@@CrimsonCustomGuitars awesome! No reason not to bid then even if you're not a fan of the silver back. The body shape, headstock design and binding are all absolutely awesome! Would love to see a solid body version.
I know better than to comment in the middle of one of Ben’s videos, so I waited. I love your enthusiasm but this guitars shape and innovative design deserves a much different finish my friend. I’ve been watching you for 3 years now and sometimes it’s ok to run over to Crimson and use the tools at your disposal. You’ve worked so hard to build this business, USE IT! LOL. Looking forward to the next build sir
Ben: this time I want to make a guitar people actually want to buy. Also Ben: I’m covering the beautiful flame on the back of the guitar is silver cause I like it 😂
@@bekkiewilson8894 I loved the fade, I was hoping when he rattle canned the inside he was rattle can the burst, scrape the binding and job done! All the flowing natural shapes…then dipped in alien robot molten metal 🙈
I’m sorry I’m not trying to be too critical, but it was looking great until you added the silver. I kind of think too that your “molten metal” theme contradicts the original natural theme you had going with the inlays and smooth flowing curves. I appreciate the work and effort you put in but kind of think you lost your own plot and vision while building it. Maybe it’s because you felt under the gun and didn’t have as much time to fully consider your choices. Personally I think just the textured black would’ve worked out better than the silver. It would’ve given it more of a charred wood kind of look which would’ve fit your original theme much better. It’s still a neat build but I’d probably not go for it personally. I’m sure it will still find a good home though. Please don’t take my criticism to harshly I still love you man.
I feel for you Ben. When you've made countless numbers of guitars, it's a challenge to come up with exciting new innovative designs that are going to be sure fire hits. And you have to do this whilst being scrutinised publicly. Stay true to yourself and do what excites you.
Ben is a guitar building machine… that needs a big red emergency stop button. This silver texture makes me wanna cry, especially on the back. This is an interesting finishing concept, but it doesn’t work at all on this build.
I think that technique could be used effectively for relicing, as it looks like years of being handled by someone who doesn't bathe having caked up on the thing... It honestly evokes a sense of disgust in me, lol.
He's lost focus. He thinks that every idea he has is amazing. There's nobody around to tell him "no it's not." He rarely has a plan and just improvises his way around these builds now. Imagine Ben from 5 years ago making this build...that would be a killer guitar.
@@spacemanspiff9780 No he has the mind of an eccentric. Some times he goes a bit crazy. You have to admit though really, if it weren't for men like this the world would be a very boring place.
@@bekkiewilson8894 Eccentric is ok in moderation but he's all over the place now. No focus at all. Convinced his next idea is better than the last. Ruining weeks are hard work in a spilt second because a idea will pop into his head. He even missed the deadline to HIS OWN guitar building compition because he can't get his act together anymore.
I actually like the texture of the graphite/silver finish, but not on this guitar. Have to admit that the headstock has grown on me though, and watching you experiment is always good, even if the result isn't what a lot of us would want. Oh, but that back is 10000% too much and I will politely scream at you.
Sorry for the delay, it's not Entirely Ben's fault that this video is so late. Technical difficulties, 1 Premiere Pro crash, an Upload fail and being stuck at 99% Processing for hours 😭 Who else has experienced this??? - Talitha
It’s a journey, and the best part is the toad trip, it’s not always about where you’re going, it’s how you get there! Honestly, my brain is fried by this one Ben, I love it and hate it, I’m in mourning for the flame, but it’s also god damned genius. Keep it coming my friend!
Back in the day, I was looking for an editor for use with DV taped video. Tried out Premiere, (the old version) which was the crashiest pice of junk i had ever used. Found that FCP 3 at the time worked much better. Have stuck with it, even though i haven't done much of use with it for a long time, but transitioned to the X version of this, and never looked back. But Premiere , even today, seems to have a bit of a reputation. I know a lot of people will of course say "Premiere is great", but my earlier experiences with it turned me off it, and ironically, that export hanging was one thing i had many times with the old version of Premiere. Might be time to have a look at Davinci resolve? as the free version will do 95% of what most people want, and the extra bits that come with the paid version (Note, at a ONE OFF PRICE!) are really for the more demanding pro users. And of course it is also one of the most used colour correction tools in the biz.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I've been using Davinci 16 for my GGBO edits and it's been flawless. Not a single crash or hiccup, even though my Macbook is somewhat older already.
Fantastic. It's been a wild ride - I wasn't sure if the wheels would come off at times. Thanks for putting yourself out there and letting everyone take part in your creative process.
I think this is the culmination of all your work over the past year. You’ve managed to develop a 4lb guitar with a unique new offset shape, completely new style of neck joint and a totally new headstock design ( which is a really difficult thing to come up with ) and combine that with a unique finish with texture. I think this is where this guitar needed to go and I love it. You’ve basically redesigned the whole concept of building an electric guitar in a matter of weeks.
There is much to love about this guitar. Leaving aside the looks for the moment, it is innovative, lightweight and novel. Looks-wise, there are so many ideas - perhaps too many for one guitar - but it is a design that can inspire many others. Personally speaking, I love the shape of the body and the headstock - it's as if Gibson met Vox, Rickenbacker and Hofner for a naughty weekend somewhere in a corner of Ben's mind, which works for me. I don't like the back - it looks rushed (it was) - and I would much prefer the same finish as the front. The splits in the top with the binding are gorgeous, however, as is that little detail in the binding on the back just below the neck. And again, that headstock. That double scallop is so elegant, and so far from where it began, yet at the same time, an obvious development. Several times I asked 'Ben, what are you doing?' and shook my head, yet once again the finished(?) instrument is more cohesive and better looking than I thought it was going to be. Finally, I appreciate that Ben shows us the mistakes, disasters, and when he changes his mind. Truly inspiring and entertaining stuff. PS: And the amount of work that goes into filming and editing is not lost on us - thank you!
Thank you, thank you very very much! This sort of thoughtful comment (every point of which I agree with - especially the 'too many ideas' bit.. makes all the non-constructive negativity worth reading. I am, I promise, going to get better at not rushing in the future, and will, as much as possible, try to stick to a more concrete concept for each build moving forward. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Thanks for the reply, Ben. Concrete concepts are great, but please allow your madness to run every now and then - it's one of the best bits. That headstock, for example, would never have been if not for the failed binding idea. It's damn fun to watch, too :)
Sorry, but I hate the textured silver with every fibre of my being. Really like the core design of the guitar, but that last step was a leap too far for my tastes.
I like the guitar, not so wild about the finish. My heart sank when you started talking about texture. Even the same paints in a smooth finish would have been better. The back, oh that back..., uh... yeah. However, I do like the body shape, and the way you built it. There are some cool concepts in this guitar for future exploration.
Douglas Adams (who was famous for driving his publisher nuts because he was always late on delivering a book), once said something like, "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by!"
