Whats New Pussycat - Feline Guitars Updates thread.

FelineGuitars · August 2013

Inspired by Jaden Rose's recent update thread I thought I would follow suit

This will be good for all my random little updates rather than big ideas that need their own separate topic

A Quick introduction for those that may not know of Feline Guitars

We are an established Guitar repair and upgrade centre that also makes it's own line of high custom guitars

A lot of guys on here will have had work doen and will probably(hopefully) be happy to give a thumbs up.

A few will also own guitars we have built.

I've been building and repairing guitars since 1987.

I studied at London College of Furniture in their Musical Instrument department, and have carried on learning every day since .

I owe a lot to my mentor Dan Erlewine , who wrote regularly for Guitar Player magazine and now works with Stewmac.com.

I also owe to guys I have worked for/with like Neil Macdonald, Charlie Chandler and to luthier friends like my best mate Doug who established Blackmachine Guitars, and not forgetting some of the great guys who have worked for me as well, whose insights and skills have helped raise my own game.

Previously I worked in a number of guitar workshops and guitar factories before going full time with my own business

Also had a couple of "proper jobs" (as an ex girlfriend liked to call them) in between

Whilst I decided upon using the name Feline Guitars and the choice to use cats eyes as 12th fret markers as early as 1988, the first guitars to be made using that branding didn't emerge till 1992/3

We have just built our 20th anniversary range of Lion Models based on all of my personal experience of what makes for a great LP Custom type guitar.

Here is the prototype just prior to be completed:

Whilst there is a huge amount of history we could pour over and many interesting stories (many of which I may share over time) we will probably start off with what is happening in the here and now and other things will emerge now and then.

Currently our activities are keeping us nice and busy

We are as ever doing lots of repairs and upgrades

We are building a number of custom built guitars for customers

We are in the final stages of getting the 20th anniversary guitars completed.(12 will be made for the public - 6 of which are already sold, plus the one I made for myself)

This year we have also intensified the collaborative work we do with Blackmachine Guitars on the B6 model.

Many will know of this enigmatic company set up by one of my best friends of 20+ years : Doug

We have always had some involvement with the making of the B6 model via our team members, but I am taking a much more active participation in the completion and sale of these beauties this year to help Doug out.

Here is one of the first batch of 8 that we made this year - more in the works as we speak

FelineGuitars · August 2013

I have just this week been working on a new Blackmachine B6 for my own use

It's a slightly quirky version of the Blackmachine B6 that I make with Doug.
It is both a throwback to things we did together in the past and a chance to test a few things out for myself.

This project will enable me to test out the new Graph Tech Ratio Tuners and get to grips with the Scahller Hannes bridge too, which I haven't had the opportunity to fit yet.

The pickups are a Bare Knuckle Pickups Cold Sweat Set.
The colour choice is a throwback to a Pink/blue zebra Seymour Duncan Custom pickup that Doug from Blackmachine and I used to trade back and forth in the early 1990s.

Was funny when Doug (Blackmachine) saw the coloured pickups that I had chosen to use - his eyes lit up and he cracked up laughing - knowing full well the reasons for the choice

The body has a fascia of Rippled ash (which is fairly uncommon) on a back of swamp ash
Hasn't been set-up or fret dressed yet but it already plays like a monster

RocknRollDave · August 2013

Great thread, keep it coming.

mike_l · August 2013

@FelineGuitars ; I'm liking the B6 model very much...

Damn you for tempting me when I ain't got the Gascash......

DrBob · August 2013

Arrrggghhh.. I was about to say that I needed to pop over and see you soon, I'm having a bit of an issue with the tuning stability on the 'Bunny' and I was thinking about getting a new plate done for the Tyler. But frankly, I don't know if I dare set foot in Feline HQ for fear of what you might happen if you put that Blackmachine in my hands. As it is I've been leaving it until I was sure the FatCat had gone !

blueskunk · August 2013

Wow like that rock machine above

axisus · August 2013

I just love those Lion guitars! They look amazing 'in the flesh'.

FelineGuitars · August 2013

Just took some photos of a strat we put back together after the customer had the body and pickguard custom painted.

Thought it looked rather good - certainly Sims have made a nice tidy job of the paintjob - really seamless!

monquixote · August 2013

Wow!

That Sims paint job is staggering.

Moltisanti · August 2013

very cool! have you a chance to look at an Evertune bridge yet, seems like a brilliant invention to me

FelineGuitars · August 2013

Not yet but heard interesting things about them

UnclePsychosis · August 2013

Sims have done a great job on that paintjob...but....honestly....its hideous. Sorry. I'm sure the guy that asked for it is very happy!

Loving the blackmachine stuff though!

dindude · August 2013

UnclePsychosis said:

Sims have done a great job on that paintjob...but....honestly....its hideous. Sorry. I'm sure the guy that asked for it is very happy!

Loving the blackmachine stuff though!

Don't assume it's a guy, I think this was finished for Geri Halliwell.

