Hiring a Personal Luthier

[Brian Johnston]

PART I

I have played guitar on and off for about 30 years, although more ‘off’ than ‘on.’ It’s only been in the past few years that I’ve increased the seriousness of this endeavour, having written about 70 original compositions since (perhaps not all good, but certainly nothing bad and I have received several compliments on music websites). What kept me from pursuing the guitar with greater vigour during my earlier years largely was due to the quality of instrument(s) I was playing. At age 14, my first guitar came from Sears, at a price of about $100. It was a good beginner guitar, but because of the high action and feel of the neck, improvement beyond a certain point seemed stifled. Not that I could not improve my playing, but the motivation to become a better guitarist on a guitar that left something to be desired was my excuse. As I acquired slightly better guitars they were only modestly better and my yearning wasn’t there anyway. When I finally landed a ’79 Fender Stratocaster instrument quality was not an justification, but my time and interests were divided in other areas as I set aside music for over 15 years (both listening and playing).

For the past decade I’ve worked as a Fitness Clinician, and also operating a fitness certification company, as I worked in rehab, and with athletes who competed at the World Championship level in different sports. But there was always ‘something’ there about guitar playing that eventually spurned another go at the craft. I’m not one of those naturally gifted musicians; I have the passion, but not some innate ability like a Johnny Winter. I find it easier to compose music than to be a virtuoso at any instrument. Nonetheless, I certainly do appreciate a fine-crafted instrument and the improved ease of playing as a result.

I have acquired several guitars over the years, some of which I wrote reviews on because I liked the looks, construction, feel and sound. Others I did not write about because I find them good or ‘all right,’ but nothing special or unique. This got me to thinking: “I have some fine instruments, but what would it be like to have a personal luthier embrace my suggestions and have that person create a unique one-of-a-kind instrument that matches those elements I find ideal in the ‘ultimate’ guitar? Of course, I say that with some reservation since the ultimate guitar may have solid gold hardware and other elaborate features that make it cost prohibitive (and with those aspect not having the instrument sound any better anyway). But when working on a budget that is comparative to the cost of any name-brand guitar, what could the outcome be?

This issue, however, is when searching for a luthier there are hundreds world-wide from which a person choose. I knew some were out of my league, charging thousands for a guitar that made it difficult for the builder, or me, to distinguish how the end product would different than a quality name-brand – other than it being given a little more attention to finishing and detail. Don’t get me wrong, subtle improvements in the niceties do make a difference, but in an economy and time when we have choices and we look for the biggest bang for the buck, particularly for the average working person, the goal is to invest no more in a custom guitar than the cost of a good name-brand guitar. At least that would be ideal if such a luthier existed.

It was when I was perusing a copy of Guitarist magazine that I came across a short review for Zero Impact Guitars, by Stephen Casper, aka Casper Guitar Technologies. What stood out initially was the reasonable prices for his guitars, but also his use of FSC-certified SmartWoods to reduce the effect on the environment and use of rare or endangered species of trees (hence the name Zero Impact Guitars). I then investigated further.

Another plus is that Stephen Casper has been a long-time (modern) guitar player, and so he knows what it’s like to play a quality instrument when playing blues and rock. With 25-years in the business, his focus is on tone, comfort and playability of a guitar with pride going into each chisel strike or brush of sandpaper. After all, his name is on the instrument, and unlike the big manufacturers, he refuses to put his name to something that is less than it should be. Everything is solid in construction and made from 100% solid tonewoods… no plastics, particle boards or plywood. He even solar-powers his facility to help drive his lighting and computers, and when not using battery-powered hand-powered tools, he powers them by hand. This is what being a classic luthier is about – working the wood with the hands and experiencing every groove and crevice along the way. It becomes a personal experience of pride, just like a finish carpenter and cabinet maker would experience, and which the big companies cannot experience as they get overseas workers (Korea, China, Japan) to construct instruments, most of whom never played a guitar but work in factories because that’s where the work is. This does not mean that big-name guitars are not good, since they have to have some quality standards in place, but when you have specialized attention given to each instrument by an actual guitar player, it certain sparks curiosity as to the potential outcome.

And I’m hoping that outcome is individuality, a higher precision in construction and assembly, and a professional setup that allows me to play right from the case. That personal luthier effect means exactly that – what you want for the bridge, the style of neck, the quality of pickups and electronics, etc. To look at it from a relative perspective, have you ever paid a hefty price for a stock name-brand guitar and wished that some aspect was different… more sensitive pickups, a slightly different body shape or paint color, or if the headstock could be shaped differently with a better machine head? For the same investment as the big brand-name guitars this is possible, and when you have an experienced guitar player building it, one who knows about different pickups, saddles and bridges, volume and tone knobs, etc., it’s not like he has to second guess your requirements or expectations. He’s more than a builder, but an experienced connoisseur of the guitar. Whatever the specs, Stephen Casper claims he is capable of doing it and at a highly competitive price. I wonder if I can return my Les Paul Custom? In any case, don’t under-estimate the personal value of a signature model. After all, any unique guitar out there is because of its rarity (e.g., ’59 Gibson Goldtop) or the personal modifications done by a guitarist (e.g., Van Halen’s early models). Now YOU have that opportunity.

If money is a factor, think of the money spent over the years on less expensive guitars, pedals and amps, and if only you saved your money a bit longer to get what you always wanted. I’m not trying to sales pitch you, since I have nothing to gain and have no financial interest in Zero Impact Guitars or any other luthier or guitar company, but it was something I have experienced with music gear and other investments in life. You go a bit cheaper and in the end, not being satisfied, you eventually spend a bit more on something that is a lot more. And during that process, you have bought and sold thousands of dollars in equipment. Wisdom is hindsight.

OK, and so I asked Stephen to provide updates with photos – what’s going on at each stage and a visual context to go along with it. Like any responsible luthier, Mr. Casper provides updates anyway, but I thought it would be interesting to share it with others who may be interested in the process and possible investment. Stephen’s first update will be presented in the next instalment, but let’s look at some specs for MY one-of-a-kind signature model.

