If you are constantly chasing tone, go make your own!

Guitar Love is Big Love!  There is something special and unconditional about the love of a guitar.  Guitars don’t talk back and are ready for you when you’re ready for them.  Take for example, Keith Richards with Mcawber, Clapton with Blackie, Willie Nelson with Trigger, SRV and Jimmy Page with #1’s , and Billy F. Gibbons with Pearly Gates. I am sure these guitars represent a deep pocket in their hearts never to be replaced.  However, in a custom build from scratch vision, knowing you will Love a guitar from a block of uncut wood isn’t an easy process, or is it?  If you see a beautiful piece of Walnut or a Color choice to match your car or first guitar, you would begin to love the process of setting the vision.  Having a vision is a beautiful thing even if it doesn’t unfold tomorrow.  I may never own a 1964 Stingray Corvette, but as I dream about it, I relax in my interpretations of what it should be without pressure.  I can’t walk up to car, but see it and know if I had my chance to design it, I’d love it.

For many NEWMAN customers as well as myself, we have already been through the solid body maze of Tele/Strat/Les Paul/SG/Firebird’s and have decided what we like and don’t like about each design.  It could be weight, pickups, wood, scale length, frets or any number of things.  I have a SG/Les Paul Custom triple pickup but only Love the neck pickup.  So imaging, having some element of each guitar you like and transposing that vision to one guitar.  Builders are at a point where we can dial in the visions and hit that deep pocket of your heart.  There are many great builders of all kinds out there who are accustomed to seeing your vision through.  Bridges, Pickups and tone secrets are always being revealed.  Pickups and tone pots can be dialed in to get the exact reaction you are expecting with the knowledge that is out there.  People are perfecting their knowledge and own vision and waiting for the vision to come forward to put purpose to their magic.  It’s down to rubbing the lamp I guess.  Magic can happen at times in a factory, but % wise, is much more of a lucky strike and not a well discussed plan of attack of group resources to dial in the ultimate.

If you are constantly chasing tone, go make your own!

Jeff Smith/NEWMAN