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Northfield

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Posted

I tell you what - these pictures make it extremely hard to resist submitting an idea for a CO. So far I'm holding out to see what Mike has up his sleeve for his own designs. But damn, it's getting tough. Really tough.

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Posted

I had the rare privilege or getting to stop by Shishkov USA Headquarters last week, and am still smiling.

There's SO MUCH cool stuff coming...

I had to share a quick pic of just how nice these are on the inside as well:

0001%20inside_zpsibekyguq.jpg

As one of my extremely organized friends likes to say, it's the small things that count.

Posted

I showed my wife some of these and she was impressed. Then she goes, "wouldn't you like to do something like that?". I said, "Yeah that'd be great. I just need the training, tools and time to even begin with. So not any time soon." Then she says, "well why don't you go spend time with him?"...

Me: First of all, I work. That leaves only weekends...for me to drive to the States, about 6 hours one way. Second of all, I don't think he's looking for distractions like an amateur screwing things up, on top of which, I'm sure he'd much rather spend his weekends with his family....as do I (for the most part). Good thought though. Perhaps I should just admire his work...in the form of one of his awesome guitars.

She wasn't as enthused about that idea. "yeah, when our daughter is out of daycare and student loans are all finally caught up on, but you probably need to choose between guitars and that BMW you want eventually." SCREW THE BEAMER/BIMMER!!!

Posted

It looks like she awefully successful turned your GAS into poop.

Posted

but you probably need to choose between guitars and that BMW you want eventually." SCREW THE BEAMER/BIMMER!!!

From a former BMW owner - that is seriously an easy choice. ;)

Posted

I showed my wife some of these and she was impressed. Then she goes, "wouldn't you like to do something like that?". I said, "Yeah that'd be great. I just need the training, tools and time to even begin with. So not any time soon." Then she says, "well why don't you go spend time with him?"...

Me: First of all, I work. That leaves only weekends...for me to drive to the States, about 6 hours one way. Second of all, I don't think he's looking for distractions like an amateur screwing things up, on top of which, I'm sure he'd much rather spend his weekends with his family....as do I (for the most part). Good thought though. Perhaps I should just admire his work...in the form of one of his awesome guitars.

She wasn't as enthused about that idea. "yeah, when our daughter is out of daycare and student loans are all finally caught up on, but you probably need to choose between guitars and that BMW you want eventually." SCREW THE BEAMER/BIMMER!!!

Yeah, one BMW or multiple guitars......don't even have to think about that!

Posted

Yeah, one BMW or multiple guitars......don't even have to think about that!

Exactly. I did want a 3 series diesel wagon, but a TDI Golf Wagon (Jetta Sportswagen in the US) loaded with guitars will do just nicely.
Posted

Because you can't do injection molding with Ivoroid!

Posted

Because you can't do injection molding with Ivoroid!

Imagine what it would cost to have the pickup surrounds and bobbins CNC milled of ivoroid!

Posted

I agree, but I gotta ask... Why doesn't anyone make ivoroid pickup rings and bobbins to match the binding?

Collings does! Switch tips and knobs too.

Posted

I prefer the grain in the ivoroid over boring cream binding that matches the pups.

Another option is no binding. :)

Edit to add: I'm not saying the pups and rings are boring - i love the look. I'm saying i wouldn't trade the ivoroid binding for cream just to have the binding match the rings.

Posted

Not likely to happen here.

As it is, the binding is terribly expensive - it comes in blocks, and Mike cuts to thickness and length (no pre-fab stuff here!). It is not the easiest stuff to work with, is highly flammable, and the effort wouldn't be worth it in the end.

Posted

I wonder if Mike can surface mount the pickups on mine, hot rod style.

He probably would have changed the router depth into the body, had he known beforehand.

Posted

Orders like that would deviate from the formula for this run, because it would require additional engineering. The intention is not for full-out customs, but repeatable, standardized features with limited options.

Posted

I showed my wife some of these and she was impressed. Then she goes, "wouldn't you like to do something like that?". I said, "Yeah that'd be great. I just need the training, tools and time to even begin with. So not any time soon." Then she says, "well why don't you go spend time with him?"...

Me: First of all, I work. That leaves only weekends...for me to drive to the States, about 6 hours one way. Second of all, I don't think he's looking for distractions like an amateur screwing things up, on top of which, I'm sure he'd much rather spend his weekends with his family....as do I (for the most part). Good thought though. Perhaps I should just admire his work...in the form of one of his awesome guitars.

She wasn't as enthused about that idea. "yeah, when our daughter is out of daycare and student loans are all finally caught up on, but you probably need to choose between guitars and that BMW you want eventually." SCREW THE BEAMER/BIMMER!!!

Don't feel so bad. I'm in the same position and I only live maybe an hour away from him here in CT. I'm slowly adding things to my "shop." But, well, that's about it. Two kids and FT job I hate + a lot more = maybe some day!

Posted

Not likely to happen here.

As it is, the binding is terribly expensive - it comes in blocks, and Mike cuts to thickness and length (no pre-fab stuff here!). It is not the easiest stuff to work with, is highly flammable, and the effort wouldn't be worth it in the end.

That's crazy and cool to know. I always thought most binding was the same!

Posted

Places like Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker (and most others), buy the pre-cut binding. You can buy that pretty cheaply from LMII and other suppliers, but Mike, like Hamer, prefer to make it to order. Even the multi-ply binding that Hamer did was stacked in individual layers v. premolded multi-ply, like Gibson uses on LP Customs.

Posted

Stacked/layered binding is not an option on this run of guitars (these were not intended to be full-blown custom orders). In the future, Mike will likely entertain additional binding options.

Mitch - you are the only person who would qualify for a guitar entirely made of binding.

Posted

Places like Gibson, Fender, Rickenbacker (and most others), buy the pre-cut binding. You can buy that pretty cheaply from LMII and other suppliers, but Mike, like Hamer, prefer to make it to order. Even the multi-ply binding that Hamer did was stacked in individual layers v. premolded multi-ply, like Gibson uses on LP Customs.

This is one of the things I've mentioned to friends when I use the 12 string.

Any noob can glue in a pre-shaped multiply binding.

It takes a lot of skill to heat up a length of binding and bend it into the routed edge of a guitars body.

Multiply that by however many plies of binding you ordered, and you can understand the time put into it.

Posted

I have seen multi-bound archtops with replacement binding that has come unglued and separated among the plies in the waist area. There is definitely some skill required.

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