Too be completely honest I'm a traditionalist when it comes to guitars, and therefore SHOULDN'T enjoy your work as much as I do. However, I'm also artistically impulsive and love stellar craftsmanship, probably more than most. Your "crazy scientist" kind of attitude to your work is amazing and my biggest dream is to some day enjoy work as much as you! You definitely have my vote Ben. You rock
Right, it's a cool instrument and I agree that the splines needed to be covered. But why not just spray the edges a thicker solid black and expose the flame (front and back) and put a good shine finish on. (thinking like a silverburst but with the flame instead of silver). Credit where it's due, the idea was cool and you can't say he's not brave 😂.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars No spray booth? As a collector you of all ppl should know the old saying... "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools". It wasn't how it was applied, it was the silver itself that killed it.
Great transition from the old burst to the textured silver burst. Love watching your videos on the weekends. Can't wait to see your next build. You've shown, over the years, guitar building doesn't have to be "cookie cutter " designs. Thanks for the videos.
I find myself shouting "OH NOOOO Ben, what have you done" more often than before. I totally appreciate Bens experimenting and his ability to admit failure as well. But I also keep thinking, less is sometimes more! In his later builds I find he often went to far with originality and experimentation. The silver definitely went too far IMHO. Fortunately it's a matter of taste, and for everyone who doesn't like the end-result, there'll be one who absolutely loves it.
About half the time I think he's made a mistake and it always ends up coming out great. almost like he's very good at his job. But this is the first time I don't think it came together. Cool idea but I don't think this was the guitar for it.
definitely not liking the textured finish as I'm watching it happen hopefully the end of the video changes my mind. Edit: Unfortunately I'm at the end of the video and the guitar has gone from being awesome to not really for me I can sort of live with the front sort of, maybe, perhaps but the back is definitely a no however it works on the headstock quite nicely. Definitely a guitar for me before the textured finish even with the "imperfections" as you say but after the texture finish the guitar is no longer to my taste. Should definitely look at providing that shape in a Solid Body 👀
I think the silver could work on a build where that's the plan from the get go, but on this one it's a cool effect and done well but somehow it just doesn't quite fit... don't ask me why because i couldn't tell, it just seems... off
there’s plenty of things that come to mind and could be said. but i don’t see any reasons to make mean or hurtful comments. therefore i keep those things to myself.
Your guitar has a resonance with todays life, strangly beautiful with the great woods, structures and molten design. Your internal creative fight is fascinating and I greatly encourage you to not lose this aspect of your exploration. Its liberating, thank you.
Ben, I hope you see this. I could argue both for and against the various aesthetics of this build, but I don't think that's important here. This comment is to thank you for this build, and documenting it so openly, warts and all. To see a master builder struggle, problem solve, pick battles, and accept a few compromises along the way is wonderful gift of humanity to those who suffer with feelings of shame when the littlest of setbacks occur. Thank you for pushing the envelope of engineering in luthierie here. From a design standpoint, this guitar is a revelation in many ways. It has made me rethink many things about my own (as yet still unbuilt) designs. Lines, structure, joinery, binding, inlay, veneer use, TEXTURE... my wheels are turning in new directions now, with a previously unimagined freedom. Regardless of anyone's opinions about finish choices, this guitar is a work of unspeakable genius and exceptional courage. I'm so glad you embraced the ideas in your heart and allowed this build to take you on its journey. All innovators sacrifice some sanity along the way, but once in a while the results are worth the risk. I believe this one has easily met that standard. Well done Ben.
I liked the freckles. It was interesting. I like the way they were darker than the rest of the wood. Seeing the structural elements, if done well, can really add to a design.
Everything these days is flamed maple and either oil or high gloss! I love the change up here. It's refreshing to see this result as a fix for something you weren't happy about. I personally think it was a killer save! It's awesome.
I was on a date at the weekend and I mentioned that I enjoyed watching your channel as I never quite knew what you would do next. Then I came home and saw this corker..That is the magic of your channel.. there are loads of great ideas in this build from skewers, the inlay to the headstock.. the use of textures is interesting and no-one would have minded if this was the initial direction of travel. Keep up the originality Ben..
I rarely take the time to comment on TH-cam videos, in fact, I can't remember the last time I did so. I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your enthusiasm for guitar building. I've watched most of your builds, and I regularly catch myself yelling at the screen over some of the "ridiculous" choices you've made, only to sit back in awe once the final vision is fully unveiled at the end. This time is no different. While this may not be a guitar that fits me, I think that you've pushed the boundaries of what guitar building could and should be to yet another level. I really love how this guitar turned out, and I think you deserve a hell of a lot of praise for following your instincts. I am a molecular biologist, I've never done any woodworking before and building a guitar has always felt out of the scope for me (even though its been a dream of mine to do so), but you've changed that, and for that you have my deepest gratitude!
Not gonna lie. I was all "nice, hmmm, ooohhh, wut, oh yeah, damn that's cool." And then you flipped her over and that silver back flashed at me and I screamed a little bit. Me face is still twitching slightly. Good thing that it'll be mostly invisible ;) Everything else is gobsmackingly gorgeous.
You know when you have truly edgy art when not everyone gets it. Gotta take risks to see what may be possible and not worry about those with traditional sensibilities. Thanks for having the courage to put it out there for all to say what they think about it. The result is different, but I think it works. Keep doing what keeps you engaged with your art Ben!
I really appreciate that you went for a finish that is unique an interesting, rather than sticking with one that you weren't proud of. I would have liked to see a bit of that flame maple come out of the back, like the reflection of red in the center of a rough mirror. But this is a very unique and interesting guitar. Keep innovating and going for what excites you, dude!
To be honest, this one is a bit of a miss for me. There’s lot to really like about the design and shape, but I can’t help but feel this would have looked 1000x better as a more traditional semi-acoustic - the “sandwich” effect just doesn’t work for me, and the silver back just looks incongruous.
I'm with you. The finish looks like someone painted over a good finish with Hammerite, the pickups look off-set... mistakes happen when you're on the cutting edge, and this was a miss for me.
I really like this - the textures look great. Can't help thinking a blue burst would have looked better, perhaps going for an ice/frozen theme. I mean your bamboo skewers would be ideal icicles.
First, you are the man for continuing to innovate, and try new things, but LOVE that you continue to take huge risks at the end stage of this competition. Incredibly inspiring to make us all push ourselves more. Just over the few minutes of photos and camera pans, the new finish grew on me immensely, and both sides of the headstock, in particular, are just sublime. Lastly, 1,000 thanks for the wild idea of incorporating super glue as a textural finishing component. Excellent, excellent stuff - and good karma for days on the charity!
