Hästen is a build that started in what I refer to phase-one of my career, when I was building based on existing designs, but completed in phase-two, after I’d found what made a guitar a Michael built guitar - which is why unlike the other builds started in that era, this one has my name on the headstock. Being a phase-two build means it has a bunch of custom 3D-printed parts, like the bridge plate and the controls, it has a custom laser-cut and laser-etched pick-guard. It has a solid ferrule-block in the rear rather than individual string-ferrules, and it has a quality fret-job with rounded fret-ends.

Add to that a wiring setup that gives twelve possible pickup combinations, you have a guitar that might look like one you’ve seen before, but is one that is distinctly a custom instrument that has all the hallmarks of one built by me.

Gallery

Both the neck and the body sit together, looking like an actual guitar, albeit one that hasn't been painted, or has any other parts added to it.
The neck is still clamped to the trestle, and you can see that where before it had a square profile, it now has two 45 degreeish facets cut down the length of it. On the floor under the trestle is a lot of wood-dust.
A view of the side of the neck after I've filed down the fret ends, showing they are flush with the side of the neck. You can also see the dot inlays, made from a similar material, are also flush too.
A photo of the inside of the spray-booth, with the Mustang-style guitar body mounted on a stand by a stcik mounted in the neck-pocket of the body, to make it easier to spray. On the wall is mounted a spray-gun with a chamber of blue paint.
A photo of the two guitar bodies mounted on the wall to let the first coat dry off a bit. The mustang style one that was white in earlier photos is now a light blue, and the other still looks black as before.
An unfinished birds-eye maple guitar neck sits on a workbench, surrounded by sanding pads, a cloth and a bottle of oil.
A photo of an offset-style guitar body on the workbench, painted a pale blue colour. Next to it sits a sanding pad, some scissors, and a roll of kitchen-roll.
On the workbench sits a work-in-progress guitar, with just the painted-body and neck in position. The body is in the style of a Fender Mustang offset guitar and is painted a pale blue, and the neck is made from birds-eye maple and finished in oil.
A photo of the guitar body on the workbench, still looking a pale blue colour, and it is surrounded by sanding pads that have blue stain on them, and a bottle of the abrasive compound can be seen to one side.
A photo of the guitar on the workbench again, only now despite the lack of pick-guard and electronics still, there are strings installed.
A close up photo of the headstock of the guitar, showing the brids-eye maple in detail. You can see the tuners, the nut and the two strings trees (along with the strings). Laser etched into the headstock is 'M W Dales' and 'Hästen'. Next to the headstock on the workbench are a set of tiny files for cutting slots into the nut.
A photo of a blue painted offset style guitar stood in a stand on a workbench in a moodily lit workshop. the guitar has black pickguard with two chrome covered humbuckers in it, and has a birds-eye maple neck and fretboard.

Appearances in the build blog