About
Passionate about building guitars of a character, quality and resonance that would be tough to match even in Denmark Street. With a set-ups that maybe only a luthier who was a pro guitarist can achieve!
Reviews (3)

17 May, 2018
This solved an awkward problem
When building an 'upmarket' Strat (for the 1st time in 12 years for me; not a customer) I chose a premium roller-saddled bridge/trem for it.
This was the type with no threaded screws/springs or backplate to secure these (lack of) intonation screws - instead the saddles float in their individual channels, secured in position by a third hex screw. And very beautiful it was/is (sourced from Guitar Anatomy), and as well as offering the advantages of roller saddles avoids both the potential discomfort and dodgy aesthetics of the Fender vintage trem/bridge.
Surprisingly, the sustain block was aluminium, tiny, and therefore very light.
No problem, I'll fit either of my big steel or big brass blocks to it. Which I did... except the threaded hole (in the Fender block) for the trem arm didn't line up with the equivalent hole in the new bridge.
On reviewing the issue, I noticed that the trem arm threads on all my fender strat bridges were exactly in line with the 3 block mounting screws. On the upgrade bridge, not so. In fact the arm thread recess was forward of these by 2/3rds of its diameter.
Oh 5₩!¥.
So I looked at every decent quality sustain block I could find online (inc ebay of course) and eventually found this. It just 'looked' like the solution.
And it was. Though needed a little modding on the top surface to create the space for the saddle fixing hex undersides to move up and down their full travel. However with a circular file, lined up x 6 with the string tunnels, this was quickly and easily fixed.
So now I have the beautiful bridge AND a sustain block that does the guitar justice. So thanks to Black Dog for the latter, Guitar Anatomy for the bridge, and my small piece of absolute determination not to compromise on this (or anything guitar making-oriented).
I have written this review, however, in case someone else finds the same issue with a similar upgrade.
Chris
Tobacco Road Guitars

27 Apr, 2018
Why pay more for pro quality locking tuners?
3 of 3 found this helpful As a small-volume guitar maker with mainly 'professional musician' customers, I just don't take potentially risky economic shortcuts.
So I tried a set of these on a guitar I was making for myself (1st time in a decade) and they were excellent.
I cannot see any difference, from build quality to tuning stability to aesthetics, between these and the big brand oem and aftermarket products. Apart from costing a 5th of the price?
Some customers, I know, will specify Sch....., Kl..., Hi..... etc etc.
But if they prefer instead to save £80-100 (or 10% plus) from the cost of their instrument, with no downside - deliveries have also been fast, ditto ease of fitting - then now they can. And I won't be concerned about later "issues" in the slightest. The same high ratio precision, the same smooth operation, the same every time & on all 6.
All I can't say yet is how they will stand up over several years of use and abuse - though there's every indication (weight/build quality etc) that this also won't become a differentiator.
So all in all... very pleasantly surprised.
Chris @ Tobacco Road Guitars

21 Jan, 2018
These DO make a difference.
I seem to have read multiple times that car performance gains from fittings sports-inspired aftermarket air filters will be too small to notice.
Well.. I certainly noticed this difference!
Granted, compared to a very grubby OEM filter... the engine note has changed to a much keener sound (so much I initially changed gear earlier), the acceleration has improved markedly (on an 18 year old is200) and the car seems 12 years younger and fitter. I can't measure anything, but the improvement is beyond subjective. The car IS quicker to 50. A hundred yards out if our 30mph village is a bend/hill. Previously I hit 45 as I hit this; now 50+.
So very, very impressed.