Sean, I hadn't thought about designing for Hell Hats but it sounds too catchy not to try...
Hell Guitars
- Thread starter syo
- Start date
bcdon
Displaced Texan
This is really cool! What do the Kanji (is it Kanji? I'm not sure of the proper name) characters say?
The little devils remind me of statues I saw at the San Francisco Asian Art museum that had some really wicked Japanese good/evil demons/gods.
These would make cool hats and stickers too! :dude
Thanks don! The Kanji represents earth, water, fire and air (wind literally). The four "elements" of all matter as explained by the ancient Greeks and alchemists. I've always liked alchemical illustration and symbols and sometimes include them in my work. I liked the ideas of the figures representing the creative elements.
I suppose it does. As I was drawing it however I was thinking, "these guys are like the Pep Boys from Hell." I always liked the way the Pep Boys were rendered...
Well finally getting some hardware pics up. Was knocked out sick this past week and have gotten a bit behind. Very frustrating week it was. Glad to be back...
Here's an uber close-up of the toggle knob and a couple of the volume knobs on the Bender model. They are chromed brass. Not too heavy though as the vol/tone knobs have plastic inserts to attach to the pots. Really nice feel to them. The toggle switch knob is vintage style. Was rather hard to find.
Here are a few more shots with more of the bigger picture:
I'll try to get a few more shots up tomorrow or the next.
As always, comments, observations appreciated. Thanks!
Here's an uber close-up of the toggle knob and a couple of the volume knobs on the Bender model. They are chromed brass. Not too heavy though as the vol/tone knobs have plastic inserts to attach to the pots. Really nice feel to them. The toggle switch knob is vintage style. Was rather hard to find.
Here are a few more shots with more of the bigger picture:
I'll try to get a few more shots up tomorrow or the next.
As always, comments, observations appreciated. Thanks!
Robert
Oranges and lemons, say the bells of St. Clements.
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Hey Syo, things are looking great I must say! 
kidsmoke
Well-known member
SYO, those are beautiful. You are really doing it up right. LOVE the knobs and the switch tip. Hard to believe someone could come up with something unique AND appealing, but you're really hitting it out of the park.
bcdon
Displaced Texan
What Tio said! Great work! :dude
FrankenFretter
Hopeless Noodler
Glad you posted a close up of those knobs, I was wondering how they'd look. I love 'em!
Ch0jin
Well-known member
Looking good man, looking REAL good!
mrmudcat
Well-known member
It has been awhile but what humbuckers and or other pups are you using again????
Bareknuckles???
Bareknuckles???
Katastrophe
Well-known member
Man, that black Bender is some kinda sexy. Kinda hard to type, as I am wiping away drool at the same time. Great job, syo, and folks will be lining up to purchase those bad boys!
Hey mudcat. Yeah, right now we're using Bare Knuckles exclusively. I was thinking to offer a cheaper model with Wilkinsons but frankly they are very different guitars without the BKs. I am working on a hollowbody design that will probably be equipped with something from TV Jones. But nothing imminent.
Wow, Kat, thanks. It sure would be nice to see folks lining up that's for sure. I have been hunkering down in the Hell bunker working on the big opening. I'm shooting for mid-April. That's when the website will be ready and the nice tweed hard cases delivered. Must say, I'm a little nervous. I've been doing this (unintentionally) prolonged striptease on The Fret for some time now. Just hope when the last reveal is over, the goods will be appreciated. I'm happy with the way things are going and hope others will be happy too.
Speaking of striptease, I'll post the last pictures before the website is up.
Since you mentioned the Black Bender, Kat, here's the blackest Bender with uncovered BK Black Dog pickups and black speed knobs.
Here are a couple shots of the off-white Zero Dot. This one with Irish Tour singles and Nailbomb bucker.
Also, along with the some T-shirt designs I have also designed some baseball jerseys. These are two protypes made by Ebbet's Field Flannels. They have their own line and they also have made throwback jerseys for some Major League teams. It is my plan to offer a whole line of Hell products to help subsidize the guitar costs. With fluctuations in currencies, taxes and ever rising labor costs, I figure I could better keep guitar prices stable if I have other revenue supporting them. Perhaps this is not of interest to those of you following along, but it's part of what I'm doing (it's also part of why I've gotten behind!). Anyway, here's a couple of jersey shots taken from the Ebbet's Field workshop before the felts were sewn. I just received them a couple of days ago. They turned out nice. :AOK
bcdon
Displaced Texan
That Zero Dot is awesome! And I really, really dig those jerseys! Awesome work, syo!! I can't wait for the unveiling!! :dude
tjcurtin1
Well-known member
The more I see of them, the more I like your body shapes and cosmetics, SYO - really nice design work! I often find myself looking at guitars and wondering why the HELL no one has come up with any interesting variations in so long - you've done it!
mrmudcat
Well-known member
I agree...TJ!!!! The jerseys are cool as hell !!!! ( I also like the t shirt with the.kanji on them and the headstock logo also looks killah ) No play on words!!;;;;;;;; The b.k.'s are really worth it brother I would keep them!!!I will buy a black bender with black chrome covered pups,black switch tip and a ebony fretboard and speed knobs!!!:socool
deeaa
Well-known member
Man, that merchandise looks sweet! Can't afford a guitar, but are any of those jerseys etc. available to buy? That I might be able to afford...and especially that blue jersey would make a real cool and unique (for now at least) shirt to wear on gigs and just all round as summer shirt.
Thanks guys! Tj, I really appreciate your comments on the design. I won't bore you with my process, but I invested alot of time, thought and effort (not to mention money...) into getting designs that worked for me. Both aesthetically and functionally speaking. Nice to hear that it works for someone other than just me!
