# Frank Hartung Chronograph Custom completed



## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

Hi there, 

Yesterday Frank sent me these pictures. Looks like my Chronograph Custom has now been completed!


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## -Nolly- (Dec 1, 2010)

Incredible! 
Congrats dude, that is truly stunning and the build quality is absolutely top class. The spec choice is awesome too.


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

Thanks, Nolly. 

Frank is an incredible person. First, he agreed to build according to my mad ideas on the neck dimensions, neck-to-body joint, volume & switch positioning etc etc. Secondly and most importantly, he is very responsive and absolutely reliable. Everyone here has read the frightening stories on some luthiers being unpredictale and unreliable. Hopefully, it's not the case with Frank.


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

By the way, Nolly, I borrowed the idea of the scalloped higher frets from your Daemoness Hope you don't mind.


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## -Nolly- (Dec 1, 2010)

That's perfectly ok because I borrowed the slanted scallop idea from... one of Frank's builds hahaha

What pickups have you got in there?


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

-Nolly- said:


> That's perfectly ok because I borrowed the slanted scallop idea from... one of Frank's builds hahaha
> 
> What pickups have you got in there?


 
Okay, good to know that haha) 

It's a pair of Haussels, German-made. Haven't dealt with them but people say they are good. Doug from Blackmachine is using them along with BKPs and Lundgrens.


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## -Nolly- (Dec 1, 2010)

Yeah, I've played a couple of guitars with them. Both sounded great!


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## ev1ltwin (Dec 1, 2010)

that is absolutely stunning


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## scherzo1928 (Dec 1, 2010)

the neck indeed came out fan-fucking-tastic as I predicted 

Killer axe man, Frank makes some the best looking ones out there.


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## synrgy (Dec 1, 2010)

Beautiful. Just beautiful.


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

scherzo1928 said:


> Killer axe man, Frank makes some the best looking ones out there.


 
Thanks. Hope it sounds as good as it looks.


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## technomancer (Dec 1, 2010)

I have yet to see a Hartung that wasn't awesome.

Congrats, that thing looks fantastic


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## JamesM (Dec 1, 2010)

Damn!


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

The Armada said:


> Damn!



What?


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## Razzy (Dec 1, 2010)

I literally just said, "Oh my God," out loud at work.

That thing is fucking awesome.


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## JamesM (Dec 1, 2010)

Chronograph said:


> What?



Absolutely dynamic, beautiful, and a realm beyond most guitars. Awe inspiring craftsmanship built upon well developed concepts. 

Congratulations man.


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

The Armada said:


> Absolutely dynamic, beautiful, and a realm beyond most guitars. Awe inspiring craftsmanship built upon well developed concepts.
> 
> Congratulations man.



Thanks a lot man. 

The concept is as simple as that - there are lots of fine guitars out there but only very few of them possess elegance and style. IMO Hartung is one of the very few. That's first. Second, I wanted it to be made as simple as possible. No neck or body binding, no fancy inlays, no high gloss finish, no paint. Just the beauty of natural wood. 

Elegant simplicity and functionality. As simple as that.


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 1, 2010)

Really nice!


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## BlackMastodon (Dec 1, 2010)

Jealous. Also is it missing the inlays on the 24th fret? Or is that some kind of crazy optical illusion?


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## KoenDercksen (Dec 1, 2010)

It makes me think of some ridiculously well shaped woman. That's positive!

Absolutely stunning guitar!


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## JamesM (Dec 1, 2010)

BlackMastodon said:


> Jealous. Also is it missing the inlays on the 24th fret? Or is that some kind of crazy optical illusion?



Definitely missing the inlays.


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## scherzo1928 (Dec 1, 2010)

The Armada said:


> Definitely missing the inlays.


Nah, that's probably to acces the trussrod. Hartungs dont have access on the headstock end of the neck.

pic of this from another hartung in construction:


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## Chronograph (Dec 1, 2010)

That's right. The truss rod access cover.


