|
The Ty Tabor model has many features that make it what it is and you might not catch them if you don't look under the hood. Enjoy this exclusive inside look at one of today's finest electric guitars and come back for more updates often - you can watch the process develop as it finds its way into the hands of its new owner. All rigths reserved, images used by permission only.
| The top has been glued to the body, rough profile cuts ready for refinement. |
| The Tone Vents(TM) - this shot alone is worth the price of admission.
Material is removed in a special "chevron" pattern in places that promote
resonance while maintaining balance and structural stability. |
| The Body Beautiful. Top side. Routes complete, ready for a neck. |
| Back side. Already generating a superb tap tone, this body sings. |
| The fingerboard is cut from the same blank the neck is from on the underside. We do this to achieve the headstock detail all from a single piece. Further, to promote tone and grain match. |
| Fingerboards are then cut for profile, slots and inlays. |
| Consistent pressure is applied as the fingerboard is glued in place to the neck.
|
|
Cutting the neck profile. Pencil lead is one thing still in use at Guilford Guitars..... |
| Working with thick stock is less efficient and more costly but it opens up the distinct features we achieve in the headstock design. The backside fang is actually hand filed down to shape with a rasp. |
| I have studied the available methods of fret installation and found the pocketed fret approach to be superior to other methods for several reasons. Each fret is tended to individually to rest flush and checked for radius before install. X Inlay now on display. |
| Setting the neck angle correctly is a critical step. Extra time is spent to dial them in correctly. This step requires much experience to achieve optimum results. |
| The neck carve is another step that is absolutely critical. As necks are played with hands, it is fitting that they be shaped by hand. This particular neck is sublime. With a rich tap tone and thin neck carve, it is going to play and sing beautifully. |
| Gluing in the neck. Equal clamp pressure is a must. By design, the deep "immoliset" neck joint allows for more glued surface area than other companies - solid contact, better tone. |
| A good clean neck joint and neck pickup pocket is a must before staining.
This one is ready to go. |
| Vexilloid Black Quilt after initial stain and finish steps. |
| This side shot helps to illustrate the thickness of the maple cap. |
| A good detail shot to show the clean transition from maple to mahogany. |
| Finishing tape is cleared from the neck at the end of the finish process. The headstock gets many detailed touches, even before the final setup, but the result is worth the effort. A keen eye will notice the model designator in small font as part of the logo on all Atlas models.
|
| After the finish has cured, its time to wire up the guitar with a set of Seymour Duncan P-Rails pickups.
|
After the electronics are wired, final setup begins. It is one of the most meticulous and critical parts of the build process. If any part of the construction of the guitar is not done correctly, it is at this stage when it really counts. The nut slots are cut and the nut gets finish detailed, the guitar action is set, and then the Buzz Feiten tuning system is applied to the guitar. From there, it is tested through an amp by yours truely. After many hours of labor, I'm not really testing as much as I am savoring the results of my labor. I am aware of what it can do before I plug it into the amp! |
|
| |
