Ben once this guitar is finished it deserves to be hung in a museum. In fact they need to dedicate a section and call it the Hall of Awesomeness. Might have to have a Cool Beans section as well!
Another build!!! brilliant! most of the rational thinking world "but it's an old lump of wood!?!" Ben "it's a beautiful guitar!" these builds just blow me away, long may they continue
A 3000 year old piece of timber, what an awesome responsibility to make something wonderful from it. Love the gold leaf, what a great idea. I have absolute faith that you will create something of great beauty Ben.
Ok, there are so many builders but very few with your imagination and innovation. Thank you for your inspiring builds and videos. I'd like to see what you would come up with building a Steampunk themed guitar. Keeping it functional without just bolting on a lot of junk. Bravo Ben & Crimson.
Hey Eric, thank you. I have been considering a steam punk build for years and that restriction, functional changes in the steam.punk ethic rather than bolting on useless crap, makes it much much more of a challenge. B
you should invest in large pressure pots and/or vacuum chambers for your resin projects. it would definitely save you a lot of time when trying to fill in those craggy pieces of wood.
Honestly, I don't have a lot of personal knowledge about this kind of stuff, because I'm very income-challenged... but I've seen a lot of people use Smooth-On products. Looks like they make a Pressure Chamber that's about 31.75 cm diameter X 38.74 cm tall, and a Vacuum Chamber that's about 35.56 cm diameter x 38.1 cm tall. They could fit pretty large chunks of wood, but most likely not whole guitar bodies or necks (unless they're small guitars), and they aren't crazy expensive, and much more worth it if they're something you'll use often. I'm sure there are some sort industrial sized ones, but they're probably many thousands of dollars.
Or, actually, it looks like House of Resin sells pressure pots and stabilizing chambers. They're actually larger and less expensive than the Smooth On ones. Still probably not large enough for a whole body, but would work for two halves like this river guitar. I don't know if House of Resin is one of your sponsors or if you just bought their product yourself, but you might be able to source one from them?
Me: Ok... I should really get to sleep. TH-cam: Crimson Custom Guitars uploaded a new video Me: Bog Oak, gold leaf, and resin? Damn you, Ben.... Well.... Sleep is over rated anyway.
@@tomahoks You will not eat that tablecloth or I will plow up that bloody tennis court and plant ball end trees there! ...now that's something you never heard before
Just when I think it's safe to roll over and go to sleep, here comes another build. LOL!. Love what you do, and you never cease to amaze me with the ideas. Cannot wait to see how this turns out.
I'm so used to stumbling on these kinds of videos several years late when the TH-cam algorithm randomly decides to recommend them to me. I genuinely don't know how to handle having to wait for the next part.
These videos inspired me to start building my own guitars. Thank you so much! I'm making a hollow body with padauk, ebony, curly oak, and sapele currently
This guy is like the American Chopper of guitars, only he doesn't have his dad yelling at him all the time, because he just gets on with the job and doesn't argue back.
Can you get hold of ancient mammoth tusk? Use it to craft the head stock and maybe some lamination stripes though the body of the guitar? Also for some inlay work? fill the pores in the mammoth tusk with epoxy?
When picking up a sheet of gold leaf, use a clean feather rubbed on you hair to cause static and you'll find it easier to manipulate. In your case Ben, use nylon shirt since hair is non existant.
As usual Ben, another fantastic piece of timber. Watching you gild took me back to the early to mid 90's when I was a picture framer. Really enjoyed this video, thanks for sharing!
Always enjoy the Crimson vids, especially the builds! HOWEVER, once, just once, I'd like you to use copper rather than gold leaf for effect. IMO, copper would make a beautiful contrast to a 3,000 year old hunk of oak.
When I started watching this video, I thought the Gold wouldn't be a good idea... I'm glad you chose to do it rather than Leaf it on the shelf of possibilities... I know, I know, I REALLY should resist but everyone that knows me know it isn't gonna happen... 3:)
True.. this is one of those stupid psychological things, I got it for free with a tool collection through my other business www.vintagetoolshop.com and in the back of my mind it has little value.. I will work on that next time! B
Okay..you're gold leafing the live edges, then filling with resin. After you finish getting the guitar to final thickness, the the top and back of the guitar will be exposed wood with resin only in the "river" portions, correct? Doesn't this essentially make gold leaf the structural adhesive that's holding everything together?
