Bare Knuckle Pickups Forum

Forum Ringside => Guitars, Amps and Effects => Topic started by: FELINEGUITARS on October 18, 2009, 02:39:49 PM

Title: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on October 18, 2009, 02:39:49 PM
Just in case you thought things had been a bit quiet on the Feline front : here is one that we've had under wraps for a few weeks
We couldn't post about it sooner as it was a 50th birthday surprise for some one and I certainly wasn't going to spoil that
But here it is in all it's green glory....

The player loves Santana and has long been disappointed that you cant get a left handed PRS (other than going Private Stock at silly prices) , so his family came to me to ask what we might do.
So we built this super guitar and fitted BKP Abraxas pickups to it
For tuning duties we used a fab Hipshot tremolo and Sperzel tuners
CTS pots and orange drop capacitors as ever
Ebony fingerboard with Dunlop 6155 frets
Inlays were split MOP and Abalone matching the abalone topped control knobs

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger6.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger5.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger4.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger2.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger3-1.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v662/felineguitars/CUSTOM%20BUILT/chrisjonestiger7.jpg)
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: keith on October 18, 2009, 02:49:13 PM
Once again another beautiful example of Feline craftsmanship
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Afghan Dave on October 18, 2009, 02:59:04 PM
Gorgeous piece of work there mate.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: gwEm on October 18, 2009, 03:03:44 PM
 :o

exceptional
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: shaman on October 18, 2009, 03:29:41 PM
as a fellow southpaw, I not only say "impressive", but thanks as well!Thanks for including us lefties in your art!well done
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: TheIronBeast on October 18, 2009, 03:32:46 PM
That looks great! Very nice work!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: gingataff on October 18, 2009, 03:40:24 PM
I always have a hard time adjusting to looking at lefties but I must say that is stunning, one of the finest Felines I've yet seen.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Philly Q on October 18, 2009, 03:41:55 PM
Oh, I do love your green guitars!  It's a beauty!  :D
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: HTH AMPS on October 18, 2009, 04:54:44 PM
purrr-fect  :lol:

that would sound lovely through something like a 10w EL34 combo - did you have something like that to hand?  :wink:

Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Matt77 on October 18, 2009, 04:55:39 PM
That looks nice.
Shame it's a lefty and you don't get to play this one once you have finished it.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: roland_rat on October 18, 2009, 05:51:05 PM
Oh my that looks absolutly beutifull and  a lefty too.  Think im going to have to add one of them to the list of guitars I want oneday!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: dave_mc on October 18, 2009, 06:06:25 PM
awesome :D
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Mr. Air on October 18, 2009, 06:15:30 PM
Just got one word... Stunning!!!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Antag on October 18, 2009, 07:04:44 PM
That's an unbelievably gorgeous guitar, even if it is the wrong way round :)
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Ian Price on October 18, 2009, 07:07:27 PM
Oooh. I like that green. Maybe green is the new blue for me.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: 38thBeatle on October 18, 2009, 07:30:28 PM
That is a stunner Jonathan.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Stevepage on October 18, 2009, 08:15:51 PM
Amazing! shame it's built the wrong way round  :lol:
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: WezV on October 18, 2009, 08:37:56 PM
i have to do this with lefty guitar pics
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/chrisjonestiger6.jpg)


...


much better
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Johnny Mac on October 18, 2009, 09:48:36 PM
Thats really lovely. I like the fine looking grain and the colour is just right  8)
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: LazyNinja on October 18, 2009, 10:36:18 PM
i have to do this with lefty guitar pics
(http://i36.photobucket.com/albums/e31/WezV/new/chrisjonestiger6.jpg)


...


much better

 :lol: I have nothing against lefty guitars but I can't assess whether I like it without doing that either. And fwiw I love it! Any reason why you didnt make it Santana model shaped Jonathan?
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: shaman on October 19, 2009, 01:05:30 AM
bunch of righties!!!You have NO idea...can you  imagine how I feel when I walk into ANY guitar shop in the world??..No idea!!!  :D  You are all righty Elitists!!!!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: viking on October 19, 2009, 02:50:25 AM
Beautiful !The fretboard don't look like Ebony.What kind is it?
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Zaned on October 19, 2009, 06:27:26 AM
That's a beautiful guitar! :)

The hipshot tremolo is really great. It's very much like the PRS trem, except that it pivots on two points. And I like the neck heel on that guitar, it's so much smaller than the PRS 22-fret models. How deep does the neck tenon go?

