Jim Soloway Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 A lot of you know that for the last 18 months or so I've been trying to put my own line of guitars together. Well it's finally a reality. The first two guitars are assembled and just need a couple tweaks to be complete and there are two nmore on the way. All of these guitars feature an extended 27 inch scale. The first batch is strictly 7 strings with the first 6 string scheduled for completion in about a month. Here are a couple clips I recorded yesterday with one of them. just running a direct line from an Acoustic Image amp to a Tascam 788 digital recorder. It's the neck humbucker only (a Dimarzio PAF-7) with no edits, no overdubs, no EQ, and no effects. http://www.jimsoloway.com/TascamDemos/Swan01.mp3 http://www.jimsoloway.com/TascamDemos/Swan02.mp3 For anyone interested, here are a bunch of photos I just put together of #002. http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/C002Body.JPG http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/C002BellyCut.JPG http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/C002NeckPocket.JPG http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/C002PegHead.JPG http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/c002rearroutecover.jpg http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/C002NeckPlate.JPG http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/Sperzels.JPG www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 SWEEEET! Congrats Jim!! BTW, I really liked that second piece! May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mudcat Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Great looking guitars! How about a 12 string model with TV Jones Filtertrons? Mudcat's music on Soundclick "Work hard. Rock hard. Eat hard. Sleep hard. Grow big. Wear glasses if you need 'em."-The Webb Wilder Credo- Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doc taz Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Wow. Great looking guitar, and the demos sound nice. These are semi-hollow bodies, right? As for the pickups, are both of them DiMarzio paf 7's? The second piece of Jim's demos is Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave". sevenstring.org profile my flickr page Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gabriel E. Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Congradulations. You have a lot to be proud of. "You never can vouch for your own consciousness." - Norman Mailer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted September 22, 2003 Share Posted September 22, 2003 Originally posted by tazzola: The second piece of Jim's demos is Antonio Carlos Jobim's "Wave".Thanks, Taz. May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael saulnier Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Nice job Jim... the pictures are beautiful. Did you take them yourself? The finish on the guitar is really nice... again, was that part of your own activity? I like your sound on the two demo pieces, I'd compare it favorably to any of your other 7 strings... it's warm and balanced. Have you tried the guitar in any other sound/genre? With the extended scale length, I bet it would make a great overdriven "go-low" type as well! Wasn't there a second guitar you had a picture of the body last week? Did you finish that one off as well? guitplayer I'm still "guitplayer"! Check out my music if you like... http://www.michaelsaulnier.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BiC Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Jim, That is really sweet sounding! Great tone. I really dig your playing. Peace "Treat your wife with honor, respect, and understanding as you live together so that you can pray effectively as husband and wife." 1 Peter 3:7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beermouse Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Since the MP3s are titled "Swan01" and "Swan02" I'm gonna assume that's the model's name, and honestly, I don't think you could have found a more fitting one . Graceful (sounding, anyhow), elegant, beautiful... As Gabriel E. said, you have a lot to be proud of. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Very tasteful logo Jim. The headstock shows real class & the guitar is . Sweet sounding rig too. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demarc Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 She's a beauty! Sounds sweet, Looks beautiful! Nice color scheme. Love that bridge and tuners!! And I really enjoy the S-hole! It took me a minute to figure out that it is also your logo! Beautiful guitar! Check out some handcrafted guitars: http://home.mindspring.com/~grus/guitars.