• A similar body design to the Ernie Ball/Music Man ‘Game Changer’ or ‘EVH’ model. I like that body shape, it being a modified Telecaster design, but with a modern edge.
• A slight scoop of the lower ‘horn’ to allow easier hand access when working the upper frets.
• Clear coating to show the depth and quality of the wood grain.
• A whammy bar, although regular or floating is not a concern, but so long as one existed.
• A bridge pickup similar to the DiMarzio Mojo.
• A neck pickup that is warm, but has a bit more bite than the typical neck pickup (as though to have the warmth of a neck pickup, but with some clarity and aggression of a bridge pickup).
• A ‘smallish’ neck suitable for smaller hands, and to allow fast fret work and easy string bending.
• Medium-sized frets to reduce finger fatigue when playing quickly.
• Both rosewood and maple necks are enjoyed equally and so no real preference in that regard expect for it to match or be attractive relative to the wood grain body.

Stephen also knows that I own an Ibanez JS2400 (one of my favourite guitars), besides owning some other darn good quality instruments by other respectable companies. He knows my playing style and musical interests, being influenced by Satriani and Vai. And now, as a personal consultant and designer (just like hiring an interior decorator, wedding planner, financial investor, etc., etc.), he is in the position of looking toward my best interests. And this is where the journey begins!

[Ch0jin]

Awesome post. I'll be waiting in anticipation for part II.

[piebaldpython]

Awesome post. I'll be waiting in anticipation for part II.

+1 on that. I will be interested in what kind of woods and pups you wind up using.

I have 3 serial #001 lap steels that were custom made by Tom Pettingill. He makes "ala carte" lap steels. I was involved in many items of the decision process. It was a rewarding experience.......one that I'm glad I undertook and I hope you have a great time with it too.

[deeaa]

Very nice. My thinking goes exactly the same; I don't find it appealing to shell out thousands for a brand name I'll still want to change at least something on.

I have enjoyed kind of a 'personal luthier' and learned some luthiering skills myself in the process, as my good old friend is a very skilled luthier, and also a woodsmith and whatnot, anyway, well schooled woodworker for a living & makes great insruments.

With his help, and my own work, all my guitars are now one'off custom jobs of various degrees of hand-making, but usually based on some existing old instrument I've made my own.

The best of a bunch is an 80's Charvette I ripped apart, shaped the body drastically to my liking, as the neck shapes and electronics and even filled the whammy hole and put in a gibson-style bridge (Kahler) with fine-tuners...and with the help of J.J. the luthier we finished it well and it turned the best guitar I have ever played.

I also have a strat he built me...it has a superb V neck by him, and for body we tested several bodies and I came to the conclusion the body on a strat makes quite little difference, it's much more about the neck...and we used a Fenix body, which I made a little smaller. Other mods include moving the switch position to a more useable spot and similar electronics as my 'Davette' (3-way switch and active pups)

He also made me a bolt-neck asymmetrical V-neck Flying V that is Gibson '67 specs but with a better bridge and active pups plus an all-maple neck with birdseye fretboard, the only thing that visually makes it different from a gibson really.

Then I have this Squier Classic strat that I basically chainsawed to a slightly smaller shape and put in an active pup; that's my lead screamer.

One guitar is a Yamaha shredder now with an active pup and a preamp as well...then I have a wholly home-made freaky 'X' guitar with what I experimented on building, neck-thru and whatnot...and a few others, acoustic etc...but anyway, yeah, I have been very happy about making the guitars into what I want them to be with the help of the luthier.

I always liked Gibsons, played an LP for over 12 years, and I'd still love to have something like a real Gibson some day. But there's a couple of issues. An LP is too heavy and expensive, and needs a better bridge and better access to upper frets somewhat...otherwise it'd be good for me.

A V is good, but a difficult shape and a tad too big; I've been thinking of rebuilding my V differently, or making a new one...I'd like the smaller older body shape but with the '67 plexi and bridge.

An SG is close, but I don't want a very neck heavy guitar, and I have a slight aversion to it being so thin...and I'd want some better bridge than the Gibson Nashville on it. I prefer a kahler for instance.

So, yeah, so far making 'specials' has been best for me.

[Brian Johnston]

PART II

The project shifted to a more concrete gear with a verbal update on July 2nd, 2011, when Stephen and I discussed several issues. The first aspect was to establish all the hardware to be used, including pickups and bridge type. He specializes in developing his own single-coil pickups, and he explained how these are crafted – hand-wound to maintain his quality of standards and to match the sounds forged in his imagination. For my guitar, however, he plans on using humbuckers. At this point I’m uncertain of the neck pickup, but the bridge pickup will be the DiMarzio Mojo as it produces the right tone relative to my taste and desired tone, but also Stephen’s musical background and understanding of what I am looking for.

A Schaller tremolo will be mounted in a routed slot, and this will provide a low profile to the picking area, similar to many Ibanez and Strat models. A top flat-mount bridge system was considered, but based on the guitar(s) I tend to select in my daily playing, that option did not win the day. As well, Stephen’s guitars have the reputation of holding its tuning, even when the axe wielder is a whammy kamikaze, and so I’m looking forward to testing those waters. The shape of the headstock also was confirmed and agreed upon, and although I had the opportunity to select or design any shape, I opted for the Zero Impact trademark design.

We also addressed the body’s finish once again, as how this looks in the end can make or break how someone envisions his or her custom guitar. Stephen explained how color especially can be an issue with many buyers who forward a chip or color sample, and then when he sends a photo back via email to show the end product of the painted body it does not always reflect, necessarily, the original sample. As most people know, and particularly those involved in the digital graphics field, every computer monitor has its slight nuances in regard to tint or hue reproduction insofar as true representation or accuracy is concerned, but when a sample is brought to a paint shop, rest assured it is a dead-on match or so close you cannot tell the difference. Consequently, there is some give and take when it comes to communicating via the Internet with photo images, but Stephen’s reputation made it obvious that he had no complaints with the end product and his customers’ satisfaction.

