about 10 years ago I was getting pretty involved in making high end slingshots (catapults). Far, far beyond the crotch of a tree branch stuff, with exotic woods applied over aluminum center cores. To make my slingshots special and shoot better I started cutting checkering into both sides which really made them unique. I even bought the same checkering tool kit you picked up. Its a great skill set to have in your craftsman pocket! I never once thought to make picks and checker them! I added the mandolin to my musical instrument list and will now have to give picks a shot!
I just had one of those moments where Ben would realize he did something and just stare into the camera for a moment. I was watching this on my phone and while filing the second line the dust started to build up so I couldn't see the lines very well . . . and I blew on my screen to blow the dust away. I then instantly realized what I just did.
My Dad gave me his set of knives after he had his stroke and now I know what to use them for as my son plays bass and guitar. I love these types of videos! Very fun! Do a walking stick is my suggestion
Hi Ben. I use a commercial pick sold here in Canada called Cat`s tongue. It has a rough knurled gripping surface like that of a cat. Being red in color, it is usually easy to see when dropped in contrast to most floors. I like .73mm as it has the right flexibility for my style of playing. As usual you are awesome. Rock on you Bitches !
*Awesome demo of a checkering kit. To keep picks from slipping between my fingers I use THICK sandpaper used on a grinder disk to remove paint off of metal surfaces. I super glue a small square of sandpaper on both sides of Fender medium celluloid picks.*
Oi Mate!!! Big love and respect from western washington. Huge fan of the channel, just discovered you recently. I'm a galloup graduate now working at warmoth guitar products. Your videos are so in-depth And informative. I love watching and am inspired to build mine better!!!
Warmoth makes some great-looking kits. I've always wanted to get one, but it's a little bit out of my price range. I always end up deciding that, for that price, I might as well just buy a new guitar. lol
@@bronsoncarder2491 I've been there for a few months now and I can tell you the quality outweighs the price. Quality control is a huge part of the job there. Some of the pieces I see are outstanding.
Wow! I’ve been working on my picks grip for literal decades! I can’t afford a checkering kit, but I can try to do an even pattern of cross hatching...maybe even make my own tool....nice. Thanks, Ben.
Ok this is really cool. And as a lifelong shooter, competitive shooter, and gun collector, I would love to see a guitar build inspired by Parker, Holland and Holland, or Purdey. Color case hardened hardware and pickup covers. Fine engraving. Beautiful walnut. I’ve seen firearm inspired guitars and they’re usually super cheesy. I think with your skill and your fine taste you could really build something that would be just as beautiful and useful as a fine shotgun or rifle.
Hey Ben, It so cool that you discovered that. I used to watch my father for hours working on customers Stocks & Forearms for Really nice !! 12 ga. Shotguns used for Trap Shooting. He was very good and his work was much sought after. Alot of his work was done in Black Walnut and other exotic Hardwoods. I'm quite sure that is where my love for woodworking came from. With all your other woodworking skills you possess, I'm definitely going to be on the lookout to see what you are going to do with these new toys !! Jeff K.~
I would have loved to have watched your dad work as well.. I am sure that I will forever be a rank amateur in this skill in comparison. It is awesome that you got to watch him and it stoked an interest in making.. all too often these days dad's don't bother sharing their knowledge and kids just are not being exposed to people actually making things irl. B
I love watching you work, especially on these less complicated projects. You make it very clear, and make me want to give it all a go. Certainly a little more refined than the attack the plectrum with a scalpel to rough it up technique I currently employ! Thanks again, those tools look great to work with.
The short one is generally supposed to be mounted backwards, so you can use a “picking” technique to kind of roll it down and pull it back. It cuts on the pull, so it’s perfect for tight corners and precision work.
Interesting! I've seen checkering all my life, being involved with firearms. It's kinda like hydrographic printing, when you see it done, my pea brain explodes with a myriad of possibilities! I think I need a checkering tool kit. The first textured pick (sorta checkered) I picked up was from dunlop. Loved them! Thanks for the inspiration.🍕🍺🦃🥧🤙
It is crazy the rabbit holes we can go down.. my brother had some lovely rifles that I lusted after as a teenager and since then the pattern has been in the back of my mind.. then a few years ago I saw a video, I think from Purdeys, that showed it being done and my brain also exploded with the possibilities.. and it is relatively simple to do at that :) I would love to see what you end up coming up with, send pics to my Instagram if you fancy it? B
Interesting series on pick making! I've made quite a few picks out of coconut shell; the material has a natural grippiness, they last a long time and they sound good.
