up to par for the price of the instrument but that the playability was as good as you could ever want. There were two price increases after I placed my order so there would be no reason for me to charge less than what the market will bear for an extremely rare instrument. Thats pretty simple economics really.


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## Stealthdjentstic (May 21, 2008)

Blackmachines look hella wicked in darker lighting.


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## Apex1rg7x (May 23, 2008)

Man that thing is killer. I saw on the BM website that they were taking six orders so i emailed him back and forth a few times, then i about pulled the trigger and ordered one but just couldnt do it. Man i hope you like that guitar, it is incredible looking.


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## Thin_Ice_77 (May 26, 2008)

DAMN!


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## tmcarr (May 26, 2008)

jammy said:


> Something I've just noticed - what's with the mis-alignment of the string ferrules on the back?



Its because the holes in the bridge are like that. Ive never been sure why they did that... the break point at the bridge is all thats important, right? So why get all complicated with the ferrule placement for something other than looks...

goes the same for something with a gibson style bridge... seems like a waste of planning time to me...


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