Soon to be NGD...

[RonD]

Don't know if anyone is interested, but a few months back, I commissioned Chris Walsh to build a guitar for me.
I was looking for a 15", 24 3/4 scale, thinline, left handed hollow body!
Needless to say, not too many builders do this at a price I can afford.

I was scouring the internet, searching for just such a guitar, when I came across Chris's ebay page.
No hollow bodies, but I found a 15" semi, in a gorgeous, subtle red sorta burst and was immediately smitten!


Well, I kinda fell in love with this little beauty. Got in touch with Chris via email...
Awesome guy to work with! He insisted I ask questions about the guitar before buying!
I did both... questions and bought it!
I love the neck! The PUPs are incredible!

Got me wondering...would Chris build the guitar I had in mind?

This is where we currently stand...

Gotta say, I'm over the moon about the burst!
Basic specs... 15" lower bout, a smidge over 2" thickness, hollow body, 24 3/4 scale.
Here's the headstock we decided on...

I've got tons of pics of the build process.
If anyone is interested in seeing them, let me know and I'll post them.

Oh, ETA is late next week!!


Ron

[RonD]

Oh, I forgot to mention... all laminate, top, back and sides. Chris does the laminates, himself.

[docbop]

Headstock looks like Victor Baker's he's been using.

[mr. beaumont]

The Reagan headstock...

[RonD]

Thanks.

[Dedalus]

That second guitar looks like it'll be stunning, Ron. I'd love to see some more pics. And I see from his Ebay listings that he does everything: "From laminating the maple plates to winding the pickups...it's all done by me".

[Jabberwocky]

*Love the Haircut 100 headstock.

It reminded me of this band:

[GNAPPI]

Don't know if anyone is interested, but a few months back, I commissioned Chris Walsh to build a guitar for me.
I was looking for a 15", 24 3/4 scale, thinline, left handed hollow body!
Needless to say, not too many builders do this at a price I can afford.

This is where we currently stand...

Gotta say, I'm over the moon about the burst!
Ron

Asking if anyone is interested in a git is like standing up in a drug rehab and asking if anyone wants a joint :-)

Now, THAT's a burst! I can live with the basic Chevrolet black if it is all that is available but there's nothing like a nice burst, he should do a training video and sell it to Gibson.

If you haven't seen it yet, it looks like your git is featured on his facebook page with build pics.

[BigMikeinNJ]

The Reagan headstock...

Great guitar, you must be over the moon excited. Love the Ronnie "gee did I say that" headstock too...

[rsclosson]

Both guitars are stunning!

[Max405]

I love the guitar. It must be cool to have a guitar built for you. Lots of luck with it.

Funny thing, I stayed in a room one time at the Century City plaza that Ronald Reagan would stay in when he got older. The receptionist told me it was a special room because he would throw paper airplanes off the balcony in that room.. True Story.

[RonD]

Thanks for the kind words!
Here's a few of the preliminary shots that Chris sent me.
The top of the laminate. I requested flame maple.

Forms for vacuum pressing... sorry, don't know the techie term.

Adapting a 17" mold to 15".

[RonD]

X bracing for the top.

Then it started to resemble what I had in mind...

I started to get very excited!!

[RonD]

Asking if anyone is interested in a git is like standing up in a drug rehab and asking if anyone wants a joint :-)

Now, THAT's a burst! I can live with the basic Chevrolet black if it is all that is available but there's nothing like a nice burst, he should do a training video and sell it to Gibson.

If you haven't seen it yet, it looks like your git is featured on his facebook page with build pics.

GNAPPI,
This set is for you!





All I can say is... Oh yeah!!!

[RonD]

Then he scraped the binding...




Uh, speechless!

[RonD]

Headstock looks like Victor Baker's he's been using.

docbop,
I can see a similarity, but I chose the design, a few mods on some options that were offered.
Mine is also opposite, as I'm a lefty.
Sorry if you see this as some sort of infringement. My choice.
If I'd seen the VB, I would have gone in a different direction... I don't like this one at all.
Hope you get a chance to look at the other pics. It really works, for me.

Cheers,
Ron

[RonD]

This...

[RonD]

She's done! Chris sent me a few pics today.
Love how it turned out.
Shipping Monday.
It's gonna be a long week!!

[Eric Rowland]

That's fantastic! Very lovely! It reminds me of the Sadowsky SS-15. Please tell us how she plays and sounds when you can. Congratulations!

[Jabberwocky]

That's look very nice, RonD. Happy New Guitar Day.

[nick1994]

hey, I'm in the same boat. just bought a tele on ebay, will be shipped on monday and hopefully arrive by the end of the week.

[bananafist]

Hey, very nice guitar, love the flame and the burst - beautiful. That's the sort of thing I'm looking for.

[IbanezAS100]

Wonderful, congrats!

[mangotango]

Great looking guitar. I hope you enjoy it - het, can't see why you wouldn't.

If I were ever to have a guitar built for me, that's very close to what I would like. Ironically, if I ever were to have that opportunity, Victor Baker would get the call.

[BigMikeinNJ]

​Doggone !! That turned out very nicely !! Bet you're crawling the walls... Good for you buddy !!