Well when he was putting it on the table you could clearly hear the tonal quality of it 👍👌 Tone timbre test (knock test) If you want to test the tone of wood knock it in diffrent spots and listen to the "tone"
We've really expanded over the past year.. about 10k square feet with the new student studio and machine room. I can't believe how far I have come in a less than a decade! B
There are special brushes to pick up goldleaf, but it also works with normal broad ones, just brush over your shirt (Hair arent an option here), to give them a slight static and then you can pick up the goldleaf whole with the Brush and transfer it without ripping it by fiddling with your fingers.
i was curious to know if you can be interested by wood and resin river art, it seems now that the answer is yes, now, do you plan to use some stems to reinforce the attachment of the wood, the gold leafs and the resin river ? the resin will well stick together with the gold leaf surface, but what about the "attachment" behind the gold leaf and the wood ? will the whole of it be enough solid without reinforcement pieces ?
I wood (pun intended) think so. Most pieces I've seen don't have any reinforcement bars or rods. I guess just don't drop it!! (Not like one would drop it anyway).
@@grantharrower2476 yeah, not false... but a guitar can live a hard life, especially on tour, living behind the window of a display cabinet is too bad for a guitar ;) i've seen videos of tables made as it, but the resin is in direct contact in the cracks of the wood, and are more of the time enough thick... here's i guess that the gold leaf surface can be a fragile connection surface, unless maybe to ad a thick resin shell all around the body to reinforce, but it's possible i'm totally wrong, after all, i'm not a guitar maker, and less of it, not Ben ;)
With the gold leaf on both edges, will the resin still hold both halves of wood together or will the gold leaf act as a barrier like masking tape and make it a weak join?
I wondered the same. I'm curious about resin in the longer term as it doesn't react to seasonal changes like wood does. It could look awful. This decade's pebbledash?
Same worries here. Gold leaf isn’t very strong or abrasion resistant. First layer might be glued well to the sticky (ish) live edge, but 2nd one? Maybe the surfaces weld to each other, then it could be ok. I think we’ll see in the process. (Spoiler alert) It looked promising in the last what’s on the bench episode...
As the gold leaf is pressed onto the wood it doesn't quite cover every single spot of the uneven surface of the wood, it splits and cracks leaving gaps, this is why you double the leaf layer, to ensure every spot is covered. Of course there is a small amount of waste but that is to ensure full coverage. The epoxy will directly bond to the leaf rather than go through it, the strength will come from the fact that it isn;t a completely flat surface. While I am not an epoxy expert I do have plenty of experience with gilding. Maybe someone who knows more about epoxy can confirm or deny my comment.
@@natsterjam I see so there should be enough mechanical grip for this to work. I've build a few RC DLG gliders using carbon fiber and epoxy and most epoxy won't stick to its self very well unless it's got a good keyed surface so this would make sense on this guitar body.
just thinking of the cost of the final product plus the crimson skill of being built, ugh i wish i was rich, the 3000 year old bog wood instantly had at hello
Yeah, but even though gold leaf is very, very, thin, you should save the residue, not blow it around the shop. It does add up to money, and to gold lost. Jewelers even send their old aprons in to be processed for recovery.
He almost certainly acquired it from his usual exotic wood guy. He in turn would've acquired it from a peat harvesting operation he has a relationship with.
We have this here on the coast in Liverpool, it's actually protected land by the wildlife trust and I don't know anywhere you could harvest this legit without getting into shit. Unless it was actually on your own land, even then many conservation groups will try to stop you, the places these come from are rammed with wildlife that's usually not very common, also potentially fossils etc, I would imagine it would be protected by the crown. So while I like the idea of this being a guitar I am left wondering about the damage that was done to procure it.
I think a fan gave it to him, but you can get the stuff on ebay or through the usual wood sites ;) (Bog oak can be as old as 10.000 years, got a guy in Croatia who wants to sell me a body and neck blank for about 400€, so... yeah, not cheap, but not impossible to get hold of) :)
I love how often we're getting build videos right now!