I have had an issue with feeling pretty useless and, at times, ineffectual because most of my projects take so long.. much longer to do than they really should because of moving the camera around etc etc.. I will always do these shorter projects now because, among other things, they are bloody good for my mental health! Achieving a whole thing in a day or so is amazing!! Thanks for your support! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Well, whatever you need for your health, I of course support. But, you should know that we don't see it that way. Each video is an achievement in itself, and I have literally cheered before when you said, "Well, looks like there's gonna be another video." lol Especially with that last build (the metal guitar with the rings for knobs... I think that was the last one. Hard to keep track. lol). At the beginning it looked like you were going to end up rushing it, and ending up with a product that neither us nor you would be satisfied with. Honestly, that still felt a bit rushed, but then my favorite series' of yours has been the Complication and the 2077 guitar, both of which were very long series. And I looked forward to every single video that came out for both builds. The Complication was the first one I watched, that got me hooked on this channel to begin with, and I watched every single episode. Anyway, this is getting very long, so I'll just end by saying that we love you, and the work that you do. And we support you in whatever direction you want to take. I would, personally, prefer longer series where you make crazy badass guitars, but... If that's hard on you, I will of course equally support these shorter videos. I've been learning a lot from them.
I don't use standard picks and I'm not into shotguns, but this was very interesting indeed. I like the quick 10 minute videos on tools and what you can do with them, though the longer videos of whole builds are always worth watching too.
Cool tools! Now i have to know the name on spanish, to search where i can buy a set here in Argentina. A lot of new ideas come to me, thanks to this video and that tool's kit. Please some day make a arch top, or acoustic guitar! (Or maybe a cello)
I give it three months maximum before Ben decides to use these tools to create a unique patterned finish on an entire guitar top... You know it's gonna happen, and you just know it's gonna be amazing...
I work on pool cues sometimes as a hobby and there's actually a little picking tool not like a guitar pick but it's just a little handle with a bunch of needles coming out of it the idea is to use it to make a ton of tiny holes in the leather pool cue tip so it impregnates the chalk into the leather so you don't misscue (taking a shot without chalk on the tip) anyways I followed your pic making tutorial and came to the same issue but my solution was to simply take my pool cue tip pick and place it on the pic and give it a few light taps with my fretting hammer with the polyurethane head giving it a few small hits then checking the grip and repeating over and over until I was satisfied with it
This might be a good idea for the underside of a flying V design, to keep it from slipping when playing .. in place of the rubber strip some of the originals had.
I've been just taking some sandpaper and roughing them up a bit. I also like to sort of "sharpen" the point. Obviously not thin enough to be actually sharp, that would just break off when you try to use it. I like a fairly thick pick to hold onto, but a fairly fine point of contact to make fast picking easier, and most thicker picks have an equally thick tip, just barely rounded over. Also, "sharpening" them with sandpaper like this makes the edges a little rougher, which seems like it helps to kinda "grip" the strings as you're playing. That said, I'm a mediocre guitar player at best. Decent guitar players may have entirely different feelings about this. lol Great video.
Yes. Some 'mini makes' would be great. How about turning some beautiful control knobs made out of mixed materials ie wood+copper/brass/resin with that chequering (knurling?) on the sides? (Something that would go well with a Copper Rodded 😉)
I have a pad of different control knob designs right next to me as I type.. I'm thinking three videos, one based on using a lathe, one using a pillar drill and one with only hand tools.. any more I should add? B
On the laminate neck video you mentioned having a straight edge on the plane rather than one which was not straight. Presumably each has its purpose. Can you explain?
Checkering tools are actually rather pricey for nice ones. But if u are into guns. Being able to checker wooden handles is amazing. As well as grips on pocket and kitchen knives. Literaly just did this to my dunlop flow 420 pick 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic. Buy Checkerin tools and add grip to everything its rather fun.
The result is super!! But: It's a pick! It does not need to be so beautiful. I'm sure if you use a simple v-shape, you could get the same result (sure not as beautiful, but as a useful tool). Rob
In some ways I agree, but then I also find that by surrounding myself with beautiful things and using beautiful tools I am more inclined to make beautiful guitars.. or at least to attempt to ;) B
ive just stumbled across facebook marketplace..it seems alot of pianos are free..good for practicing your carving skills ..it also maybe worth salvaging the wood for guitar making.and the keys for carving into knobs.not that i know what wood these things are made from
The company I mentioned in the previous video has a number of different hatching patterns on their picks. They somehow do not get slippery when using, something about the nut material.. Also, you can dye the tugua material, the picks I have are ref, green and blue.
