New Commission: The Æsc

Hi Everyone!

This build guitar has a bit of a backstory so hope you're comfy ;)

It started back in February when we were exhibiting at The Guitar Show. We had the great pleasure of meeting Justin Pryce from the band Hærken and after a long chat and he graciously decided to commission us to build his next guitar! The only catch was we couldn't announce it or publish any pictures online as he wanted it to be a complete surprise for the rest of the band!

The build slowly evolved over the 6 months it took to construct but, at heart, the plan remained the same. To build a single pickup, 7 string Explorer themed guitar with an Evertune® bridge. Having never really dealt with Evertune® products before it was quite a learning curve to install but we really can see the benefits. The tuning is rock solid no matter how hard you play or what kind of string gauge you use. Once it's set up it is incredibly reliable and easy to use!

Aside from that, Justin wanted the build was to be themed around Ash wood and take on a sort of medieval look. The band's logo is an Ash tree and having an "æ" in their name as well, it made sense to keep the guitar in keeping with that. We made the body from Ash with a Wenge middle section and used Spalted Ash for the top. The Wenge really helps to frame the top and provides a nice contrast to the lighter shade of the Ash.

The neck is a 5 piece construct of Maple and Sapele with a headstock faceplate of Wenge and Spalted Ash, to match the body. The guitar is 660mm scale that goes fretless after the 15th.

Justin was a fantastic guy to work with and was involved with every facet of the build, often coming down to the workshop to check up on the progress and add his own flair to the build.  It was a pleasure to be able to bring his vision to life and we hope he and the band enjoy it for many years to come!

Full specs after the pics!

Body

3 Piece Ash

Wenge Middle Section

Spalted Ash Top

Neck

Bolt on joint

5 Piece of Maple & Sapele

Fretboard

5 Piece of Indian Rosewood, Maple & Wenge

Custom "Æ" 12th Fret Inlay of Ash

660mm Scale Length

15 Stainless Steel Frets (Medium / Jumbo)

Hardware

 Black Custom Made Tuners

Black "F Style" Evertune® Bridge

Wenge Knob

Graphtech® Black TUSQ® Nut

Schaller® Straplocks

2 way Truss Rod

Electrics

Bare Knuckle Pickups® Painkiller with Custom Worn Black Cover

550k Bare Knuckle Pickups® Volume Pot

Switchcraft® Output Jack

Finish 

Satin cellulose (Body)

Satin cellulose (Neck)

We're so happy to be able to finally announce this beast and show you all the secret work we've been doing over the last few months! Be sure to catch Hærken if they invade your town as they are an absolutely amazing medieval metal experience!

If you have any questions or comments please feel free to leave them here, drop us an email or leave a message on our Facebook page!

All the best,

Mike & Martin