Hilditch Handmade Guitars New Build Thread

HilditchGuitars

Hi all
some of you may (most won't haha) remember me from a couple of years ago, predominantly for making a guitar with a Marshall MS2 in built into it.
I'm back, with a slightly more mature view on the instruments I make (haha), having taken the brave decision to make it my full time occupation. 
I'll not waffle on too much for fear of boring you, but this all started just before the C word ruined everything, when I started a new job in a furniture workshop. Originally i began in the machine shop - turning slabs of tree into usable timber for the bench joiners, but having built my first guitar back in school, and since developed a fondness for hobby wood working in general, I knew the benches was where I wanted to get. The opportunity arose and I decided to have a go at making a proper guitar from scratch, that I could use and be proud to 'show off'. Then Covid ruined it all for me, but I was lucky enough to be allowed to take some timber home for the lockdown which gave me chance to hone my skills (my product appeal developed much later ha). 
I ended up with a new job making timber roundhouses and after 18 months of site work - weeks away from the family and my man cave - I eventually found myself in a position where I could see this becoming the new bread winner. And that pretty much brings me to today.

So my aim is to use this thread to get up to speed with what I've been creating over the past 18 months since escaping the rat race (to an extent anyway) 
Of course, everything I post is viewable on my website (hilditchguitars.com) and socials (using the handle @hilditchguitar) but I'll try to condense things on here. Unless you good folks want the uncondensed versions haha.

So let's dig in...

HilditchGuitars

My first 'proper' commission was this left handed S type. I eventually named the model Scorpius and this one was knicknamed Ethel after my dog at the time. She loved this customer.

Rosewood and Maple through neck with Walnut wings and 15mm Flame Maple top (originally destined for a carve but plans changed)
Super V tremolo
Schaller tuners (changed to Grover due to stability issues on the Schallers)
XJ Jescar stainless frets
Sunbear custom humbuckers
Push/pull coil splits and killswitch
Tusq XL nut
Gloss nitro finish
Magnetic flush cover

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HilditchGuitars

From this I developed my Bobcat model. Similar to a PRS I guess, but I wanted something a bit more rounded and easy on the eye.
Ash body with chamber
Flame Maple top
Maple and walnut bolt on neck
Wilkinson 2 point tremolo
Locking tuners from Northwest Guitars
Stainless steel frets
Radioshop custom humbuckers
Tusq XL nut
Gloss nitro finish

(I've now worked out how to add multiple images to one comment)

HilditchGuitars

Then I reworked my Tao model
Meranti body
Flame Sycamore top
Rosewood, Maple and Purpleheart set neck
Purpleheart and Ebony 2 tone fretboard
Grainger fixed bridge
Medium jumbo stainless steel frets (this became my new standard from here on)
Northwest Guitars Locking tuners
Bone nut

HilditchGuitars

And made another Bobcat, my first go at spraying 2k Poly too

Mahogany and Iroko body with chamber again
Quilt Maple top
Mahogany Maple and Iroko bolt on neck
Stainless frets
Push/pull coil split on volume
Ebony fretboard

HilditchGuitars

Then I developed a T type and a public vote came up with the name T-Bone
And on this I used a 0.1 mfd capacitor which gives a gnarly fuzz tone when you roll it all the way off.
Sycamore body
Iroko bolt on neck
Stainless frets
Retrosoul (now closed) custom humbuckers
Grainger fixed bridge
Oil and wax finish

This got snapped up almost instantly

HilditchGuitars

Another one that got snapped up the day after I finished it... I stupidly didn't take any pics as I thought it would still be coming home from a show with me. D'oh

Rosewood, Walnut and Maple deep tenon set neck
Elm body
Flame Maple center strip
Grainger fixed bridge
Northwest Guitars locking tuners
Stainless frets
Wormy Ebony fretboard with glow in the dark markers and filled worm holes
27" scale

This got a nickname of Firebeast, easy to see why haha

HilditchGuitars

Then I got my first bass order (the previous guitar was actually a test of the shape for the bass order)

Maple, Padauk and Pang Panga through neck
Ash wings
Fishman Fluence pickups
Gotoh bridge and tuners
Satin nitro finish
Stainless frets

HilditchGuitars

Now this was a guitar of many firsts for me;
WBW binding
Floyd Rose (genuine)
Sustainiac
Scalloped frets (15-27 (yep))
Sperzel tuners

Walnut and Maple deep set tenon neck
Meranti body for light weight
Matte nitro finish

27" scale to fit the sustainiac because the customer wanted 27 frets haha. But this thing has toured a lot of the world in a very well known (in the scene) thrash metal band, and the guy actually has an Iceman that was owned by Sam Totman which is his backup, behind mine. We coined the model name Wayman as his name is Wayne and it's based on the Iceman (clever haha) and it's nickname is The Hate Machine

HilditchGuitars

Another commission, based on Jerry Garcia's Tiger, dubbed The Grateful Dregg

Mahogany body
Walnut top
Maple and Padauk bolt on neck
Gotoh VS100n bridge
Gotoh locking tuners
Killswitch and mini switch for unlocking more pickup configurations
SD hot stax
Can't remember the humbucker models but they're Dimarzios

Originally not fussed about weight, this one actually came back to go on a diet after the customer decided he did like his back in one piece after all.

HilditchGuitars

Another T-Bone, this time in 26.5" scale
Again, snapped up at it's first public outing by a guy who had seen the other one a good few months prior, and spent the whole time kicking himself with regret haha. 

Sycamore body (same board as the turquoise one)
Padauk and Maple bolt on neck
Rosewood fretboard
Gotoh Vs100n tremolo
Gotoh locking tuners
Tusq XL nut
Satin nitro finish


    

HilditchGuitars

Another first - 7 string. And multiscale because why not!?

27-25.5" scale
Ash body with purple grain filler 
Flame Maple top
Walnut, Maple and purpleheart bolt on neck
Curly Mango fretboard
Grainger individual saddles
Fishman Fluence pickups
Sperzel locking tuners
Gloss 2k PU finish
Purpleheart Scorpion inlay, not to everyone's taste but it's too late now haha

The pickups just sound incredible for extended range stuff

HilditchGuitars

Then we went back to crazy, but it was a commission so it's ok right
For the lead guitarist in an 80s hair metal inspired originals band from Scotland
Gloss nitro finish
2nd Sustainiac
Gotoh VS100n
Tusq XL nut
Sperzel locking tuners
Through neck 

HilditchGuitars

Followed by this bling Explorer. People who like Explorers have loved this at shows.
It was an order for a friend and he let's me take it to shows

Mahogany body and set neck
Crazy flame maple top
EMG 81/85
LEDs controlled by push/pull pot
Northwest Guitars hardware
Gloss nitro with slight pearl in