I have a beat to crap Hondo Explorer soon to be project. ( I just finished a firearm project, now it's time to get back to Frankenhondo.) I don't know what kind of wood is under the hidious factory finish, but it may take well to checkering!
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I hope so. I haven't stripped it yet. I think the only part I will keep is the body. It's finished in black polymer, with a prism tape style top. Pretty gaudy when it was new I'm sure. Now it's just nasty! I think deluxe hondos were alder. Many of the others were plywood.
It leaves me breathless tbh and I don't consider myself a pen guy either.. B www.purdey.com/montblanc-x-purdey-meisterstuck-great-masters-fountain-pen?gclid=Cj0KCQiAh4j-BRCsARIsAGeV12DC8ObiezlnFE7DhsA49oiAd_XpME_ng2UN5wLnmqZtBgY4K8J2pIYaAr8xEALw_wcB
I'm not Ben, but I hope my reply will do. Tagua is a nut, and is oily. Its oil will protect it just fine and it probably would not hold a finish for very long, if at all.
@@patrickwilliams3108 thank you, that helps me a lot. I didn't think about nuts containing oil, but you're totally right. It should be fine, shouldn't it?
I wonder if the smart play would be to make a model in a 3D drafting program and then print one (or more) out as a pattern/mold for a batch of them to be manufactured. A side-note: I haven't bought any "textured" plectra because, so far, whenever manufacturers put checkering or stippling on their picks, they never seem to get the texture down close enough to the pointy end of the plectrum where I hold it.
if we ever do production plectrums then they will be cnc or laser cut for the most part.. for this though it is just me experimenting and having fun. Frankly, I can make one of these by hand faster than someone could draw one and put through a machine, hell I can make 3 or 4 in the time a 3 d printer could do one properly imo. B
I personally favor Jim Dunlop picks - the checkering is built in. Nothing wrong with drilling a ¼" hole in the top of any pick for better grip. Cheers...
Hello Ben! Do you think it would be possible to do this checkering to a resin plectrum? I am very keen on starting to work with resin for some fun projects (making some polyhedral dice) and now that I think of it, making a good custom plectrum would be pretty nice too! Your work is awesome and it is very much inspiring!
Ben, I found some checkering tools in my fathers stuff and tried them out a few months back. I noticed I tended to cut the initial lines too deep... I think it's important to stay shallow on pass 1 and deepen after the design is in. Also, is your short single cutter in the handle to cut on the pull? I believe mine is which is very helpful for cleaning up ends.
You should check out Mark's videos at Anvil on youtube, the guy does some nice checkering on gun stocks and does a good job of explaining how and why he does things the way he does.
I made a pick from wood you probably know nothing about. It's called Nyala wood and it's like it's between rosewood and ebony. I would love to use it for a guitar top or fretboard.
lmfao Seriously? How big is your guitar/woodworking company? Is it an internationally recognized leader in its field? My guess is, probably not. Your whole, "you don't know anything about this" bullshit attitude is not going to get you anywhere. In the future, try instead asking, "Have you heard of nyala?" If you want to avoid looking like a dick... Though given this post, I'm guessing that's not high on your priority list.
yes.. someone has patented just that but only 'up to 70% covered' or some such figure.. I'm going to give it a go and make it take up as much space as possible. B
I've never done this but my maker instinct is you need to start with a clearly marked zone to checker and work from the center out, does that seem right to you, having done it? Also, came out damned nice.
Is this how they make the less friction neck? I forget who makes it but it looks really cool....... ok now I remember. Z-Glide neck from Dean Zelinski. But again looks cool but probly feels weird. Funny how this process makes more grip and less grip
I wasn't surprised at all the a plectrum made out a nut was slippery. Since nuts are seeds, which are basically fats and protein, of course they are slippery.
Tagua is very dense and very durable, but it has a tendency to chip out when put under constant pressure (even carving tagua is delicate business because of its tendency to chip). Over the years I have seen lots of people ask about using Tagua for nuts and bridges, but have never seen anyone reply that they have used it successfully for that.
I recently discovered your great channel and have been enjoying your latest videos immensely. I absolutely love the picks you are crafting from a tree nut. I was just curious if you might make some to sell across the pond (upstate New York) to a guitarist who has been looking for just what you've made here in this video. I hate thin picks and am always looking for a minimum of 1.5mm and up to 3.0mm+. There are a few companies that make picks of these sizes, but they are all grey to black in color and most do not have the great checkered grip you cut into these little gems. If you ever consider selling them, I'd buy and be happy. Anyway... I hope you consider possibly selling some, but regardless I love your channel and have quite a large number of your videos I need to catch up on. Thank you for all you're doing for us guitar addicts!!
