Artisan Master  # 157

Body: Black Limba
Top: 5A Quilt Maple
Neck: Brazilian Rosewood
Fretboard and Headcap: Ebony
Pickups: WCR Darkbursts with Maple/Ebony Zebra Bobbins
Bridge: Thorn 1-pc. Tremolo with LR Baggs Piezo Saddles
Inlays: Parrots
Color: Island Burst

Extras:
Fiber-Optic Side Dots.
Bird's Eyes inlaid with a Diamond, Emerald, Ruby, and a Sapphire...also lit from behind with Fiber-optics!
Koa switch tip and trem arm tip with a paua "tip" on each

Tone Report:
I was so busy staring at it I forgot to plug it in....heh! Nah, this is the second set of Darkbursts I've installed in a rosewood necked Thorn this past week...what a deadly combo. They really seem to help smooth out that aggressive midrange, creating an incredibly "full" sound. Big lows and highs with a tight mid allows for complete versatility. Silky smooth BRW neck, slick gold fretwire, and the Thorn trem...what a treat to play. You'll love the feel of it Mike, it's very comforting.

Visuals:
I think the pics speak for themselves. Pops outdid himself once again on the inlay, what can I say - I'm so proud of him. The inlay work is top notch - tight fitting, perfect material selection and a touch of realism. Fire up the gem eyes and it's out of this world.
The BRW neck is beautifully grained with a hint of rusty red in it.
I placed some regular golden speed knobs on there while I was assembling it, just to get a feel for it. They actually looked quite good on there. But, they needed something...how about a little paua to pickup on the purfling and the leaves on the limbs?
Mike wanted something special for the nut. This is a cross between a zero fret and a 50/50 nut. The zero fret is the same gold fretwire as the rest of the fretboard, but it's fretted into the stabilized koa lateral-guide... not the fretboard. This means the whole assembly can be removed to replace the zero fret if need be or to replace it all with a traditional nut. I dig it.

The Tone knob is a push/pull that kicks in the LEDs that power the Fibre-optic side dots and bird's eyes. It only works when a cable is plugged in, just like the LR Baggs Piezo system included.

Whew...I'm spent.

Mike, you have the patience of a saint. You kept a level head during this whole build. Not once did you get impatient, paranoid, nor kookoo...you're the best and I really appreciated it. You really do know what's important in life and I thank you for that. Now, plug in and have some fun...I hope the wait has been worth it!

Your friend,
Ron

Above: The birdies' eyes all a glow.

Above: Electric blue side dots...coooooool

Guitars as art. That is a phrase that is thrown around a lot. Sometimes positive, occasionally with negative connotations.
I feel it is safe to say that #157 certainly qualifies as an art guitar. Why not? It has beautiful colors. The materials used are exotic and eye catching. The design is pleasing. Those are all positive traits of "good" art. But, as we all know, it's also a musical instrument. In fact, first and foremost it's a musical instrument. A tool for Mike to use while he creates his own art. So what if it's got a little flash? I was weaned from the Tele-teat long ago, now bring on the birds!!!

Here you go Mike, this guitar represent the best I can do as a builder. It was challenging, exciting, and I couldn't be happier or prouder to present this to you...Artisan Master #157: