# NGD: Dell'Isola #16 Custom 8 String!



## bulb (Jan 2, 2012)

Hey guys!
So John Dell'Isola stopped by the studio a few days ago to drop this Beauty off for us to use on the album!

Let's just get right to the pics first:


























The specs on this beast are:
Body:

Birdseye Zebrawood Top
Flamed Mahogany Core
Burled Redwood Back

7 Piece Neck:

4 Pieces of Bolivian Rosewood/Pau Ferro
2 Strips of Flamed Mahogany
Center Bar of Zebrawood
Asian Black and White Ebony Fretboard

Custom made Aldridge Empire Aluminum Hardtail bridge
Custom Made saddles to fit L.R. Baggs piezo saddles
L.R. Baggs Piezo's and Control X Preamp
CTS Premium Sealed Volume Pot
Vitamin Q Oil Paper Capacitor
Dimarzio D Activator Pickups

Gotoh 510 Cosmo Black Tuners with Ebony Knobs
Stainless Steel Medium Fretwire
Luminlay Glow in the Dark Side dots

My thoughts:
I was very apprehensive before even trying this instrument and as gorgeous as it is, i honestly was not expecting a lot from it.

You see, I feel like the 8 string is still a very difficult instrument to nail just because it is so new, and there are many aspects that are unique to it that make it more than just a 7 string plus an extra string.
Things like scale length, neck profile, string spacing, pickup position and type and body woods are all even bigger factors on an 8 string in my opinion, and its the reason a lot of the 8's i have played have been less than stellar.

I have also found over the years that sticking to simple woods tends to yield the best results for sound, and that going with a ton of exotic woods can easily yield a very plain sounding guitar that looks gorgeous.

Taking all of that and the fact that this is John Dell'Isola's first attempt at an 8 string, you can understand my apprehension.

But i have to say, i was completely taken aback by the instrument. 
I was actually tracking one of our 8 string songs with my trusty Ibanez rg2228, which has been my standard to beat when it comes to 8 strings and is just all around an amazing 8 string guitar. But somehow this guitar not only sounds better/fuller and more dynamic, but is significantly more comfortable to play and easy on the hands.

I went from not expecting much, to using it to track the rest of the song, and even went and retracked some other riffs that just sounded better on that guitar! 
There are a few tests i do to determine how good an 8 really is. First off i find that the middle strings tend to get shafted timbre wise with longer scales. This being a 27" guitar would be no exception to that, but in fact the guitar sounds so consistent across the board, that it actually sounds incredible JUST in the 6 string range.

Now normally i do this test do determine how good a 7 sounds, because usually everything other than the absolute best 7 strings will sound good but not great in just the six string range, but for an 8 to do that really astounded me.
The response is very well balanced across the strings and across the board, and i have never heard notes "bind" and "purr" so well on a low F# powerchord. Usually at that point powerchords tend to fall apart, but for some pleasantly mysterious reason it didn't on this guitar!

Anyways, very stoked to be using this on the record, and John will be setting it up for me to use live as well soon, he will be taking the piezo out (since i never use that) and putting some locking gotoh 510s on there for me, as well as putting a brass bridge to replace the aluminum one (though i may talk him out of that last one because im not really looking to change the sound of the guitar at all)


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## metal_sam14 (Jan 2, 2012)

Fuck yes


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## benjaminbuisine (Jan 2, 2012)

One of the most beautiful ERG I've ever seen !


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 2, 2012)

Soo.....sound test with it


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## Horizongeetar93 (Jan 2, 2012)

mother of fap.....decent! Lovin' that fretboard


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## Larcher (Jan 2, 2012)

damn. I love the wood patterns on the fretboard


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## Metal_Webb (Jan 2, 2012)

Gorgeous guitar, but why the leccy tape on the horn?

DerpEdit - Just saw that the guy uses a piece of leather. Definately a nice touch.


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## Tjore (Jan 2, 2012)

No way! The fretboard... OH MY GOD 
How is that even possible? 

And what differenciates sealed pots and not sealed volume pots? Does this even change anything regarding the signal at all? Never got that...
Beutiful piece of wood anyway...
_By the way, I'm the guy that bought MW3 for you haha_


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## toiletstand (Jan 2, 2012)

this man does amazing work.
Models | Dellisola Instruments


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## Metaljonus (Jan 2, 2012)

Nice!


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## bulb (Jan 2, 2012)

Chris-T said:


> No way! The fretboard... OH MY GOD
> How is that even possible?
> 
> And what differenciates sealed pots and not sealed volume pots? Does this even change anything regarding the signal at all? Never got that...
> ...



Ah cheers dude!
That fretboard is aka Pale Moon Ebony, never seen anything like it!
Not really sure about the pots, but i just copied the spec list from him!


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## Marcus (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh wow, that thing looks incredible  I think I'd be way too paranoid to take it on the road!

How much 8-string material is there going to be on the album? Or do we just have to wait and see?


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## DavidLopezJr (Jan 2, 2012)

What's your planned tuning for this going to be? Also how well is the quality of craftsmanship compared to say your Decibel or Blackmachine? I've been very interested in Dell'Isola Instruments for a while espically since it is an american company and will be cheaper on my pocket versus shopping out of the country.


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## bulb (Jan 2, 2012)

DavidLopezJr said:


> What's your planned tuning for this going to be? Also how well is the quality of craftsmanship compared to say your Decibel or Blackmachine? I've been very interested in Dell'Isola Instruments for a while espically since it is an american company and will be cheaper on my pocket versus shopping out of the country.



The level of attention to detail and craftsmanship is honestly top-notch, and since i own guitars like my Blackmachine, Strandberg, Decibel, Daemoness etc. that are all just incredible in those areas, i just dont get into instruments that don't hold their own with those brands.
Dell'Isola knows how to make a truly awesome and unique guitar!


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## ralphy1976 (Jan 2, 2012)

mmm..i like the fretboard, but the rest of the axe is not my taste. i can see there is a lot of serious craft involved there though!!!


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## simonXsludge (Jan 2, 2012)

I love natural finished guitars, but this looks like it's a bit of an overkill to me.

Too much photoshopping maybe?


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## thatguy87 (Jan 2, 2012)

That FB is fuckin beautiful. The only thing I can't get on with is that body shape. just doesn't tickle my fancy. HNGD


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## nostealbucket (Jan 2, 2012)

Your wood...

just gave me wood.


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## AstonAston (Jan 2, 2012)

Awesome fretboard.


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## hypotc (Jan 2, 2012)

Beautiful guitar! 

By the way, Misha, ever thought of getting a PRS Custom?


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## vampiregenocide (Jan 2, 2012)

That wood selection is perfect.


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## ToupaTroopa (Jan 2, 2012)

Interesting to say the least!


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## Danukenator (Jan 2, 2012)

Man, all these sweet customs are making me so jealous. How is the White ebony feel? Is it the same as regular ebony or is the grain different?


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## Philligan (Jan 2, 2012)

A video would be amazing  Love that neck and fretboard!


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## Poho (Jan 2, 2012)

incredible, mang. very excited to hear how she sounds.


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## Rojne (Jan 2, 2012)

HNGD man! Looks great, but it's a bit too much going on for me but I bet it plays and sounds awesome!


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## Hourglass1117 (Jan 2, 2012)

shitsøn;2804553 said:


> I love natural finished guitars, but this looks like it's a bit of an overkill to me.
> 
> Too much photoshopping maybe?



Misha just got himself a new DSLR so he's still in that honeymoon phase of oversaturating/oversharpenning everything


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## bulb (Jan 2, 2012)

hypotc said:


> Beautiful guitar!
> 
> By the way, Misha, ever thought of getting a PRS Custom?



i used to have a 10 top singlecut, one of the most beautiful guitars i have ever owned, but it didnt really sound or feel too special to me, so i traded it for a vigier haha.
not all, but most of the prs guitars have been kinda like that, absolutely gorgeous instruments, but no mojo.


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## s_k_mullins (Jan 2, 2012)

This is such a beautiful instrument. The wood choices are fucking superb!