Hey man, drop us an email through www.crimsonguitars.com I'm sure I can work something out.. we have toyed with the idea of putting picks into production for years.. maybe this will give us a kick in the proverbial and we'll actually do it! B
These things are awesome. And, of course, you know that you have to make that guitar inspired by that pen now... But, I get the feeling that you knew we would want that, and you wanted to do it, so that's why you showed it to us. lol Audience manipulation aside though, I really wanna see that guitar. lmao Talking out my ass, but maybe it would work better if you outlined the area first? Might help to stop you from going outside of the intended shape, and look a little better. Sort of like the skip line outline that you're talking about, except flush with the shape itself. Went back and checked, and the pen has that outline too, as well as two layers of skipped line outlines. Looks amazing. It also just occurred to me that the skip line outline thing is essentially just an 8 point bit (like how the one you're using is a 16 point). So, if you didn't want such a fine checkered pattern, you could just use that. lol
about 10 years ago I was getting pretty involved in making high end slingshots (catapults). Far, far beyond the crotch of a tree branch stuff, with exotic woods applied over aluminum center cores. To make my slingshots special and shoot better I started cutting checkering into both sides which really made them unique. I even bought the same checkering tool kit you picked up. Its a great skill set to have in your craftsman pocket! I never once thought to make picks and checker them! I added the mandolin to my musical instrument list and will now have to give picks a shot!
I just had one of those moments where Ben would realize he did something and just stare into the camera for a moment. I was watching this on my phone and while filing the second line the dust started to build up so I couldn't see the lines very well . . . and I blew on my screen to blow the dust away. I then instantly realized what I just did.
Ben: I want to get a few more
Everyone who's ever watched Ben talk about tools: Of course you do, and we encourage you to do so :)
There are always more to get and more things to learn about them.. I love that I get to do this for a living! B
My Dad gave me his set of knives after he had his stroke and now I know what to use them for as my son plays bass and guitar. I love these types of videos! Very fun! Do a walking stick is my suggestion
Hi Ben. I use a commercial pick sold here in Canada called Cat`s tongue. It has a rough knurled gripping surface like that of a cat. Being red in color, it is usually easy to see when dropped in contrast to most floors. I like .73mm as it has the right flexibility for my style of playing. As usual you are awesome. Rock on you Bitches !
*Awesome demo of a checkering kit. To keep picks from slipping between my fingers I use THICK sandpaper used on a grinder disk to remove paint off of metal surfaces. I super glue a small square of sandpaper on both sides of Fender medium celluloid picks.*
After seeing that depression clip, I came here to watch your checkering video. That's how much we love you, Ben.
Oi Mate!!! Big love and respect from western washington. Huge fan of the channel, just discovered you recently. I'm a galloup graduate now working at warmoth guitar products. Your videos are so in-depth And informative. I love watching and am inspired to build mine better!!!
Warmoth makes some great-looking kits. I've always wanted to get one, but it's a little bit out of my price range. I always end up deciding that, for that price, I might as well just buy a new guitar. lol
@@bronsoncarder2491 I've been there for a few months now and I can tell you the quality outweighs the price. Quality control is a huge part of the job there. Some of the pieces I see are outstanding.
Tools. Tools. More tools! I have a handful that I make do with around the house, you’ve got things I didn’t know existed.
Very clear. No cross lines in the instruction.
OMG an unboxing. I never saw that one coming, but man what an early xmas present!
new tool day is always a good day! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars next you should scrimshaw something. do a whole series on varieties of scratch carving.
Larry Potterfield of Midway USA’s ‘Nearly perfect safari rifle’ series is probably the best description of checkering I’ve seen on youtube.
Bro, well done.
Im and old gunsmith.
For a first timer, brilliantly done.
Bravo.
Wow! I’ve been working on my picks grip for literal decades! I can’t afford a checkering kit, but I can try to do an even pattern of cross hatching...maybe even make my own tool....nice. Thanks, Ben.
I thought I'd learn nothing from this but I was wrong! What interesting tools!
this comment makes me happy! Thank you for watching! B
Ok this is really cool. And as a lifelong shooter, competitive shooter, and gun collector, I would love to see a guitar build inspired by Parker, Holland and Holland, or Purdey. Color case hardened hardware and pickup covers. Fine engraving. Beautiful walnut. I’ve seen firearm inspired guitars and they’re usually super cheesy. I think with your skill and your fine taste you could really build something that would be just as beautiful and useful as a fine shotgun or rifle.
