Röö guitars

Working on back cavity covers for the #005. Made of offcuts of the spalted beech top, they will be bound in black plastic binding and lacquered clear. The back of the guitar (and sides) will be black, so this will give a nice contrast and the covers will visually relate to the top. Very exciting!

I just received the binding and fret wire for #005. The classic 1.5mm black plastic binding for the neck and the body, and the medium (2.4mm width) nickel-silver fretwire. Of course, a new tool, because why not :)

A new Gotoh GTC201 left-handed bridge just arrived from RealTone Music. For build #005 I reversed the bridge pickup and headstock to create a more distinctive aesthetic. These choices are purely visual, designed to break symmetry and add character without affecting playability The bridge is a thing of beauty – exactly what you’d expect from…

Three fretboards on the bench. Final choice will depend on the design – each one suits a different look and feel. I’ll decide once the rest of the build starts to take shape. Black ebony – a classic, no question. Dense, smooth, and jet-dark with just a hint of sheen. Always a solid choice when…

Quarter-sawn white cedar – featherlight at just over 1kg. Not your usual neck timber for an electric, but it’s got the colour, the grain, the stiffness, and with two carbon fibre rods, it will be plenty strong. Should make for a neck that’s fast, stable, and a little unexpected.

Bookmatched spalted beech – this one’s from Crimson Guitars, weighing in at 1.13kg. The spalting is wild but balanced, and the grain lines are already telling a story. Should make for an interesting top.

Starting point for the next build: a two-piece swamp ash blank from StewMac, already planed down to 40mm. It weighs just 3.5kg — light enough to feel lively, but I’ll be carving out a few chambers to take it even further. Should make for a resonant, responsive body with plenty of air under the strings.

Fresh tools from Crimson Guitars just landed, along with a stunning spalted beech top for build #005! Can’t wait to start cutting into it :) Those gorgeous new tools won’t be sitting idle for long either.