I’d call that finish a “frozen” burst. Love the front and headstock. Less so the back. Would love to see that done with copper wax next to that bourbon flame. Great concept and an entertaining series as always. 👍
I would love to see a glow coming from the inside of that beast, this was a very creative build. I can only imagine the tension during this build. Congrats
So much potential in this build, but it missed the mark for me. I would love to see the same idea revisited with a more traditional approach. It'd look amazing.
The Front looks amazing also like the Headstock is oustanding! But the Backside is abit to much Silver...i wish you would give it the finish of the Front with some of that nice Woodtexture.. But an impressive Guitar. She sounds clean and bright. Good job men.
The finish makes me think of a tropical island. There’s the volcano/molten lava on the body and the natural forest vibe of the fretboard. The real MVP of this build series is definitely the editor haha. Ben should do something really nice for her now that this video is out! Haha
Love how the headstock turned out. Cringed at the back being completely covered with the silvery finish, just not to my taste. The build seemed like a continuous correction or improv to a design that wasn't working. Absolutely loved watching it all and the thought process behind your decisions. The body design was pretty epic!! Looking forward to the next build 🤟
Covering up imperfections with "imperfect" finish, genius. Personally I love the creative out of box thinking. Why I keep coming back to your channel. But hey art is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also the back totally looks like the moons surface! Keep it up! Cheers. Side note: That Bullet Bill tee shirt is awesome!
She sounds great, even straight. The shape and design is awesome. However, I could live without the silver. The blotchy original finish looked nice. Now it looks like cpt disalution 😂 We still love you Ben, don't worry!! 😁
It's not without its charm, but I'm not really digging the silver edges, and I definitely don't like the silver back. I think the original idea of odd construction and classic finish would've been better. But hey, that's just me.
Don't let all of the negativity get you down about your decisions to change the finish. The more I looked at it the more it grew on me. The silver and red go really well together. If that's how you envisioned the guitar then that's what matters. You're the builder. You being excited and happy with it is more than enough. 99% of the people saying they don't like it wouldn't be able to afford to bid on this anyway and most likely would not have bid on it even if it stayed as what you had before, so the person who genuinely wants it will get it and be happy with it.
I wouldn't call it a massive fail. The basic idea is sound. Much of the execution is nice and well done, but the end product looks like a frankenstein monster of unrelated designs. Even the best of us have our failures. Put it behind you and move forward.
A case of not knowing when to stop. Ever sat in the hairdressers chair watching your hair being cut and it gets to the point where you think yep that looks really nice, but they carry on cutting and shaving and before you know it......you have this guitar. Sorry.
Honestly... I preferred the chicken pox version with the black dots. Losing the flame the back was in my view a step far too far. Especially with the super glue Texture... I'd have to play it but I suspect the texture on the upper bout would be really annoying when playing as it'll catch on my forearm, might be style thing but not for me there.
Lovely feedback! It's way strong enough. The only problem with the bridge is that getting it off and back is more difficult than it needs to be. That can be simply fixed by putting the wood block where the screws are and using regular wood screws. You could also easily make this through-stringed by putting the block where the through holes are. The main force is pinching the top between bridge and neck and that's well covered. It is critical to have enough wood between neck and pickup cavities, that's where it fails if it's too narrow. With that hardware and cabling you don't need shielding at all. It's already shielded.
I love the texture of the finish. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the combination of the crimson stain and the silver, but it's growing on me. Ultimately, I love watching you experiment and salvage problem areas in your projects. It inspires me to think more creatively when I run into challenges and see what I can do to work them into the design rather than just scrapping things and starting over.
With all possible respect to Ben, you have found my personal bridge-to-far point. I’ve watched Crimson builds where there were moments of concern but Ben’s vision has always pulled them through into things of beauty. This was like hearing there’s a ’59 Les Paul for sale in your town, and then opening the case to see that some dude in 1988 brushed it with green house paint and threw in some active pickups to make it “cool”. You described the stain burst as amateur but I think that applies far more to the end result instead. If this guitar ever came into my life my first move would be reach for the sandpaper to start refinishing. It’s honestly only my understanding of the TH-cam algorithm and a wish to do no harm to this channel that stopped me from changing my like on this video to a thumbs down. Sorry I can’t get on board with this one 😕
Hey man, I respect that. And thanks for letting me know. The whole time I was worrying about it looking like a craft project, I actually really do like it, but can also see that a lot of people will not like this one.. which makes me 😥 B
Green house paint would be an improvement over most burst finishes to my eyes, but that's because taste is subjective. The first thing I'd do to a '59 is part it out, make a whole lot of money off a bunch of parts I don't like, and then use a tiny fraction of that money to put in the hardware I do like, because I'd like the guitar more that way. It would have the spillover benefit of pissing a bunch of people off. I'm glad he did something goofy with this guitar. The last thing the world needs is another boring burst job. But that's just my opinion - you disagree, and that's okay. ;)
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I realize that I didn’t make clear I’m only talking about what happened after the lacquer polish, up until then I was entirely on board. The design is awesome and exactly the kind of imaginative flight of fancy that keep bringing me back (and have me saving my pennies for a kit or a course)! And I’m not even opposed to texture, it’s just this particular outcome. Keep up the beautiful work man!
I waited to see the end result before commenting as I generally trust Ben's judgement. Whilst the textured finish looks good, this was the wrong guitar to do it on, the crimson burst / blood burst (sounds more metal) looked great and I'd have opted to fix the problems with the finish than go in the different direction Ben opted for. All in all I love the guitar's shape and contours but the strut work holding it together and the textured silvered finish makes it a no for me. The red, white and silver colours also make it look like it's got a naff Christmas theme going on and as we all know a guitar is for life not just for Christmas. Perhaps Ben should experiment with that textured finish again with a blue burst finish on a solid bodied guitar with a cast aluminium neck...
I love the bit at 12:42 when Ben starts a grumbly rant about the reasons he hates wire wool and Talitha just turns up the music and drowns it out... (Sibling editor for the win!) This finish, although utterly unexpected, actually looks really great, Ben!
Murphy's Law. Murphy's First Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. ... Murphy's Fourth Law: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then. Hofstadter’s Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law. (Gödel Escher Bach by Douglas R. Hofstadter)
There are some projects that just get away from us early on and that just can't be pulled back. I've felt all along this is very much one of these. Ben's artistry gets closer to redeeming it than most would, but the end result doesn't really hang together in the way that his work usually does. I think the underlying idea is original and clever and the shape is nice too; without the time pressures, I'm sure Ben could make a stunning job of it. I actually think it would work really well with a traditional burst and natural wood bindings. Thanks as always for sharing the journey, Ben.
Hi Ben! I'm a retired crane operator and I set a lot of iron on building jobs and bridges and such. I have to say that this design is quite appealing to me with all of the structural webbing (girders) in the center and the ironish textures, Good Job !
Love this guitar. The silver sort of looks like cooled lava. Though I do think it's a bit of a shame that you covered all the burst on the back. I wish I was filthy rich because I would bid on this guitar to win it for my husband. Awesome work Ben you never fail to impress me. When my hubby inspired the name for Shred I decided it was time for me to subscribe and add in my own comments. Forgive me for taking so long. I look forward to the next build.