Joe Oliver makes saturdays fun!
Ben has literally made me want to change my career path. I’m gonna do one of his guitar building courses one day. One of life’s ambitions.
I gotta say, there is no substitute for gold, except gold. The leaf was a good call, and it looks amazing.
Thank you , and thank you! B
A piece of wood like that has magic in it.
I hope so, I certainly breathed enough of it in.. can I be a unicorn? B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Ok, you deserve it.
Always pushing limits of creativity while others are stagnant, Crimsons calling card!
I just get bored so easily and love a challenge too much but as long as you watch I will build them! B
Ben once this guitar is finished it deserves to be hung in a museum. In fact they need to dedicate a section and call it the Hall of Awesomeness. Might have to have a Cool Beans section as well!
You make me very very happy, ,thanks! B
Another build!!! brilliant!
most of the rational thinking world "but it's an old lump of wood!?!"
Ben "it's a beautiful guitar!"
these builds just blow me away, long may they continue
Hey Mark, I'm not stopping any time soon that is for sure! Thanks for commenting! B
A 3000 year old piece of timber, what an awesome responsibility to make something wonderful from it. Love the gold leaf, what a great idea. I have absolute faith that you will create something of great beauty Ben.
This shall henceforth be known as "the gold period" of Ben's creative journey!
Following after "the Fire Period".
@@Walking_Death And the copper period
I ďid not expect the wood be that Dark. Beautiful.
This man is a master at finding and adding unnecessary steps to anything he touches.
Yep, the gold is not necessary but I also don't want to build yet another version. If a standard resin guitar, I like taking risks. B
Superb wood. Carving the entire flat surface with a single Celtic knot would look great.
Ok, there are so many builders but very few with your imagination and innovation. Thank you for your inspiring builds and videos. I'd like to see what you would come up with building a Steampunk themed guitar. Keeping it functional without just bolting on a lot of junk. Bravo Ben & Crimson.
Hey Eric, thank you. I have been considering a steam punk build for years and that restriction, functional changes in the steam.punk ethic rather than bolting on useless crap, makes it much much more of a challenge. B
you should invest in large pressure pots and/or vacuum chambers for your resin projects. it would definitely save you a lot of time when trying to fill in those craggy pieces of wood.
Any idea where to find one big enough? B
Honestly, I don't have a lot of personal knowledge about this kind of stuff, because I'm very income-challenged... but I've seen a lot of people use Smooth-On products. Looks like they make a Pressure Chamber that's about 31.75 cm diameter X 38.74 cm tall, and a Vacuum Chamber that's about 35.56 cm diameter x 38.1 cm tall. They could fit pretty large chunks of wood, but most likely not whole guitar bodies or necks (unless they're small guitars), and they aren't crazy expensive, and much more worth it if they're something you'll use often. I'm sure there are some sort industrial sized ones, but they're probably many thousands of dollars.
Or, actually, it looks like House of Resin sells pressure pots and stabilizing chambers. They're actually larger and less expensive than the Smooth On ones. Still probably not large enough for a whole body, but would work for two halves like this river guitar. I don't know if House of Resin is one of your sponsors or if you just bought their product yourself, but you might be able to source one from them?
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Surely the chamber could be built as part of the project? Build it once use it many times. Speaking from ignorance here tho.
This channel should have waaay more subs.
Get on it, people!
This guitar is going to be incredible I can’t wait to hear it The detail and artistry that you put it in each guitar blows my mind
Ben, little tip- when you are leading, pick it up with a brush, finger grease stops it sticking to the piece and. Brush gives you more control.
Thank you, I will from now on! B
The gold leaf process its compelling! I couldn't stop watching that part.
Yer darn tootin' I'm gonna watch! The production value of your content gets better and better. Better than TV.
Me: Ok... I should really get to sleep.
TH-cam: Crimson Custom Guitars
uploaded a new video
Me: Bog Oak, gold leaf, and resin? Damn you, Ben.... Well.... Sleep is over rated anyway.
