• Home
  • Blog
  • Available Axes
  • Artist’s Statement
  • Contact

Dismal Ax

  • #1514 Barncat makeover…. (this one’s pink)

    September 22nd, 2018


    img_2106

    This is one I got bored with and decided to get a little psychedelic with. I made it three years ago, and it looked like this….

    DSCN8109

    So I painted the top pink, and added some more grunginess, but then the pickguard didn’t go with it so well, and so I made a new one for it. Don’t worry, I only use records that have become more or less unplayable. This one was also missing the second disk of the album. I also aged the bridge and pickup covers, and made a new switch plate from an old die-cast metal 45 rpm adapter. Oh, and some vintage Heathkit audio knobs so the controls can be set to the heart of the sun, of course.

    0793840A-89DD-449E-8BB6-144C52F046B7

    Body: Four piece salvaged beech, hollowed
    Neck: Bolt on, hard maple, with black locust fretboard
    Pickups: Dismal homespun humbuckers
    bridge~ 7.3K ohms
    neck~ 6.0K ohms
    Tuners: Kluson
    Bridge: Compensated stopbar tailpiece
    Pickguard: Vinyl LP record.

    Weight: 7.5 lbs

    7AE43FF8-06D3-46B0-AB55-E96CEE3B6B92
    C483547E-30C7-4209-B556-CC723695AC0D
    344C2A86-3231-4A9E-AA0A-D1A958C0AE72
    CE34A0E6-81E3-4FE3-A0FE-CA9309A8AD42
    C4DCA567-6D4F-4051-8C0E-73C2BCD17922
    33E1114F-87CD-4535-A05F-8F5CBD3F2951

  • #1801 21st century limited edition fretless bass

    May 24th, 2018

    DSCN2634

    This was a custom commission for Robert Hendrick, owner of Rail Yard Studios in Nashville, as a graduation present for his daughter.
    All the wood is salvaged from the decking of railroad cars built to carry coils of steel, and he has been using it in some amazing pieces of furniture, along with other big heavy stuff from the railroad industry. I have no idea what actual species it is, but it is a mahogany-like timber from some tropical region of the world.
    Since I only use local and/or salvaged woods in my instruments, this was a rather interesting opportunity for me.
    The New York Central Railroad disappeared in 1968, into a convoluted series of mergers, with most of the original lines now being operated by CSX, though much equipment still bears NYC reporting marks.

    NYC 627439 on Q418-27

    The body is heavily chambered, with a 1/4″ top sawn from the weathered original surface of the plank, and finished with milk paint in a rough approximation of  faded “Century Green”, as used by the NYC in the late 60’s, carrying over into the Penn Central merger through the 70’s.
    The pickguard is rusted roof tin, and the NYC emblem is from a 1950’s post cereal box.
    Bridge and tuners are by Hipshot, and pickups are homespun by me.

    DSCN2626
    DSCN2596
    DSCN2652
    DSCN2648
    DSCN2593
    DSCN2598
    DSCN2586
    DSCN2583
    DSCN2601

     

     

     

     

  • #1704 Salamander

    September 2nd, 2017

    DSCN0198

    Another Salamander, this one with a yellow poplar top with a gouged surface, on a buckeye back with a hammered and antiqued finish.
    Neck is walnut, with an osage orange fretboard.
    .82″ thick at 1st fret, .93″ at 12th. 1.68″ nut width.
    Pickups are homespun humbuckers with alnico 5 polepieces, in aluminum casings.
    Bridge~ 5400 turns per coil, 8Kohms DCR
    Neck~  4800 turns per coil, 6.8Kohms DCR
    Brass compensated bridge/tailpiece combo and Hipshot classic tuners.
    Weighs 6.5 pounds

    sold

     

    DSCN0241
    DSCN0240
    DSCN0231
    DSCN0224
    DSCN0219
    DSCN0214
    DSCN0232
    DSCN0211

     

  • #1703 Road Dog

    July 19th, 2017

    DSCN9713

    Haven’t done one of these in a while.
    Top is one piece of salvaged chestnut barnwood, on a cucumbertree back with a hammered finish.
    Neck is maple, with an osage orange fretboard, medium C-profile, .81″ at 1st fret, .90″ at 12th. 1.68″ wide at nut, 2.18″ at heel.
    Bridge pickup is a homespun T-style single coil with alnico 5 polepieces and 12,000 turns, 9.6k ohms dcr.
    Neck pickup is a homespun humbucker in a machined aluminum casing, with alnico 5 polepieces. Front coil has 6,000 turns, back has 4,000. Total dcr is 7.2k ohms.
    Hipshot Classic open-back tuners, Kluson USA tuneomatic bridge.
    Tailpiece is made from a 1950’s Ford V-8 fender emblem, strung through the back.
    Pickguard is made from a 1973 Tennesse license plate.
    Weighs 7 pounds.