First reaction ..Ok... I'm at the point where you're about to do what ever it is you're going to do.. I must say.. I'm a little apprehensive. Second reaction.. OMFG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!! Third Reaction.. Ben,,,, you've went full on eccentric from artistry my friend... Might be time to step back and contemplate with a good cup of coffee. A million future figured maple tree's are crying out in pain. I think the concept of the guitar is awesome. The finish.. Not so much. Now if you were to build a guitar that would be more built around the texturing idea.. I could see some great coming out of it. But Not on this one.
Keep up the amazing work. Your willingness to shine light into the dark, unexplored corners of guitar building, will light the way for the rest of us to explore by. You are a true pioneer.
I like how every episode the build takes a new direction and you're trying cool things out. It was a huge suprise to see the back covered in silver :-) it's looking cool for sure, you haven't ruined it. It's been interesting to see how the finishes interact too. Cheers
The body shape is stunning. I love the construction and the amended headstock is great. But that finish on top of the sunburst ruined it for me. Sorry Ben, I love your out of the box thinking but you lost your way twice on this build.
I like it. To be honest, the last thing the world needs is yet another run of the mill burst, there's been enough of those made for the next 300 years.
Your awesome Ben!!! We always go on this amazing journey every single build and always its crazy but always is the absolute best .. thank you .. love it
I've not really liked much on this guitar if I'm honest, but that burst finish you just ruined by covering in silver was one of them. I think this now looks like what some "edgy" teenager might do to their guitar to try and be original. The transition between the smooth shiny centre and rough outer texture is too jarring, it looks like an afterthought.
I loved watching you, the fact it didn't turn out as planned is just part of the process and shows us that you arnt infallible and makes us know it's okay to fail sometimes, and still think you did better then several other contestants, at least you didn't just practice carving on a basically complete guitar with basic parts.
Wasn't sure about the finish when you started it but yet again my mind was blown at the end by how incredible it looks! 🤯 personally i can't find a single criticism! Well done Ben!
Ben imo you’ve completely bolloxed that guitar build up. Will be interesting to see how much it sells for. Hope you haven’t done the same with the final part of the Nebula finish?
She’s... beautiful! There are guitars that belong in the studio, and guitars that are at home in your bedroom / living room. This beauty belongs on the stage! I *love* the silver. The contrast between the tradition of the flame top and binding with the modern silver is amazing, and I’m so on board with the idea of introducing more texture to guitars! As Mrs Pigfender remarked as we were watching together, the whole point of GGBO is to produce something distinctive and creative. To our eyes, the silver really embodied the spirit of the competition and looks amazing. Well done, Ben! PS - bring back cat watch! :)
I know the finish may have gotten a bit away from you, but that headstock is STUNNING. The front of the body is also quite nice, but there is something truly magical happening on that headstock that I dearly hope you continue to play with and incorporate on later builds. The juxtaposition of the warm beautifully grained wood and the metallic heavily textured shielding paint is mesmerizing.
I have no idea how you keep doing this. There are like 10 things just on this guitar that I have never seen anyone do. Any amount of money would be a bargain for such a beautiful work of art.
We can only imagine how this guitar looks as far as the finish, due to the fact that we see it through a “window” as it were. Your choices in finishes are always unique. I was very keen on the addition of the silver metal look, but all over the back was a bit much. Sometimes less is more. In this case I would agree. The banding going into the body is brilliant! It goes to show that there are many options to building a guitar that is not traditional, but could become traditional in a heartbeat! The fact that the top swoops down near that banding is also spot on. Neck and headstock are perfect additions to this musical instrument. Lastly, the sound quality is superb. Again, you have shown your skills. Always a pleasure. And to be honest, I would love to own this guitar, just for the wow factor. (I’d play on it too!)
Fine line between genius and lunacy- Ben, you have a foot in both camps... don't change! Amazing guitar, I had my doubts part way through, but shouldn't have worried.
What if the winner wants the original finish???
I will happily work with the winner to customise it.. and will film the process! B
Sorry, Ben. I don't like the back at all. The front is OK.
@@alanwalker1698 I think he should have left some of the burst on the back.
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars awesome! No reason not to bid then even if you're not a fan of the silver back. The body shape, headstock design and binding are all absolutely awesome! Would love to see a solid body version.
I like everything except the back, it had such beautiful flame and the finish complimented it nicely.
You may not be “a guitarist” fella, but you’re much, much better than a lot of people I’ve heard call themselves “a Good guitarist”
I know better than to comment in the middle of one of Ben’s videos, so I waited. I love your enthusiasm but this guitars shape and innovative design deserves a much different finish my friend. I’ve been watching you for 3 years now and sometimes it’s ok to run over to Crimson and use the tools at your disposal. You’ve worked so hard to build this business, USE IT! LOL. Looking forward to the next build sir
Ben: this time I want to make a guitar people actually want to buy.
Also Ben: I’m covering the beautiful flame on the back of the guitar is silver cause I like it 😂
Either way I still think just a little bit of the burst on the back would have looked good. I have said this too many times now I think
@@bekkiewilson8894 I loved the fade, I was hoping when he rattle canned the inside he was rattle can the burst, scrape the binding and job done! All the flowing natural shapes…then dipped in alien robot molten metal 🙈
I’m sorry I’m not trying to be too critical, but it was looking great until you added the silver. I kind of think too that your “molten metal” theme contradicts the original natural theme you had going with the inlays and smooth flowing curves. I appreciate the work and effort you put in but kind of think you lost your own plot and vision while building it. Maybe it’s because you felt under the gun and didn’t have as much time to fully consider your choices. Personally I think just the textured black would’ve worked out better than the silver. It would’ve given it more of a charred wood kind of look which would’ve fit your original theme much better. It’s still a neat build but I’d probably not go for it personally. I’m sure it will still find a good home though. Please don’t take my criticism to harshly I still love you man.
Agreed - I was OK with the front but not the back. For me, that ruined the look. But the sound was great.
Yeah.
I feel for you Ben. When you've made countless numbers of guitars, it's a challenge to come up with exciting new innovative designs that are going to be sure fire hits. And you have to do this whilst being scrutinised publicly. Stay true to yourself and do what excites you.
Leo only did a couple.
@@dennisneo1608 oof, did you really type that? I’m embarrassed for you.
Ben just needs to plan things a little better. He tends to rush into things and then regrets it.
Ben is a guitar building machine… that needs a big red emergency stop button.
This silver texture makes me wanna cry, especially on the back. This is an interesting finishing concept, but it doesn’t work at all on this build.
Initially I though the "freckles" were silly and then I kinda fell in love with them, and then I started crying and turned the video off.
