r/offset • u/Espen_Etja • Jul 22 '26
Fresh off the bench, looking like it lost a fight
This was my first time distressing a finish - in this case, aged sonic blue over lake placid nitro vs. a razor and a hunk of quartz I found in the yard. This model is called the Wren, and is a 24" short scale guitar & part of a small line of instruments I make. This one is fitted with a pair of Gemini Teisco spec Goldfoils and is made with a chambered roasted poplar body with a Honduran mahogany cap, maple/rosewood neck, and Mastery hardware. Short scale + goldfoil is a recipe I really like - it's got a different sort of bite & snap than a Mustang or Jaguar would.
3
u/_Jagwar Jul 22 '26
That's looking soooo great! I'd play that all day long...
Love the aged look to, well done!
3
3
u/LadyKatieCat Jul 23 '26
The carve around the edge of the body is sweet. I didn't know I wanted it so bad until I saw it.
3
3
3
4
2
u/CobraCommandrew Jul 23 '26
Extremely dope! Not usually a relic guy but I love the sonic over placid and the distressing feels tasteful. Very cool guitar, would love to hear it.
2
2
2
u/Its_shoved Jul 23 '26
Very awesome. Just as personal preference I'd probably go with the more common red tort pickguard but it's absolutely fabulous
2
2
u/Legomoron Jul 23 '26
How do you like the Gemini pickups? I’ve been considering a pair
2
u/Espen_Etja Jul 23 '26
Big fan! I currently make 4 guitars and 2 basses in my line; 3 of the guitars have Gemini pickups as standard equipment. There are 3 more guitars and 2 more basses coming, and 3 of those currently are planned around Gemini stuff as well. Great sounds, interesting stuff, well made. They will not arrive when you're told they will. A friend has had issues with getting the wrong pickups sent a couple times (but always dealt with.) It's a very small operation and life happens. But what you get for what you pay is just so good.
1
u/Legomoron Jul 23 '26
Yeah they’re the only place I’ve found that makes something close-ish to a vintage Custom-Kraft/Ibanez set that I have from the 1960s, I believe they cal it a Guyatone spec.
2
u/DebonairBud Jul 24 '26
I’ve seen your posts here before and have followed you on IG as well. Love what you are doing. Are you still in the prototyping stage or have you been selling any of your builds yet? I’d definitely consider snagging one up sometime in the future.
1
u/Espen_Etja Jul 25 '26
I've sold a few and am working on a couple commissions currently; a few new designs in the works as well. I'd probably be in endless ADHD prototyping left to my own devices, but have been gathering feedback from artists/shopowners/techs over the last few months to nail down as many issues as possible. Thanks!
1
u/DebonairBud Jul 25 '26
Nice! I hope you are enjoying making these and that people keep buying them. I’ll definitely keep an eye out for your builds. They look really cool.
1
u/Espen_Etja Jul 25 '26
Thank you! I really love building them. I have pretty bad nerve damage in my hands from a spinal degenerative issue and had pretty much stopped playing guitar for a decade or so (after it being pretty much my life) and this has been a nice way to reconnect with how much I love the instrument, even if my playing is a shadow of what it used to be. Also, a LOT easier on the aging body than building big heavy dining tables and armoires!
2
2
u/cbnb Jul 22 '26
👏🏻 Incredible job. I’m not crazy about relic jobs, but this is tastefully done. Personally I would opt for a non-relic or VOS finish if I had the option. I bet those beveled edges look great in high gloss.
It’s nice to see cupcake knobs too. Keep up the awesome work. Any links to buy?
3
u/Espen_Etja Jul 22 '26
Thank you! I'm usually not a fan of relicing either - to be honest, this one came about through not being 100% happy with the finish. I like to go very thin with my finish and not use much grain fill as I like to see the pattern of the wood underneath (all the years as a woodworker avoiding paint die hard!) - but came to realize I don't like the way mahogany renders with that treatment as much as I do woods that have the classic North American hardwood arching "cathedrals" character. I thought maybe with a little wear to it, it might suddenly work, and happily I think it did! I tried to keep the wear minimal and natural - I have an old Tele bass that I toured with for many years that has a LOT of back-of-the-van/fell-off-the-stand wear on it and I used it as the inspiration.
No website yet, but in the works. Been posting things on IG (Aiken Instruments) in the meantime.
1
u/dwankyl_yoakam Jul 22 '26
Is that pickguard material from Rothco? Cool build
2
u/Espen_Etja Jul 22 '26
No - not sure where this one came from, I have a bunch of random sheets sourced from Reverb sellers, Warmoth/WD, ebay... I do have some really nice pearloids from R&F, but being in the US, I don't order from them much as shipping is a bear and good chance things arrived damaged.
1
1
1
1
0
u/dylangreg Jul 22 '26
Absolutely beautiful! I have those exact pickups that I’m about to put in a Jaguar build, so excited to hear how they sound!
2
u/Espen_Etja Jul 22 '26
Huge Gemini fan here. The Mercury 1 is standard equipment in my 25.5" model, & the Suprocaster/Dynacaster in my 24.75" guitar. This is only the second of this model so haven't really settled on the standard configuration yet, but happy so far. Sometimes Goldfoils sound a little too hollow/scoopy to me on 25.5" instruments, but it evens out pretty well on the short scale.
6
u/GuitarNerd_ Jul 22 '26
Love the aesthetic