Custom handmade electric guitar 32-1 Theodore - SOLD!

Important, notes about the price and delivery options are located at the end of the description.

Custom electric guitar 32-1 „Theodore”

6-string electric guitar, serial number 32-1, nicknamed „Theodore”, handmade in Poland by Tomasz Wojtowicz. One of the 25 guitars in the collection „25 guitars collection – handmade by Tomasz Wojtowicz”. The guitar was completed in October 2017, while the start of work on this instrument was dated at May 2004. It was creating over 13 years. Theodore is made in traditional way, crafted to play, not to watch. Only fine quality classical wood species were used, seasoned long time, selected to harmonize together. This is a unique instrument, with own character and personality. The sound is warm, fat, mahogany type, rich in harmonic components, long sustaining and rather aggressive. The design of the instrument, wood used and parts suggest the use in music genres such as blues, classic rock, hard rock, heavy metal, punk and related genres. This does not mean, however, that you can’t play other music. It depends on the type of amp, settings, and preferences. Wide neck is designed for “big hands” guitarist, or for classic type play, or for person who likes wider necks. Humbuckers are deliberately used without the ability to split coils, to keep simplicity, but with a preference to high sound qualities. Theodore is the third big brother (Bernard was completed in July 2017 and Winston in October 2017). “Third” differs from Bernard and Winston visually, has more technologically advanced bridge, and presents a slightly different palette of sounds. What did Theodore say at the first connection to the amp? “I’m Teddy, Teddy The Spike”. If Bernard’s sound could be described as “sound after mastering studio work”, Winston’s sound as “sound like a mustang, which must be bridled first”, so Teddy’s sound is “let’s rock’n’roll”.

Below are some general details and specification:

Body

1 – piece African mahogany Entandrophragma cylindricum, medium density, thickness 43mm, length 425mm, width 332mm. The front of body is flat, the forearm profile is well noticable. The back of body is flat with deep ergonomic profiling. There is no additional top or facing, nor binding. The shape of body is my own project SCM Lizard, double cutaway, referring to the well known guitar constructions.

Neck

1 – piece African mahogany Entandrophragma utile, high density, quarter sawn, glued-in (joint angle 0 deg., and 0,8 deg. cross angle), thickness at I fret 21mm, thickness at XII fret 23mm, width at nut 45,1mm, width at XXII fret 59.9mm, C/D profile around the I fret, D profile around the XII fret. The headstock is angled 14 deg., facing is made of bare black African ebony, just sanded and impregnated with light oil. The top surface of the headstock should be impregnated every 6 months with a lemon oil, the same oil which is used for cleaning and impregnating fingerboards. The shape of headstock is my own project and is used in every guitar in the „25 guitars collection”.

The structure of the neck is reinforced with 2 carbon rods 4x4mm, they stiffen the neck and does not change the wooden sound. Handmade truss rod is based on Martin type construction  – one action, steel rod in U-shape aluminium profile. Additional vibration damping material was used. Note, do not use too much force when adjusting the neck relief. Adjustment should be done in very small steps, with sensitivity and caution, the neck reacts with some delay to screwing and unscrewing the truss rod nut. Both the rod and the adjusting nut are made of high strength stainless steel.

NOTE! Many people can find the neck uncomfortable to play, because it is about 4mm wider than typical 42/56mm neck. But it should be comfortable for person with big palms, or playing electric guitar like the classic guitar, or preferring wide necks.

As with any guitar in which the neck is made of 1 piece of wood and its construction includes an angled headstock, keep in mind that the neck/headstock point is the least mechanically resistant place in the instrument. There is a thick ebony veneer at this location, and carbon rods, to make the place stronger, but when the guitar fall on the floor, the probability of breaking the headstock is very high. Always set the guitar (every guitar!) on a guitar stand or place it securely in the case, even if it's just for a while.

Fingerboard

1 – piece Gabon zebrano Microberlinia brazzavillensis, quarter sawn, binding unapplied, scale 25” (635mm), radius 12” (305mm). The top surface of fingerboard is mat sanded and impregnated with tung-oil. It needs cleaning and impregnating with oil from time to time. Zebrano perfectly matched to the instrument’s sound character.

The following components are mounted in the fingerboard:

- 22 frets Jim Dunlop Jumbo 6110 Hard, height of crown 1.4mm

- front markers – black MOP 3mm dots

- side markers – black MOP 1,5mm dots

- nut made of ivory Tusq XL Graph Tech

Notes:

Many people can find the fingerboard/neck uncomfortable to play, because it is about 4mm wider than typical 42/56mm neck. But it should be comfortable for person with big palms, or playing electric guitar like the classic guitar, or preferring wide fingerboards/necks.