My guitar will not have a paint coating, however, but a clear matt finish to show the natural Swamp Ash grain. I have several painted guitars, but none that is ‘au natural.’ Stephen uses Behlen’s nitro cellulose spray lacquer, which he believes generates the best results, in a very hard and solid material once cured that will last a long time and age very well. However, the important thing about this coating is that the wood is allowed to age much better than the thick varnishes and enamels most companies use. In effect, wood takes on different sound characteristics via aging, which affects and improves an instrument’s timbre and tone qualities – which also can affect the emotive aspect of one’s playing.

Now, to give this project more life, Stephen forwarded me a photo of the neck materials, which arrived only days ago, including the blank maple neck that will be shaped via tools and hand, 6105 fret wire, truss-rod, and the rosewood fingerboard. This will be a bolt-on neck, and although some writhe at the thought of bolt-ons, it is because two-piece guitars typically do not have the sustain qualities of many neck-through-body designs. This has not been an issue for Stephen as the tightness and precision melding of the neck and body results in sustain that matches or rivals the best guitars available. The hand-crafted precision is far different than what can be expected in mass-production factories; and his attention to detail and precision fit is so extreme that he routes and fits the pickups and bridge only after the neck is attached to the body.

Seeing the neck in the ‘raw’ does make the experience more authentic, and around the 7th of July it becomes more a reality when he receives a grade-A piece of swamp ash to make the 1-piece body. Many inexpensive guitars (and even some more expensive models) will consist of multiple pieces of wood (whether side-by-side or layered), but this baby will be one solid piece.

My next consideration will be the type of selector switching I would like. Stephen has his own ideas, but I’ll be putting in my two cents to see which option is best, or if we come up with a hybrid solution.

[piebaldpython]

Sounds cool and that you're enjoying the process.

Each of my laps received multi-coats of Tru-Oil finish that was rubbed in by hand. IMHO, nothing beats an "au naturel" finish.

Glad to hear that you are getting premium woods. One of my steels is premium swamp ash that was chambered and she has a beautiful voice with hand-wound Alnico 3 Tele-style SCs. My luthier described his whole process of picking out woods, rapping on them for "dead spots", etc. Truly fascinating and illuminating as I was pretty clueless about how all that was done.

[Brian Johnston]

He did recommend doing nothing more than an oil rub, but I'm preferring a thin coating of some kind for the sake of protecting it from the environment, dirt, etc., and so that I don't have to bother with it in the future.

[Ch0jin]

Great update! I especially like the idea of a single piece of wood for the body. I'm guessing that as part of your body shape decision you decided not to use a cap, but given the detailed research you have done, I'm wondering what your thoughts were with regard to adding a maple (or other wood) cap to the swamp ash body?

[Brian Johnston]

A maple top would be a good idea if you want that 'flame' look, which I do like. But Stephen is cutting the body out rough and then hand carving the contours, pickup and bridge slots, etc. It's how he typically works. Each body is unique, even when he works with the same design... little nuances and subtleties as he finishes it off by manually.

[Brian Johnston]

PART III

People have asked why I chose to have Stephen C. to design my guitar, a very personal and individualized endeavour, as opposed to other luthiers. Two things typically are considered among customers, including reputation and price.
After 25 years of building custom guitars, I could not find any negative comments on the Internet, and there was plenty of praise. Of course other luthiers have good reputations, and particularly those veterans of two or more decades crafting instruments. Just as important, however, Stephen has played guitar even longer and he know what it’s like to play a quality guitar. On that note, we also happen to have similar tastes in playing styles and guitar tones. I believe all these points when combined help make for the right relationship.

Stephen’s pricing really is an aspect that sealed the deal. This man charges only enough to cover his time and materials, not looking for added profit. Other guitar developers of this standard would charge twice as much and often more, but as Stephen views it, “why charge $4-5k for someone to put in a showcase, afraid to take it on the road, for a friend to play, or any other nervous hesitation?” He achieves far more pride to see his instruments used and producing music than to make more money and never to see or hear his axes played.

We covered a few things over the past week, one being the switching system. Based on my desires, Stephen recommended a 5-way lever switch:

1. Bridge Series Humbucker
2. Bridge Single coil tap (your choice of pole)
3. Bridge + Neck Humbucker (option of blending & coil tap via push pull pot)
4. Neck single coil tap (same – you chose pole)
5. Neck series Humbucker

Further, he can make both tone controls push pull so that I have further options; and there are some circuits that will allow that same effect by turning the pot past center. This limits the tone controls but opens up a lot of other possibilities. I’m comfortable either way, as once I get accustomed to a guitar I have no problem work with its nuances, and so I’m leaving that up to Stephen’s professionalism.

By July 10th, things were really taking shape. He received his single piece of Southern Swamp Ash and shortly after started working on the shape. He set the neck pocket angle at approximately 2-degrees and the bridge is set for a 25.5” scale with a slight recess. At the current rate of development, Stephen is looking at late August or early September for delivery.

[Brian Johnston]

PART IV

(I would add photos of this process, but according to forum rules I cannot add attachments)

A week later and Stephen has completed the routing, shaping and initial contouring. It is at this point that he attaches the neck and ‘handles’ it for a bit... to get a sense to see if more material needs to be removed in order to give it the feel he’s looking for on the body. Sometime next week he will be wrapping up on the neck details, to the point whereby he can fit it to the body more precisely in order to finish the body contouring at the neck joint; this is where his neck-body fit is better than most and why his guitars have a reputation for great sustain.

Stephen also has sourced out most of the hardware materials, based on our past communications, and he’ll be ordering most of it shortly. In regard to pickups, we have decided on the DiMarzio Mo’ Joe split humbucker for the neck position, the same pickup in my Ibanez JS2400, the model currently used by Joe Satriani and his Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards tour. I really like this pickup, and its choice was obvious to me.
I was uncertain about the neck pickup, however, wanting something that was creamy, but with a bit more bite and definite clarity in the low end than what I’ve been hearing from other guitars. A split humbucker was of interest, so that I could have more tonal options. Stephen recommended the DiMarzio PAF Pro, which he feels will give me a balanced tone and based on his success with this pickup in the past. The DiMarzio website provided further information on the pickup and its characteristics sold me on giving it a try:

“The PAF Pro® was created when chops-intensive playing was first starting to happen, and high-gain amps and rack systems were becoming popular. A pickup was needed that combined a lot of presence and ‘cut’ with an open-sounding PAF® vibe. The transparency of its sound lets the PAF Pro® slice through heavy processing, where darker-sounding pickups get lost in the mud of the effects chain. Low notes have both snap and chunk, and there is a spike in the mid-range that gives the pickup a subtle ‘aw’ vowel sound, like a wah-wah pedal stopped in the middle. Treble response is tweaked to produce highs that stand out without getting brittle.”

Now, there is a slight halt in the guitar building process as I’m having a specialized E-Tuner by Shadow-Electronics shipped to Stephen for installation. Here is a little background on the E-Tuner:

“An automatic chromatic tuner in a humbucker frame that is fast, inconspicuous, accurate and always there when you need it. No need to look over at tuning devices or hitting foot switches to silent your guitar. Even as you play, you can fine-tune the instrument with just one inconspicuous press of a button... and just like that, you’re done! Close at hand and within view at all times, it allows you to transform any humbucker electric guitar into an instrument with accurate onboard tuning that offers all conceivable alternate tunings, including open tunings. Its multi-colored LEDs are unfailingly easy to read, even in bright surroundings. It does not affect a guitar’s essential sound, nor are there any adjustments alterations made to the pickup electronics.”

There is no woodworking required when installing the E-Tuner with most (mass produced) guitars, but Stephen is hand-crafting a very low profile guitar with the pickups recessed accordingly. Now with this new tuning device surrounding the bridge pickup, he needs to fit a humbucker ring around the neck pickup for cosmetic/aesthetic purposes and he must then fine-tune the routing as need be – as opposed to the original wood-mount he had planned for the pickups to accommodate the contour I wanted for the neck intially (customers are always changing their minds throughout the life of a project, and luthiers must have a lot of patience!). He will be installing the ‘tremolo’ version of the E-Tuner pickup ring as it is only a few millimetres high and is designed for low-profile guitars. Black rings will be used to match the pickup color (black), and Stephen will work with this device to make sure it remains functional and the pickups unobtrusive – a truly one-of-a-kind guitar during every step of the process

[Brian Johnston]

Here are some photos thus far:

http://s1236.photobucket.com/home/logicbdj/index

[Brian Johnston]

Check out the photobucket link above... I added two side views of the body, which shows off the curves.

[Brian Johnston]

In about four weeks my creation (thanks to Stephen) will be making its journey from Florida to Ontario, Canada. Recently Stephen sanded the body and applied the first coat of sealer to the wood, which he lets dry for two days before sanding and re-sealing. This is a time-consuming process since it will be a clear finish, which means being unable to use wood filler to seal the body or to cover any imperfections in the wood. “This process requires time and patience to get it right, but we’re good on the schedule anyway, and so no problems in that regard,” he stated.

The neck is 50% complete, including the neck contour and final fitting, and Stephen will be inserting the frets and dot inlays this week. He applied one coat of lacquer to the entire neck, and from this point he will apply the ID on the back of the headstock (his company logo and serial number of the guitar). Once done Stephen then will apply two more coats of lacquer then wet sand to a nice semi-gloss finish.

Speaking of logos, Stephen has the capability to create a water-slide of any computer graphic, and then transfer it onto the guitar. Once he applies top lacquer the logo remains embedded forever. Because this guitar is one-of-a-kind, and because it is my signature axe, I had Stephen create a logo that will be placed on the body of the guitar, along the top horn, reading BDJ Signature Guitar (enclosed in a circle). Talk about custom finishing touches!

The frets are 6130 Low/Jumbo Nickel Frets - .036” X .106”. I wanted something lower to the fretboard as this will give me extremely low action and “almost endless fret life,” thanks to Stephen’s recommendation. He also noted that “the additional width of the frets gives more material at the crown,” which means longer fret life and longer between re-crowning.

The Schaller Bridge and Upgrade Block arrived last week as well. We picked the bridge type since we both feel they are the best developed relative to my needs, but I was not aware of the ‘upgrade block.’ Stephen explained: “I do the upgrade not only because of the additional sustain these things provide, but due to the fact that my bodies are routed in such a way that a standard 42mm block would protrude from the back of the guitar by about 5mm. This is not acceptable so I reduce the length of the block while increasing the mass, thus adding mass and sustain.” The blocks are milled from single blocks of AAAA Bell Brass and really ring when installed as a tremolo block, and Stephen highly recommends the upgrade to any Floyd Rose or Schaller tremolo. Apparently those blocks are “incredible,” and so I cannot wait to try out this guitar!

The other hardware, including tuners, has been ordered and is on its way. About the only things left are the pickup installation (waiting on the Shadow Electronics’ E-Tuner mechanism) and the curing assembly process, which Stephen describes as “boring and uneventful, like watching paint dry.” As the finish cures, he’ll be completing the hardware acquisitions and will document them for me as well.

