One feature that’s popular among some players is a “kill” switch on their guitars. This allows the momentary interruption of the signal by connecting the signal to ground using a pushbutton. Specifically, it’s a Single-Pole Single-Throw (SPST) Normally Open (NO) Momentary (MOM) Switch.

I have an interesting electronics/surplus store nearby, and while rummaging through the bins there, i came across these:

It’s been a few weeks since Decibel’s “soft launch” and a few days since the models and prototype builds in progress were revealed to a wider audience.

So far, the feedback has been tremendous and very supportive, so i just want to thank all of the friends, colleagues, and fellow guitarists who have given feedback and support. I take every bit of feedback seriously, and i do take it all very constructively. As a professional designer, i’ve learned over the years to separate myself from my work, so while i am attached to my design work, it’s just my work, and nothing you say can offend me personally. Everyone sees things differently, and if someone can help me to see my own work in a different light or from a different perspective, it makes the end result better.

I thought i’d share a few brief notes about the genesis of the models you see here. I’ll hopefully delve into these in a bit more detail and try to dredge up some sketches and earlier works in progress. But for now, here’s the brief history of the range as it stands today. Read more

SOLD

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Bolt-on, set-neck or neck-thru? This question has been kicked around and debated for about as long as the electric guitar has existed. Each has benefits and drawbacks. Since i don’t favour one method of assembly over another, i will likely be using whichever method is most appropriate or suits my desire or needs at any particular time.

In these early stages of building, i’ve opted to go for a bolt-on design, for a few reasons. First, the bolt-on design gives maximum versatility. I’m building guitars with very different body and neck woods. They’ll all have the same scale length, bolt pattern and neck pocket, so they’ll be easily interchangeable, so i can experiment with how different neck woods and body woods interact. Second, if anything goes catastrophically wrong at any point in the build, i’ve only lost a body or a neck. With a set-neck or neck-thru, i’d have to trash the whole instrument. I’d rather not do that.

But i won’t be using just any old bolt-on design. The classic Fender “bolt-on” is actually mis-named. The necks are actually screwed on. Bolts are usually threaded to receive a nut. Most “bolt-on” necks just use big wood screws and a metal plate (or recessed metal grommets). Not a bad design, but its strength is limited by thin threads biting into wood. Repeated neck removals weaken the joint every single time.

Here’s how we’re building our bolt-on necks:

Just a few minor updates for those of you who care (or even notice)…

There’s a new sharing widget that appears at the bottom of each post, making it easier for you to share posts on Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, email, etc.

We’re also working on enabling a link between this blog and our Facebook page (and possibly Twitter), so updates should be posted there when a page here is published.

The permalinking structure has also been changed to allow quick access to guitar histories by serial number. Basically, you go to decibelguitars.com/[serial] and you’ll get straight to your guitar’s build history. Cool, huh? Here’s an example:

decibelguitars.com/proto1

Hopefully this will also enable us to track ownership and act as a resource should the instrument become lost or stolen.