Any slight deepening of string slots in the nut should be performed no sooner than after approximately 200 hours of playing the instrument.

The nut was fitted in the fingerboard before the instrument was finished with lacquer. When replacing worn frets in the future, frets with a crown height of no more than 1.4mm should be used. This way, you will avoid the complicated and expensive replacement of the nut with the refilling of the lacquer coating.

Pickups

- neck pickup – Seymour Duncan ‘59 SH – SH1N 2C black, vintage 1-conductor lead wire, 7,6kOhm, Alnico 5, modified PAF with stronger output

- bridge pickup – Seymour Duncan Custom  TB 5 BLK 4C, 4-conductor lead wire, 14,8kOhm, ceramic magnet, ‘PAF-on-steroids’ tone

The pickups are fixed in low gold plated metal frames. Both ‘59 and Custom have quite high output that may seem to be too powerful for some guitarists who are accustomed to classic vintage tones . However, the quality of the electronics allows you to freely adjust the volume of the instrument to the lowest levels without losing the quality of the sound.

Like any character of the sound and parts used, the pickups are subject to the player's assessment and are associated with his or her habits and preferences. In the case of incompatibility of the sound character of the pickups used, please do not decide whether to replace the pickups too fast.200 hours of play is a necessary minimum time to learn the capabilities of the instrument, get used to its character, find the right settings in amplifier and effects. Beyond that, please always keep in mind that Theodore does not like changes.

Electronics

- 1 x volume potentiometer Bourns Low Friction 500k Audio + filter based on Orange Drop poliprophylene  capacitor, preventing loss of high tones while volume decreasing

- 1 x tone potentiometer with bypass click Bourns No-Load GTN 500k Linear + Orange Drop poliprophylene  capacitor

- 3-position gold coated toggle switch Goldo

- gold plated cylindric Switchcraft SC-154 output jack

The control pocket cover is handmade of 4-leyer plastic.

Bridge

Fixed, gold plated ABM 3250G made of solid bell brass. Perfect bridge, with the possibility of 3-D adjusting for each string separately.

Tuning keys

Traditional, fine quality, gold plated Grover keys with modern tulip buttons, 14:1 gear ratio

Other hardware

- strap buttons - Warwick Security Lock, gold plated (Be sure and periodically check if the nuts fastening the mounting on the strap are firmly tightened!)

- knobs – gold plated Gotoh VK19-1 dome type with a locking screw

- string ferrules – gold plated Gotoh ferrules, 8.3 mm mounting diameter, with an outer edge extending over the surface of the back of body

Strings

D’Addario 10-46 EXL 110 nickel wounded

Finish

The surface of the instrument was finished by hand with a clear, glossy polyurethane and 2-component glossy acrylic lacquer. The finishing process consisted of the following stages:

- contrast wood pore filling and sanding

- Pre-coating with tinted polyurethane lacquer

- re-coating with tinted polyurethane lacquer

- sanding

- lacquering with tinted polyurethane lacquer

- 4-leyer lacquering with polyurethane

- 5-week stabilization of lacquer

- sanding the applied lacquer layers

- applying black patterns

- lacquering with 2-C lacquer

- 8-layer finish lacquering with 2-C lacquer

- 5-week curing process

- multi-stage wet sanding

- pre-polishing

- finish polishing

- waxing the surface

After finishing process, a glossy and transparent flat surface was achieved. Significant darkening of wood is the result of direct application of pour filler and polyurethane and is a deliberate effect. Owing to the characteristics of the lacquer and the relatively thin coats applied, the penetration of the lacquer into the wood structure can be noticeable over time. As a result, looking closely at a distance and at some angles can be visible delicate, minor and major bumps directly above the wood pores. The smooth surface can get some porous-like structure.

The applied lacquer deepens extraordinary character of the instrument, protects the wood from moisture, dirt, scratches and dents. It is not resistant to point strokes with hard objects, it is not resistant to scratches caused by sharp objects. As a result of the specific surface finishing method, the lacquer coating of the instrument has minor irregularities, indentations, collapses, abrasions, mottling, straight and circular scratches and micro scratches that are visible from a close distance at certain angles to the illumination.

Weight

Total weight of the guitar with fixed hardware is 3,9kg (+/- 0,1kg)

Accesories

- hexagonal key 5mm for truss rod adjusting

- hexagonal key 3mm for compensation adjusting

- hexagonal key 1,5mm for adjusting the height and spacing of saddles in the bridge

- Vileda soft mikrofibre cloth for cleaning

- ABS hard shell case, basic class

Adjusments

The guitar is initially adjusted and ready to play. Any additional adjustments, according to your preferences, are to be made by you or by person servicing your instruments. To achieve extremely low string action, any micro leveling of the frets should be performed no sooner than after approximately 200 hours of playing the instrument.

A few more words about Theodore

The instrument was performing for a very long time. It is not known when 13 years have passed. After each cutting, routing or profiling any wooden element, it was set aside for several months to stabilize and any occurred deformation was corrected.This procedure has provided the natural, very high structural stability of all components of the ready instrument and any future deformation, in normal use and in typical housing, studio or stage conditions is unlikely.

The sound of the guitar is typical for mahogany bodies with a set-in/glued-in mahogany neck. It is fat, massive, warm and rich in harmonics, but selective. Theodore can cut like a razor. Fingerboard made of zebrano makes a great job.

Creating Teddy was very interesting, but exhausting process. Whole 13-year creating history is remembered and saved by every part of the guitar. You can hear it, you can feel it, and this is why you shouldn’t try any changes. Just let Theodore to be Theodore forever. This is not a mass production product.

For whom is this instrument

For a person who does not need great logo on the headstock, and more importantly is the sound and the uniqueness of the hand-made instrument. For a person who does not put a guitar in a glass-case to look at a glass-mirror thick colourful finish. For a person who plays the instrument a few hours a day, likes oldschool instruments and a natural dark aged mahogany, and does not mind the fact that the guitar gently wears out of use, loses some of the glow and flash of the gilt parts. For the person who cares for the instrument, periodically impregnates exposed wooden components, puts the guitar on a guitar stand so it does not fall down. For a person with an open mind.

During tests

“Wow, what a sound”…

“Rock of the highest quality, endless capabilities”…

“Look, this is brother of Winston and Bernard, should sound familiar, but sounds quite differently”…

“Pure silver, this is amazing”…

“Where is your logo?”…

“Yes, big hands will like this neck”…

“I would never think that zebrano is so great”…

“Bernard and Winston are so oldschool. Theodore is somehow modern… newschool”…

“I’m not a fan of so rich sound, but I can’t stop playing. You can play nearly everything. You want heavy metal – you have heavy metal, you want ballad – you have ballad, you play what you want”…

“This is a machine gun”…

“Strings too high”…

“Strings too low”…

 “Jumbo frets… I’d prefer medium jumbo”…

“You have use to wider string spacing”…

“You have use to wide neck and string spacing”…

“You created very interesting guitars. Each fine, each original, and each quite different. There is something magical about it. These are not tools, they are beings. I don’t know how to say it”…

“The shape, the wood, the bridge, great pickups… this is not ordinary guitar”

32-1 Theodore was priced at 2750 EUR – the price is valid until 31 December 2018r.

If Theodore does not find a happy buyer in a given year, in each subsequent year its price will increase by 150 EUR.

The guitar price for 2019 year has been set at 2900 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2019 (updated 01.01.2019).

The guitar price for 2020 year has been set at 3050 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2020 (updated 05.01.2020).

The guitar price for 2021 year has been set at 3200 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2021 (updated 01.01.2021).

The guitar price for 2022 year has been set at 3350 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2022 (updated 15.01.2022).

The guitar price for 2023 year has been set at 3500 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2023 (updated 07.01.2023).

The guitar price for 2024 year has been set at 3650 EUR and is valid until 31 December 2024 (updated 06.01.2024).

This instrument is subject to a 24-month limited guarantee. The guarantee does not cover the wear and tear during typical use of components such as strings, frets, nut, lacquer surfaces. The guarantee does not cover mechanical damage resulting from misuse.

Shipping to a country belonging to the European Union

The price is valid if sales and shipping goes to a country in the EU. Shipping cost is 68 EUR maximum and it depends on the country where the shipment takes place. Shipping takes place within 10 working days of receipt of payment, it is necessary time to exchange strings, pre-adjustment and settings.

Shipping to a country not belonging to the European Union

If the guitar is shipped to a country outside the European Union, the maximum cost of shipping the item is 115 EUR and is dependent on the country to which the shipment will be addressed. In case of overpayment related to the costs of the shipment of the guitar, the overpayment will be refunded to the buyer within 5 working days. Shipping takes place within 10 working days of receipt of payment, it is necessary time to exchange strings, pre-adjustment and settings.

Please, contact me for more information,

Tomasz Wojtowicz

Tel. +48/ 602671930

e-mail: woodforguitar@gmail.com