Well deeaa, I'm afraid in the short term, these are the only jerseys I have right now and they didn't come cheap. My cost for the jerseys is $150. Each. The company that makes them typically sell their jerseys for $200 apiece. They are all made to order in the US from authentic wool flannel like in the old days. However, I am thinking to have them made much more cheaply elsewhere. My initial estimates are for a retail price around $40 - $50. Of course these will not be made to order and will be cotton but they should look/wear fine. Another option for you deeaa, could be an endorsement deal. The Spookbox frontman wearing a Hell jersey might work for me. :dude
Well deeaa, I'm afraid in the short term, these are the only jerseys I have right now and they didn't come cheap. My cost for the jerseys is $150. Each. The company that makes them typically sell their jerseys for $200 apiece. They are all made to order in the US from authentic wool flannel like in the old days. However, I am thinking to have them made much more cheaply elsewhere. My initial estimates are for a retail price around $40 - $50. Of course these will not be made to order and will be cotton but they should look/wear fine. Another option for you deeaa, could be an endorsement deal. The Spookbox frontman wearing a Hell jersey might work for me. :dude
bcdon
Displaced Texan
Alright, I said I wouldn't be posting anymore pictures until the site was up but I'll make one exception (or two...). As everything is just about ready, one detail has been annoying me quite a bit. The truss rod cover on the Bender is just a black/white acetate sandwich which really doesn't make a good impression at all. I did a little research this weekend and found a place that can make me diecast alloy covers for a good price. Actually the company has nothing to do with guitars but they do nice metal work. I sent them my designs and they sent me back their price and all looks good. I am really happy about this. In fact I'm thinking to create a whole bunch of different designs for standard trussrod covers too. I really like how these particular materials look as covers. Very distinctive and different from anything I've ever seen.
Anyway here is a mock-up of the cover along with the line art for the silverplate. The colors will be just gloss black/silver plate. I did the design quickly but it works well enough. I have too many other things I have to do to get Hell out the door, so this will have to do for now. But if it works out, I'll have lots of fun designing more. :thumbsup
Would love to hear any opinions. Thanks!
Anyway here is a mock-up of the cover along with the line art for the silverplate. The colors will be just gloss black/silver plate. I did the design quickly but it works well enough. I have too many other things I have to do to get Hell out the door, so this will have to do for now. But if it works out, I'll have lots of fun designing more. :thumbsup
Would love to hear any opinions. Thanks!
FrankenFretter
Hopeless Noodler
Very nice, Syo! I like that.
bcdon
Displaced Texan
Katastrophe
Well-known member
Opinion? I dig the TR cover... I think it looks badass... However, could it be "too much?" I don't know, really, without seeing it on the guitar. What I like about your designs are that there isn't one thing that stands out over anything else on the guitar. The lines have a nice "flow" to them, and work together in a way that's very pleasing to the eye. I don't know if an embellished TR cover would distract the eye from the overall pleasing view of the whole guitar...
Hope that makes sense!
Hope that makes sense!
Actually Kat, it makes perfect sense. I printed out the mock-up and placed it over the TR hole. It definitely changes the look and a case could be made that it is "too much" for the design. I would also say though that the plain covers on now are definitely "not enough".
Ordinarily I would spend more time exploring the design until I feel that it is just right. However, I have been tweaking things so much that I'll never get this thing going if I don't stop trying to perfect everything. I'll still work to perfect as much as I can but some of it will have to wait until after launch.
I think the cover looks good on its' own and I think it works well enough on the guitar. However I do have similar concerns to the one you stated. More than anything I really want to see how these covers turn out. If they are well crafted, I'll make more and in different styles. Perhaps owners of the Bender with the "original 3" TR cover will have a collector's item worth thousands in a few years...:whatever:
FrankenFretter
Hopeless Noodler
Gee Syo, you're kind of like the Eric Johnson of guitar design... 
kidsmoke
Well-known member
This was my thought as well. I saw the cover and thought "kewl!" then scrolled up to envision it on the headstock, and thought it may start to look cluttered. Keeping in mind that from 10 feet away, you really won't be able to see the detail. BUT, having said ALL that, I could have taken issue with several of your individual design components along the way, but damn if they don't all work...scratch that...EXCEL..... on your guitars. Clearly, your vision for these things works. I say put some on and give it a go. What's easier to change than a truss rod cover!
It's your pursuit of perfection that has given you a new guitar style that will get attention, even from ardent purists. I never would have even thought that possible.
:dude:dude:rockya:rockya
Well TK, now that's just a lot of nice stuff you said right there. I would thank you except now I feel as though my work couldn't possibly live up this. Still, thanks...
If I were starting over today with the knowledge and experience I have now, I would do things differently. But the funny thing is, this has all progressed with a certain sense of magic to it. Each decision I have made (even bad ones) have led almost instantly to a new and better (or at least more interesting) path. I think this is what I'm getting off on more than anything.
A good example of this is the TR cover. Generally speaking, without a large budget it is very difficult to design and create unique, quality hardware as the development costs are high. But I really didn't like the off the shelf options so I went to an untraditional source that (apparently) does good work that I can afford. Whether or not this particular design works perfectly or not is not so important as the knowledge I've gained. As you say, it's easy to change a TR cover. Now I'm dreaming up all kinds of cover designs for standard (Gibson etc.) covers too!
Tio Kimo, I liked you soon after you started contributing here. You talk about gear, especially your gear, with passion and a telling appreciation of a truly good thing. On your word, I ordered a Little Lanalei (and two more afterwards). Your review was dead on.
I don't know if my guitars will live up to your current impression or not, but your enthusiasm for what I've done until now has been much appreciated. :dude
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