Something different
Every now and then I challenge myself to designing a guitar that doesn’t quite fit within the box - or at least within my own design guides. That’s not what happened here.
A customer actually asked what a symmetrical, no cutaway Areli would look like, but my brain read it as A-symmetrical, and I went ahead designing with that in mind.
I picked up on my error before I made a fool of myself with the customer, but the design stuck with me.
The lines started with the Gideon, which you can see in the lower bout, but of course the upper bout is completely re-shaped. The twin swoop is something I’ve played with before, but this is the first time I’ve felt that it works well. There’s still a bit to figure out construction wise, like whether it’ll need to have an extended neck tenon, and it’s the perfect candidate for attempting bent sides. There’s a lot of potential.
I haven’t decided on a name yet, or if will even become part of the regular line up. I have trimmed down my selection in an effort to simplify my process, so adding another shape is probably not the best idea at the moment…
Take care, and I’ll see you in the next post!
New website - new designs
After a short disappearance, my website is back up and running with a new host!
It’s always a pain rebuilding everything, but I like to take the opportunity to make some changes that I’ve been thinking about - a new logo, and new models.
The brand that has graced my headstocks is familiar, and certainly reflects the handmade nature of my guitars, but I’ve felt that it doesn’t always work well with every headstock shape I offer. I’ve also wanted to create something that’s a bit more minimalist, which better reflects where my designs are headed. It’s a spin on the old “JP” combo, seen in the Jurassic Park movies. Clean, simple, and sits well on all my headstocks. I’ll be exploring the idea of Pearl inlays on darker timbers, and perhaps Ebony on the lighter ones. It’ll slowly roll out once I complete the current run of commissions.
I’ve also been working on some new shapes. The newest, Azar, was actually dreamed up nearly two years ago, and was bound to be the first model in an offshoot brand - Temperate Guitars. It was inspired by a trip to the West Coast of Tasmania, which holds a lot of history, particularly in the timber industry. I wanted to showcase our timbers in a stripped back, minimalist way, and feature the use of hand tools for the majority of the build. Long story short, I shelved that idea to focus on growing my wedding photography business further, but recently got inspired by the shape again. I decided to push the design more into my J.Parsons aesthetic, and I’m really happy with the result! I’m offering this one up as a simple solid-body, or a fully hollow model with an outer frame and block under the bridge, capped off with a thin front and back. The result is a very vibrant guitar that’s pretty lightweight.
My other new shape has become the updated Solomon model. It started with the same minimalist intention, but leaning more towards classic American bolt-on guitar design that would give me the opportunity to experiment with solid colours. I’ve expanded on this, adding a hollow model with a Swoop, and bass variations.
Overall I’m excited by this new direction, having shelved a few other designs that I wasn’t really connecting with. 3 models in both bass and guitar, each with some unique variations. Should be enough to keep me busy!