Old, so old. Every fukin video gets this old, comment. So boring
@@tomahoks You will not eat that tablecloth or I will plow up that bloody tennis court and plant ball end trees there! ...now that's something you never heard before
Willard Potter
Yea man same thing here it’s 12am in California
Just when I think it's safe to roll over and go to sleep, here comes another build. LOL!. Love what you do, and you never cease to amaze me with the ideas. Cannot wait to see how this turns out.
My cat loved watching the gold leaf falling near the end of the video
Your cat has fantastic taste! Thanks for commenting! B
I can already tell I’m going to want this guitar more than any other guitar Ben has ever made
You are a genius, when I grow up I wana be like you 👍👍
I'm so used to stumbling on these kinds of videos several years late when the TH-cam algorithm randomly decides to recommend them to me. I genuinely don't know how to handle having to wait for the next part.
I feel your pain! Sorry dude B
These videos inspired me to start building my own guitars. Thank you so much! I'm making a hollow body with padauk, ebony, curly oak, and sapele currently
Sounds awesome, you should send us some pics of the finished guitar for Guitar of the Week on WOTB.. B
Gold leaf is one of those things that should never have been imagined.
Seeing you drop all that gold I half expected to see Todd Hoffman show up in your studio.
Bog oak.... in Australia, that could be a euphemism for a very large poo.
I don't imagine it'd be much different in northern England.
More like a dulux shade of brown
Ben: welcome for another build.
Me: week end will be great.
Thx Ben, amazing ideas as always 🤘
My pleasure, I love that people enjoy and are inspired by my stuff.. B
The color of that wood amazes me
This guy is like the American Chopper of guitars, only he doesn't have his dad yelling at him all the time, because he just gets on with the job and doesn't argue back.
I have always wanted to film an American Chopper style series.. maybe one day! B
This makes me want to learn to use resin and build my own guitar, Thanks for the inspiration Ben.
Wow, can’t wait for part 2!!
Coming on Saturday morning all being well. Lots of footage to work with. The series will be quite short though, about 5 videos tops I think. B
Another beauty in the making 😎👌🏻
Here's hoping! B
When you gilded the second piece it showed just how much it popped. Fantastic choice of materials!
Black and gold, I almost can't go wrong. Fingers crossed it all comes together in the end! B
Looks like obsidian, awesome.
Can you get hold of ancient mammoth tusk? Use it to craft the head stock and maybe some lamination stripes though the body of the guitar? Also for some inlay work? fill the pores in the mammoth tusk with epoxy?
NeedsNurfing and narwhal horn for the inlays? Or go full bore and use unicorn horn...
Now I think a nice long leg bone from some dinosaur would make a great neck wouldn't it?
I like the way you never let sanity get in the way of a good idea! Lol
I have the feeling that this guitar will be very beautiful
When picking up a sheet of gold leaf, use a clean feather rubbed on you hair to cause static and you'll find it easier to manipulate. In your case Ben, use nylon shirt since hair is non existant.
David Paterson what’s wrong with beard hair?
@@thatellipsisguy8984 it scratches on the pussy.
LMAO
What a beautiful peice of wood, and a great idea. Thanks for sharing your skills.
As usual Ben, another fantastic piece of timber. Watching you gild took me back to the early to mid 90's when I was a picture framer.
Really enjoyed this video, thanks for sharing!
Always enjoy the Crimson vids, especially the builds! HOWEVER, once, just once, I'd like you to use copper rather than gold leaf for effect. IMO, copper would make a beautiful contrast to a 3,000 year old hunk of oak.
copper leaf raw edge build from a couple of years back... th-cam.com/video/f3FUuLkU-mI/w-d-xo.html enjoy
Full copper leafing ... th-cam.com/video/NZGAnWvMnrY/w-d-xo.html
You already knew, didn't you? B
Kinda new to Crimson. Love what I've seen and thanks for the input. Thanks Bob.
I would suggest investing in a static brush if you're going to be using gold leaf a lot.
He’s like a cross between Bill Bailey and Kerry King!
Waiting for part II 😀🤘🏻
When I started watching this video, I thought the Gold wouldn't be a good idea...
I'm glad you chose to do it rather than Leaf it on the shelf of possibilities...