I think that technique could be used effectively for relicing, as it looks like years of being handled by someone who doesn't bathe having caked up on the thing... It honestly evokes a sense of disgust in me, lol.
He's lost focus. He thinks that every idea he has is amazing. There's nobody around to tell him "no it's not."
He rarely has a plan and just improvises his way around these builds now. Imagine Ben from 5 years ago making this build...that would be a killer guitar.
@@spacemanspiff9780 No he has the mind of an eccentric. Some times he goes a bit crazy. You have to admit though really, if it weren't for men like this the world would be a very boring place.
@@bekkiewilson8894 Eccentric is ok in moderation but he's all over the place now. No focus at all. Convinced his next idea is better than the last. Ruining weeks are hard work in a spilt second because a idea will pop into his head.
He even missed the deadline to HIS OWN guitar building compition because he can't get his act together anymore.
I actually like the texture of the graphite/silver finish, but not on this guitar. Have to admit that the headstock has grown on me though, and watching you experiment is always good, even if the result isn't what a lot of us would want. Oh, but that back is 10000% too much and I will politely scream at you.
Sorry for the delay, it's not Entirely Ben's fault that this video is so late. Technical difficulties, 1 Premiere Pro crash, an Upload fail and being stuck at 99% Processing for hours 😭
Who else has experienced this??? - Talitha
Funny enough the technical difficulties always seem to happen when things are already running late!
It’s a journey, and the best part is the toad trip, it’s not always about where you’re going, it’s how you get there!
Honestly, my brain is fried by this one Ben, I love it and hate it, I’m in mourning for the flame, but it’s also god damned genius.
Keep it coming my friend!
Back in the day, I was looking for an editor for use with DV taped video. Tried out Premiere, (the old version) which was the crashiest pice of junk i had ever used. Found that FCP 3 at the time worked much better. Have stuck with it, even though i haven't done much of use with it for a long time, but transitioned to the X version of this, and never looked back. But Premiere , even today, seems to have a bit of a reputation. I know a lot of people will of course say "Premiere is great", but my earlier experiences with it turned me off it, and ironically, that export hanging was one thing i had many times with the old version of Premiere.
Might be time to have a look at Davinci resolve? as the free version will do 95% of what most people want, and the extra bits that come with the paid version (Note, at a ONE OFF PRICE!) are really for the more demanding pro users. And of course it is also one of the most used colour correction tools in the biz.
@@lexluthier9453 Thank you, I have worked with both FCP and Da Vinci in the past, maybe it's time to switch again...
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I've been using Davinci 16 for my GGBO edits and it's been flawless. Not a single crash or hiccup, even though my Macbook is somewhat older already.
Fantastic. It's been a wild ride - I wasn't sure if the wheels would come off at times. Thanks for putting yourself out there and letting everyone take part in your creative process.
I think the biggest problem for me is that I've seen what could have been. I don't hate the final result, but I really liked that original burst...
I think this is the culmination of all your work over the past year. You’ve managed to develop a 4lb guitar with a unique new offset shape, completely new style of neck joint and a totally new headstock design ( which is a really difficult thing to come up with ) and combine that with a unique finish with texture. I think this is where this guitar needed to go and I love it. You’ve basically redesigned the whole concept of building an electric guitar in a matter of weeks.
The ability to transform failure to success is the mark of a true professional. Well done.
There is much to love about this guitar. Leaving aside the looks for the moment, it is innovative, lightweight and novel. Looks-wise, there are so many ideas - perhaps too many for one guitar - but it is a design that can inspire many others.
Personally speaking, I love the shape of the body and the headstock - it's as if Gibson met Vox, Rickenbacker and Hofner for a naughty weekend somewhere in a corner of Ben's mind, which works for me.
I don't like the back - it looks rushed (it was) - and I would much prefer the same finish as the front. The splits in the top with the binding are gorgeous, however, as is that little detail in the binding on the back just below the neck. And again, that headstock. That double scallop is so elegant, and so far from where it began, yet at the same time, an obvious development.
Several times I asked 'Ben, what are you doing?' and shook my head, yet once again the finished(?) instrument is more cohesive and better looking than I thought it was going to be.
Finally, I appreciate that Ben shows us the mistakes, disasters, and when he changes his mind. Truly inspiring and entertaining stuff.
PS: And the amount of work that goes into filming and editing is not lost on us - thank you!
Thank you, thank you very very much! This sort of thoughtful comment (every point of which I agree with - especially the 'too many ideas' bit.. makes all the non-constructive negativity worth reading. I am, I promise, going to get better at not rushing in the future, and will, as much as possible, try to stick to a more concrete concept for each build moving forward. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Thanks for the reply, Ben. Concrete concepts are great, but please allow your madness to run every now and then - it's one of the best bits. That headstock, for example, would never have been if not for the failed binding idea. It's damn fun to watch, too :)
Well said.
" Gibson met Vox, Rickenbacker and Hofner for a naughty weekend somewhere in a corner of Ben's mind" made me actual lol.
@@MagicMusicAdam glad I can still make you laugh :)
Sorry, but I hate the textured silver with every fibre of my being.
Really like the core design of the guitar, but that last step was a leap too far for my tastes.
I like the guitar, not so wild about the finish. My heart sank when you started talking about texture. Even the same paints in a smooth finish would have been better. The back, oh that back..., uh... yeah.
However, I do like the body shape, and the way you built it. There are some cool concepts in this guitar for future exploration.
Douglas Adams (who was famous for driving his publisher nuts because he was always late on delivering a book), once said something like, "I love deadlines. I love the whooshing sound they make as they fly by!"
Yeah, George RR Martin took it to a different level. That whooshing sound needs a long, ever repeating delay…
Too be completely honest I'm a traditionalist when it comes to guitars, and therefore SHOULDN'T enjoy your work as much as I do. However, I'm also artistically impulsive and love stellar craftsmanship, probably more than most. Your "crazy scientist" kind of attitude to your work is amazing and my biggest dream is to some day enjoy work as much as you!
You definitely have my vote Ben. You rock
Right, it's a cool instrument and I agree that the splines needed to be covered. But why not just spray the edges a thicker solid black and expose the flame (front and back) and put a good shine finish on. (thinking like a silverburst but with the flame instead of silver). Credit where it's due, the idea was cool and you can't say he's not brave 😂.
Sometimes when your in a hole it’s best to stop digging, or in this case adding stuff.
I couldn't agree more! B
And many of my issues stem from not using a proper spray booth etc.. maybe I need to revisit that stance. B
I agree 😕
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars No spray booth?
As a collector you of all ppl should know the old saying... "It's a poor craftsman who blames his tools".
It wasn't how it was applied, it was the silver itself that killed it.
Ben, you need that third shed! Ben "three sheds" Wolfe!
Great transition from the old burst to the textured silver burst. Love watching your videos on the weekends. Can't wait to see your next build.