A few other finishing touches include Dunlop Strap-Locks and rosewood volume/tone knobs. I decided on adding wood knobs since the guitar will have a natural finish and I thought wood knobs would add to the ‘customized’ appearance. To provide contrast in the woods (the body is a light swamp ash), I’m matching the knobs to the rosewood fretboard. These need to be the screw-on type so they can be fastened and sealed to prevent falling off. Stephen recommended the screw-ons since the press-on types can fall off due to wood expanding in climates that see extreme weather changes (from cold/snow to hot/humid), which expansion usually occurs over the initial 6-8 month period. Besides, my electronics involve a push-pull potentiometer system and it sometimes doesn’t take much for knobs to pop off at the most inopportune times.

(photos on photobucket: http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff443/logicbdj/

[Brian Johnston]

It feels like a long road, but not really. When you’re anxious to have a unique creation cradle your hands, something that is part of you and has come from your vision, every extra day seems too long. And there is something about a guitar that is so personal, likely because it is an emotional branch of your psyche. As a musician and a luthier, Stephen feels no different, stating: “I really enjoy taking a piece of wood and turning it into a musical instrument. Every guitar is a bit different and I get a real charge out of my customers’ excitement. These are like my children and I love each and every one of them. Every guitar is special to me and I believe it will be special to each person.” I suppose you could say I’m adopting the ‘BDJ Signature Guitar,’ from the ‘father’ who created it. And to know that a luthier feels this way, as opposed to ‘just making another guitar,’ speaks volumes.

Stephen informed me that he is pretty much done, and is simply putting it together. The electronics configuration was confirmed, and I requested as many possibilities in my tonal palette, thus resulting in 5-way switch configuration and pull-pots with the neck pickup being ‘north’ and bridge pickup being ‘south’ on the switch selector. Through the setup, I can have all of the bridge or all of the neck or both; and I can have just one coil from one or the other, or both; and I can have opposite splits between neck and bridge coils! The pull-pots are independent from the volume since using the volume pot for switching, as Stephen explained, increases the potential signal drain at that point due to grounding systems.

In regard to putting together the electronics, Stephen did make a last second professional alteration with the pickup configuration, opting for the PAF Joe for the neck pickup to better match the tone of the Mo’ Joe bridge pickup. This was a good move as the two were developed to ‘sing’ together and the overall tone should be superior. The following is a write-up on the PAF Joe from the DiMarzio website:

“Joe (Satriani) wanted a neck position humbucker that combined the best qualities of the DiMarzio PAF Pro with those of a late '50s Gibson humbucker. Joe described this tone as being ‘tubular.’ Through the use of Virtual Vintage technology, clear-sounding low frequencies are blended with warm-sounding mids and high frequencies, which makes the PAF Joe equally good for chords and single notes. It was first used by Joe throughout the 2003 G3 tour. Recommended for all positions, solid, semi-solid and hollowbody electric guitars.

“Tech Talk: What does ‘tubular’ mean? In this case, it means making low notes ‘speak’ more clearly while giving high notes a rounder voicing. This accomplishes 2 goals: chords have better definition, and single notes at higher fret positions remain warm sounding rather than getting thinner. The PAF Joe has slightly less power than the PAF Pro does.”

And there’s a bit more to the electronics story. Stephen also ordered in a Radio Frequency Identification Device (RFID) from www.snagg.com, which is optional for potential customers, and he does this as an added service for those who request it. I will not say where this micro-chip is installed (our little secret), but this device is designed for musical instruments – for purposes of theft deterrence and asset recovery, in the event that it is stolen. This may not sound like a big deal to some people, but when you have a unique, one-of-a-kind instrument hand-made, the last thing you want is someone lifting it. Moreover, check out some ‘gear’ sites, or Vintage Guitar magazine, and there you will find sections on stolen gear and owners looking to retrieve rare or expensive instruments.

As well, in the past few days Stephen worked on the neck and body finish, and all logos have been installed on the neck and body. At this juncture, he starts to build up the finish and for it to cure for a few days. We confirmed that I would have a matte finish by way of a semi-gloss clear coat, as opposed to a high gloss luster. High polish or gloss is very attractive, but I chose the matte for a few reasons: 1) it looks more natural with a ‘natural’ wood grain concept; and 2) there is less polishing/cleaning upkeep to keep it looking shiny and mint.

Final assembly will be later this week and the guitar should ship around mid August, just a bit ahead of schedule (you don’t hear that from a luthier often!). Once cured and all together, Stephen will get to experience the guitar first, and get to know its personality as he strums the first chord and bends the first note. In fact, he can tell how a guitar will resonate due to the drone it produces during the wet sanding operation. He believes I have a “really active piece of wood” (a solid piece of swamp ash) and that I will enjoy the guitar with just a bit of gain required. I own an Ibanez JS2400 (basswood body), and I’m very curious to make a comparison between the two guitars.

Stephen is so meticulous, particularly as we hone in on the final steps, that he even asked what strings I wanted installed and if I was fond of any particular brand. I do prefer DR Strings, although I’ve had good success with other brands – I was not fussy in this regard. But what impressed me were his sentiments: “I hope this has gone pretty much the way you expected and you have had a pleasant experience so far.” This should not be underestimated since Stephen’s goal was not just to earn work, but to work with the customer and enjoy the creative journey together. Now, to welcome my baby home and review the finished product!

[Brian Johnston]

UPDATE: Today Stephen forwarded a video showing the guitar in a near finished state (without electronics), and to demonstrate something – how tight a fit the neck is to the body. Initially the neck and body were separate. He then pushed the neck gently into the body... took the neck by around the headstock... then lifted the guitar as body hung on effortlessly. The super-tight fit not only was impressive, but it was gratifying to see the guitar as it stood at this juncture, and it’s looking better than I thought it would. ‘Anxious’ does not begin to describe how I feel about this guitar.

[deeaa]

Hmm...that's something many luthiers would say is way too tight. I had a supertight fit in my strat before, but when we worked on it he sanded it down until it slipped on and off easily...something about different woods, temperature changes and swelling, coating materials and the whole point of having a bolt-on neck etc. I forget what exactly but I was pretty much sold on the thought that you don't want too tight a fit, even in a set neck it should not be so tight as not to allow glue in between.

