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About Sweetwood
Sweetwood Guitar Co. is a small shop dedicated to crafting, by hand, the finest musical instruments possible. I personally go to the lumber yard and hand select the best examples of the wood species to be used. Several models are available with many options possible.  Options Neck Joints There are many ways to fit the neck to a body and I think I just about cover them all. On the MasterCaster, I use the standard, tried and true, bolt on neck. For other models I use a traditional set neck (ala Gibson) or an Extended Neck Tenon. The Traditional Set Neck is the method most major manufacturers use to attach the neck to the body. This is a glued on neck with a dovetail joint or mortise and tenon of some sort. The Heel-less Extended Neck Tenon (HENT) extends at least ten inches into the the body and is carved so that it eliminates the big bulky heel found on so many production guitars. The extended tenon also adds great stability and sustain to the guitar, producing a guitar that sounds better and stays in tune longer. If you have never played a guitar with an Extended Neck Tenon, you owe it to yourself. FYI: The extended neck tenon is only available through a few boutique builders. It is simply too expensive and time consuming a process to use in mass production. McNaught Guitars explains the process very well on his site. Although he claims to be the innovator of this method, people have done this as far back as the early 60's (as far as I'm aware). It is however extremely rare to find one and were primarily made in cottage shops and garages. Neck Thru body This method was very popular during the 70's and provides excellent sustain and tone. The neck extends all the way thru the guitar and the body is glued to the sides of the neck like wings. Bolt-On. All our bolt-ons feature t-bolt inserts for a stronger, tighter fit resulting more reliable performance and better tone...a detail that none of the big companies can afford to use. Necks - Profiles and Shapes Narrow, wide, boat, U, V, Compound Radius, 7 string, any scale length including baritone. BODIES AND TONEWOODS I offer pretty much any type of body construction and shape that you can dream up. I have done veneers over mahogony, maple cap over mahogony and many others. Only superior tonewoods are used. I keep an inventory of carefully selected tone woods on hand. If you would like something really exotic, I can usually get it for you granted it was harvested ethically. 100% of my lumber comes from certified means of harvestation. HARDWARE AND ELECTRONICS All of the parts and electronics that I use are of the highest quality. I generally use a string through body bridge and Grover or Schaller tuners. I use EMG's or a classic PAF style pickup in most guitars. Of course you can specify any type of pickups/parts/wiring you desire (parallel/series push pots...). FINISHES Nitro-Cellulose Laquer Nitro is possibly the clearest finish available. It also makes the wood look wet creating a beautiful 3-dimensional color. The big shops have stopped using Nitro a while back opting for an auto body paint. My nitro finishes are thin but they look a mile deep. Over time Nitro will turn amber, and eventually 'check' creating vintage look and feel to the finish. Water Base Laquer Water base is relatively new. It is easy to apply, environmentally safe and buffs extremely well. It is hard and long lasting as well. Although it doesn't have quite as nice a color as Nitro does, it feels unbelievable in your hands. Its hard to describe, it doesn't stick to your hands like certain other finishes (with a little sweat on your hands). It is smooth to the touch (warm too) and your hands just slide as if it was powdered. After using this for 5 years now, I have witnessed no discoloration over time and pretty good durability. It is prone to pick scuffing but this is easily fixable by polishing and applying Maguires High Tech Yellow Wax. Oil The last finish available is oil. It sounds the most natural of any of the finishes. ...like having nothing on the guitar at all. I highly recommend this finish for all studio guitars. It is also very beautiful and brings out the best in mahogany and other darker woods. It is not the most durable for protecting the instrument. |