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## JamesM (Dec 1, 2010)

Ah yes. That's right, pops right out. Good design, don't know how I forgot it.


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## thewildturkey (Dec 1, 2010)

Wow.

That is never a guitar I would have thought I would like if I saw it on paper, but my god that thing looks amazing.

Congratulations on an awesome axe!


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## yacker (Dec 1, 2010)

The amount of figure on that Birdseye neck is absolutely stunning. The neck to body join is awesome as well. Congrats.....who wouldn't want to own that guitar?


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## Chronograph (Dec 2, 2010)

yacker said:


> who wouldn't want to own that guitar?


 
Some wouldn't. The neck is very special. It's extremely wide (44.5 mm at nut) and extremely thin (17.5 mm at nut). The fingerboard raduis is almost flat (20"). We call it the ironing board 

I believe MM Sihouette and Axis lovers wouldn't want it as the neck features are the extreme opposite of what they like.


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## khournos (Dec 2, 2010)

This, good man looks simply beautyful! =D

The shaping, where the horns join the body,
reminds me of DBZ Guitars.
But in Execution and Look, your guitar just makes 
DBZ look pretty crap.


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## Chronograph (Dec 2, 2010)

khournos said:


> But in Execution and Look, your guitar just makes DBZ look pretty crap.


 
I don't think that DBZs are crap. All in all, it's a matter of taste. To me, Hartungs just look more elegant and stylish.


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## LoyK (Dec 2, 2010)

WOW, awesome, I like that natural flame top=) Have fun with YOUR guitar=)

And yes, Frank is amazing in every aspect=)

EDIT: Is there a picture of the headstock from the front?


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## technomancer (Dec 2, 2010)

Not even sure how you could compare a Korean-built DBZ to one of these  Though I do see what you mean with the carves.

I need to stop looking at Hartungs, they give me GAS


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## Guitarman700 (Dec 2, 2010)

Oh my god.
That is amazing!


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## Chronograph (Dec 9, 2010)

Okay, I finally brought the Hartung home. Here are some pictures.


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## dpm (Dec 9, 2010)

Man, some of the details on Hartungs must be a bitch to pull off cleanly, especially the sharp angles in the waist and at the headstock. Beautiful guitar.


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## Chronograph (Dec 9, 2010)

Dan, thanks. As you see from my signature, I do have one of your guitars which is an amazing axe as well.


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## vansinn (Dec 9, 2010)

Now, that's what I call serious yum yum.. 
I love those untraditional shapes - ohh, and the wide neck. Coming from classical, this makes complex chords and open string picking so much easier. My primary is a tad more narrow, but not by too much.
Congrats with the newborn 

I'd so like your comments on how the Shaller Hennes bridge performs, in terms of stability, tone and sustain. So far, I've only seen it on one of Huf's builds.
Being mainly carbon, it's fairly different from the usual batch. I have some experience with carbon under strings, but not to this level.


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## MaxOfMetal (Dec 9, 2010)

I love seeing more of Frank's work. It really looks clean and incredible.


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 9, 2010)

I love those Hannes bridges. Look great.

What's that around the nut, a small hair elastic, or do you use that to keep your nut warm? ;P


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## Chronograph (Dec 9, 2010)

As a matter of fact, my first guitar was a classical nylon. I fell in love with the wide and flat classical neck shape.


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## Chronograph (Dec 9, 2010)

UnderTheSign said:


> What's that around the nut, a small hair elastic, or do you use that to keep your nut warm? ;P



It's a pony tail hair band, I stole it from my wife I mute the first frets with it when playing tapping.


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## technomancer (Dec 9, 2010)

Damn that thing is awesome. I love Frank's work 

You should post a NGD thread in the six string section


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## jbcrazy (Dec 9, 2010)

Applause


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## Durero (Dec 9, 2010)

What a beauty!

That truss rod access cover is very clever.


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## dpm (Dec 10, 2010)

Chronograph said:


> Dan, thanks. As you see from my signature, I do have one of your guitars which is an amazing axe as well.