You've shown, over the years, guitar building doesn't have to be "cookie cutter " designs.
Thanks for the videos.
I find myself shouting "OH NOOOO Ben, what have you done" more often than before. I totally appreciate Bens experimenting and his ability to admit failure as well. But I also keep thinking, less is sometimes more! In his later builds I find he often went to far with originality and experimentation. The silver definitely went too far IMHO. Fortunately it's a matter of taste, and for everyone who doesn't like the end-result, there'll be one who absolutely loves it.
I’m with you there - when he showed the back I almost yelled at the empty room.
About half the time I think he's made a mistake and it always ends up coming out great. almost like he's very good at his job. But this is the first time I don't think it came together. Cool idea but I don't think this was the guitar for it.
definitely not liking the textured finish as I'm watching it happen hopefully the end of the video changes my mind.
Edit: Unfortunately I'm at the end of the video and the guitar has gone from being awesome to not really for me I can sort of live with the front sort of, maybe, perhaps but the back is definitely a no however it works on the headstock quite nicely.
Definitely a guitar for me before the textured finish even with the "imperfections" as you say but after the texture finish the guitar is no longer to my taste.
Should definitely look at providing that shape in a Solid Body 👀
Shocked people like the silver????? IMO should have just made the dark part of the rim burst more consistent.
I think the silver could work on a build where that's the plan from the get go, but on this one it's a cool effect and done well but somehow it just doesn't quite fit... don't ask me why because i couldn't tell, it just seems... off
agreed, and it must be really „comfortable“ to rest your arm on that silver scratchy rim🙄
Perhaps gold would have contrasted better with the colour, or copper.
there’s plenty of things that come to mind and could be said. but i don’t see any reasons to make mean or hurtful comments. therefore i keep those things to myself.
You could also go over the edges with a rattle can, to spray in the burst
Your guitar has a resonance with todays life, strangly beautiful with the great woods, structures and molten design. Your internal creative fight is fascinating and I greatly encourage you to not lose this aspect of your exploration. Its liberating, thank you.
Ben, I hope you see this. I could argue both for and against the various aesthetics of this build, but I don't think that's important here. This comment is to thank you for this build, and documenting it so openly, warts and all. To see a master builder struggle, problem solve, pick battles, and accept a few compromises along the way is wonderful gift of humanity to those who suffer with feelings of shame when the littlest of setbacks occur. Thank you for pushing the envelope of engineering in luthierie here. From a design standpoint, this guitar is a revelation in many ways. It has made me rethink many things about my own (as yet still unbuilt) designs. Lines, structure, joinery, binding, inlay, veneer use, TEXTURE... my wheels are turning in new directions now, with a previously unimagined freedom. Regardless of anyone's opinions about finish choices, this guitar is a work of unspeakable genius and exceptional courage. I'm so glad you embraced the ideas in your heart and allowed this build to take you on its journey. All innovators sacrifice some sanity along the way, but once in a while the results are worth the risk. I believe this one has easily met that standard. Well done Ben.
The problem "freckles" looked better than the solution.
yeah.. I think you may be right. B
I agree totally
I liked the freckles. It was interesting. I like the way they were darker than the rest of the wood. Seeing the structural elements, if done well, can really add to a design.
This is a study in the artistic process, one thing leading to another transforming the vison totally. Quite crazy!
Everything these days is flamed maple and either oil or high gloss! I love the change up here. It's refreshing to see this result as a fix for something you weren't happy about. I personally think it was a killer save! It's awesome.
Sounds nice Ben! Love all the EruPtioNs of creativity through out the entire build.
I was seriously doubting you would pull this "unique" guitar build together, well played sir... it is amazing.
LOVE that body and headstock design, but hot damn that re-finish was fugly!
I was on a date at the weekend and I mentioned that I enjoyed watching your channel as I never quite knew what you would do next. Then I came home and saw this corker..That is the magic of your channel.. there are loads of great ideas in this build from skewers, the inlay to the headstock.. the use of textures is interesting and no-one would have minded if this was the initial direction of travel. Keep up the originality Ben..
I rarely take the time to comment on TH-cam videos, in fact, I can't remember the last time I did so. I just wanted to say that I absolutely love your enthusiasm for guitar building. I've watched most of your builds, and I regularly catch myself yelling at the screen over some of the "ridiculous" choices you've made, only to sit back in awe once the final vision is fully unveiled at the end. This time is no different. While this may not be a guitar that fits me, I think that you've pushed the boundaries of what guitar building could and should be to yet another level. I really love how this guitar turned out, and I think you deserve a hell of a lot of praise for following your instincts. I am a molecular biologist, I've never done any woodworking before and building a guitar has always felt out of the scope for me (even though its been a dream of mine to do so), but you've changed that, and for that you have my deepest gratitude!
I too would have preferred the back “non-silvered” Ben, but it’s a beautiful unique guitar and sounds great.
Keith.
Not gonna lie. I was all "nice, hmmm, ooohhh, wut, oh yeah, damn that's cool." And then you flipped her over and that silver back flashed at me and I screamed a little bit.
Me face is still twitching slightly.
Good thing that it'll be mostly invisible ;) Everything else is gobsmackingly gorgeous.
You know when you have truly edgy art when not everyone gets it. Gotta take risks to see what may be possible and not worry about those with traditional sensibilities. Thanks for having the courage to put it out there for all to say what they think about it. The result is different, but I think it works. Keep doing what keeps you engaged with your art Ben!
I really appreciate that you went for a finish that is unique an interesting, rather than sticking with one that you weren't proud of. I would have liked to see a bit of that flame maple come out of the back, like the reflection of red in the center of a rough mirror. But this is a very unique and interesting guitar. Keep innovating and going for what excites you, dude!
To be honest, this one is a bit of a miss for me. There’s lot to really like about the design and shape, but I can’t help but feel this would have looked 1000x better as a more traditional semi-acoustic - the “sandwich” effect just doesn’t work for me, and the silver back just looks incongruous.
I'm with you. The finish looks like someone painted over a good finish with Hammerite, the pickups look off-set... mistakes happen when you're on the cutting edge, and this was a miss for me.
I really like this - the textures look great. Can't help thinking a blue burst would have looked better, perhaps going for an ice/frozen theme. I mean your bamboo skewers would be ideal icicles.
great idea!
First, you are the man for continuing to innovate, and try new things, but LOVE that you continue to take huge risks at the end stage of this competition. Incredibly inspiring to make us all push ourselves more. Just over the few minutes of photos and camera pans, the new finish grew on me immensely, and both sides of the headstock, in particular, are just sublime. Lastly, 1,000 thanks for the wild idea of incorporating super glue as a textural finishing component. Excellent, excellent stuff - and good karma for days on the charity!
Ben - much as I admire your skills and spirit.... if that was the last guitar at the end of the world I still wouldn't want it.
