# Blackmachine B6 build thread



## MetalDaze (May 18, 2013)

Let's get one thing out of the way.....it's a lefty 

When I heard there were going to be some more B6's this year, I contacted Doug. Turns out we are close in age and have some of the same musical influences. I was put on "the list".

About two weeks later, Doug came back and said a lefty B6 was in process and asked, "Are you ready?" To which I responded, "Hell yes!" 

As mentioned in other threads, much of the work for the B6's is being done by Feline Guitars with Doug coming in towards the end for the final steps. Jonathan at Feline has been great to work with thus far.

The current "standard" pickups on the B6 are a Cold Sweat (bridge) and Painkiller (neck), which is what I decided to stick with.

Here's the original pic that sealed the deal:











And here are some recent updates:


----------



## Alcmiller (May 18, 2013)

Sounds like a pretty lucky arrangement. Looks great so far!


----------



## skisgaar (May 18, 2013)

Holy shit...so this is what a real blackmachine build thread looks like!
I was beginning to get tired of copy machines 

EDIT: Out of interest, why are there 2 strap pins? I mean, I get why you might want 2, but the bottom one looks really out of place.


----------



## muffinbutton (May 18, 2013)

skisgaar said:


> Holy shit...so this is what a real blackmachine build thread looks like!
> I was beginning to get tired of copy machines
> 
> EDIT: Out of interest, why are there 2 strap pins? I mean, I get why you might want 2, but the bottom one looks really out of place.



Was wondering the same thing myself. Maybe so it doesn't fall over when you set it down? I know somebody who builds basses and designs the body with a very long lower horn to play in classical (I think) position, and a bottom sort of like this so it doesn't fall over. \_/--\_/

That's as close as I can get on a computer. think that but round.


----------



## MetalDaze (May 18, 2013)

skisgaar said:


> EDIT: Out of interest, why are there 2 strap pins? I mean, I get why you might want 2, but the bottom one looks really out of place.


 
It's something new Doug is doing. He used to use an integrated jack/strap pin but that meant you couldn't use strap locks. 

Anderson guitars has been doing this for a while and I think the Carvin Holdworth guitars are like this too. Some people use one for standing and the other for sitting. It also provides some stability if you wanted to set it down and lean it against something without fear of it tipping over.


----------



## sage (May 18, 2013)

Reverse headstocks on left handed guitars trip me out...


----------



## Daf57 (May 18, 2013)

That, sir, is going to be a hell of a guitar! Congrats!!


----------



## AwDeOh (May 18, 2013)

Looking great dude, it's nice to see an actual BM in the build process.

Hands up if you saved the pics then flipped them to make 'em into a rightie


----------



## Mklane (May 18, 2013)




----------



## thepylestory (May 18, 2013)

Oh man, this is gonna be sweet!!


----------



## JPMike (May 18, 2013)

I can't wait to see the final thing!!


----------



## technomancer (May 18, 2013)

Feline does some pretty nice work


----------



## Phrygian (May 18, 2013)

damn, nice! DIBS! 


Edit: what does that capacitor do?


----------



## jahosy (May 18, 2013)

Congrats mate! How often do you get a bm built thread!?

Is that a one piece ash?


----------



## MetalDaze (May 18, 2013)

Phrygian said:


> damn, nice! DIBS!
> 
> 
> Edit: what does that capacitor do?


 
Crap, I might have just leaked a Blackmachine secret!!! 





jahosy said:


> Congrats mate! How often do you get a bm built thread!?
> 
> Is that a one piece ash?


 
I believe it is 2 pieces.


----------



## Lorcan Ward (May 18, 2013)

I think this is the first BM build thread on this board. Looking nice so far!


----------



## KGINDI7 (May 18, 2013)

great looking axe man


----------



## jtm45 (May 18, 2013)

Phrygian said:


> Edit: what does that capacitor do?



It's a Bareknuckles capacitor for the tone control i believe.

Nice to see a BM with the aluminium plate removed. Never seen a pic with that plate off before.


----------



## kruneh (May 19, 2013)

I love it, elegant clean stuff


----------



## TheWarAgainstTime (May 19, 2013)

sage said:


> Reverse headstocks on left handed guitars trip me out...



What has been seen... cannot be unseen 

This is still gonna turn out amazing, though


----------



## ECGuitars (May 19, 2013)

MetalDaze said:


> It's something new Doug is doing. He used to use an integrated jack/strap pin but that meant you couldn't use strap locks.
> 
> Anderson guitars has been doing this for a while and I think the Carvin Holdworth guitars are like this too. Some people use one for standing and the other for sitting. It also provides some stability if you wanted to set it down and lean it against something without fear of it tipping over.