    DSCN9716
    DSCN9735
    DSCN9732
    DSCN9729
    DSCN9722
    DSCN9725
    DSCN9727
    DSCN9739
    DSCN9720
    DSCN9745

  • #1702 Salamander

    May 16th, 2017

    DSCN8353
    Another Salamander, this time with an eastern red cedar top on a basswood back.
    I initially did the same gouged surfacing as on the walnut one, but wasn’t happy with how it turned out on the cedar, so I sanded it down and just did a mildly distressed finish, which suits it much better.
    The neck is maple, with an osage orange fretboard.
    Pickups are my homespun humbuckers, but my standard windings ended up sounding overly bright and harsh in this one, compared to the walnut version with the walnut neck and persimmon fretboard, so i made a set of overwound ones, which sound much fuller and less brash.
    Bridge pickup: 7200 turns per coil, 10.6K ohms DCR
    Neck pickup: 5600 turns per coil, 8.2K ohms DCR
    Both have alnico 5 rod polepieces and aluminum casings.
    Brass compensated bridge/tailpiece combo.
    Hipshot Classic tuners.
    Weighs 6.6 pounds.

    DSCN8318
    DSCN8321
    DSCN8327
    DSCN8330
    DSCN8333
    DSCN8335
    DSCN8339

  • #1701 Salamander

    March 19th, 2017

    DSCN7953

    Further evolution of the Salamander design, featuring a carved walnut top, surfaced with a gouge to give a hand-hewn look, on a contoured basswood back.
    Very sleek and comfortable.
    Neck is walnut, with a persimmon fretboard.
    Homespun humbuckers with alnico 5 polepieces.
    Bridge~ 6000 turns per coil, 8.7K ohms DCR
    Neck~ 5000 turns per coil, 7.5K ohms DCR
    Aluminum compensated bridge/tailpiece with locking studs.
    Hipshot Classic open-gear tuners.
    25″ scale, 22 high/wide frets
    Weighs 6.8 pounds

    sold

    DSCN7959
    DSCN7951
    DSCN7936
    DSCN7934
    DSCN7945
    DSCN7980
    DSCN7966
    DSCN7974

  • #1606 salamander

    October 18th, 2016

    dscn7509
    this is a new one.
    from Wikipedia~
    “The salamander is an amphibian of the order Urodela which, as with many real creatures, often has been ascribed fantastic and sometimes occult qualities by pre-modern authors (as in the allegorical descriptions of animals in medieval bestiaries) not possessed by the real organism. The legendary salamander is often depicted as a typical salamander in shape, with a lizard-like form, but is usually ascribed an affinity with fire, sometimes specifically elemental fire.”
    a curious thing, considering the typically moist habitat and manner of the non-mythical variety.
    dscn7514

    one piece cucumbertree body with lightly hammered and torched finish.
    bolt on maple neck with osage orange fretboard.
    homespun humbuckers with aluminum casings and alnico 5 polepieces.
    bridge~ 6000 turns per coil, 8.8k
    neck~ 5000 turns per coil, 7.5k
    aluminum compensated tailpiece
    hipshot classic tuners
    weighs 6.6 pounds.

    Sold

    dscn7551
    dscn7523
    dscn7540
    dscn7537
    dscn7529
    dscn7524
    dscn7517

  • #1605 the new old barnstormer sc

    October 17th, 2016

    dscn7396
    i change things a lot, often with little or no explanation.
    for the past few years, i have been using this shape for the barnstormer…
    DSCN6803
    but some of you may remember this as the original…
    dscn1447
    so this is the new version of the old one, which i like better than both.
    particularly with the new bridge and pickup covers.
    like the previous iteration, this one has a bolt on neck.
    dscn7410
    the body is made from sections of salvaged 2×4 beech barn rafters, with the edges hollowed out prior to gluing up.
    the neck is walnut, with an osage orange fretboard.
    homespun p90 pickups, brass compensated tailpiece, hipshot classic tuners.
    oh, and a cute bug hole in the end by the strap button.

  • #1604 rusticator sc

    September 19th, 2016

    dscn7305

    one piece elm barnwood top with original red paint, on quartersawn sweetgum back.
    walnut neck with persimmon fretboard.
    two homespun humbuckers.
    brass compensated tailpiece with locking studs.
    grover deluxe tuners.
    weighs 7.7 pounds
    Sold

    dscn7316dscn7327dscn7331dscn7335dscn7343dscn7344dscn7356dscn7360dscn7363

  • #1407 barnstormer (makeover)

    September 6th, 2016

    dscn7189

    this is one i built a couple years ago and decided to change a few things on.
    here is how it looked before~
    dscn3338

    and now, with an antique copper pickguard and one less pickup~
    dscn7197

    the top is one single piece of elm barnwood with the original red paint, on a single piece cucumbertree back, with a distressed finish.
    neck is maple, with a persimmon fretboard.
    single coil pickups with coil taps wired to give humbucking operation in the middle position.
    grover deluxe tuners and brass hardtail bridge.
    weighs 7 pounds.

    Sold

     

    dscn7202
    dscn7204
    dscn7208
    dscn7211
    dscn7195
    dscn7206

←Previous Page
1 2 3 4 5 … 9
Next Page→

Proudly powered by WordPress

 

Loading Comments...
 

    • Follow Following
      • Dismal Ax
      • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
      • Dismal Ax
      • Edit Site
      • Follow Following
      • Sign up
      • Log in
      • Report this content
      • View site in Reader
      • Manage subscriptions
      • Collapse this bar