I’d call that finish a “frozen” burst. Love the front and headstock. Less so the back. Would love to see that done with copper wax next to that bourbon flame. Great concept and an entertaining series as always. 👍
“We need science. Or we wouldn’t have pickups, amps or electricity.” Ben Crowe 2021
An interesting effort not quite coming together but lots of new
ideas and lessons learned for future projects.
I would love to see a glow coming from the inside of that beast, this was a very creative build. I can only imagine the tension during this build. Congrats
So much potential in this build, but it missed the mark for me. I would love to see the same idea revisited with a more traditional approach. It'd look amazing.
The Front looks amazing also like the Headstock is oustanding! But the Backside is abit to much Silver...i wish you would give it the finish of the Front with some of that nice Woodtexture.. But an impressive Guitar. She sounds clean and bright. Good job men.
The finish makes me think of a tropical island. There’s the volcano/molten lava on the body and the natural forest vibe of the fretboard.
The real MVP of this build series is definitely the editor haha. Ben should do something really nice for her now that this video is out! Haha
Love how the headstock turned out. Cringed at the back being completely covered with the silvery finish, just not to my taste. The build seemed like a continuous correction or improv to a design that wasn't working. Absolutely loved watching it all and the thought process behind your decisions. The body design was pretty epic!! Looking forward to the next build 🤟
"This build has somewhat gotten away from me." You don't say? 😂
I thought (one of) the point of locking tuners was to avoid multiple wraps around the post?
I love everything about it, the shape, the sound, the texture, the poles, the headstock...
...just not the back.
Covering up imperfections with "imperfect" finish, genius. Personally I love the creative out of box thinking. Why I keep coming back to your channel. But hey art is subjective and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Also the back totally looks like the moons surface! Keep it up! Cheers.
Side note: That Bullet Bill tee shirt is awesome!
She sounds great, even straight. The shape and design is awesome.
However, I could live without the silver.
The blotchy original finish looked nice. Now it looks like cpt disalution 😂
We still love you Ben, don't worry!! 😁
It's not without its charm, but I'm not really digging the silver edges, and I definitely don't like the silver back. I think the original idea of odd construction and classic finish would've been better. But hey, that's just me.
It's not just you.
@@xTheZapper mood
Believe you me...it's not just you.
Don't let all of the negativity get you down about your decisions to change the finish. The more I looked at it the more it grew on me. The silver and red go really well together. If that's how you envisioned the guitar then that's what matters. You're the builder. You being excited and happy with it is more than enough. 99% of the people saying they don't like it wouldn't be able to afford to bid on this anyway and most likely would not have bid on it even if it stayed as what you had before, so the person who genuinely wants it will get it and be happy with it.
Dude, keep pushing the boundaries. I get lots of ideas from watching you do you.
I wouldn't call it a massive fail. The basic idea is sound. Much of the execution is nice and well done, but the end product looks like a frankenstein monster of unrelated designs. Even the best of us have our failures. Put it behind you and move forward.
Yep. Totally.
Ben's capable of wayyyyyyyyy better.
A case of not knowing when to stop. Ever sat in the hairdressers chair watching your hair being cut and it gets to the point where you think yep that looks really nice, but they carry on cutting and shaving and before you know it......you have this guitar. Sorry.
Honestly... I preferred the chicken pox version with the black dots. Losing the flame the back was in my view a step far too far. Especially with the super glue
Texture... I'd have to play it but I suspect the texture on the upper bout would be really annoying when playing as it'll catch on my forearm, might be style thing but not for me there.
I had the same thought Graham, I’d find it annoying on my forearm and probably the back rubbing on clothing, especially live and sweaty.
Lovely feedback! It's way strong enough. The only problem with the bridge is that getting it off and back is more difficult than it needs to be. That can be simply fixed by putting the wood block where the screws are and using regular wood screws. You could also easily make this through-stringed by putting the block where the through holes are. The main force is pinching the top between bridge and neck and that's well covered. It is critical to have enough wood between neck and pickup cavities, that's where it fails if it's too narrow. With that hardware and cabling you don't need shielding at all. It's already shielded.
I love the texture of the finish. I'm having trouble wrapping my head around the combination of the crimson stain and the silver, but it's growing on me. Ultimately, I love watching you experiment and salvage problem areas in your projects. It inspires me to think more creatively when I run into challenges and see what I can do to work them into the design rather than just scrapping things and starting over.
With all possible respect to Ben, you have found my personal bridge-to-far point. I’ve watched Crimson builds where there were moments of concern but Ben’s vision has always pulled them through into things of beauty. This was like hearing there’s a ’59 Les Paul for sale in your town, and then opening the case to see that some dude in 1988 brushed it with green house paint and threw in some active pickups to make it “cool”. You described the stain burst as amateur but I think that applies far more to the end result instead. If this guitar ever came into my life my first move would be reach for the sandpaper to start refinishing. It’s honestly only my understanding of the TH-cam algorithm and a wish to do no harm to this channel that stopped me from changing my like on this video to a thumbs down. Sorry I can’t get on board with this one 😕
Hey man, I respect that. And thanks for letting me know. The whole time I was worrying about it looking like a craft project, I actually really do like it, but can also see that a lot of people will not like this one.. which makes me 😥 B
Green house paint would be an improvement over most burst finishes to my eyes, but that's because taste is subjective. The first thing I'd do to a '59 is part it out, make a whole lot of money off a bunch of parts I don't like, and then use a tiny fraction of that money to put in the hardware I do like, because I'd like the guitar more that way. It would have the spillover benefit of pissing a bunch of people off. I'm glad he did something goofy with this guitar. The last thing the world needs is another boring burst job. But that's just my opinion - you disagree, and that's okay. ;)
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I realize that I didn’t make clear I’m only talking about what happened after the lacquer polish, up until then I was entirely on board. The design is awesome and exactly the kind of imaginative flight of fancy that keep bringing me back (and have me saving my pennies for a kit or a course)! And I’m not even opposed to texture, it’s just this particular outcome. Keep up the beautiful work man!
I waited to see the end result before commenting as I generally trust Ben's judgement. Whilst the textured finish looks good, this was the wrong guitar to do it on, the crimson burst / blood burst (sounds more metal) looked great and I'd have opted to fix the problems with the finish than go in the different direction Ben opted for. All in all I love the guitar's shape and contours but the strut work holding it together and the textured silvered finish makes it a no for me. The red, white and silver colours also make it look like it's got a naff Christmas theme going on and as we all know a guitar is for life not just for Christmas.
Perhaps Ben should experiment with that textured finish again with a blue burst finish on a solid bodied guitar with a cast aluminium neck...
I love the front and think the back should match in my opinion. Great sounding beast of a guitar! Bravo Ben
Ben, you are absolutely the BEST brother! Don't ever sell yourself short on your guitar playing my friend! Absolutely LOVE this axe!!