Hey Ben, It so cool that you discovered that. I used to watch my father for hours working on customers Stocks & Forearms for Really nice !! 12 ga. Shotguns used for Trap Shooting. He was very good and his work was much sought after. Alot of his work was done in Black Walnut and other exotic Hardwoods. I'm quite sure that is where my love for woodworking came from. With all your other woodworking skills you possess, I'm definitely going to be on the lookout to see what you are going to do with these new toys !! Jeff K.~
I would have loved to have watched your dad work as well.. I am sure that I will forever be a rank amateur in this skill in comparison. It is awesome that you got to watch him and it stoked an interest in making.. all too often these days dad's don't bother sharing their knowledge and kids just are not being exposed to people actually making things irl. B
I haven't used a plectrum in years but I still love watching the process of your creating things. It is truly inspiring.
Glad you enjoy it, thank you for your support! B
Very cool
I love watching you work, especially on these less complicated projects. You make it very clear, and make me want to give it all a go. Certainly a little more refined than the attack the plectrum with a scalpel to rough it up technique I currently employ!
Thanks again, those tools look great to work with.
I made some guitar picks myself out of skateboard Wood during the week! Turned out great! Thanks for the inspiration!
My pleasure, I love it when people go on and make their own things! Viva Making! B
The short one is generally supposed to be mounted backwards, so you can use a “picking” technique to kind of roll it down and pull it back. It cuts on the pull, so it’s perfect for tight corners and precision work.
Interesting! I've seen checkering all my life, being involved with firearms. It's kinda like hydrographic printing, when you see it done, my pea brain explodes with a myriad of possibilities!
I think I need a checkering tool kit. The first textured pick (sorta checkered) I picked up was from dunlop.
Loved them!
Thanks for the inspiration.🍕🍺🦃🥧🤙
It is crazy the rabbit holes we can go down.. my brother had some lovely rifles that I lusted after as a teenager and since then the pattern has been in the back of my mind.. then a few years ago I saw a video, I think from Purdeys, that showed it being done and my brain also exploded with the possibilities.. and it is relatively simple to do at that :) I would love to see what you end up coming up with, send pics to my Instagram if you fancy it? B
Oh thank you so much Ben, now I have need of ANOTHER set of tools
Learned something new. Thank you.🙂
my pleasure, I had a blast doing it, and get a pick or two too.. B
Браво Мастер! Так рождается магия рока🎶
I use a dremel tool and drill 3 little tiny holes in my jazzIII XLs (1mm)...works great!!!
Interesting series on pick making!
I've made quite a few picks out of coconut shell; the material has a natural grippiness, they last a long time and they sound good.
Awesome, please keep doing stuff like this. Music With Rock In!!
I have had an issue with feeling pretty useless and, at times, ineffectual because most of my projects take so long.. much longer to do than they really should because of moving the camera around etc etc.. I will always do these shorter projects now because, among other things, they are bloody good for my mental health! Achieving a whole thing in a day or so is amazing!! Thanks for your support! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars Well, whatever you need for your health, I of course support.
But, you should know that we don't see it that way. Each video is an achievement in itself, and I have literally cheered before when you said, "Well, looks like there's gonna be another video." lol
Especially with that last build (the metal guitar with the rings for knobs... I think that was the last one. Hard to keep track. lol). At the beginning it looked like you were going to end up rushing it, and ending up with a product that neither us nor you would be satisfied with. Honestly, that still felt a bit rushed, but then my favorite series' of yours has been the Complication and the 2077 guitar, both of which were very long series. And I looked forward to every single video that came out for both builds. The Complication was the first one I watched, that got me hooked on this channel to begin with, and I watched every single episode.
Anyway, this is getting very long, so I'll just end by saying that we love you, and the work that you do. And we support you in whatever direction you want to take. I would, personally, prefer longer series where you make crazy badass guitars, but... If that's hard on you, I will of course equally support these shorter videos. I've been learning a lot from them.
I have a pick punch and been trying all sorts of of materials with it. After watching this I was in my garage making picks.
I don't use standard picks and I'm not into shotguns, but this was very interesting indeed. I like the quick 10 minute videos on tools and what you can do with them, though the longer videos of whole builds are always worth watching too.
I NEED a set of those checkering tools! Have you used them since making the plectrums, Ben? If so, I'd love to hear about it.
Very handy set of tools. Think I'm gonna have to look into a set of those.
dembartco.com/index.htm
Thank you, Ben!
