News And Updates

I want to take a moment to thank all you customers, collaborators and sporadic or regular site visitors for a great 2010, and wish you a healthy and happy 2011.

The third year of the second active incarnation of Strandberg Guitarworks is drawing to an end. A lot has happened since that Christmas holiday 2007 when the development of the Ergonomic Guitar System started. Here are some highlights from the year.

California Visit

The year started in California, where I among other things visited Watson Guitars.

Alex and Tere are running a beautiful operation in the scenic San Bernadino National Park. Incidentally, it is they who kindly have let me exhibit as a booth share partner at NAMM in a few weeks time.

A second highlight of the California visit was a factory tour at Lace Music in Huntington Beach.

Beyond Prototypes

The first custom color bridges of the second generation design were made.

Three more EGS guitars were built.

And I paid another visit to my good friend Rick Toone and got to see his new tuning system for the first time.

In May, I exhibited at the FUZZ Guitar Show in Gothenburg with the now four completed guitars.

and was subsequently interviewed for FUZZ Magazine.

In June, #2 left for Japan, to Shun Nokina of stomp box fame.

New Product Line – the EGS Pro

Chris Letchford of Scale the Summit ordered #5, a fanned fret 7-string neck-through model, which was built along with #6, and started a new product model – the EGS Pro.

#6 is now on its way to Fred "the shred" Brum of Lisbon, Portugal.

October saw the Uppsala VI International Guitar Festival. Where I met Alejandro Cabral, who is now about to order what is to become #7.

I met up with Rick Toone once again

and we shared thoughts once again on guitar design, and neck construction in particular.

And the EGS Pro Tremolo

Finally, in November, the EGS Pro tremolo with the revolutionary “Dual Action” system was announced.

This tremolo, which will be available in 6-, 7-, and 8-string versions is now being produced in the first batch and is available for pre-orders. The first prototype has made a hop across the Atlantic and is planned to show up at NAMM.

Patents and intellectual property issues have been on the agenda a few times during the year, for better and for worse. Inventors and innovators need to get credit for their work. Unfortunately, a consequence of this is that formalities sometimes need to be worked out and over the year, development has been held back as a result. I have even been tempted enough to keep quiet about some designs of my own while trying to decide whether I will file for a patent of my own. Time will tell which path I choose. If you’ve been following this blog, you know that I have to date chosen a “open source” approach instead, so I am conflicted over this.

Wrapping Up

Lots of luthiers are completing their first, second and even third builds using EGS bridges. During the year, I have met in person with several customers, Enrico DiDonato and Gareth Parry to name a few. This has been truly fantastic experiences, and I’m looking forward to meeting up with Al Shaffer in the first few days of the new year.

EGS string locks are making their way onto instruments built for Tim Miller and Allan Holdsworth, by Rick Canton. And I am spending the final moments of 2010 preparing to exhibit at NAMM in Anaheim, CA on Jan 13-16. So, wrapping up, I’m certainly looking to hit the ground running in 2011!

So, you didn’t get a .strandberg* EGS bridge in your stocking? Hurry to take advantage of the first even sale at Strandberg Guitarworks and place your order before midnight 31st December 2010 to secure your 20% discount. Delivery will be late January.

Here is an update from my friend Enrico DiDonato of Italy, who has been busy launching his own brand of guitars! Design elements include .strandberg* tuning systems, custom pickups, aluminium skeleton and carefully selected woods. For more information, check out his site http://www.didonatoguitars.it/

Here are some images of a recently completed project by Benjamin Millar from Israel. I particularly like the solution for tuner access, illustrating how you don’t have to limit your body shape of a headless instrument. Some data about the build:

• Sapele / figured Maple body.
• Sapele neck.
• Ebony fretboard, electronics cavity cover, recessed scratch-plate and knobs.
• Strandberg headless system: bridge and string locks.
• Gold MOP face and side dots.
• Bone nut.
• Schaller strap locks.
• BKP custom made alnico III humbuckers.
• Volume / Tone / 3 way pickup selector / Series-split-parallel mini switch for each pickup.
• Double action truss rod.

Mark Davis of Melbourne, Australia, has completed another stunning build using EGS hardware. Congratulations!
It features a 25″ scale with 24 SS Frets, on a 16″ radius Wenge through neck bound with flame maple. Body has Afromosia wings, and Silver Ash contrasting strips. Pickups are EMG 81 & 85. Check out the full build details at http://www.guitargear.net.au/discussion/index.php?topic=24521.0

To facilitate easier mounting of the string locks, especially with necks that are radiused beyond the nut and for e.g. 7-string guitars with truss rod access, it makes sense to mount the string locks on a plate and mount that plate on the neck. I have made a few of these for my own builds, but can also offer as custom projects made to specification.

Here are three freshly made for luthier Rick Canton, each tailored to exact measurements of the tapered neck width of some of his on-going projects (from top to bottom: Al Schaffer, Tim Miller, Allan Holdsworth), on their way to the anodizer for black finish:

I generally make some spare each time I rig machines up, either for custom hardware or complete instruments.

I am happy to present the 7-string version of the EGS Pro tremolo. Note that the 7-string (as well as the coming 8-string version) does not feature Dual Action, but due to the excessive forces only have a single larger bearing. Weight (without arm) is 205 grams.

Here are a few more pictures of the 6- and 7-string tremolos, including the bearing details.