maybe the time has come

does anyone out there have the need to rebuild a guitar to their concept of new guitar design? based on what I have suggested? I am getting close to a year doing this. just let yourself go. what do you want? throw me a bone.

my question is this - are we ready for this?

now I have had a great deal of pause for reflection lately.

wondering how to advance this new guitar design beast.

plus it gives me an excuse for a shameless plug of an awesome invention 

the Nu pickup. here's one

 
 here's six of them together

to get the full story on what is happening with this wonderous beast

click here

plus go look at the entire history of the development of this amazing pickup.

my question is - are we ready for this?

It is all very well and good that it exists but how have other technologies developed that could enhance this design?

MIDI? standardized in 1983. 32 years ago!

ZIPI? remember that?

click here

looking WAY too far into the future. but not without merit.

mLAN? 

click here 

implemented to a point but died a horrible death. I love the fact that someone could make an entire song without a bog standard guitar cable in sight.

the latest USB? I am thinking that I really can't comment on this because we really need to get rid of the MIDI aspect of it.

look at this pickup - in detail. how can we respect this design? 

and move on to the "new" part of new guitar design.

I am so bored by this problem. I have begged the inventor of this pickup to think about guitar synth tracking - and his associates. but what is the standard?

can we advance beyond this?

enough to give an aspirin a headache!

the challenge revisited on steroids

without mentioning something specific that is going crazy right now on so many mediums, what is this elusive creature? new guitar design?

I never wanted to talk about new effect processor design
I never wanted to talk about new amp design

but I am a hypocrite - to a point

I reveled in the design concepts of Paul Vo.
I relished the whole provenance of the Ebow.

plus there were so many other things

How do I draw the line?

If I wanted to go down the easier path, I would have gone down the new effect processor path. 

but I didn't sign up to that club and that is like a full time job.

I am thinking about the new guitar design variables - that is the root of this.

talk tomorrow.

the challenge

here it is

I knew it would arrive

I have not the slightest clue

and yet I have to explain

hang in there...

this is AWESOME!!!

a new guitar design house!

Bigrock Engineering

for the site

click here

a force of new guitar design

are you happy with one new guitar design feature?

are you happy with more than one new guitar design feature?

are you happy with more than one new guitar design feature that incorporates with another?

all the food groups are represented here

want your 6 or 12 string to be re-stringed as easy as an electric?

plus enhanced sound?

power pins 6

power pins 12

I am amazed no one has thought of it sooner

an A/B comparison? watch this

an easy tool to remove those obsolete pins

so how about an ergonomic pick?

how about turning your existing pick into an ergonomic pick?

you put a little convex plate on either side of your pick - or both sides

plus there are combinations I would never have thought of.

go have a GOOD look around.

if nothing appeals to you - I can't help you

really amazing

plus there is a secret ingredient I haven't mentioned.

combining at least two of these designs has to improve guitar-

A LOT.

Welsbach revisited

Carl Auer von Welsbach

 studied under Bunsen

I.E. the Bunsen Burner 

found three elements on the periodic table
 

including the rare earth magnet

Neodymium

 gotta love a Neodymium magnet!

so there is a new an interesting way of using this magnet

in a new and interesting way

the  Submarine pickup

this is so new it hasn't been made in full production.

there are elements to this design that send me off into hyperspace

1. more than two strings (not invented yet)

2. a pickup that embraces strings beyond the E A strings, or in the top register, based on my tuning, C F.

 3. more than two Submarines (invented)

so go to the crowd funding site and have a look around

a simple concept

octave pedals on the lower register submarine

octave pedals on the upper register submarine

 together.

 are you confused?

 that is great!

 now go get two.

then add effects two the two pickups. 

plus whatever to the other strings or overall guitar output.

 click here

 I love being involved in a Kick Starter campaign that I endorse

based on mystery.

the future was awesome back then...if only - part 2

Roy Smeck

take some time to research this musician

if he has nothing to do with the future

don't subscribe

let alone listen

tapping from when?

so to get a perspective, who has learnt from this person?

go to the tube and check out Elliott Sharp.

he went on to check out Fibonacci tuning.

the genesis of an individual music.

and Tom - I KNOW it is a Ukulele!

this is earlier than the Italian guy everyone talks about.

the future was awesome back then...if only

if only the shock of the new was enough

reminds me of Speedy and Jimmy

check out Dave Bunker on Youtube

lots to see

plus Ralph Novak said you have to pay tribute to a true innovator

his site is here

click here 

more posts soon - just getting a second wind as some new guitar designs require a lot of preparation. stuff so complex I need to submit copy to pay tribute!

when modern history ends - so does...what? part 1

as far as guitar design goes, who defines new? 

I feel stupid talking about the idea of "new history"

does anyone want to go out on a limb and tell me when old history ended and new history began?

in relation to what?

let me cut to the chase.

people are making reproductions of classic guitars. beat up  like they have been played to death.

is that the equivalent of a civil war re-enactment?

what is the point of a civil war re-enactment?

is anyone going to change the result?

just to see what could happen?

an amazing modern history.

plus the saddest offer of all

anyone want to use these designs?

they are OPEN SOURCE!

with a duty of care

maybe look at this video

 the first question I asked without knowing about a time line was, when was this made?

looks like yesterday. no, strike that, today.

before I go ahead i would like to say that this is not an electric guitar

it is a semi-acoustic guitar. but that is obvious.

this is difficult - read the whole story from the home page

click here 

it is not so much something has ended

it is that a design is still alive and can be advanced.

a genius DIED in this process.

just look around.