I guess opinions on this vary. I doubt it makes much of a difference anyhow. If anything, I'd venture it'll make the guitar sound a little duller and more like a set-neck than a strat. Some of the greatest sounding guitars I have seen have had huge gaps between the body and neck - most really old, revered Fenders especially...they were intentionally built that way I understand, I don't believe it makes any difference whether the sides of the neck rub the body hard or not. Might even be counteractive in the way of vibrations traveling, to several directions&colliding, instead of from one anchor point and uniformly through the body. But then again, you're not making the guitar sound like a strat anyway :-)

Strats are a strange beast BTW anyways...I'm inclined to think most of the strat sound comes from everything being kind of precarious, unstable...a strat won't sound good if it's too tight, the bridge isn't allowed to float a little, strings are locked down etc.

[Brian Johnston]

He's been doing it like this for years, and his guitars are well known for incredible sustain (due to that tight fit). I plan on playing outdoors in varying climates, so I'm not worried.

[Brian Johnston]

One other thing I should mention... to get a very snug fit (which does enhance sustain) requires detailed work around that neck joint... the working of one guitar at a time, which is done by a luthier developing a limited number of guitars. What you see with Fender, Gibson, etc. (and I own a Fender 79 strat and a Gibson Les Paul Custom) is mass production in a factory. The amount of time it takes a person to build one guitar only is cost prohibitive for these companies. They cannot super-fit much of anything. If you look at when the bigger companies were smaller, and produced very few guitars per year (I have a few of those as well), you will note that the fit and overall detail of construction was different than when they became bigger names and had to produce more product to keep up with the demand.

[deeaa]

Sure, no contest there...a snug fit is good&sign of quality, it's just too tight a fit I'm leery of being any good.

Over here humidity changes between 20-80%...if we assume over summer the wood moisture might change nearly 10% it means Maple will potentiall swell ~0,1", which is 0,02" more than Ash for instance. Assuming the pocket is on either side, and also ash swells 0,08" with a 10% change in humidity, well it adds up to the neck potentially compressing by around three millimetres(!) which is pretty damn scary in my book. I'd expect something to break already...of course in reality the differences aren't as huge as potentially, but just one look at my hardwood floors cracking open with easily 0,08 cracks between boards in winter...well I do not wish to see that in my guitar.

As far as sustain/tight fit go...I don't buy that either as in my experience for instance neck-thru's don't sustain any better than other, and the best sustaining guitar I ever had was a Jackson with an insanely thin bolt-on neck and a floyd...everything was spelling that thing won't sustain much at all...but it did.

I tested sustains acoustically by dropping a small weight on the guitar, miked the body with a pressure mic behind the bridge and recorded that and compared the resulting wave files...made me re-think much of what I thought I knew of what sustains and what doesn't. Even made an excel sheet of it, but I don't think I have it here. Was part of my debunking of guitar myths project back in around the millenium :-)

[Brian Johnston]

I can't argue with what you're stating, along with your experiment, but Stephen has an excellent reputation, has been doing this for 25 years (he was featured in different guitar magazines), and no one has complained about his very tight fit. I investigated him and his customers in advance, and he has sold guitars around the world with no issues of humidity, etc. causing damage due to that tight fit. Then again, it also is an issue on the quality of sealant, etc., used to preserve the body and neck that has to be considered and how that protects against elements. Do contact him if you wish to challenge is methods as he may provide further explaination as to why he does what he does: www.Casper-GT.com

[deeaa]

Well, obviously he does it right, then :-) maybe it's tight in all the right spots and still allows for expansion, or maybe so well selected woods etc. that they work in unison. Still, I bet if just anyone made it so tight, it would be an issue...seems he's gotta have developed his way of doing it right!

[Brian Johnston]

Hi... I did share your opinion with him and he shared his (he started off as a master cabinet maker)... but this explains it better as it discloses the shape of the joint and why it stayed in place, lol:

"All I can say is that this is generally how I was shown to make a everlasting non matching wooden material joint. There are items in my Mothers home that are over 100 years old that were built by my Great Great Grand Father in the shop I was taught in that are still intact and have no splits or stress in the areas of the dove-tails-

"The neck does slip in and out easily. By the design, the heel is tapered. Similar to a dove-tail joint just not as dramatic. There is more sanding on that area to be done as I stated in the video. But still, the neck will stay in place with no bolts. Turn the body upside down and the neck falls right out-

"I have 25 years of experience building guitars in this same general manner and have no complaints of bodies breaking or necks falling off- can’t say that about a lot of the other brands out there. I’ve repaired enough of them to see the mistakes. I’ve attached a photo of my first guitar I built back in 1986. Neck still on. No cracks in the body. This guitar was built in Ohio, has been around the world and plays the same everywhere. There are slight adjustments required depending upon the climate the guitar is living in but nothing any other guitar won’t need. Ie tuning, truss rod, tremolo spring tension etc. I get away from those issues with my eco-Axe model that uses a graphite neck eliminating those factors.

"I am constantly learning and will never say I know it all. Wouldn’t even call myself an expert. Just a craftsman- But what I do know is that if you look at the math and engineering data on the Harley Davidson Twin Motor, it shouldn’t even run one cycle- Sometimes, it’s the kaos that is the secret-

"Glad to see they are talking though. I’ll let you be the judge."

[deeaa]

Well that explains it completely...so it is slightly tapered and thus stays on tight, not because there's no room whatsoever between the parts tight...makes perfect sense. Fits snug but isn't hammered-in tight. On my strat it was just too tight all over, you really had to force the neck out of the pocket and that's no good...but here it isn't so after all. Thanks for finding out about it, I was a bit puzzled over how could it work if it really was just so 'tight tight'.

[Brian Johnston]

In a nearly completed stage (with some wiring, knobs, switch, etc., to be installed), you can see the 'nearly complete' photo here:

http://s1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff443/logicbdj/

A solid piece of swamp ash with a semi-gloss finish... with my BDJ Signature Guitar emblem... a true limited edition of one.