My pleasure! B
Can't wait to see this on a guitar!
Perhaps it would be cool on a tool handle, like a plane tote or chisel handle.
Cool tools! Now i have to know the name on spanish, to search where i can buy a set here in Argentina. A lot of new ideas come to me, thanks to this video and that tool's kit.
Please some day make a arch top, or acoustic guitar! (Or maybe a cello)
my pleasure, thanks for watching! and yes, I will get on to an acoustic or two soon. B
I give it three months maximum before Ben decides to use these tools to create a unique patterned finish on an entire guitar top...
You know it's gonna happen, and you just know it's gonna be amazing...
Very nice. I wonder how it would look on the side of a plane tote, or the wedge. Probably completely unnecessary but might look fantastic.
Great, another tool I need.
Great idea, thanks man!
I've been doing something similar with the awl on a swiss army knife and a 6" steel rule, the grip is so much better.
I work on pool cues sometimes as a hobby and there's actually a little picking tool not like a guitar pick but it's just a little handle with a bunch of needles coming out of it the idea is to use it to make a ton of tiny holes in the leather pool cue tip so it impregnates the chalk into the leather so you don't misscue (taking a shot without chalk on the tip) anyways I followed your pic making tutorial and came to the same issue but my solution was to simply take my pool cue tip pick and place it on the pic and give it a few light taps with my fretting hammer with the polyurethane head giving it a few small hits then checking the grip and repeating over and over until I was satisfied with it
It would be awesome to see a bass with the top checkered for a thumb grip.
Could you do this, and then backfill the grooves with inlay powders? Or a contrasting sawdust?
Could you achieve an interesting effect if you stain the wood before marking?
Oooo, yeah, great idea. You get the original wood color in the lines, but the stained color on the bumps. Could look great.
or the opposite, stain after the fact and sand back on top so there is only stain in the grooves.
Marvellous! Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it! B
This might be a good idea for the underside of a flying V design, to keep it from slipping when playing .. in place of the rubber strip some of the originals had.
I've been just taking some sandpaper and roughing them up a bit. I also like to sort of "sharpen" the point. Obviously not thin enough to be actually sharp, that would just break off when you try to use it. I like a fairly thick pick to hold onto, but a fairly fine point of contact to make fast picking easier, and most thicker picks have an equally thick tip, just barely rounded over. Also, "sharpening" them with sandpaper like this makes the edges a little rougher, which seems like it helps to kinda "grip" the strings as you're playing.
That said, I'm a mediocre guitar player at best. Decent guitar players may have entirely different feelings about this. lol
Great video.
Yes. Some 'mini makes' would be great. How about turning some beautiful control knobs made out of mixed materials ie wood+copper/brass/resin with that chequering (knurling?) on the sides? (Something that would go well with a Copper Rodded 😉)
I have a pad of different control knob designs right next to me as I type.. I'm thinking three videos, one based on using a lathe, one using a pillar drill and one with only hand tools.. any more I should add? B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars anything that you can then send to me for my copper Rodded 😄 . Always on the lookout for something unusual
I love watching your videos, I have tool envy!
On the laminate neck video you mentioned having a straight edge on the plane rather than one which was not straight. Presumably each has its purpose. Can you explain?
Love this vid Ben u rock!!!
"coming soon from Crimson Guitars, the guitar pick checking tool"
oh hell no.. there are still a few hundred guitar based tools that I need to sort out, improve and source first! Still, never say never.. B
Checkering tools are actually rather pricey for nice ones. But if u are into guns. Being able to checker wooden handles is amazing. As well as grips on pocket and kitchen knives. Literaly just did this to my dunlop flow 420 pick 2 weeks ago and it was fantastic. Buy Checkerin tools and add grip to everything its rather fun.
The result is super!! But: It's a pick! It does not need to be so beautiful. I'm sure if you use a simple v-shape, you could get the same result (sure not as beautiful, but as a useful tool). Rob
In some ways I agree, but then I also find that by surrounding myself with beautiful things and using beautiful tools I am more inclined to make beautiful guitars.. or at least to attempt to ;) B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars You're right, but who can afford all those beautiful tools in his beginners shop?
ive just stumbled across facebook marketplace..it seems alot of pianos are free..good for practicing your carving skills ..it also maybe worth salvaging the wood for guitar making.and the keys for carving into knobs.not that i know what wood these things are made from
Very cool
I'll check if i can get something like that
Great idea 👍
Thank you! Cheers! B
I just use the dunlop max grips. They're pretty nice picks.
