The beginnings of my next guitar

I’m lucky enough to own a few different guitars. I’ve tried to add a new guitar to my little collection every other year for the last 10 years or so. With each new purchase I try and get something new. Not new in the sense of the guitar not being second hand, but in the sense of the guitar having features my previous guitars didn’t have. For example, I purchased my Fender Stratocaster so I could experience the three single coil pickup scenario (plus I just wanted to own a Fender Stratocaster). I purchased my Epiphone Les Paul so I could experience the twin humbucker scenario with independent volume and control knobs. With all my current guitars, I have most scenarios covered. I guess that’s why this year I wasn’t really looking for a new guitar.

That all changed when I discovered Derek Buddemeyer on Twitter and noticed the guitar he plays on all his recordings and in all his YouTube videos. I discovered quickly through Derek’s Blogger website that this guitar was something he’d built himself. This was a one-of-a-kind electric guitar. Luckily for me, Derek was going to be building replicas (including some in an alternate colour range). I knew that I needed to be a part of that experience.

The main features of the Buddemeyer Hangnail Pro guitar that drew me in are as follows:

• Twin humbuckers (the neck humbucker looks like a single coil).
• Floyd Rose licensed tremolo bridge that doesn’t require the strings ends to be cut off.
• Reversed headstock.
• No tone control.
• Push/pull volume control that doubles as a pickup selector.
• A smoke coloured option with all black accessories.

I don’t have any of those features in the guitars I currently own. That’s also a lot of new features for one guitar. Add to that the fact that this guitar will be shipped from the USA with a hard case for less than most decent guitars I can purchase here in Australia and this is an easy sell.

I’m getting a Buddemeyer Hangnail Pro guitar of my own.

I am of course taking a risk here. I only know what I’ve seen, heard and read online. For example, I researched the accessories and components that are used in the build of the Buddemeyer Hangnail Pro guitar. I liked what I read. The pickups get some good reviews. The bridge gets some good reviews as well. But as the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words. That’s a lot of words per picture when you think about it. For example, I haven’t even made it to 500 words in this article yet!

Luckily for you all, you don’t have to read much more because recently Derek posted pictures on his Facebook site of one of the new Buddemeyer Hangnail Pro guitars (smoke model). A model exactly the same as one I’ve ordered. This therefore is a collection of pictures that show what I can hopefully expect to receive sometime soon. I couldn’t be happier with how these look. I now wait for my own model to be built and shipped from the USA to Australia. Waiting … Patience is not my strong suit.