FelineGuitars · August 2013

Yes - Graham and I have worked closely together for nearly 20 years now and have maintained a good working relationship and friendship.

Working with Graham has allowed me to run a busy town centre repair workshop and build guitars when otherwise I might not have been able to manage that commercially and juggle all the pieces.

Graham also does some work for other people as well as building a few under his own Swallow/GSP name.

He has been very active on UKGB in order to share much of what he knows as he will eventually retire and wanted his hard earned knowledge to benefit others.

TTony · August 2013

Moved this discussion into our new "UK Showcase" section.

Plenty more space to showcase plenty more guitars (please!) Mr Feline ...

FelineGuitars · November 2013

Just completed a tele style guitar - calling it our Tabby Special model

Featuring an alder body - with strat style contours

the neck is a 3 piece quarter sawn maple neck with a maple fingerboard

25.5" scale length with Dunlop 6000 frets

Inlays are Paua abalone and we finished the body finished in a colour to compliment the inlays

The headstock leans back giving a decent break angle over the Earvana nut

Sperzel tuners and a wilkinson designed Gotoh bridge with twistable saddles take care of the string anhoring

Electronics wise we have a Bare Knuckle Boss at the bridge position and a TV Jones Magnatron unit at the neck position.

We had some special tele control plates made with a Gibson toggle switch in place of the blade switch

FelineGuitars · July 2014

Finally got the Entwhistle Spider Bass completed today.

OMG - she's a monster tone-wise.

My Colleague seen playing it here:(more pics to follow)

Elwood · July 2014

Your holding out on us Jonathan!

Some of my favourates - anyone here own a Feline?

Lew · July 2014

FelineGuitars said:

Finally got the Entwhistle Spider Bass completed today.
OMG - she's a monster tone-wise.

My Colleague seen playing it here:(more pics to follow)

That's enough to make me want to take up bass

Grunfeld · July 2014

Oooh, behind the rather nice bass, a Pagan Altar tee... I remember seeing them down the Ruskin and thinking they'd be bigger than Iron Maiden. Some might say that was a wrong call and I'd have no career in A&R, but there's still time you know...

FelineGuitars · July 2014

Yes - Diccon who is behind the bass was in Pagan Altar playing bass from 2007-10

ElectroDan · July 2014

Loved the vibe of the Tabby Special above (not normally a Tele guy either). So I went and had a look around your site. You certainly make beautiful looking guitars!

The Candy Apple red Strat in the "Ready to ship" gallery is a particular good. Love the Tabby Hybrid, Lion Special and Alex Butler Tiger too.

Awesome stuff!

RobDavies · July 2014

Loving that B6. When my ship comes in..... Come on people, buy more cables - thousands of em!

FelineGuitars · July 2014

Just finished off a couple of custom Gothic Supreme (SG style) guitars

The blue one was a customer order whilst the red one is available to buy £2500

They are both a bit thicker in the body than a normal guitar of this style , so sonically they sit a bit between an SG and a Les Paul.

This is a deliberate move on my part to overcome many of the weaknesses that we see too often in SGs

The thicker body prevents the guitar nosediving so much, gaives way superior strength in the critcal neck/body junction and allows the jack to be side mounted - thus preventing the horrid wood tear-out when you accidentally tread on your guitar lead.

The necks are also a 3 piece design of quartersawn wood with a choice rosewood board and chunky Dunlop frets (6100)

Sperzel tuners, Tonepros Tunamatic and locking tailpiece studs(the ones that open up and lock shut onthe tailpiece).

For the tailpiece we chose to use lightweight Aluminium ones and we fitted the Earvana Compensated Tuning nut as well

Pickups on these are both Bare Knuckle

The blue custom order has a set of the rare 10th anniversary Humbuckers.

the red guitar has a set of Emeralds which sound superb and stay tight in the low end no matter how much gain you use.

RobDavies · July 2014

Mr Feline - you do make some lovely looking guitars.

hubobulous · July 2014

Those SGs are excellent and the 10th Anniversary etching on the pickups is cool

FelineGuitars · July 2014

Some more eye candy of the blue Gothic

ThorpyFX · July 2014

Well, the blue gothic supreme is now in my hands and I'm bowled over by it. So easy to play, bends are like pushing against the slippiest thing going. Without elaborating too much, it sounds like rock!! And I really couldn't be happier.

Deijavoo · July 2014

Being pretty new to Feline I have to say, that Jag-Firebird made me make a huge mess in my shorts.

Awesome man. I also really love those 0% payment options on your site..... a little too much.

ThePrettyDamned · July 2014

Yeah, I want a tabby special.

And a Lion.

Actually, I won't lie, I want all of them. My mission in life is to own a custom lion, though.

FelineGuitars · July 2014

If you have a long term wish for one of our guitars I would recommend starting the process soon as you can , as our easy payment method means you don't have to win the lottery to own one. I'm sure those who have bought them in the past and even recently will attest to how workable the plan makes it.

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