Very classy! The only thing I would change is to shy away from the Ritter style headstock and come up with your own style for these great builds.
I have addressed this subject at considerable length in the past. Even in the recent past.
If you perform a side by side comparison of the two designs there is considerable difference between them, certainly as much or more difference than any number of other comparisons one could find here on LC. But do it: pull up the pics and compare.
In fact, when I visited your website and looked at the build blog (did u know your gallery isn't loading?), at one point I thought I had somehow ended up on another LC'ers site when I saw one of your concepts. Then I blinked and saw the differences. Of course, the one right above that one reminded me of a certain Warwick Buzzard. And what about copying F-Style mandolin shapes? Can't anyone find an original mando design? Apparently, hundreds of mandolin builders world-wide are having trouble with it! Etc . . .you get my point.
My design is "my own". It follows the motifs presented elsewhere in the Noah's design. Many experienced luthiers of varied disciplines have been quick to see the continuity of my design motif throughout the instrument. Others less so.
I think you would do well to direct your critique in other directions instead of directing a thinly veiled charge of copycatting toward me. For example, consider the headstock/body designs of Sadowsky, Lull, Lakland, or for that matter, any other builder of J style classic basses. They all look pretty similar to me. Some of your own, and other's, headstock designs routinely "remind" me of other ones (have you ever looked at Rob Allen's shapes?), but I'm not lining up to critique them, am I?
But, just to be fair, if you can convince those named above to change the similarity of their headstock motifs; or if you can get Kevin Ryan to make his look less like James Olson's; or if you can get Collings to back off the Martin and Gibson motifs, ad infinitum, then I'll change mine to look more like a clamshell!! (There's only so many ways one can morph 3 design borders)
So, if you can see it JC, none of us are really doing anything so brand new as to be able to say "100% mine". Fortunately, I am blessed to know that a considerable number of people like what I'm doing and filled my inbox expressing that sentiment (leading me to reverse my earlier decision to leave LC).
Nuff said. The headstock is "my own"( my signature if you will), and it compliments the overall design motifs very, very well.
Kindest regards to you and your work.