It would have been great if you hadn't covered all that beautiful wood grain with all that silver on the back.
I love the bit at 12:42 when Ben starts a grumbly rant about the reasons he hates wire wool and Talitha just turns up the music and drowns it out... (Sibling editor for the win!)
This finish, although utterly unexpected, actually looks really great, Ben!
I fully agree with the idea of using more textures on guitars.
Keep thinking outside the box and dare to dream!
You can't polish a turd but you can smear it with glitter.
Murphy's Law. Murphy's First Law: Anything that can go wrong will go wrong. ... Murphy's Fourth Law: If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong. Corollary: If there is a worse time for something to go wrong, it will happen then.
Hofstadter’s Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter’s Law. (Gödel Escher Bach by Douglas R. Hofstadter)
There are some projects that just get away from us early on and that just can't be pulled back. I've felt all along this is very much one of these. Ben's artistry gets closer to redeeming it than most would, but the end result doesn't really hang together in the way that his work usually does. I think the underlying idea is original and clever and the shape is nice too; without the time pressures, I'm sure Ben could make a stunning job of it. I actually think it would work really well with a traditional burst and natural wood bindings. Thanks as always for sharing the journey, Ben.
Hi Ben! I'm a retired crane operator and I set a lot of iron on building jobs and bridges and such. I have to say that this design is quite appealing to me with all of the structural webbing (girders) in the center and the ironish textures, Good Job !
Love this guitar. The silver sort of looks like cooled lava. Though I do think it's a bit of a shame that you covered all the burst on the back. I wish I was filthy rich because I would bid on this guitar to win it for my husband. Awesome work Ben you never fail to impress me. When my hubby inspired the name for Shred I decided it was time for me to subscribe and add in my own comments. Forgive me for taking so long. I look forward to the next build.
First reaction ..Ok... I'm at the point where you're about to do what ever it is you're going to do.. I must say.. I'm a little apprehensive.
Second reaction.. OMFG NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!
Third Reaction.. Ben,,,, you've went full on eccentric from artistry my friend... Might be time to step back and contemplate with a good cup of coffee.
A million future figured maple tree's are crying out in pain.
I think the concept of the guitar is awesome. The finish.. Not so much. Now if you were to build a guitar that would be more built around the texturing idea.. I could see some great coming out of it. But Not on this one.
Keep up the amazing work. Your willingness to shine light into the dark, unexplored corners of guitar building, will light the way for the rest of us to explore by. You are a true pioneer.
I like how every episode the build takes a new direction and you're trying cool things out. It was a huge suprise to see the back covered in silver :-) it's looking cool for sure, you haven't ruined it. It's been interesting to see how the finishes interact too. Cheers
The body shape is stunning. I love the construction and the amended headstock is great. But that finish on top of the sunburst ruined it for me. Sorry Ben, I love your out of the box thinking but you lost your way twice on this build.
I like it. To be honest, the last thing the world needs is yet another run of the mill burst, there's been enough of those made for the next 300 years.
Your awesome Ben!!! We always go on this amazing journey every single build and always its crazy but always is the absolute best .. thank you .. love it
This guitar build is second to none. What a wonderful instrument!
Sorry dude, building guitars with as little material as possible, it's been done,...
AIR GUITAR 😂😅😂
I've not really liked much on this guitar if I'm honest, but that burst finish you just ruined by covering in silver was one of them. I think this now looks like what some "edgy" teenager might do to their guitar to try and be original.
The transition between the smooth shiny centre and rough outer texture is too jarring, it looks like an afterthought.
I loved watching you, the fact it didn't turn out as planned is just part of the process and shows us that you arnt infallible and makes us know it's okay to fail sometimes, and still think you did better then several other contestants, at least you didn't just practice carving on a basically complete guitar with basic parts.
Wasn't sure about the finish when you started it but yet again my mind was blown at the end by how incredible it looks! 🤯 personally i can't find a single criticism! Well done Ben!
The silver on the front really doesn't fit in with the rest of the finish, and the back...... Bloody awful! 😩😩
The headstock looks OK though.
I really like how it looks on the headstock, I spent the rest of that section of the video saying no repeatedly.
Ben imo you’ve completely bolloxed that guitar build up.
Will be interesting to see how much it sells for.
Hope you haven’t done the same with the final part of the Nebula finish?
Nebula was binned long ago. 😂
She’s... beautiful! There are guitars that belong in the studio, and guitars that are at home in your bedroom / living room. This beauty belongs on the stage!
I *love* the silver. The contrast between the tradition of the flame top and binding with the modern silver is amazing, and I’m so on board with the idea of introducing more texture to guitars!
As Mrs Pigfender remarked as we were watching together, the whole point of GGBO is to produce something distinctive and creative. To our eyes, the silver really embodied the spirit of the competition and looks amazing. Well done, Ben!
PS - bring back cat watch! :)
I really don't like that the flame maple is totally covered up on the back
You’ve become the Mad Hatter. Way to much time alone in your mind and your project suffers. Sorry Ben
That guitar was an amazing experiment & it turned out wonderful !! Great job as always , Ben !!
IMHO, you should have won. Insane design, guild and finish. Well done bro.
you rule, thank you!
I know the finish may have gotten a bit away from you, but that headstock is STUNNING. The front of the body is also quite nice, but there is something truly magical happening on that headstock that I dearly hope you continue to play with and incorporate on later builds. The juxtaposition of the warm beautifully grained wood and the metallic heavily textured shielding paint is mesmerizing.
I have no idea how you keep doing this. There are like 10 things just on this guitar that I have never seen anyone do. Any amount of money would be a bargain for such a beautiful work of art.
Very nice Ben!. I knew you were going to use some texture to cover them freckles!.
We can only imagine how this guitar looks as far as the finish, due to the fact that we see it through a “window” as it were. Your choices in finishes are always unique. I was very keen on the addition of the silver metal look, but all over the back was a bit much. Sometimes less is more. In this case I would agree. The banding going into the body is brilliant! It goes to show that there are many options to building a guitar that is not traditional, but could become traditional in a heartbeat! The fact that the top swoops down near that banding is also spot on. Neck and headstock are perfect additions to this musical instrument. Lastly, the sound quality is superb. Again, you have shown your skills. Always a pleasure. And to be honest, I would love to own this guitar, just for the wow factor. (I’d play on it too!)
His goal was to create unique texture, yeah smashed it!
This shape is so beautiful, along with the binding makes the guitar looks so classy
Love the textured metal treatment as well as the whole journey through the creative process. Thanks for sharing so much!
Fine line between genius and lunacy- Ben, you have a foot in both camps... don't change!
Amazing guitar, I had my doubts part way through, but shouldn't have worried.
I think erring more on lunacy this time, but thank you so much! I'm reading this comments with more existential dread than usual today! B
That is quite possibly the coolest guitar I have ever seen. Simply put, it’s stunning.