Kraushaar Umehime (custom guitar)

[McCap]

Hi Folks,

I wanted to show my new guitar handbuilt by german luthier Walter Kraushaar.
http://www.kraushaar-gitarren.de/cms/instrumente.html

Maybe not your usual TGP fare but I think it looks great

Body: Chambered Sipo Mahagony
Neck: Maple/Padouk. (~26' scale)
Fretboard: Cocobolo with different inlay materials
Pickguard: Walnut / Maple / Walnut / Ebony (I think...)
Pickups: Q-Tuner - High Z Gridge / Medium Z Neck
Piezo
Custom switching

Here's a little picture story about the building process:
http://www.dervidi.de/umehime1

I've had it a week and so far am very happy with it. Playability is phenomenal. I don't even feel the longer scale. Higher frets are easy to reach.
There's a ton of sounds in this thing and I'm still discovering them...
But I already found more than a handfull usefull ones.

Kudos to Walter. He took a lot of time to try to understand what I wanted.
We spent a whole day at his home talking, playing different guitars and finding the things that I wanted.

During the building process he called me up or mailed me before every step and he updated me with pictures after every little step.
All in all great customer service which made the built work out great inspite of the 400km between us.

Hope yome of you like it and if you have questions feel free to ask.
Cheers
Vidi

 

[Lihns]

super unique! i dig it! also dig his normal headstocks too, but wow that's just incredible and it must have an incredible energy about it as well

[edit] wish i had more than a year and a half of german so i could figure out what his site is saying!

 

[The Eristic]

Wonderful lines!

 

[BettyFjord]

Very nice indeed.

 

[enharmonic]

Normally, something like this would not be my cup of tea, but I LOVE everything about your guitar.

Well done, McCap.

 

[McCap]

wish i had more than a year and a half of german so i could figure out what his site is saying!

It's actually quite a read as he has loads of texts where he makes fun of vintage and vodoo in guitar building...but with good humor.

Normally, something like this would not be my cup of tea, but I LOVE everything about your guitar.

Well done, McCap.

Funny thing is when I showed people the shape they said "oh, so edgy".
When I told them I'll have pink flowers on it they said "what the $%&k ?!?!"
But when they see it, it seems to make sense to most...

...I'm quite happy it worked out this well as there is always a risk when you go for something unique.

 

[Chrome Dinette]

Wow, that's nice. How do you like the pickups?

 

[Sam Evans]

Brilliant.

 

[phantasm]

Awesome variation on the Fender Musiclander shape!!!
I'm interested in hearing about the pickups too. I've wanted to try them, but the price is too high for me to take a chance right now.

 

[narad]

Nice - I had once pitched a similar idea, but my lack of ability to describe it convinced even me that a tranquil Japanese flower theme had no place on a guitar. Seriously just about identical - I wanted flower pedals falling down the fretboard marker positions and inked/etched flowers on the body! Amazing guitar!

 

[drezdin]

That is awesome!

 

[McCap]

Wow Phantasm.
That must have been my spiritual brother designing that Fender.
I've never seen it before but it's so close to mine it's scary!!

I designed this shape when I was 18 (17 years ago) and had it in my drawer since, knowing that someday I'd have it built.

About the pickups.
They're unique (meant in a totally neutral way)
They very low output and extremely clear. They're humbuckers but from the frequency range get quite close to single coils, meaning there's a lot of highs.
This results in what I think can be very beautifull clean sounds and crunch sounds that sound like a Tele on steroids.
With high gain they can be a bit harsh or biting. That's where the various condensators come into play. I use them to shift the resonance frequencies down a little. This is also useful if i don't want the pristine clean sound but want something middier instead.

@narad:
Cool, another spiritual brother
Maybe you'll do it one day...

 

[dougk]

Normally, something like this would not be my cup of tea, but I LOVE everything about your guitar.

Well done, McCap.

Exactly how I feel. I really enjoy a lot of the details (the recessed TRC especially!). Very cool!

 

[Jahn]

Now that's one forward thinking Shamisen! Nice!

 

[Bluedawg]

Ausgezeichnet!

 

[phantasm]

McCap- i wouldn't call it a copy by any means. The shape just reminded me of the Fender a little. I LOVE IT!!!
If it were a copy, that would make me sad- especially if it was a Strat or Tele. Why go through the cost of having an expensive copy made when you can do what you did by making something fresh and awesome? I'll never understand that train of thought.

 

[McCap]

Thanks for all the nice words folks!!!
I'll do some recording, probably tomorrow, to showcase some of the tonal possibilities.

Now that's one forward thinking Shamisen

haha, yeah that it is!

i wouldn't call it a copy by any means. The shape just reminded me of the Fender a little. I LOVE IT!!!

Thanks, man!
No offense taken...I was just really surprised at how similar they look.

Ausgezeichnet!

Danke

 

[anyone]

Wow!

 

[Kappy]

Love it!

 

[Jim S]

That is neat!

Too many controls for me but that's just nitpicking. Very original and beautiful execution! Congrats.