[Brian Johnston]

I now have three photos of the finished product at:

http://s1236.photobucket.com/home/logicbdj/index



The builder indicated that the action is crazy low and super fast and not a single buzz. He said the tone was crisp and crunchy... can't wait to get it... ships this Tuesday.

[marnold]

Wow, that looks really nice. Can't wait to hear what you think of it once it's in your own hands!

[Brian Johnston]

I'm seeing if this works for posting photos... here is a photo of the finished product:

http://i1236.photobucket.com/albums/ff443/logicbdj/Final1.jpg

[Brian Johnston]

I call this tune Modern Vintage based on the custom guitar I recently had built by Casper Guitar Technologies (wood grain body has that vintage look, whereas the electronics and pickups are more modern).

The sound is reminiscent of Pink Floyd Animals, to my ear, with a bit of tape echo (Digitech TimeBender), SolidGoldFx's SuperDrive through a clean Egnater Rebel-30 amp.

http://profile.ultimate-guitar.com/logicbdj/music/all/play1042446

[Brian Johnston]

There are reasons why a serious guitarist would want a vintage instrument. What comes to most peoples’ minds is the opportunity to own a (potentially) rare and (potentially) valuable guitar and knowing it is uncommon. This is no different than owning an old Mustang or Jaguar, causing heads to turn as you cruise down a street.

For guitarists who care as much for playable and tone, there is another reason why those vintage axes are so desired. Years ago, when the big name companies were small, such as Gibson, Fender, Epiphany, Martin, Gretsch, etc., they were not exactly massed produced, but produced in a quantity limited by what a handful of skilled luthiers could turn out (and relative to the buying interest of guitarists whose numbers were fewer decades ago than today). This meant that a greater passion and attention to detail in every facet of the instrument existed to a higher degree, whereas today the big companies mass produce guitars in assembly factors, usually off-shore with workers who likely don’t play guitar and couldn’t care less about guitar playing – they are given manufacturing instructions from high above and they do what needs to be done for that paycheck.
This brings us to the next point of small-luthier production. There is a reason why some years or models of Les Paul or Stratocaster are more highly acclaimed than others, besides rarity. It’s the luthier ‘at the time’ that had a certain flair, style or elegance in how things were done, and the hand-wound pickups (likely developed by a different person) also happened to ‘get it right’ and right on the button concurrently.

Factor in the above aspects and anyone owning a ’59 Gibson Les Paul will tell you it’s not just a Les Paul. Likewise, find yourself a luthier today, one who possess that unique skill and passion and you will have found yourself a guitar that someday will be held in the highest regard and along-side today’s legends. After all, it does not have to be old to have that special ‘mojo’ happening; it requires a gifted individual to create a vision that has yet to exist.

Certain aspects attracted me to Casper Guitar Technologies, one of them being to what extent each instrument is hand-crafted (carved!) while implementing only the necessary tools that is reminiscent of master craftsmen of yesteryear who were able to create masterpieces from only a hammer and chisel. The other reason is the company’s focus on being ‘green.’ In fact, the owner and luthier, Stephen Casper, is known as the ‘Green Guitar Guru’ because of his ethics in using only FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) approved woods not on the endangered list. He also uses low VOC (volatile organic compound) finishes and select RoHs (Restriction of Hazardous Substances) components (e.g., no mercury, lead, cadmium, hexavalent chromium or polybrominated biphenyl).

And like any good luthier, you have your choice of a hand-shaped and contoured body, neck and head style, pickups, custom bridge options, custom graphics and hand engraving and custom boutique electronics and switching options.

Stephen builds few guitars per year, and I was fortunate that he could undertake my project. I had a general idea in mind, best described as follows:

A guitar that mixes the traditional or vintage with the modern; this would result in a solid wood body with the grain exposed (no paint). The action would be low for effortless speed work (although I don’t play metal per se, it’s nice to play fast when you want to and without wrestling the strings), the neck relatively thin, and the pickups relatively hot (but not active pickups). I wanted a split humbucker for the neck and likely wanted a Mo Joe for the bridge (since I was familiar with and liked that pickup on my Ibanez JS2400).

In sum, I wasn’t sure entirely what more to ask for. I thoroughly enjoy the Ibanez guitar – its action and tones, but wanted a guitar that felt as good while playing, but with a slightly more edgy neck pickup and a body that would resonate a little brighter or clearer (particularly when playing in the lower register) than the basswood in the Ibanez. In effect, I wished my Ibanez to had a slight more edge to the sonic presentation.
With that in mind Stephen made various recommendations, which I shared in this thread. I will summarize those particulars in this review and describe the outcome.

The headstock was of Stephen’s trademark design, which was fine by me, as I did not have any particular preference to its design. It houses quality Gotoh tuners, which reputation is well known in the music industry. The tuner set Stephen applied to this guitar is extremely high in quality, and you can feel the solid, smooth tension of the keys when tuning. The headstock also features a low-friction string tree to reduce resistance and to improve tuning stability, which may not be necessary when dealing with a locking-nut system, but which does add that extra dimension in security and even appearance.

The maple neck has FSC rosewood from Honduras for the fretboard and includes dot inlays both on the fretboard and on its edge. I requested frets a bit flatter or smaller than on my Ibanez (steering away from the ‘jumbo fret’ design), which reduces finger strain while playing, and this feature was included. The truss rod is accessible via the heel of the neck, but as Stephen puts it: “In my experience, if the neck is made correctly, it should never warp.”

