Jump to content
Hamer Fan Club Message Center

Announcing the launch of B-Way Guitars


Recommended Posts

img_0361.jpg

I'm happy to finally announce the release of a new line of custom guitars of my own original design under the moniker B-Way Guitars. For the time being the business will be solely focused on the Mercury Head model, which will only be available on a custom-order basis initially. Eventually I plan to carry guitars in stock and work with dealers. The prototype Mercury Head pictured above and on the website is available here in NYC for anyone who would like a test drive, with the caveat that it's already been used, abused and experimented on as a guinea pig. Shoot me a PM or e-mail if you're interested.

If you're looking for some explanation of my background (besides my many years of top-quality posting here, lol) and how B-Way Guitars came about, check out the About B-Way page on the website. The biggest point I want to get out of the way up front: I am not a luthier, as you all know. Never have been, likely never will be. The Mercury Head is a design I developed based on my own preferences as a guitarist. With that being said, I'm pleased to say that 99% of the build work will be handled by Glenn at Sweetwood Guitars, who knows his way around a body blank! Any warranty or repair issues will either be referred to Glenn or to the local techs I've gotten to know and trust here in NYC.

This business is obviously still very much in the beginning stages, so please bear with me while I continue to work out pricing, ordering and options. Any and all feedback and advice you can share will certainly be much appreciated, positive or negative. Seriously. I have zero experience as an entrepreneur and will no doubt make tons of mistakes along the way, wherever this ends up. But if you continue to follow this story I think you'll find that I'm sincerely doing this out of my love of music and guitars, and out of a real desire to connect with people.

I know full well that the Mercury Head design is, shall we say, visually idiosyncratic and won't appeal to most players. In a way, that's kind of the point. My goal is to offer an alternative for guitarists out there who crave something different, built to the highest standards but priced within reach of mere mortals. At the very least I hope to have a fun story to tell my grandkids.

In the meantime, check out the website and fire away. I'll add clips and video demos over the summer, and maybe someday even have actual professionals take photos and redo the website.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • Replies 280
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Very nice guitar! Congrats and all the best for a good start.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like it. A rosewood board, bridge humbucker (or a Triplebucker) and a Kahler and I'd be really into it.

Great job, Ben. Let us know the MSRP...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks, guys.

May I suggest a tagline:

"True Day! That's the B-Way!"

I feel like I'm missing a reference here, help me out. :)

Can I get it with boomerangs and a sustain block? ;)

Jokes aside, congratulations on launching the line Ben!

I'll offer boomerangs if Jol personally cuts them for me. Sustain Blocks, who knows? They're still being made, right? Might be cool sitting in a recessed rout.

I like it. A rosewood board, bridge humbucker (or a Triplebucker) and a Kahler and I'd be really into it.

Great job, Ben. Let us know the MSRP...

The Kahler would involve an upcharge, possibly a significant one. I don't think Glenn has programmed that kind of rout before, so we'd have to charge for that time without any expectation of selling more than one guitar with it. If you really decide this is something you want, I'll ask Glenn to do the math.

As pictured, I *think* I can keep the street price below $2k, at least before dealers are involved, but there are costs beyond the parts and construction that I'm still getting my head around.

BadgerDave-approved knobbage, too!

If your guitar doesn't have cool knobs, you might as well just give up and throw it into the wood chipper.

Cool design! Break a leg Ben... :D

Edited to add - Glad you didn't call your venture "Ben-Wah Guitars" :ph34r:

Hmm, I think I can rub off that decal, maybe it's not too late...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like the final design, especially the headstock! Given the universal route, it might be nice to get some after market pickguard in stock for folks that want to have a few different setups, Grosh Electrajet-style (as I imagine it would be a pain to get one made). Anyway, I work in NYC and I'd love to take that for a spin if I ever have the time (which won't be anytime soon :D)

-

Austin

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How did you arrive at the shape? Did you cut out mockups or modify Strats?

I didn't have the resources to make mockups that would really tell me what I needed to know in terms of balance and feel. So I did the best with what I had available. I sat down and for the first time looked at how my Strat and Tele sat on my legs and which parts actually touched me when seated in the typical electric and classical guitar positions and how the locations of the strap buttons and body contours affected the position of everything when standing. Then I started messing with a picture of a Strat on my Macbook, warping it this way and that, squeezing certain parts, blowing up others, trying my best to guess how the total mass and distribution of weight would work in reality. I had a theory that extending the overall length of the body and moving the center of gravity towards the tail without increasing the total volume might deepen the voice of the guitar a tad without making it heavier. Now that I have the prototype in my hands, I *think* it worked, but I haven't had a chance to play it at real volume. And to be honest it'll be hard to separate what's due to the body shape from what's due to that particular piece of alder.

B - lieve ..

B - Ware ...

B - WAY Guitars

I like it. B - moan. B - muse. B - head.

I like the final design, especially the headstock! Given the universal route, it might be nice to get some after market pickguard in stock for folks that want to have a few different setups, Grosh Electrajet-style (as I imagine it would be a pain to get one made). Anyway, I work in NYC and I'd love to take that for a spin if I ever have the time (which won't be anytime soon :D)

-

Austin

No problem, let me know whenever you want to stop by (I'm nearish to Lincoln Center and Columbus Circle), or we could meet up somewhere convenient during a lunch break or something. The pickguard is programmed in Glenn's CNC and shouldn't be too much trouble to make. I'm making a Gretsch-style one to slap onto the prototype, clear acrylic painted gold on back with the "B" logo. The pickguard is here, I just need to find time to spray it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Jeez Ben, that's a helluva undertaking. Congrats for making it happen.

But as for the guitar........

I like it. I'm partial to the switch location on a Les Paul, but other than that I really like it. Having options at some point (hardtail, 'buckers, ebony board etc etc etc) would be a plus, but straight out of the box it looks pretty damn nice. Well done.

WE NEED MORE PICS!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.


×
×
  • Create New...