I know, I know, I REALLY should resist but everyone that knows me know it isn't gonna happen... 3:)
Gold Leaf is still Gold. You should be wanting to keep every single piece of that stuff.
True.. this is one of those stupid psychological things, I got it for free with a tool collection through my other business www.vintagetoolshop.com and in the back of my mind it has little value.. I will work on that next time! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars It may be what they call Dutch Metal, Imitation Gold, not the Real Deal $6. a pack.
That bog oak grain is gorgeous. Damn..
Every time you play you have to have a goblet of Meade!
3000 year old bog oak. That is bold thinking.
Okay..you're gold leafing the live edges, then filling with resin. After you finish getting the guitar to final thickness, the the top and back of the guitar will be exposed wood with resin only in the "river" portions, correct?
Doesn't this essentially make gold leaf the structural adhesive that's holding everything together?
lol hadn't thought of that. Maybe that's why we only get the first part here.
Shhhh if the guitar doesn't hear you it might not break
Vacuum...
im sure the master builder thought of that lol
@@josemason7082 The head tat screams "I think everything through".: )
I have literally been waiting for you specifically to do this guitar!!! Epic
Eres un genio luthier mil felicitaciones
Well when he was putting it on the table you could clearly hear the tonal quality of it 👍👌
Tone timbre test (knock test)
If you want to test the tone of wood knock it in diffrent spots and listen to the "tone"
Cactus Juice....Thats the stuff
You're a mad genius. Love it. Nice to see the rest of the shop. Dam, it's big.
We've really expanded over the past year.. about 10k square feet with the new student studio and machine room. I can't believe how far I have come in a less than a decade! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars thank you for the reply, I really enjoy your channel.
I don't know which is more calming, this or a Bob Ross session.
Yes
There are special brushes to pick up goldleaf, but it also works with normal broad ones, just brush over your shirt (Hair arent an option here), to give them a slight static and then you can pick up the goldleaf whole with the Brush and transfer it without ripping it by fiddling with your fingers.
What a great set of ideas are going in to this project. Looks amazing so far
Thank you. I'm very happy with this one! B
Bog oak? It must be heavy as hell. Will be good for playing the heaviest heavy metal ever.
Yes! B
Fun fun fun.
i was curious to know if you can be interested by wood and resin river art, it seems now that the answer is yes, now, do you plan to use some stems to reinforce the attachment of the wood, the gold leafs and the resin river ? the resin will well stick together with the gold leaf surface, but what about the "attachment" behind the gold leaf and the wood ? will the whole of it be enough solid without reinforcement pieces ?
I wood (pun intended) think so. Most pieces I've seen don't have any reinforcement bars or rods. I guess just don't drop it!! (Not like one would drop it anyway).
@@grantharrower2476 yeah, not false...
but a guitar can live a hard life, especially on tour, living behind the window of a display cabinet is too bad for a guitar ;)
i've seen videos of tables made as it, but the resin is in direct contact in the cracks of the wood, and are more of the time enough thick... here's i guess that the gold leaf surface can be a fragile connection surface, unless maybe to ad a thick resin shell all around the body to reinforce, but it's possible i'm totally wrong, after all, i'm not a guitar maker, and less of it, not Ben ;)
I wondered why gold leaf was necessary when gold paint would do🤔...but having seen the difference I understand why😍
With the gold leaf on both edges, will the resin still hold both halves of wood together or will the gold leaf act as a barrier like masking tape and make it a weak join?
I wondered the same. I'm curious about resin in the longer term as it doesn't react to seasonal changes like wood does. It could look awful. This decade's pebbledash?
Same worries here. Gold leaf isn’t very strong or abrasion resistant. First layer might be glued well to the sticky (ish) live edge, but 2nd one? Maybe the surfaces weld to each other, then it could be ok. I think we’ll see in the process. (Spoiler alert) It looked promising in the last what’s on the bench episode...
Epic. Keep it up good Sir!
Cheers Some Guy.. I certainly will! Just got done with gluing the neck on this afternoon.. the end us nigh! B
Amazing stuff. Wicked cool project, brother.
I love goooooolllllld! The look of it, the feel of it, the taste of it, the shmell of it.
