Unicorn hunting (custom guitar filter)

June 26, 2022 11:10 AM

Little guitars give me joy. Should I make my own unicorn?

I want an acoustic guitar that meets ALL FOUR of these criteria:
1) 23ish'' scale length (or feels like that fret spacing)
2) 1 and 9/16'; or 5/8' nut width (1 and 11/16 is not good enough)
3) entirely solid wood
4) normal body size (not tiny 3/4 or parlor)

I have obsessively looked.
Martin LX1: fails with MDF sides and 1 11/16 nut width, small body
Martin 7-37K: too deep v shaped neck, small body
b25 and other short scale vintage gibsons are LOVELY but scale length is too long
3/4 b25 is short AND small neck AND solid wood (so basically the love of my life) but suffers on the low end bass
I've looked and looked and looked and looked some more. I think the answer is to someday get a custom order.

Questions:
Is this short scale, narrow neck, standard body unicorn guitar possible?
Where should I get this guitar made?
What will it cost? Is the answer always going to be ~$4000?
Did you get a custom guitar and love it enough to be worth the expense??

Note - I have called folks at custom shops of big brands and they don't go THIS custom.

posted by skrozidile to Sports, Hobbies, & Recreation (6 answers total)

Is the answer always going to be ~$4000?

maybe not. but close. you're basically ordering a full custom build.

a) find a guitar body you like. replace the bridge to your dimensions.
b) go to a good luth. you need to stay in contact through the process.
c) have them order a neck blank and mojo it up, or a fully custom neck. i have a full custom warmouth for my electric. dunno if they do acoustics, don't think so.
d) have the luth install the neck. he can shim it in or whatev. fretwire, nut, tuners, fret markers, fingerboard all add up, cost and install.


protip: do the whole thing on a pos body you don't care about as a trial run.

victor guitar in denver used to be very good. haven't used them in ages as I'm mostly electric now.

good luck \m/
posted by j_curiouser at 11:50 AM on June 26, 2022

ps. victor has a luth school. maybe an advanced student wants to try something weird - if you both get the risks (i.e. possible garbage sounding, playing, or looking guitar).
posted by j_curiouser at 11:53 AM on June 26, 2022

pps $4k is a pretty good value for a full build.
posted by j_curiouser at 11:56 AM on June 26, 2022 [2 favorites]

I wonder... it's definitely cheaper than everything you hinted at, but, is the Alvarez LJ60 too small for you ? (I think it's now the LJ2) ... (I'm not sure I've understood what you were looking for...)
posted by nicolin at 1:57 PM on June 26, 2022

Maybe you don't have to go whole hog on the custom. Perhaps it'll be possible to find someone to make a custom neck for a Taylor? They are all bolt-on necks and offer many guitars with all solid woods.
posted by 2N2222 at 5:46 PM on June 26, 2022

My brother both builds and resells guitars. He is unaware of anyone making what you are looking for - past or present. He said it sounded like a fun build though. I can send you his contact information if you'd like.
posted by phil at 7:15 PM on June 26, 2022