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## Domkid118 (Jan 2, 2012)

Do want


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## SYLrules88 (Jan 2, 2012)

definitely getting a guitar from this guy someday. might be 10 years from now, but dammit ill have one. i love his work and his guitars look so comfy to play!


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## Tarantino_Jr (Jan 2, 2012)

Oh god. That fretboard


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## Adrian-XI (Jan 2, 2012)

I would hazard a guess at the pots being sealed to prevent ingress of moisture and dust and shit. So hopefully they will never get crackly.


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## geeman8 (Jan 2, 2012)

That thing is just beautiful! I remember seeing this on his website some time ago and just thinking "Oh my GAWD!!"
Happy NGD!


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## Mysticlamp (Jan 2, 2012)

holy...
mother....
of
god


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## JD1886 (Jan 3, 2012)

Guys.. what a cool thing to wake up to yesterday! I'm really taken back by all the things you guys have to say.

I'm really excited that people are liking the wood combination of this and some of my other instruments... very cool. I got really lucky with this Zebrawood. I've never seen birdseye figure in it in any other board... very rare. And the Black and White Ebony... well I think you guys know. The B&W is a little more similar to Macassar Ebony which I find to be a little more warm and feel wise it's pretty buttery but not quite as dense as high end Gaboon. I personaly loved the idea of the up and down grains of the zebrawood combined with similar grain of the Ebony - this is my favorite thing as a builder. For everyone? Maybe not.. I understand it can be over the top for some but I think's over the top in a really awesome way. In an extremely saturated market my biggest mission is to differentiate myself. I have been a fan of luthiery and exotic woods since I was 13 years old and have always loved car upholstery like Alpina BMW or other custom car manufactures so combining my other passions into my business seamed appropriate. 

And if you guys get a chance, look up Aldridge Empire on Facebook. He does absolutely amazing work.

I can't wait to get this thing back while Misha is on tour. If anyone is near S. FL and would like to try out this thing let me know. I am open to criticism and comments. I am still learning but I can't tell you guys how proud I am of this instrument but I hope to only get better from here on out.

Here's a photo I snapped while he was tracking


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 3, 2012)

Ah fuck that's too cool that a guy from Summit built for Misha Manfool


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## JD1886 (Jan 3, 2012)

Stealthdjentstic said:


> Ah fuck that's too cool that a guy from Summit built for Misha Manfool



I see you're from BC.. did you go to Summit?


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## Stealthdjentstic (Jan 3, 2012)

JD1886 said:


> I see you're from BC.. did you go to Summit?



Nope, my old guitar teacher that also posts here goes to summit though!


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## DoomJazz (Jan 3, 2012)

It's...

Not...

REAL!!


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## caskettheclown (Jan 3, 2012)

Whatever is wrapped around the horn makes it 20% more badass.


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## TheDuatAwaits (Jan 3, 2012)

I thought porn wasn't allowed on SSO.


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## glassmoon0fo (Jan 3, 2012)

as much as I trust Bulb's taste in guitars, Im just not into that. way too much going on with the wood selections for my taste, and the leather handle doohicky doesn't vibe well either IMO. I could DEFINATELY see some gorgeous instruments coming our way from this builder though, hopefully with some more complimentary wood combos


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## JD1886 (Jan 4, 2012)

glassmoon0fo said:


> as much as I trust Bulb's taste in guitars, Im just not into that. way too much going on with the wood selections for my taste, and the leather handle doohicky doesn't vibe well either IMO. I could DEFINATELY see some gorgeous instruments coming our way from this builder though, hopefully with some more complimentary wood combos



I appreciate your comments man! I knew this wouldn't be for everyone. But then it's porn for some other people.

But I do like more subtle combinations too like this


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## JD1886 (Jan 4, 2012)

caskettheclown said:


> Whatever is wrapped around the horn makes it 20% more badass.



I didn't even see that it isn't in the description. Guess that explains why people are wondering if it is black tape.

It is black Leather everybody  I did this myself (my #9 and #12) were done by Mike at MKLeatherworks but this was my first time doing it myself.


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## -42- (Jan 4, 2012)

Build guitar for Bulb, instant street cred.


