Unique guitars for the alternative musician
Every guitar from Ancoats Guitars is as unique and individual as the person who orders it. The concept for each guitar is you start with the basics; guitar model, 1 pickup, 1 tone and 1 volume and build your perfct guitar from there. I have tried to give as many options for customisation as possible so that no two guitars are alike - there are thousands of possibilities. Click on the pictures below to find out more about each model.
All guitars come with Kluson tuners and handwound pickups as standard and all components are sourced from as close to Manchester as possible without compromising on quality. They are all made by hand in my workshop in Ancoats, Manchester.
All guitars are custom made to your specifications so there is about a 12 week lead time from the deposit date. I will keep you updated with lots of photos of the build as it goes along.
All guitars come with a 1 year return to base warranty and you get 1 free set up in the first year too.
The New Islington
The NQ
Timber
All timber is responsibly sourced and chosen for its beauty and tonal chracteristics. I currently offer 2 species of body wood; Swamp Ash and African Obeche - both of these have been chosen specificaaly for their light weight, looks and tonal characteristics.
Paint
All paint is water based and from Manchester based Little Greene Paint Company. They are committed to the socially and environmentally responsible production of high quality paints. The paints I keep in stock are Mister David yellow, Confetti Pink, Atomic Red, Mid Azure Green, Marine Blue and Jack Black. You can have any of the other 198 colours though for a small charge.
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Pickups
After lots of experimentation I am very proud to offer my own pickups with my guitars. I currently have a Humbucker or P90 available which can be wound has hot or cold as you like. If you would like something else then I'm more than happy to work with other pickup winders to find your perfect tone.
Finishing process
I have developed a finishing process that I call a 'Future Relic'. This is a thin, water based, open grain, slightly worn in finish that will wear in beautifully in a few years after a reasonable amount of playing. Think what an old painted chair looks like. I also sometimes put a secret colour underneath the top coat which will show through when the top coat is worn away. You can request this but I get to pick the colour - wouldn't be a surprise otherwise.l
Handmade
I have a hybrid approach to guitar making, using technology where it's needed but my guitar making is grounded in the use of handtools. Alot of the carving and fine woodworking is done by hand so I can get it just right. E.g. each neck is carved by hand until it feels perfect to me. This means that each one may be very slightly different but also very unique.
