FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
Q: Why should I buy one of your guitars when so many 'relic' variety guitars are available?
A: Tone! My guitars don't just look vintage, they sound right too! The utmost care and attention to detail is given to the making of these guitars. I am one man making guitars one at a time. The other guys mass produce guitars that have 'the look,' but they miss the point because they don't go the extra mile with the sound and the details. The other guys offer premade pickups from various makers. I make my own pickups one at a time to vintage specs, using the best quality wire and magnets. I make a real bone nut entirely by hand for each guitar. The other guys use prefabricated plastic or tusq nut blanks. (Tusq is plastic, if you ask me. If you are paying over a grand for a guitar that doesn't have a hand made bone nut then something is wrong.) I am very careful not to rust or age parts that are integral to the performance of the guitar. The way the other guys age their hardware, tuner failure and locked up saddles are the norm. I'm also picky about how it all fits together. I use what I think are the best parts, and the way it is all assembled has a lot to do with preserving that 'edge of feedback' tone that we all want. Check out the difference. My guitars are to a much higher standard.
A: Tone! My guitars don't just look vintage, they sound right too! The utmost care and attention to detail is given to the making of these guitars. I am one man making guitars one at a time. The other guys mass produce guitars that have 'the look,' but they miss the point because they don't go the extra mile with the sound and the details. The other guys offer premade pickups from various makers. I make my own pickups one at a time to vintage specs, using the best quality wire and magnets. I make a real bone nut entirely by hand for each guitar. The other guys use prefabricated plastic or tusq nut blanks. (Tusq is plastic, if you ask me. If you are paying over a grand for a guitar that doesn't have a hand made bone nut then something is wrong.) I am very careful not to rust or age parts that are integral to the performance of the guitar. The way the other guys age their hardware, tuner failure and locked up saddles are the norm. I'm also picky about how it all fits together. I use what I think are the best parts, and the way it is all assembled has a lot to do with preserving that 'edge of feedback' tone that we all want. Check out the difference. My guitars are to a much higher standard.
Q: What kind of pickups do you use?
A: My own pickups that I make and wind by hand to vintage specs using top quality, vintage correct, made in the USA magnet wire, flatwork, and magnets. See my pickup winder here. I intentionally make them slightly microphonic for that 'verge of feedback' tone (like an old one!). I feed the wire on by hand unlike many new 'boutique' pickup makers that are actually using machines to guide the wire.
Q: Will you make one with brand X pickups for me?
A: I make my own pickups, it's a big part of why my guitars sound good, and I strongly recommend that you stick with the pickups that I make. If you just can't live without brand 'X' pickups in there, that's fine, just swap them out when you get the guitar.
A: I make my own pickups, it's a big part of why my guitars sound good, and I strongly recommend that you stick with the pickups that I make. If you just can't live without brand 'X' pickups in there, that's fine, just swap them out when you get the guitar.
Q: Can I buy just your pickups?
A: No, sorry, not at this time. Maybe in the future.
Q: Do you cut your own necks and bodies out of raw wood?
A: No, they are pre-cut and supplied to me from different suppliers. I get them in raw, roughed in, unfinished form, and I start from there. If I made them from scratch out of trees they would be much, much more expensive and it would defeat the purpose of making an affordable vintage replica. The neck options listed on my options page are the options available to me on these pre-cut necks. If I had to special order a one-off custom made neck to your specs, it would add a lot to the price, and I don't want to mess around with the hassle of going through a supplier that I don't normally use and end up with a neck that doesn't fit or feel right. Again, it would also defeat the purpose of making an affordable vintage replica. This is why I only offer the neck options that I offer. The necks are also already machine fretted which saves a lot of time and money too. I could fret them myself, I've done a zillion fret jobs, but it would add several hundred dollars to the price, and there would be no difference in the end result. Yet again, it would defeat the purpose. I use what I think are the best wood and parts. The necks are only roughed in when I get them, I spend a lot of time shaping each neck to vintage specs, like rolling the fingerboard edges, softening the contours, adding a 'Tadeo Taper,' etc. The bodies have the right cosmetic details too, like the flattened jack area, andI add dowel mark just like the old oness.
A: No, they are pre-cut and supplied to me from different suppliers. I get them in raw, roughed in, unfinished form, and I start from there. If I made them from scratch out of trees they would be much, much more expensive and it would defeat the purpose of making an affordable vintage replica. The neck options listed on my options page are the options available to me on these pre-cut necks. If I had to special order a one-off custom made neck to your specs, it would add a lot to the price, and I don't want to mess around with the hassle of going through a supplier that I don't normally use and end up with a neck that doesn't fit or feel right. Again, it would also defeat the purpose of making an affordable vintage replica. This is why I only offer the neck options that I offer. The necks are also already machine fretted which saves a lot of time and money too. I could fret them myself, I've done a zillion fret jobs, but it would add several hundred dollars to the price, and there would be no difference in the end result. Yet again, it would defeat the purpose. I use what I think are the best wood and parts. The necks are only roughed in when I get them, I spend a lot of time shaping each neck to vintage specs, like rolling the fingerboard edges, softening the contours, adding a 'Tadeo Taper,' etc. The bodies have the right cosmetic details too, like the flattened jack area, andI add dowel mark just like the old oness.