Except the jack on this guitar is located in between the two strap pins. I get what you're saying but that's not quite the case on this one, where its strap pin/end pin jack/strap pin


----------



## ricknasty1985 (May 20, 2013)

Thing is so beautiful I could cry. Yeah that's right, so jealous... Your going to have such a great time with that!


----------



## Holo (May 20, 2013)

Congrats , very beautiful guitar.

In the first photo I can see that the neck pocket extends to the pickup cavity , does the neck pocket made lower then the pickup cavity for support or is it higher / same depth as the pickup cavity?


----------



## AVH (May 21, 2013)

Still using the cheap Asian toggle and barrel jack I see...at least he's using decent CTS pots and a nice BK re-branded PIO Jensen cap there. I would expect to see good quality Switchcraft toggles and barrel jacks as well - as it should be considering how much he's charging for these guitars. I noticed this on the other few BM's I've worked on as well, cheaping-out on the unseen gut components while using excellent hardware otherwise. The next time you talk to him, tell him to upgrade those - I would if I was paying for this. Looks good otherwise


----------



## Vicious7 (May 22, 2013)

^^^  Isn't Feline Guitars doing most of the grunt work though?

From a fellow lefty to another, all I'm going to say is hand over that guitar or else I'm going to send a bunch of ninjas to you! That thang is sweeeeet!!!


----------



## AwDeOh (May 22, 2013)

^ Sorry both you guys are left handed. I can't imagine what it's like living with a disability.


----------



## Vicious7 (May 22, 2013)

^  I don't even have a witty response to that.


----------



## Pikka Bird (May 22, 2013)

Looking at this, In cannot for the life of me figure out what, how and where with that revolutionary BM chambering...


----------



## Walterson (May 22, 2013)

Pikka Bird said:


> Looking at this, In cannot for the life of me figure out what, how and where with that revolutionary BM chambering...




You can route channels into the body before gluing the two halfs together like Ola did here:






Strandberg Guitarworks » Blog Archive » More Progress


But you would see it in the Pickup cavities, so this Blackmachine can't be chambered.


----------



## Breakdown (May 22, 2013)

Pikka Bird said:


> Looking at this, In cannot for the life of me figure out what, how and where with that revolutionary BM chambering...



Im pretty sure he doesn't chamber the B6's. It looks to me like the body is just 2 solid pieces of swamp ash joined together.


----------



## Pikka Bird (May 22, 2013)

^In those BM attack/defense threads the chambering is one of the things that are touted as making it "worth it" in some way... So I was just wondering (and perhaps jabbing a little  ).

Walterson: Yeah, I was thinking about that for a second, but I didn't see any sign of that either.


----------



## Jrec (May 22, 2013)

CTS pots?


----------



## MetalDaze (May 22, 2013)

The B6's are not chambered. I believe only the models with a top are done that way.


----------



## thepylestory (May 27, 2013)

Any news?!


----------



## hairychris (May 29, 2013)

MetalDaze said:


> The B6's are not chambered. I believe only the models with a top are done that way.



Yeah, and only from around 2009/2010 IIRC. Earlier ones were not. My mahog bodied B2 from mid 00s is definitely unchambered, 2010 B7 is chambered.


----------



## MikeDojcsak (May 29, 2013)

Lefty Solidarity.


----------



## MetalMike04 (May 29, 2013)

why are the pics backwards hurr durr hurr.

seriously Metaldaze...let me come to your house, a lefty such a yourself needs to share!


----------



## Vicious7 (May 31, 2013)

Updates...preferrably with images, or else.......


----------



## MetalDaze (Jul 11, 2013)

Just received these today. Almost ready!


----------



## Jacobine (Jul 11, 2013)

It looks totez delicious if I do say so myself! HSTBNGD, I'll be looking out for that thread too!


----------



## Aris_T (Jul 11, 2013)

Nothing more to say than Happy New Black Machine Day! And will repeat it in the NGD thread!

These are impeccable guitars!


----------



## Forkface (Jul 11, 2013)




----------



## thepylestory (Jul 12, 2013)

It looks great, super pumped for you.


----------



## OWHall (Jul 12, 2013)

well I never thought I would see the day, a genuine b6 build thread


----------



## hk_golgatha (Jul 13, 2013)

Needs more pics.
Looking forward to the NGD thread.
Plus I'm more receptive to lefties as I do everything but play musical instruments left handed... Guitar hero (good ol' age 12...) started me righty and I figured, "if it ain't broke..." when I moved to real guitar. 
Seriously, though. Blackmachine = happy hands. Congrats!


----------



## MetalDaze (Jul 26, 2013)

Behold!

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/standard-guitars/244602-ngd-blackmachine-b6-first-lefty-ever.html


----------