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauldil Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Beautiful instument & music Jim! Congratulations! Paul Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Soloway Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 Thanks to everyone for the kind remarks. I really appreciate the support I've gotten on this forum. Here are some answers to a few of your questions: First, no 12 string. I leave that to people who know a lot more about them. My focus is entirely on guitars I'd likely play and I've never been able to get past the first 5 minutes with a 12 string. For tazolla, I wouldn't really call them semi-hollow. They're more a chambered solid body with a seperat etop, pretty much like a tele thin-line. The result is very siumilar, but I've always thought of a semi hollow as having sperate sides, back and a center block where as this is a solid body that's been routed out on either side of the center block and then has the top glued to that. The pickups are a Dimarzio PAF 7 in the neck and an Air Norton 7 in the bridge. It also has the Graphtech Ghost piezo and preamp system in the bridge, but I'm not sure that's going to stay. It's a nice system, but it's added more compleity to the wiring than we need in the first few instruments. And yes, the second piece is Wave. BTW, the first piece is Dean Martin's classic "Everybody Loves Somebody Sometime". For Guitplayer, I did do the photography. I've been messing around with digital cameras for a long time and I seem to have found a formula that works pretty well for guitars. I did not do the finish. My role was first and foremost as the designer and I gathered together the most talent group I could to do the rest. There is a second guitar. That's my personal instrument and serial #001. That was the guitar I did the demos with. I haven't photographed it yet, primarily because it's not for sale. There's also a third body, but I won't have the neck for a couple weeks. And as a plyer I don't really venture into other genres, so I'm panning to have some other players do some demos for me with a little more edge to them. For Bitterling, yes the model name is the Swan LN (for long neck). The company slogan is "Long necks and big bottoms. For everyone else, thanks again for the kind words. Hopefully, I can sell a few and actually make this thing go. www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pretzel logic Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Beautiful.I think every guitarist would like to make his/her dream inst.Hope to see you in guitar player soon. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fantasticsound Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Absolutely stunning, Jim! Can't wait to hear the demos. BTW, tell us a bit more about the guitar, please. Who makes those unique, open geared tuning machines? They're striking in beauty, yet wonderfully functional, from the looks. Large, thick gear that can be cleaned and/or lubricated precisely. Cool! Do you carve and fret your own necks? Is the great logo silk screened on the backplate and headstock? Enquiring minds (well at least MY mind) want to know. It's easiest to find me on Facebook. Neil Bergman Soundclick fntstcsnd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Soloway Posted September 23, 2003 Author Share Posted September 23, 2003 Originally posted by fantasticsound: Absolutely stunning, Jim! Can't wait to hear the demos. BTW, tell us a bit more about the guitar, please. Who makes those unique, open geared tuning machines? They're striking in beauty, yet wonderfully functional, from the looks. Large, thick gear that can be cleaned and/or lubricated precisely. Cool! Do you carve and fret your own necks? Is the great logo silk screened on the backplate and headstock? Enquiring minds (well at least MY mind) want to know. Some answers for you. The open back tuners come from Sperzel. I've used them on three other guitars and they are the best way I know to remove a whole bunch of weight from the peg head. The logo on the peg head is done with a rub on transfer before the finish is applied. The logo on the rear neck plate is lazer etched and is extremely permanent. You;d have to grind it off. I don't do any of the wood work. My role is primarily the concept, the specifications and the the design. I involved the finest luthiers and craftmen I know to do the actual cutting, fretting, and finish. www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Congratulations, Mr. Soloway! Sounds sweet! Looks gorgeous! Bet they feel and play great, by the looks of'em. (If it sounds this good through my chinsey PC speakers- my AKG 'phones are on loan to someone- then it must sound pretty nice!) What gauges (and tuning) are you going with, "stock"? For that matter, what type and brand of strings? And, if different, what is on the axe that you recorded with? And what do you project the prices for these baritone babes to be? Oh, and sorry to hear that you're not interested in octave/course versions; a fourteen-string baritone would be quite the monster guitar! (And the idea of one with those TV Jones "Filtertons" is intrigueing!) Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