Q: Will you make a custom order to my specs?
If the specs you want are listed on the options page, then yes. If you want a neck that is not listed there, a 3rd pickup, a Bigsby, etc etc etc, then the answer is no. I basically make the same guitar over and over again. I'm trying to make the perfect one, every time. That's what you want isn't it? The perfect one?
If the specs you want are listed on the options page, then yes. If you want a neck that is not listed there, a 3rd pickup, a Bigsby, etc etc etc, then the answer is no. I basically make the same guitar over and over again. I'm trying to make the perfect one, every time. That's what you want isn't it? The perfect one?
Q: How long does it take to make a special order?
A: Check with me about where I am on backorders to get an accurate time quote.
Q: How do you age the guitars?
A: Lots of people ask me about this. Everybody uses different methods. I've tried them all and I use what works best for me. When aging metal, most people's methods prematurely rust moving parts and that's really not good. I have found methods that look better and keep the parts moving freely. That's all I really have to say about it. No harsh chemicals are used in the aging of the hardware. The aging process I use on the paint is just what works best for me. Sometimes I'll even use different methods from one guitar to the next.
A: Lots of people ask me about this. Everybody uses different methods. I've tried them all and I use what works best for me. When aging metal, most people's methods prematurely rust moving parts and that's really not good. I have found methods that look better and keep the parts moving freely. That's all I really have to say about it. No harsh chemicals are used in the aging of the hardware. The aging process I use on the paint is just what works best for me. Sometimes I'll even use different methods from one guitar to the next.
Q: What schematic do you use to get the special wiring you are talking about?
A: One that I designed myself, and you won't find another wired like this anywhere.
Q: How is it wired?
A: It's a wiring design that I developed for my own guitars. I think it sounds better than the way the other guys wire theirs. The design uses a normal CRL three position switch with a capacitor and a resistor to shape the frequencies coming from the pickups on two of the three switch positions. The bridge position on the switch is unaffected by the special wiring. It goes like this...
'bridge' switch position = bridge pickup alone
'middle' switch position = both pickups out of phase in series with a resistor to retain bass frequencies
'neck' switch position = neck pickup with just a little bridge pickup filtered through a capacitor in the mix to brighten it up
But what you end up with is a more 'quacky' middle position, and a more usable neck position, both with more sustain and less mud. If I didn't tell you that it was wired crazy, you wouldn't know other than that it just sounds better than the traditional wiring and is much more usable in my opinion. I'm happy to wire your special order the traditional way if you prefer that.
Q: Will you refinish my guitar?
A: Nope, sorry. If you like the finishes on my guitars, you should buy one. I hate refinishing.
Q: Will you 'age' my new guitar?
A: It's probably not a good idea. If you have a modern guitar, chances are that the finish is thick poly and it is close to impossible to make that look right. Even if it's lacquer, the modern lacquer that most makers use has a plasticizer in it that keeps it from developing lacquer cracks. Also, the hardware is probably all chrome (instead of nickel) which doesn't relic very well. If you want to trick up a modern guitar by trying to pay someone like me to age it, or by doing it yourself, you are very likely just going to ruin an otherwise good guitar. Besides that, it still won't sound like an old one which is really the point anyway. So, just buy a Pin-Up Custom instead.
Q: Can you make one for me with a Bigsby, and etc. etc.?
A: No, sorry, probably not. I'm old school. No tremolo's, no sunbursts, no metallic paint jobs, no locking tuners, and no Fuzz Beiten systems. Check with me if your customization is something I will do or not.
Q: Will you sell a guitar to me directly?
A: No, sorry, they are available only through Emerald City Guitars for now.
PIN-UP CUSTOM GUITARS is not affiliated with Fender Musical Instrument Corporation or any other musical instrument manufacturer
in any way. 'Fender,' 'Relic,' 'Tele,' and 'Telecaster' are all registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. The trademarked
headstock profiles of any Fender guitar are not used on any PIN-UP CUSTOM GUITARS. We use our own headstock profile.
PIN-UP CUSTOM GUITARS IN NO WAY IMPLIES THAT IT BUILDS OR SELLS FENDER GUITARS.
Copyright © 2011 Eric Daw, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
in any way. 'Fender,' 'Relic,' 'Tele,' and 'Telecaster' are all registered trademarks of Fender Musical Instruments Corp. The trademarked
headstock profiles of any Fender guitar are not used on any PIN-UP CUSTOM GUITARS. We use our own headstock profile.
PIN-UP CUSTOM GUITARS IN NO WAY IMPLIES THAT IT BUILDS OR SELLS FENDER GUITARS.
Copyright © 2011 Eric Daw, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED