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## glassmoon0fo (Jan 4, 2012)

JD1886 said:


> I appreciate your comments man! I knew this wouldn't be for everyone. But then it's porn for some other people.
> 
> But I do like more subtle combinations too like this
> 
> View attachment 23448


 
Thats more like it! Definately more my taste, and a very classy looking peice indeed. Didn't know you posted here man, great to have you on 

EDIT: *raises right hand* "I, glassmoon0fo, so solemnly swear to read at least the page I am posting on, before submitting a reply."


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## JD1886 (Jan 4, 2012)

glassmoon0fo said:


> Thats more like it! Definately more my taste, and a very classy looking peice indeed. Didn't know you posted here man, great to have you on
> 
> EDIT: *raises right hand* "I, glassmoon0fo, so solemnly swear to read at least the page I am posting on, before submitting a reply."



Thanks! I'm glad to be on here. A wealth of information here.


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## Durero (Jan 4, 2012)

JD1886 said:


> I see you're from BC.. did you go to Summit?





Stealthdjentstic said:


> Nope, my old guitar teacher that also posts here goes to summit though!



Hey that's me :wavy:

I'm at Summit right now and I just showed Mike this thread 

Mike says "Hi"


Great work man - beautiful guitar and more great axes on your site


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## MF_Kitten (Jan 4, 2012)

So much class the queen denies it's existense, and refuses to enter a room in which it resides.

Amazing. Lucky bitches!


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## steve1 (Jan 4, 2012)

??????


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## JD1886 (Jan 4, 2012)

steve1 said:


> ??????




haha... that's pretty funny.

I had a feeling this might happen but for the record the Logo isn't Tosin. I drew up this design over 4 years ago at school well before I knew of Tosin and his fadoras.


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## Psyy (Jan 5, 2012)

Though I'm rarely a fan of the more 'eccentric' body shapes (eccentric is a poor choice of a word, though) I find this one to be likely the best I've seen. That fretboard is absolutely beautiful, complimenting the body in an extremely classy fashion.

Given the knowledge this is the luthier's first attempt at an 8, I'm very, very happy to hear how incredibly it came out. I truly hope to see more work from him. NA needs more luthiers!

Studio update with the guitar is now required!


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## TemjinStrife (Jan 6, 2012)

You've definitely got a good 'design language,' if that makes sense. The instrument looks well-designed and cohesive, which I often find lacking in a lot of independent builders with different shapes.


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## JD1886 (Jan 6, 2012)

Psyy said:


> Though I'm rarely a fan of the more 'eccentric' body shapes (eccentric is a poor choice of a word, though) I find this one to be likely the best I've seen. That fretboard is absolutely beautiful, complimenting the body in an extremely classy fashion.
> 
> Given the knowledge this is the luthier's first attempt at an 8, I'm very, very happy to hear how incredibly it came out. I truly hope to see more work from him. NA needs more luthiers!
> 
> Studio update with the guitar is now required!



Thank you... I am really happy how it came out. I can only hope to continue getting better.



TemjinStrife said:


> You've definitely got a good 'design language,' if that makes sense. The instrument looks well-designed and cohesive, which I often find lacking in a lot of independent builders with different shapes.



To both of you guys.. I appreciate what you have to say about my design and shape. So far, the crazy wood combination has had a couple nay sayers but my shapes seam to really hit home with just about everyone - which is very awesome considering I wanted to design something completely of my own. 

Funny thing is.. I was talking to Darren Wilson today and he was telling me how his Javelin started in the 80's and he's refined his shape again and again and again to what it is today. I couldn't help but laugh and relate...

My mom a few years ago gave me all my "doodles" from 5th grade through high school from when I was dreaming about guitars instead of learning History or Math. I started drawing my "Island" model so to speak all the way back then... you can see it in the drawings. I've been drawing this design for well over 10 years now and I've refined it in my head over the years untill it is what you see now.

Another thing.. French Curves. Not all but most luthiers that I've seen using French Curves in their designs never seam to have a beautiful and cohesive flow. I've never used a French Curve in my life. I'd bet that VIK and other more unique luthiers are the same way.


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