-Zaned
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Nadz1lla on October 19, 2009, 12:04:35 PM
Once again Jonathan, you have made me drool with one of your green guitars. You know I wander around music shops now trying to spot any green guitars they have. And when I find one it's still not as good looking as the Lion or this example here.

Bugger it, when I've paid off my credit cards, I'm saving up and coming to you for my first custom. Get that Emerald spray ready! (Oh, I'll be about 10 years btw, lol) :lol:
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Lukie on October 19, 2009, 10:04:06 PM
Nice guitar! I always wonder if right handed builders can make decent left handed instruments to the same level of quality and playability as their right handed instruments. How does this one compare?
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: il˙ti on October 19, 2009, 10:19:57 PM
Lovely. The frets look teensy weensy but I guess that's his preference.
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: shaman on October 19, 2009, 11:47:11 PM
Nice guitar! I always wonder if right handed builders can make decent left handed instruments to the same level of quality and playability as their right handed instruments. How does this one compare?
...yes!I am a lefty..have Taylors,Gibs,Fender,Tom Anderson,HAmer,MArtin-all are exceptional ...i bet there are more righty lemons than lefties simply because there are so many more righties....I bet its 90% righty  10% lefty in terms of production..
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on October 19, 2009, 11:55:32 PM
Thanks for the positive vibes guys
Here's some repies to the sensible points & questions raised

Oops - yes the fingerboard was actually nice dark rosewood
I have become used to playing my Macassar Ebony board (Amber Lion) which looks similar and I slipped up when describing it

We went for the classic shape rather than the original Santana shape because the player was drooling over that shape even though he is a Santana fanatic.

Good question about right handed luthiers making left handed guitars - because I learnt to quantify setup heights in things that can be measured to put the guitar in what I call "the golden zone" which was done after much research and R&D - enabling me to train other makers and repairers (trainees) to get consistant results (usually when working for me) it also means that we can apply the same rules to a left handed guitar and get the guitar feeling great.

It is still true that with a right handed axe I can play it properly and make any final tweaks  to my satisfaction, so usually with a lefty (where possible) we have the player come in and play the set up guitar and tell us if anything can be tweaked further for their liking. This player lives 10 miles down the road - so easily done.

Fretwire was Dunlop 6155 which is what PRS and modern Fenders use (when not a vintage reissue)

We favour a small heel on this design and the Tenon goes right the way under the neck pickup - like the pre 1993 PRS ones. The Hipshot tremolo is fab - really smooth!

We have a great green colour that we use - this one was a touch lighter stained than the Emerald Lion - in some lights it's like a juicy apple and more Gemstone coloured in other lights.

As ever we have our payment by instalment scheme that works well - this time we operated a sort of "wedding list" kind of arrangement where friends and family could ring in /call in and make payments towards the guitar. It was a great way to make a birthday EXTRA SPECIAL
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: viking on October 20, 2009, 05:11:48 AM
Quote
Feline quote :"Oops - yes the fingerboard was actually nice dark rosewood "

   Thanks ! In fact,i prefer the rosewood for these guitars  8)!But i never tried the Macassar ebony..
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: AndyR on October 20, 2009, 02:57:14 PM
Bit late to this... that's another cutie there Jonathan :D
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: FELINEGUITARS on October 20, 2009, 05:07:21 PM
Bit late to this... that's another cutie there Jonathan :D


Thanks Andy
Just heard from people at the 50th party - the birthday boy was completely gobsmacked by it
Wasn't expecting it at all - or the party for that matter - must have been a great evening!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Lukie on October 20, 2009, 07:33:37 PM
I gotta say some of your guitars give me serious G.A.S. If only i could justify another guitar  :D
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: Will on October 20, 2009, 08:14:55 PM
Looks wonderful.
Any plans for Emerald Panther & Tabby? then you would have made a set!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: FernandoDuarte on October 20, 2009, 11:27:13 PM
Suberb!
Title: Re: Feline "SOUTHPAW" Emerald Tiger (picture heavy)
Post by: th3sku11 on October 24, 2009, 03:29:03 PM
That really is stunning! Fantastic work.