meek20 Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Congratulations, Jim! Your creation is absolutely beautiful! The demos were very well done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mark Zeger Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 Great sounding, beautifully executed design, really nice instrument, Jim. I LOVE the "binding effect" in the finish. Wishing you much success with your efforts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James-Italy Posted September 23, 2003 Share Posted September 23, 2003 YEAH MAN!!! Way to go Jim! Beautiful and sounds great. My Gear My Attempts at Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beermouse Posted September 24, 2003 Share Posted September 24, 2003 Jim, I may seem like a bit of tease for asking, but how much would one of those beauties cost? Obviously I can't afford one being just a lowly teenager and all, but someday... someday... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Soloway Posted September 24, 2003 Author Share Posted September 24, 2003 Originally posted by bitterling: Jim, I may seem like a bit of tease for asking, but how much would one of those beauties cost? Obviously I can't afford one being just a lowly teenager and all, but someday... someday...The base price is $1999 for the 6 string and $2049 for the 7 string. I was going to offer a whole bunch of options, but after hearing the first pair I realized that a lot of it wasn't necessary, so I've decided to keep it simple and just focus on the base model with a few extra frills. And if anyone is wondering, I would certainly make a special deal on one from the first batch. There are two sevens and a six that I've built as prototypes plus one that I've built specifically for myself. After all the R&D, I'm pretty much broke, so something definitely has to go. www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
James-Italy Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 Jim, Would have never imagined a sound like this from that "sweet" looking guitar! Since you aren't gonna blow your own horn, I'm gonna do it for ya. Ed DeGenaro posted a really hot jam as he put one of Jim's new guitars through the paces. For those of you not famaliar with THD, they make the Univalve and Bivalve amps and have customer service guys/consultants like Ed. Guys that know their stuff and can play. Really play. Oh, did I say that Ed can play?!?!?!?! Link to Univalve Forum with Ed DeGenaro playing one of Jim\'s Soloway guitars My Gear My Attempts at Music Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Soloway Posted October 3, 2003 Author Share Posted October 3, 2003 Originally posted by James-Italy: Jim, Would have never imagined a sound like this from that "sweet" looking guitar! Since you aren't gonna blow your own horn, I'm gonna do it for ya. Ed DeGenaro posted a really hot jam as he put one of Jim's new guitars through the paces. For those of you not famaliar with THD, they make the Univalve and Bivalve amps and have customer service guys/consultants like Ed. Guys that know their stuff and can play. Really play. Oh, did I say that Ed can play?!?!?!?! Link to Univalve Forum with Ed DeGenaro playing one of Jim\'s Soloway guitars Thanks James. Here's where it get's interesting. I took the same guitar the Ed recorded with yesterday and I did some recording with it this morning. Same stings, same setup. The only changes are the amp and the player. The contrast is amazing. Here are the clips that I took from Ed's recording to put on my site. http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/DiGeneroCrunch.mp3 http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/DiGeneroClean.mp3 And here are the clips I cut with the same guitar. http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/JS002Ballad.mp3 http://www.jimsoloway.com/SoloSongMusic/JS002Swing.mp3 Pretty hard to imagine one guitar sounding so different. www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted October 3, 2003 Share Posted October 3, 2003 That is quite a difference. May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dak Lander Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Goes to show ya, you designed one hell of a versatile guitar Jim. It sounds great both ways but personally , I like your sound with the guitar better, 'course my tastes run more toward that. Our Joint "When you come slam bang up against trouble, it never looks half as bad if you face up to it." The Duke... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
demarc Posted October 4, 2003 Share Posted October 4, 2003 Nice sounds emanating from that beauty! What a beauty and she sings with so much range! Too bad I am already married. Makes me sad Check out some handcrafted guitars: http://home.mindspring.com/~grus/guitars.htm Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Soloway Posted October 4, 2003 Author Share Posted October 4, 2003 Thanks guys. It's been really exciting so far, by by far the biggest thrill is simply going to a gig and spending a few hours on MY guitar. It's really easy to forget that all I was after when this began was a guitar that did exactly what I wanted. It amazes my how close to that we've come. BTW, for those of you who lack an extra finger, here's a hint as to what's coming next. http://jimsoloway.com/photos/guitarproject/LN6RawPegHead.JPG www.solowayguitars.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Caevan O’Shite Posted October 5, 2003 Share Posted October 5, 2003 Am I in the minority, of those with less than six fingers?!? You should be trottin' out a five-string axe, Jim! Maybe Keef Richards will start sportin' your Soloway Fivers in open-C an' you'll make a fortune! Or, at least, the cover of GP! Ask yourself- What Would Ren and Stimpy Do? ~ Caevan James-Michael Miller-O'Shite ~ _ ___ _ Leprechaun, Esquire _ ___ _ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NMcGuitar Posted December 4, 2003 Share Posted December 4, 2003 ^ | | | bump May all your thoughts be random! - Neil www.McFaddenArts.com www.MikesGarageRocks.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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