 

I am confused - and thank the spurious deity in the sky for that.

confused? how?

so many distinctive styles that seem to made by more than one designer

but that is not the case here

Jens Ritter Instruments

and what instruments

shapes and angles appearing in places I could not imagine

the shapes are what I love

a personal identity

that forgets about convention

I can't believe this, after everything I have written.

I am talking about convention

I saw this being played on Letterman

 
with LED fret markers. it was alive with electricity, and it sounded great.

then there is this

the Isabella Benson tribute

I loved white rabbit by George Benson

I was a big fan of his octaves - for a while

this is a guitar in his collection

when he played electric - with Chet, Lenny and others - he was great.

because he could hold his own.

get excited by the rest

click here 

Claudia and Claudio

Pagelli Guitars

so we have a collaboration between two designers

and we have categories

acoustic
arch top
electric
basses
innovations

plus there is a statement on the home page via introduction

"A while ago, we decided that it was time to feature some new content on this website. But given how we’re a two-person show,  things don’t always happen as quickly as we’d like - there are just always too many fires burning at once!"

the idea that there are too many fires burning at once terrifies me - I used to live in a national forest that was prone to bush fires.

but what the heck, out of the frying pan and into the fire!

so let's go through the food groups

acoustic

there is a lot to investigate here

the hollow headstock is something I want to talk about further

you have a bridge and tail piece that reminds me of a certain design and I am loathed to say "gypsy" or "jazz"

in my mind, the body suggests "jumbo"

forget symmetry.

look at it

who says the sound hole has to be anywhere but here?

arch top

I would say that this is an expansion on a theme

same shape but with a pickup

having said that - I am at a loss

there is probably a universe of difference

electric

if I call this retro you have full permission to punch my head in. sure, bigsby and pretty standard looking humbuckers. does the shape have a certain function? the finish reminds me of certain lap steel guitars I collect. and they sound awesome.

it looks like a different version of the two previous body shapes.


basses.

the whole thing screams ergonomic

where are the strap holders? I see one....

let alone, where are the controls?


Innovations

 a guitar that has a stone top? let alone, where is the sound hole?

then there is one guitar that can be converted into many guitars.

I am just skimming the surface

the full story

click here

the website is the best monument to so many amazing designs.

and why should I spoil all the fun?

Mr Davis and his variations on a theme (a part 2 of sorts)

Mervyn Davis

Smooth Talker Guitars

so we have a "shape" to start off with

I'll let the site explain the features of the constant theme

Features

• Easy left hand access to the top frets on the fingerboard
• Tone that is totally different from anything else
• Excellent balance from string to string and note to note
• Very loud acoustic sound and huge projection
• Highly restricted feedback when plugged in, even at high volume

so what do you want?

a 13 string harp guitar?

five string nylon string guitar?

a silent guitar?

 a 10 string guitar?

look at the bridge!

an 11 string fanned fret guitar with both nylon and steel strings?

a guitar with a built in mbira?

a banjitar?

 a resonator guitar?

a jazz guitar?

 a nylon string guitar?
 

a steel string guitar?

 an Ud Tar?

and that is not all of the range!

I am exhausted! simply amazing

for more

click here

this is blatant and needs to be documented

when did Ned make one of these?

I WANT ONE!

Tom Fryer alert!

now we have a designer before us who has approached many designs beyond guitar.

so we arrive at a new guitar design

and it is fret less

it is ergonomic

it is glorious.

plus it is of some interest to one of our roving researchers.

Tom Fryer.

 have a look at the video.
 

then there is the instrument

 I know I am obsessing with the term ergonomic, but the shape suggests this.

 here is the back

 through body with humbuckers

what a sexy profile!

the full story is here

click here

so much to look at!

this may require a couple of posts - part 2

Michihiro Matsuda

I cannot call the previous post sublime, but now we can experience the incredible

I must say that Michihiro has a preoccupation with acoustic, but the electric comes into play

this is the most mysterious ergonomic design I have ever seen. it took me half an hour to find the volume and tone controls.

 then there is this. a strange blend of acoustic and electric

without the unique coping of the upper and lower bout, it could be a bouzouki  - maybe

here is the back

the scallop here is subtle and interesting

then there are the harp guitars. plus the sound holes.

the back looks like an amazing piece of sculpture

sound holes in places beyond my imagination

head stocks configured beyond my imagination
 

so what was it I said about sound holes? once again, I am confused.

but what a glorious state of confusion to be in.

go get more confused - or inspired

click here 

and get ready to look around.

the other Mr Davis - part one

this one is a case for the hard basket

how do you appreciate these designs?

let alone the sequel?

I will start with Mervyn Davis Guitars

a great range of new design ideas

ideas that have been conceived since the early 70's

what do you want?

10 string guitar?

tuners pointing in amazing directions. I sense an economy of weight. hence, balance. ergonomics.

inspired

you want a nylon string jazz guitar? all the food groups are presented here. plus there are certain curves around the top of neck that I need to look at. let alone the other curves.

want an OUD? what more do you want? maybe contact ALL the designers I have mentioned and get them to make an OUD.  

the body shape of this next one reminds me of Klein acoustics. but the designer has variables well beyond me.  why? how does it sound? it looks jumbo on steroids.

 another variable
 

what kind of bass is this?

or this? how do I play this? like a dulcimer?
 

plus it has a base rod

what was that all about? I think tapping.

go have a look around

click here

I can honestly say - I have no idea

I am comfortable with that.

this is awe. not awesome. 

the approach is so overwhelming.