Building A Custom Guitar: Two Acoustic Guitar Tops
I've got a couple of new acoustic guitars on the go. This is the top. I've just glued the x-brace into it. I carve the braces by hand once they're glued in. I can't shape them first, as I make them tall and thin, coming to an almost-point, so I wouldn't ...
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April 21, 2009
Jim Fleeting Guitars: Bolivian Rosewood OM
It's been a busy few weeks. Here's the latest custom acoustic, fresh from my guitar workshop: Plenty of bear claw in that Sitka spruce top, not to mention lots of mellow bass and clear, ringing trebles. A great piece of wood. The top is Sitka spruce; the back is Bolivian rosewood; the ...
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March 23, 2009
Why Gibson Doesn’t Suck Right Now.
So I put a post up about Gibson, then I see this. The most stunning attribute of the new SG Carved Top–Autumn Burst (and there are many) is its highly figured maple top that rises unexpectedly from the traditional – yet still radical – dual-horned SG mahogany body shape, which is ...
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March 10, 2009
Why Gibson Sucks Right Now
Not my favourite brand this week, but in the interests of impartiality I will begin with a list of what I like about Gibson. The Good: Gibson is without doubt one of the most important and innovative brands when it comes to fretted instruments. Gibson has made the world's most sought after banjos ...
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March 8, 2009
Basschat Yorkshire Bass Bash
The Basschat Yorkshire Bass Bash, which took place in Harrogate at the weekend, saw the area's bassists and basses get together. It was organised via the popular Basschat.co.uk web forum, and I was invited along to give a talk. For a bass nerd like me, it was great to be in ...
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February 16, 2009
Jim Fleeting Guitars in the Guardian
A very nice piece was written about me in Saturday's Guardian. It's a feature about people with "dream jobs". Before I began making custom guitars I used to work in a grey office fixing computers; I had my Eureka! moment halfway up a mountain in the Basque Country. (You can ...
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February 10, 2009
Guitar Repair: refurbishing a 1969 Gibson SG
Sometimes it's hard to believe what is on my desk. Gibson only made SGs with front accessible controls in 1969. It should have a bigsby trem, and a scratchplate. It should also have a fingerboard. What a mess. This customer bought the guitar as is, as he knew that this could ...
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January 29, 2009
Koa is my favourite wood
Koa is beautiful. It is full of rich colours, and the figure that can be found in it is as good as I've seen in any wood. I built this bass in 2005. The koa top has a subtle flame and a rich, brown colour. Koa (acacia koa) is a ...
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January 22, 2009
My latest acoustic build – progress
As satisfying as it is to build a guitar, there are certain moments that really stand out. The obvious one comes at the end: when you string it up, and hear the first notes from the newly-made instrument. Another great moment is when you apply the first coats of finish; ...
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January 14, 2009
New Nine String Bass
An exhibition called Guitars, made in Britain, played the world over, is running at the Hub National Centre for Craft and Design in Sleaford, Lincolnshire, until 19 January. It showcases "the very best guitar making in the UK" and the curator is none other than Gordon Giltrap: one of Britain's ...
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January 11, 2009
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