Regenerate Guitar Works - Works in Progress

[Rodent]

here's another M-Series™ 5-string unit that's getting wrapped-up this morning, featuring a high grade Koa top on Mahogany body together with a Birdseye / Pau Ferro neck. this unit also is loaded with a Nordy 2-band preamp as well as my new custom pickups




back to the assembly bench ...

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

time for something new ... here's first look at a new model I'll be introducing at NAMM. it incorporates all of the best ergonomic features of a couple of my models, but strips out all of the fancy woods and active electronics leaving a very player friendly bass that's as price friendly as can be done for a US built custom bass.

this clear finish grade Alder body with a Honeyburst finish is about as fancy a unit as you'll see in this model outside of the occasional Swamp Ash build. one way of cutting some of the cost is to keep this model to mostly a opaque painted body offering, and that allows me to utilize a perfectly sound piece of lumber that has cosmetic inconsistencies that would be distracting if used on a clear/transparent finish. I can also utilize a few other wood species that have all the great attributes of Alder and Swamp Ash, but lack the visual quality needed for a clear/transparent finish




I'm hoping I can keep my flame Maple and Birdseye pricing in check so that future units can be built at the same price target as the units I have heading to NAMM. if I'm forced to, I'll simply make these two neck woods available as a minimal cost upgrade. Maple, Rosewood, and Pau Ferro will be the standard choices for fretboards

this model will feature a 2-piece pickguard, except for those units loaded with a single MM style pickup which will only have a 1-piece pickguard. I need to CNC my pickguard templates so I can hand-cut the pickguards, so for now this is what I can show off


back out to the shop ...

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

this one is a 4-string dual pickup version of the model noted in my previous post, and follows thru with my utilization of an Alder body blank set that was perfect in every aspect except for some significant (and very distracting) staining. because of this, it wasn't suitable for use with a clear/transparent color ... but it works wonderfully for a opaque painted body




this neck is a great example of the darker range for Pau Ferro, and it goes well with the vintage tinted Birdseye neck. believe it or not, that's actually Seafoam Green - the lighting in my shop is poor enough that my camera flash totally washes it out when taking images in the evening color correct images to come when this one is complete with its 2-piece pickguard

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

last righty is now ready for electronics ...

this one has an Alder body with flame Maple/Rosewood neck, 1.625" nut, and will be loaded with a custom split P-style pickup. it also gets the 2-piece pickguard treatment




tomorrow is lefty day on the assembly bench

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

it's time for another 'fresh off the bench' photo op

Alder body with Honeyburst finish, flame Maple/Rosewood neck with vintage tint satin. this one will have a vintage voiced split-P style pickup with traditional type exposed pole pieces, and as is the decor for this model it will also have a 2-piece pickguard




there are a couple subtle 'upgrades' on this unit - neck mounting ferrules and heel adjust trussrod

if you notice the lower cutaway you'll see there's clear 'no contact' access up to the 21st fret - definitely not your grandpa's Pea, eh?

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

I spent much of the day on Monday soldering wiring harnesses for the NAMM basses, and once those were done I got to turn my focus on cutting pickguard templates on the CNC. the first one of these is completed and proofed with a mint/b/w pickguard for a CAR 4-string

here's a quick peek at how this is shaping up



I'm very pleased with how well the new pickguard and laser-cut control plate fit together - woo-hoo for CAD design and templates cut with a CNC. beginning in 2012 I'll also be cutting this body design with the CNC in an effort to keep this new model as affordable as can be for a custom build. available options will be significantly fewer on this model as well, and all of the bodies will be painted in either a burst of an opaque color.

and here's how this looks as a lefty in Vintage Blonde with a Tort pickguard



the laser-cut stainless control plate on both of these basses will be swapped to a polished finish plate when those come back from the shop, and the brushed stainless plate will be available as an option for certain color combinations. the Tort pickguard will really pop when its protective cover is removed after the final set-up is complete and the potential for getting scratched eliminated

I'll be giving the CAR righty a maiden voyage in a live session on Friday night

all the best,

R

[Basshappi]

Look awesome Rod!

[Rodent]

here's how that Seafoam Green dual pickup version looks with its new white Pearloid pickguard



that control plate will be swapped out for a polished one when the batch comes back from the polishing shop

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

taking a short breather from the 12+ hour days this week getting everything ready to load into the van on Monday afternoon ... working the details on the new model is slowing me down a bit, but it's going to be worth it

here's a peek at the lefty 5-string with its pickguard and shiny new control plate. I need to get 5-strings sets tomorrow and then I can nut this one and give it a final set-up



I have this one loaded with my vintage split-P ... but I'm thinking of loadin it with something a bit more special for NAMM. I'll have to see how my schedule goes the next two days

back out to the shop. it may be a bit before I surface again :P

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

all of the Regenerate Guitar Works basses that will be travelling to the NAMM Show are now ... DONE!!!

here's what's headed south from Seattle to Anaheim ...





more images to come from the booth at the show


I still have a 6-string guitar to get assembled/set-up this week, but that will travel along as carry-on


if you're attending the NAMM Show, drop by Hall E Booth 1304 to say Hi and take opportunity to give one or more of these basses a test drive. it would be great to meet (if we haven't already) and also hear your candid impressions

all the best,

R

[Rodent]

Thanks to all of you who stopped in and fought your way thru to say hi. Booth life was unbelievably crazy at times and I know there were many people who waited patiently to chat but eventually had to come back later when there was room to pass thru the aisle

Here’s a couple images of how the booth looked the evening before the show opened. The Fender Super Reverb amp (seen and heard in several of the videos) arrived 15 minutes before show open - just in time to get the new Regenerator GT™ guitar onto the floor before the doors opened to the masses







The new Regenerator™ line of painted body guitars and basses were a continual hit during the show. If a couple of the multiple reseller deals in the works reach final agreement, there's a good potential you'll be able to find these at many upper-end music stores across the US, Canada, and Europe sometime during 2012

Back to the NAMM show ... you'll probably not recognize the players in these videos. Most of the links feature my basses and guitar, but there's also a couple Watson basses in the jams as well

MikeMcGeeAndJabeJamminItOutOnDay2.wmv - YouTube

NAMM2012_MikeZabrin_MSeriesLefty4_Day4.wmv - YouTube

MikeMcGee_MarcMiller_Taylor_AlexWatson_Day4JamNo2. wmv - YouTube

MikeMcGee_Jabe_Taylor_AlexWatson_Day4BoothJam.wmv - YouTube

JabeAndCiscoJamminItOutOnDay2 - YouTube

NAMM 2012_Jan 21_BillClementsAndEdoCastro.MTS - YouTube


Not all of the jams are the most musical moments of the show, but if you were to have been in the context of the moment (and could have heard what was being played in the booths around us who were joining the jam but can't be heard in the audio) you would have caught the full context of the vibe that was happening

I still have additional video to edit and upload, so I'll post a follow-up to this sometime in the coming days

all the best,
R