Schmell
@@IrisGalaxis then there is no pleasing you.
I cant wait... nice project...
The mad professor is at it again. Bring it on :)
I like you! B
Would the gold leaf cause an issue with the resin in not giving a good bond to the wood live edge ?. not if i know anything mind.
Exactly
Same, i think so
outstanding!!!
Lovely idea, can't wait to see the rest of the build.
Can't wait for the next video in the series! 🙏🏻
I have a really good feeling about this one!!!
Your guitars are absolutely gorgeous. I would sell my kids for 1. Fantastic.
Yay new build can't wait to see how it turns out. Sounds like it's going to be epic
That will end up a stunning looking guitar.
Whoo, your editor is getting fancier. I like it.
Still lots of doggy jump cuts,
How well will the epoxy bond where you have doubled up the gold leaf ? Will the epoxy go through the gold leaf.
Anyway cant wait to see this finished
As the gold leaf is pressed onto the wood it doesn't quite cover every single spot of the uneven surface of the wood, it splits and cracks leaving gaps, this is why you double the leaf layer, to ensure every spot is covered. Of course there is a small amount of waste but that is to ensure full coverage. The epoxy will directly bond to the leaf rather than go through it, the strength will come from the fact that it isn;t a completely flat surface. While I am not an epoxy expert I do have plenty of experience with gilding. Maybe someone who knows more about epoxy can confirm or deny my comment.
@@natsterjam I see so there should be enough mechanical grip for this to work. I've build a few RC DLG gliders using carbon fiber and epoxy and most epoxy won't stick to its self very well unless it's got a good keyed surface so this would make sense on this guitar body.
@@OzoneFlyer I believe so my friend!
just thinking of the cost of the final product plus the crimson skill of being built, ugh i wish i was rich, the 3000 year old bog wood instantly had at hello
I'm so excited for this build!!
Yeah, but even though gold leaf is very, very, thin, you should save the residue, not blow it around the shop. It does add up to money, and to gold lost. Jewelers even send their old aprons in to be processed for recovery.
I thought the same thing!! In places he has 3 or 4 layers!
I’ve always liked river guitars. It would be kind of interesting to see a similar guitar but with silver leading instead.
thats a great looking piece of wood, cant wait to see how it turns out!
Oh no! I’ve watched all your videos and caught up and now I must wait for content. Also, when I win the lottery I will be buying one of your guitars.
When I win the lottery, I'll be doing two three month courses and BUILDING a half dozen of my own.
I love this. I would have preferred silver leaf, but this is still absolutely beautiful
Silver leaf would be fun.. I've never properly tried it yet. B
Wow amazing..
Love the special effects.
Awesome!!!!!! I've been looking forward to this
Amazing wood,,
I'm privileged to have fans who would share such a stunning bit of wood with me. B
it´s a pleasure for the eys right away!
Amazing piece of wood
Dis gon b gud
Cant wait to see the finished product.
With all those shavings you could whip up a batch of bootleg Goldschläger.
Another exciting build. :)
You shouldve given it a lava look. Not a difficult paint job to do. Think it would look insane on a live edge
Really no one? No one is curious where did Ben got a three fu*ken thousand years old oak?
Jesus, it's even older than Jesus!
He almost certainly acquired it from his usual exotic wood guy. He in turn would've acquired it from a peat harvesting operation he has a relationship with.
He said a fan gave it to him
We have this here on the coast in Liverpool, it's actually protected land by the wildlife trust and I don't know anywhere you could harvest this legit without getting into shit. Unless it was actually on your own land, even then many conservation groups will try to stop you, the places these come from are rammed with wildlife that's usually not very common, also potentially fossils etc, I would imagine it would be protected by the crown. So while I like the idea of this being a guitar I am left wondering about the damage that was done to procure it.
I think a fan gave it to him, but you can get the stuff on ebay or through the usual wood sites ;) (Bog oak can be as old as 10.000 years, got a guy in Croatia who wants to sell me a body and neck blank for about 400€, so... yeah, not cheap, but not impossible to get hold of) :)
Waggadudewagga any idea what the tonal properties are? Seems like it would be darn near petrified