The company I mentioned in the previous video has a number of different hatching patterns on their picks. They somehow do not get slippery when using, something about the nut material..
Also, you can dye the tugua material, the picks I have are ref, green and blue.
Time to purchase a checkering kit . What do you know, its almost Black Friday. ( sale time in the U.S.)
Sale time worldwide at this point.. so many amazing deals to be had! Including at www.crimsonguitars.com yo ;) B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars good to know!
I have a beat to crap Hondo Explorer soon to be project.
( I just finished a firearm project, now it's time to get back to Frankenhondo.)
I don't know what kind of wood is under the hidious factory finish, but it may take well to checkering!
Hey Charles, I bet that as long as the wood is structurally sound a checkering pattern will only ever improve things! B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars I hope so. I haven't stripped it yet. I think the only part I will keep is the body. It's finished in black polymer, with a prism tape style top.
Pretty gaudy when it was new I'm sure. Now it's just nasty! I think deluxe hondos were alder. Many of the others were plywood.
it looks great for some one that is just binning.
thank you.. much practice to be getting on with. B
@@CrimsonCustomGuitars just remember just like guitar playing practice practice practice!!!
Can u put a link in the description to that mount blanc it's gorgeous and I am not a pen nerd in the least
It leaves me breathless tbh and I don't consider myself a pen guy either.. B www.purdey.com/montblanc-x-purdey-meisterstuck-great-masters-fountain-pen?gclid=Cj0KCQiAh4j-BRCsARIsAGeV12DC8ObiezlnFE7DhsA49oiAd_XpME_ng2UN5wLnmqZtBgY4K8J2pIYaAr8xEALw_wcB
Always pondered on how Chequering was achieved. So are the tools like a miniature float?
Exactly this, a miniature float :) B
Hey Ben. Do you have to put some finish on these nuts to protect them against handsweat and all that gunk?
I'm not Ben, but I hope my reply will do. Tagua is a nut, and is oily. Its oil will protect it just fine and it probably would not hold a finish for very long, if at all.
@@patrickwilliams3108 thank you, that helps me a lot. I didn't think about nuts containing oil, but you're totally right. It should be fine, shouldn't it?
I wonder if the smart play would be to make a model in a 3D drafting program and then print one (or more) out as a pattern/mold for a batch of them to be manufactured.
A side-note: I haven't bought any "textured" plectra because, so far, whenever manufacturers put checkering or stippling on their picks, they never seem to get the texture down close enough to the pointy end of the plectrum where I hold it.
if we ever do production plectrums then they will be cnc or laser cut for the most part.. for this though it is just me experimenting and having fun. Frankly, I can make one of these by hand faster than someone could draw one and put through a machine, hell I can make 3 or 4 in the time a 3 d printer could do one properly imo. B
See you Saturday!
Hi :) B
YAWN !!!!!!!!!
Ben...we love you man, but c'mon.... build something !!!
How about a guitar case ?
I personally favor Jim Dunlop picks - the checkering is built in. Nothing wrong with drilling a ¼" hole in the top of any pick for better grip. Cheers...
I started out with those but the sand paper feel gave me that nails on a chalkboard feeling.
@@Xxmeca421xX I guess it's a matter of whatever works for you. Cheers...
I punch a hole or two in my cheap plastic picks to get grip. 5s start to finish. Which is good, since I lose them almost as quickly. :)
Hello Ben! Do you think it would be possible to do this checkering to a resin plectrum? I am very keen on starting to work with resin for some fun projects (making some polyhedral dice) and now that I think of it, making a good custom plectrum would be pretty nice too! Your work is awesome and it is very much inspiring!
Ben, I found some checkering tools in my fathers stuff and tried them out a few months back. I noticed I tended to cut the initial lines too deep... I think it's important to stay shallow on pass 1 and deepen after the design is in. Also, is your short single cutter in the handle to cut on the pull? I believe mine is which is very helpful for cleaning up ends.
With it being an organic material, do you need to seal it or anything?
Works
You should check out Mark's videos at Anvil on youtube, the guy does some nice checkering on gun stocks and does a good job of explaining how and why he does things the way he does.
I made a pick from wood you probably know nothing about. It's called Nyala wood and it's like it's between rosewood and ebony. I would love to use it for a guitar top or fretboard.
lmfao Seriously? How big is your guitar/woodworking company? Is it an internationally recognized leader in its field? My guess is, probably not. Your whole, "you don't know anything about this" bullshit attitude is not going to get you anywhere.