There are two aspects that make this neck very special. One, the action is crazy low, lower than my Ibanez, and without any fret buzz, which makes legato type playing seem effortless. Two, this is by far the thinnest neck I have used, which may be a bit ‘crampy’ for someone with large hands, but I do have smallish hands and when this was relayed to Stephen he did promise me a ‘wizard’ neck... and he delivered. Usually musicians will classify necks as having a thicker ‘U’ shape or a thinner ‘C’ shape (less curving and thickness), whereas this guitar has what is best described as an elongated ‘C’ shape... stretched out or flattened and only about 1.6 cm (0.63 inches) thick! There is extreme comfort in this neck design that feels as though it flows across the palm rather than filling it up, as though cupping it.

The body is a single piece FSC Swamp-Ash from a special farm in Louisiana. As per my choice, Stephen shaped it similar to the MusicMan EVH guitar, which shape I found attractive upon first seeing it (a cool looking Telecaster in my eyes). Although two-dimensional looking from the front, the body has a sexy flow and curve to it when viewed from the side (see below), contoured particularly where the body and picking arm make contact, for improved comfort and fit. As well, Stephen did an excellent job on the neck heal, well rounded and contoured for ease of playing on the highest fret.

Finished with low VOC nitrocellulose variety semi-gloss, the natural wood grain accentuates the custom make in that one can tell the guitar was hand-crafted and not a stock piece from a music shop. Moreover, the top of the body boasts a circular emblem I had Stephen make that reads BDJ 001 Signature Guitar – (see below) my initials with a 001 serial number (this also was placed on the back of the headstock). And somewhere in the body – I’m not saying where – at no extra charge, Stephen implanted a microchip that enables pawn shops and police to ascertain its true ownership if stolen and potentially sold.


My choice of bridge pickup was the DiMarzio Mo’ Joe (as per Joe Satriani, whose tone I really like), chosen for its singing quality and creaminess. I wasn’t sure as to the neck pickup, but I knew I wanted something with more clarity than what I have on my Ibanez and many of my other guitars. Stephen recommended the DiMarzio PAF Joe, another Satriani designed pickup that compliments the Mo’ Joe. This was a wise decision as the tone derived from this pickup is very clear and not too dark. It still produces warm tones, ideal for emulating some David Gilmour, but with each note being unmistakably defined without coming across overly harsh. However, I suspect the solid ash body has something to do with that as well.

A product added to the bridge pickup is the E-Tuner by Shadow Electronics, a humbucker pickup ring only a few millimetres high and integrated into the pickup’s circuitry. Along its upper edge of the ring is a small on/off button and a series of LED lights that enables you to tune the guitar with ease as it shows whether you are flat or sharp, and what note/string is being played/tuned.

It should be noted that Stephen is a true problem-solver when it came to the E-Tuner. Prior to me shipping him this device, the guitar body was already developed and originally was designed as a very low profile model with no pickup rings. Stephen was able to restructure the guitar’s body to accommodate the new E-Tuner ring (and add a ring for the neck humbucker) while keeping the string action very low.

[Brian Johnston]

Final Review Part II

The electronics and switching system involves a master volume and two tone controls (one for each pickup), all three of which have rosewood knobs and a mother-of-pearl dot inlay to match the fretboard. Smooth, yet firm, you can tell the quality of the pots as you turn the knobs. The five-way pickup selector switch allows the following possibilities:

1. Bridge Series Full Humbucker
2. Bridge (South Coil Tapped) + Neck (South Coil Tapped) in series / reverse phased
3. Bridge + Neck Humbucker
4. Bridge (South Coil Tapped) + Neck (North Coil Tapped) in series / in phase
5. Neck Series Humbucker

Stephen did an excellent job with the electronics and there is an incredibly large array of tones possible with this setup. The bridge pickup reacts as I suspect it should, with a nice bite, but without sounding shrill. I’m very happy with the neck humbucker as it rings clear and true no matter how low a note I play and whether the tone knob is turned all the way toward bass. The most impressive aspect, however, is how Stephen setup the electronics. With most tone pots you hear a difference as you move from treble to bass, but on this guitar the audible qualities are much more pronounced and differentiated. It’s not the ‘same tone, but a little darker or brighter;’ rather, there emerge distinct sonic attributes that make this guitar truly diverse. Stephen did warn me about this benefit!

The Schaller locking bridge system is of equal quality to the Edge system in my Ibanez. However, Stephen took this to the next level with a block of AAAA bell brass that connects the springs to the trem bridge. Together with the solid ash body, this guitar is highly sensitive while producing a very clear and attacking tone. I must say that it requires a guitarist to sharpen his or her chops since any mistakes are obvious and audible. I think I need to go practice!

Overall Impression
Featured in guitar magazines, this one-man-band truly is gifted as he pours everything into each creation – and he skimps on nothing. From the general construction to the electronics, everything is high grade and solid. He supplies guitars to the FernStock music festival and is respected enough to be the official sponsor for a European international tour through Ferocious Music. As important, from a customer’s perspective, he sends regular updates of photos and with options from which to choose (in the event that not every aspect is accounted for in the original ‘wish list’). I suspect I received at least 25 e-mails and a dozen photos of the process to ensure everything was on par and on schedule.

In regard to my specific guitar, I believe what makes an axe a go-to axe is two-fold: quality of play with a wide-ranging palette of possible sounds. Will this be the only guitar I will use? No, not at all... for example, I have a Reverend that is so dark and fat sounding that it seems appropriate for certain genres of music, and when I compose in that genre it will be the chosen one. But relative to my playing style, it will be played far more than the other guitars in my collection. Mission accomplished, Stephen!

[Ch0jin]

"However, Stephen took this to the next level with a block of AAAA bell brass that connects the springs to the trem bridge."

Now THAT is the stand out fact of the review for me. I got an noticeable improvement in my old junker Strat when I replaced the original "Pot metal" tremolo block with a steel one. If you tap the pot metal version you get a dull thud. If you tap the steel version it rings. I'd imagine using bell brass really would amp up the responsiveness of the guitar and improve sustain and the overall resonant feel of the instrument.

[deeaa]

Steel block is something I'd like to try on my other strat which is a touch dark sounding.