Scott's Guitar Blog

The Natural Wonder is Finished!

I finished making "The Natural Wonder" this week, the guitar featured in some of my previous articles.
I'm very proud of it, and its owner Eric Weingrad of the Pittsburg band TheCause will be picking it up this week.

Here's how I describe it on my website:

This guitar glows with the natural beauty of the wood. Figured maple and mahogany join together to create an organic yet striking form. The figured grain cascades like a waterfall over the thick maple's curved edge.
Its warm, full background tone is tipped with clear bright highs. Custom made Lindy Fralin high-output humbuckers and locking Sperzel tuning machines. Volume and blend pots, 3-way switch and mini phase switch complete the electronics. Dial up the blend pot in phase mode to create a richer, thicker phase tone than traditionally possible. The figured maple pickup mounting rings add a sophisticated sculptural touch.

Please visit my website to see more of my work!

Electric Guitar Body Finishing

Hi everyone,

I'm back with more on the guitar I'm making for Eric Weingrad of TheCause
It should be complete in a week or two...Thes photos show my ultrviolet curing rig in use. (It is a hand-held unit, but I put it down in the photo to take the shot).

After several coats are srayed, the guitar is hit with the UV light for several minutes until the finish is hard.
Then the final wet-sand and buff out takes place.

I wanted to show the thick layers of wood used to make this body...you can see a dramatic "waterfall" effect as the flamed maple rolls over the top edge. This amazing depth and drama can't be acheived with a thin top.

Please viist my website for more on custom guitars!

Guitarist Melvin Miller Jr.

A couple weeks ago a player came to my shop with a nice old Gibson 335 with a broken headstock.
His name was Mel Miller, and he was soft-spoken, polite, and cared a great deal about his guitar. All good qualities. After I asked him a few questions, he shared some of his musical background.

Mel was the pit guitarist for Motown for one...He was also the guitarist for The Supremes in the mid 1970s, writing 2 songs on their last album. Mel was a staff songwriter with Holland Dozier Holland, and also worked with Funk Brothers bassist James Jamerson. In addition to that, he was the musical director for Motown's The Originals. The list of acts and artists Mel has played with is substantial.

These days Mel is the musical director for Dr. K's Motown Revue,a slammin band that I had the pleasure of hearing several years ago.

Mel was happy with the repair to his great guitar, played a bit, thanked me, and off he went! It's always great to meet and get to know artists who were there to help shape one of America's original art forms.

Please visit the S.B. MacDonald Custom Instruments website!