In the future, try instead asking, "Have you heard of nyala?" If you want to avoid looking like a dick... Though given this post, I'm guessing that's not high on your priority list.
Excellent job. Enjoyed watching the process. Where can this kit be purchased pleased?
dembartco.com/index.htm
@@willer3399 thank you. I will take a look right now
Could that pattern work on the neck of a guitar? If it were light and unfinished maybe?
yes.. someone has patented just that but only 'up to 70% covered' or some such figure.. I'm going to give it a go and make it take up as much space as possible. B
real cool man...
I've never done this but my maker instinct is you need to start with a clearly marked zone to checker and work from the center out, does that seem right to you, having done it? Also, came out damned nice.
spot on, I really should have used transfer paper or something to at least work out the outer dimensions.. B
Is this how they make the less friction neck? I forget who makes it but it looks really cool....... ok now I remember.
Z-Glide neck from Dean Zelinski.
But again looks cool but probly feels weird. Funny how this process makes more grip and less grip
Have you seen the Universal sharpening jig from JSK-koubou on youtube? What are your thoughts about that?
I've seen similar jigs before and they really do work, I prefer ones that use more of the stone but that is just me. B
Still waiting for the case build for the hollow explorer Ben......
yeah.. I know. it is actually in progress now though so soon. B
I wasn't surprised at all the a plectrum made out a nut was slippery. Since nuts are seeds, which are basically fats and protein, of course they are slippery.
Do you have a link for the checkering kit? I've been looking all over off and on and they are never in stock :(
I'm sorry but no.. I got mine at the beginning of the first lockdown.. I'm struggling to find the skip tooth cutters I want myself. B
Could you use those nuts for guitar nuts or are they too soft?
Tagua is very dense and very durable, but it has a tendency to chip out when put under constant pressure (even carving tagua is delicate business because of its tendency to chip). Over the years I have seen lots of people ask about using Tagua for nuts and bridges, but have never seen anyone reply that they have used it successfully for that.
Ben you should take a look at Mark Novak's channel. I'm sure his old guns repairing videos can give plenty ideas.
Subscribed! Thanks for the tip! B
Mate, I believe it's about time for another cigar box guitar. Christmas Edition. Maybe?!
Damn you Ben you keep making me want to buy buy more tools 😬😂
My job here is done! 😆
I recently discovered your great channel and have been enjoying your latest videos immensely. I absolutely love the picks you are crafting from a tree nut. I was just curious if you might make some to sell across the pond (upstate New York) to a guitarist who has been looking for just what you've made here in this video. I hate thin picks and am always looking for a minimum of 1.5mm and up to 3.0mm+. There are a few companies that make picks of these sizes, but they are all grey to black in color and most do not have the great checkered grip you cut into these little gems. If you ever consider selling them, I'd buy and be happy. Anyway... I hope you consider possibly selling some, but regardless I love your channel and have quite a large number of your videos I need to catch up on. Thank you for all you're doing for us guitar addicts!!
Hey man, drop us an email through www.crimsonguitars.com I'm sure I can work something out.. we have toyed with the idea of putting picks into production for years.. maybe this will give us a kick in the proverbial and we'll actually do it! B
Would ebony make a good pick or is it to brittle?
it would probably not work for a very thin pick but a larger wedge and it would be great imo.. I'll have a play and make a video one day. B
this is perfect for me! im a plectier!!!!
I do this with my tortex picks, albeit less precisely and with a box cutter
What’s that on your head
Where do I buy that set?
Ben rules
dembartco.com/index.htm
Ooooh ben you should stain those handles and pop some finishing oil on would look cool
I totally agree! B
I really am excited for nebula 2.0 tomorrow is a good day . Thank you Ben
awesome
4:20 Was that a Jerry Rosa reference?
unintentional.. I love his work though! B
All I could think of when you were carving was runes 🤔
These things are awesome. And, of course, you know that you have to make that guitar inspired by that pen now... But, I get the feeling that you knew we would want that, and you wanted to do it, so that's why you showed it to us. lol
Audience manipulation aside though, I really wanna see that guitar. lmao
Talking out my ass, but maybe it would work better if you outlined the area first? Might help to stop you from going outside of the intended shape, and look a little better. Sort of like the skip line outline that you're talking about, except flush with the shape itself. Went back and checked, and the pen has that outline too, as well as two layers of skipped line outlines. Looks amazing.
It also just occurred to me that the skip line outline thing is essentially just an 8 point bit (like how the one you're using is a 16 point). So, if you didn't want such a fine checkered pattern, you could just use that. lol