Bluesman Guitars spec chat
E P I C T O N E S
Build your NGS relic SC57 S-caster, SC60 T-caster guitars with bodies and necks by NGS Relic Guitars: F Custom Shop style.
LEAD TIMES FOR MANUFACTURE ARE 28-35 days at present
IN STOCK
BLUESMAN SC57 & TC57 SERIES
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TC57 T-caster F Licensed Body Mojo Relic Bluesman Series£625.00 -
SC57 Bluesman Roadworn Series£645.00 -
SC57 S-caster Bluesman Steelyard Series (Shell Pink)£625.00 -
SC60 S-caster Bluesman Roadworn Series ( Sonic blue)£645.00 -
SC60 S-caster Freshman Series (Faded Sonic Blue)£645.00 -
SC60 S-caster Vintage Steelyard Series (Sonic Blue)£465.00 -
SC57 S-caster Vintage Bluesman Series (Sonic Blue Pale)£645.00
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SC61 S-caster Sunburst medium relic£465.00 -
Scaster Roadworn Series (NC slink Sonic blue)£465.00
G N A R L
L O O K S
F E E L
U N R E A L
SOMETHING FOR THE WEEKED SIR? POPULAR TOYS
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One-off bespoke guitars with a feel for roadworn, gigable playability – 42 to 45mm of pure butter n snarl.
ORDER A BLUESMAN CUSTOM-MADE BODY
LESS THAN 300 BUCKS. PURE QUALITY.
A quick chat about wood and the birth of the guitar self-builder… Let’s get it on.
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HARD HITTING SOUNDS
FACTORY GRADING OF TIMBERS
Today building a great guitar is made easy with quality suppliers and second hand parts now becoming readily available. Even top grade tonewoods and timber bodies are now just a Paypal away.
Grading of timber in any major guitar production site falls into 2 black and white categories. Exceptional and the rest. The exceptional ones are pulled out for the ‘Custom’ shops. With most of the rest become exceptional over time as the wood matures right?
‘Custom shops’ themselves came about because of bespoke makers like us… some got hired by the big boys, most continued a passion as a hobby turned career. Nothing wrong in that!!
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GALLERY
ORDER YOUR PARTS
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Tonewoods cont…
The rest of the select timber goes into production with team leaders cued in to pull out anything looking a bit ‘Elite’. This will account for about 20% of the roll through stock.
THE REAL FUCKIN’ DEAL
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ORDERING GEAR
By the time stock ends up bought, sold, used and cruised, the only way to tell if it’s good or dawg is to hold it and crank it up… all the while being highly selective. As a rule I generally select lighter 6.5-7lb bodies for the Bluesman because they retain that woody magic, easy playability and lush tonal clarity.
I’m super intuitive about woods… it’s a guarantee. NG
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With the right neck and hardware that sparkle stays in the heart of the instrument characterising the Bluesman.
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WHAT GIVES? THE SQUIER and MEXICAN BODY DEBATE
Any pro will tell you the 80s and 90s Squier with a bit of an upgrade is as good as any guitar you could want.
I just picked up a Richwood strat with S Duncans in and it’s sweeter than my Fender MIM… it cost me 85.00 UKbucks inc postage! We all know it’s all about the guitar and not just the decal. Having said that building is all about intuition and quality. NG
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While that is true of bodies, when it comes to the neck, aside from a great shape Squiers and Tokai’s often have, the density of the wood isn’t quite the same in later models. In most cases a hot Fender neck feels much harder and can in most cases deliver a distinct tonal range and response. A copy usually feels softer than a true-cut Fender. It could be nothing more than bad, cheap lacquer… or the seasoning of the timber itself.
A special edition copy is likely to be nearly as good as any other. We’ll talk about that next in refit and intonation.
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ORDERING NECKS/BODIES
GALLERY
Fender v Squier cont…
Early Squiers are plain old USA Fenders!
If you were to unbolt an early 80s JV Japanese A or E series Fender ‘Squier’ Strat body it would become a US body because that’s where it would have been built in the first place.
The complete Squire would cost 250-350. The US 83 Alder body alone would be worth 350-450.00. Things that make you go mmmmutha.
So when it comes to the body there ain’t much difference at all across the mid and upper Asia, Mex, USA end. Here’s why.
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- Most Fenders are cut from USA homegrown or Canadian timbers.
- Most Japanese, China and Asian producers import their timber from USA and Canada.
It could be said that most Fenders are now parts-casters with Seymour Duncs and other add-ons derived from the influence of the best bespoke maker’s of the world.
Pick-ups?
We only sink Lollar’s or Frailins in our Linton and Bluesman builds these days because they are so responsive and punchy
SO TODAY THE NEW ERA OF GUITARIST BUILT CUSTOM ‘CASTERS IS HERE TO STAY. EMBRACE!
ORDERING UP
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ALL ABOUT
THE NGS BLUESMAN BODY
Bluesman body comes from the NGS collection and will either be a bespoke hand made, licensed, vintage issue, Squire, or Fender.
It is selected for it’s feel and ratio of weight and intonation quality. It has to be 3-4 lb max 2kg and have a real ‘knuckle-tap’ ring to it.
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Refit and intonation
The fastidious hand contouring of the edges and pockets in the body give it that extra mojo as contours contain, circulate or release intonation.
We even re-contour Fender edges… they are essentially factory made so in some cases cry out for TLC… NG
Internal surfaces are checked for sound ‘trapping’ and and dead spots removed.
The body sound-board performance is enhanced by every process I use in the shaping and coating up through to final finishing.