Glad you like  I've got a pickup here for you I believe, it'll be leaving very soon.


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## Stealthdjentstic (Dec 10, 2010)

Oh god that neck!


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## Fred the Shred (Dec 10, 2010)

This is a deliciously classy instrument - congrats are definitely in order here.


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 10, 2010)

Chronograph said:


> It's a pony tail hair band, I stole it from my wife I mute the first frets with it when playing tapping.


Haha, guessed right then!

Could you elaborate a bit on how the Hannes feels when palm muting?

Also, please do tell more about the neck... Like a classical guitar? Sound interesting, and nice as I've recently played my nylon MUCH more than my electrics haha.


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## Chronograph (Dec 10, 2010)

UnderTheSign said:


> Could you elaborate a bit on how the Hannes feels when palm muting?
> 
> Also, please do tell more about the neck...



It's difficult to find the sweet spot on the Hannes for palm muting. However, once you are able to find it, it works perfectly. Also, the bridge feels like a comfortable platform for the right hand. One more important thing is that it's always warm which gives extra comfort feeling for the right hand. Probably, you know the feeling when you put your right hand palm on a die-cast bridge and the hand gets frozen immediately. Not the case with the Hannes. 

The neck is of a classical guitar measurements in terms of the width and fingerboard radius 44.5 mm width at nut is commonly known as the classical nylon standard). That said, it's extremely thin (17.5 mm at nut and 18 mm at 12th fret). That makes the neck to feel very small while having enough space between the strings. The reverse side of the neck is of a D shape with rounded edges and a flat back.


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## vansinn (Dec 13, 2010)

vansinn said:


> I'd so like your comments on how the Shaller Hannes bridge performs, in terms of stability, tone and sustain. So far, I've only seen it on one of Huf's builds.
> Being mainly carbon, it's fairly different from the usual batch. I have some experience with carbon under strings, but not to this level.



Very sorry about the mislead; while previously reading about the bridge, I had automatically read the composite materials as carbon 
It's a teflon-based compound.

Still interested in comments on tone and sustain - soundclips on this great build would be really cool..


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## Mordacain (Dec 13, 2010)

Holy ***t. I've seen some awesome guitars here but that takes the cake...there something about that beyond just the lovely wood that screams teh hotness.


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## Chronograph (Dec 15, 2010)

*vansinn* 

The Hannes is IMO the best bridge I have ever seen so far. First, it's very comfortable. No sharp edges, no screws at the front side. The right hand palm lies on the bridge naturally, you actually feel no obstacles for the right hand to go palm muting or an open clean sound, whatever you want. 

Another thing is that because of the compound material used, the temperature of the bridge surface is like that of your natural body temperature (well, unless you have a sever fever). That brings extra comfort for the right hand. 

Just one distracting point - it is insanely difficult to install. The guitar body drilling should be done as precise as NASA tolerance standards.


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## pylyo (Dec 15, 2010)

Dudester! Some crazy NGDs this month and all of them are just pure sex. Including yours.


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## liamh (Dec 15, 2010)

Thats gotta be the best looking flame ever.


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## Chronograph (Dec 15, 2010)

The flame top comes from the same source as used by PRS for their Private Stock articles.


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## Wierdoom (Dec 15, 2010)

That neck...


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## UnderTheSign (Dec 16, 2010)

Chronograph said:


> Just one distracting point - it is insanely difficult to install. The guitar body drilling should be done as precise as NASA tolerance standards.


Which makes you feel all special for having a guitar equipped with one! 
Not your problem though, if the builder is willing to install it...


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## b7string (Dec 16, 2010)

This guitar should win a design award, it is phenomenal, so simple and elegant, but so sharp. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and it just drips with that "you will be better at guitar if you play me" look.

Lucky you


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## Chronograph (Dec 17, 2010)

Thanks guys. 

The guitar is a great challenge. The level of playing skills should correspond to the level of guitar quality. It doesn't so far Have to hardly work to match


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