2018 Customs Build - First Body For The Biz

[courtney2018]

This is the start of a new body. This will be the first body for my business, 2018 Customs. I'll be updating this thread as this build progresses. I'm really anxious to see how it's going to turn out.

At the beginning of this year I decided that I would start a guitar custom shop home business. My goal is to provide bodies, mostly, at the moment until I can justify getting a CNC machine to cut necks. Then I'm going hog-wild! In the mean time I'm hoping to do many 7 strings and 8 strings, 'cause it just doesn't seem to be enough of them.

The body shape is undisclosed at the moment. I'll probably hide the true shape until the very end. However, I think that most people will really dig it.

The wood is a combination of several. There's Purple Heart in the middle, with Bubinga on each side. On each side of the Bubinga is White Hard Maple. And then on the very sides there's Mahogany. This thing is going to resonate like crazy!

Everything has already been laminated together and planed off smooth. The only thing that is left is routing.

It's going to be a solid tail, made for an Ibanez 24 fret, 25.5" scale neck. Not sure on the pickup configuration at the moment.

Right now I'm recovering from surgery on my back from a dreadful spider bite turned bad - abcess. Not good at all. I'm hoping to get back into it this weekend. I've got this one to work on as well as another one for a customer (yea-ha, my first customer for a custom body, second customer total). I'll put pics and details up for my customer's build. I've never seen anything like it before...pretty cool idea.

Anyways, on to the pics.

There's some Canary Wood in there that I haven't touched yet. Can't wait to do a body with that. It feels as heavy as tungsten.

[moebius]

Congrats on the new business!

[jaxadam]

Yes, congrats and good luck! Sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, but I hope it doesn't get too overwhelming!

[newbieguitarmaker]

Cool about the business, since I am so close (and moebius and jax) maybe I'll drop you a line some time and get some sweet custom going.

[courtney2018]

Originally Posted by moebius

Congrats on the new business!

Thanks!

Originally Posted by jaxadam

Yes, congrats and good luck! Sounds like it is going to be a lot of fun, but I hope it doesn't get too overwhelming!

Thanks! It won't. If I ever get too much to do I'll just stop taking orders until the work gets done. I don't want to take money and have someone wait forever.

Originally Posted by newbieguitarmaker

Cool about the business, since I am so close (and moebius and jax) maybe I'll drop you a line some time and get some sweet custom going.

Cool. Just look me up. I'm going to be doing a few bodies that I want to do until I start getting regular customer traffic. Right now I might be on the hook for 5 custom bodies, which is very cool. Other than those I'm going to do some bodies that hasn't been done before with the wood choices I have in mind. If you have something in mind let me know.

[moebius]

That is a good point Newbieguitarmaker.

[newbieguitarmaker]

Originally Posted by courtney2018

Thanks! It won't. If I ever get too much to do I'll just stop taking orders until the work gets done. I don't want to take money and have someone wait forever.

Definitely a good idea since so many custom makers don't do this and get bad rep.

Originally Posted by courtney2018

Cool. Just look me up. I'm going to be doing a few bodies that I want to do until I start getting regular customer traffic. Right now I might be on the hook for 5 custom bodies, which is very cool. Other than those I'm going to do some bodies that hasn't been done before with the wood choices I have in mind. If you have something in mind let me know.

I have so many random ideas and I probably don't even have the money to finish one custom guitar haha. Maybe I can just give ya some of my ideas so you can offer them as options for your shop.

A guy on 7string.org called shotgunn figured out piezo in the Edge tremolos and I am taking it to another level with the idea of midi, so maybe I'll give ya some ideas on that since everyone likes midi once in awhile haha.

[jaxadam]

Originally Posted by newbieguitarmaker

Definitely a good idea since so many custom makers don't do this and get bad rep.

I was going to say the same thing...

[DannyB819]

Congrats and good luck!

Please please please please please start making necks! I really want a new neck and don't want to buy from the vendors on here due to the horror customer service stories.

Again, best of luck to you!

[C.Thep]

Best of luck, just please...don't end up like the others!

Also, just curious, whats the signficance of the number 2018?

[newbieguitarmaker]

I'm actually really interested in modifications to current bodies since I have a 7620 body that I want to add some stuff to but lack the tools or experience. So maybe this summer I'll talk to you about that.

[GilkyBear]

Good luck!! Looks like that one should turn out lovely, nice wood choices.

[courtney2018]

Originally Posted by DannyB819

Please please please please please start making necks! I really want a new neck and don't want to buy from the vendors on here due to the horror customer service stories.

LOL. Well, I'd like to do necks now, but it would be so long and drawn out to do it by hand. I'm not going to even bother. A CNC is the best way for that. So I'm going to have to save up. If everything else goes well this year I might be in a position to make necks next year.

Originally Posted by C.Thep

whats the signficance of the number 2018?

Just a couple of numbers put together that are from my past - in sports. 39 is another one, which will eventually make it's way to the name of a guitar body shape that I do.

Originally Posted by newbieguitarmaker

I'm actually really interested in modifications to current bodies since I have a 7620 body that I want to add some stuff to but lack the tools or experience. So maybe this summer I'll talk to you about that.

Thinking of a grip? Not a problem. Just hit me up when you're ready.

[jim777]

Congrats and best of luck Courtney!

[scotte_za]

You should build yourself a website when you have a few builds done, try to get the word out.