October GOTM

[Andy40]

O....M....G..... unbelievable. I reckon this is going to be one of the best months of builds....

[Brendan]

Comp closed. Will kick off the next one shortly!

[Brendan]

So to the judges comments:
Ozzbike's TL-4B
Love it! So simple and elegant, you nailed this one Ozzbike.
Classic look that matches what it was aiming for. Nicely finished and clean overall look. The small logo makes the headstock look a little plainer than it is, but fits with the styling. Nice build.
Nothing flash? But a great job. Can’t see any issues from here.
Nice neat, classically styled bass. Finish is quite good for hand buffed black. Colour combo and overall look is spot on. The headstock logo is maybe a bit too subtle and the spacing of the machine heads on the back is very clearly uneven. A really simple build done well can be brilliant and this one is very close. A solid effort.
Lovely crisp guitar. No frills and completes faithfully on the initial idea of the build.
Finish is first class - black is notoriously difficult. Tuning pegs not perfectly spaced but could just be the photo.

Simon Barden's SGJ-1
Wow!! You hit this one for 6, Simon! Can’t fault it.
Stunning, refined and classically beautiful. The care and attention to detail (obsession?) has produced something special. Fantastic deep finish on the neck and body, and excellent headstock finish and logo. Great upgrades, and a very high quality overall result.
Pete Townsend’s calling, he want’s his guitar back! Incredible looking guitar.
Another classic approach to a nice simple kit. Very nicely executed with lots of well considered upgrades. I actually can’t find a lot to fault with this one, but perhaps the pickguard where it curves around the P-90 could be a little neater? Otherwise a very well realised build from one of the most active and knowledgeable members on the forum. Very surprising that it’s the first entry into this comp from Simon.
Excellent piece of craftsmanship with what looks like an almost perfect finish. I particularly like the headstock logo which was a bit of a journey - but it paid off handsomely! Maybe could have done with a bit of colour variation or personalisation.

DarkMark's ES-3
Just Beautiful!
This is a real beauty. The natural look suits these ES-3's, and this is a stunning example. The rosewood with gold hardware, and even the stripper glitter, all work beautifully together. Really nice build.
A jazz-beast. Can easily imagine Herb Ellis or Joe Pass comping on this. Looks great.
Another classically styled, simple and well executed build making the first three entries quite difficult to split. Dark Mark has certainly carved out his own unique approach and style in his previous builds and this one is no different. Very nicely finished with some great custom touches. Subtle and lovely and I can’t find anything in these pics that could be improved. Well done.
Beautiful and flawless. Definitely one I would make a bee-line for and want to take home. Clever work on the headstock and purfling, lovely bridge. This build took 2 years but it was worth it and the workmanship shows. I cannot fault it.

Phoenix's TLA-1F
I love the details on this build, a very sophisticated aesthetic. You must be very happy wih how it turned out.
A really nice TL that would stand out in any store. Excellent pyro work that blends well with the overall look. Always good to see a variant of the Tele/Strat mashup headstock, and this is a great example. Good upgrades and a really fantastic build. Well done.
Lots of patience went into this guitar. It looks like you left the grain open, but this may have been the effect you were after.
For a first time builder and entry to this comp, this one for me is a bit of a stand out. As much as I really do like a well done classic, there is something about being able to create something with its own unique personality and still have it work as a cohesive whole that I do appreciate. Some nice upgrades help lift it above the usual kit quality and the additional artwork/personal touches are always worth an extra point from me. The finish is great for a first timer and really does the approach justice. Some of the other builds in the thread show a level of maturity in building, where as this one you can really feel the enthusiasm of a first time builder forging something that is truly unique. Well done.
A high class build on this T-caster! Very good attention to detail. The fit and positioning of the parts are perfect. I love the headstock - very clever. It almost looks like you get 2 headstocks for the price of one.
Very talented example of pyrography on the sides of the body. The unevenness of the stain on the body is the only point that lets this down for me.

[Brendan]

Overall the scores were fairly close - with the runner up with his first entry - Simon Barden!



But the winner - pipping Simon at the post was DarkMark's ES-3 -



Both beautifully finished and turned out nicely. Congratulations to all though - a tight field this month!

[Simon Barden]

Very well done, Dark Mark.

So to the judges comments:
Simon Barden's SGJ-1
I actually can’t find a lot to fault with this one, but perhaps the pickguard where it curves around the P-90 could be a little neater?

I thought about changing it but checked on pictures of vintage SG Jrs on the web and that's pretty much spot on for how they were.

[Phoenix]

Congrats on the well deserved win darkmark, and congrats to you too Simon on a very classy build. Very impressive stuff from you both, bravo!

Sent from my SM-G965F using Tapatalk

[blinddrew]

Beautifully simple and simply beautiful guitars.

[DarkMark]

Ozzbike, Simon and Phoenix, I thought it would be one of you. Your guitars turned out great. Thanks for the comments and I would like to give Simon an honourable mention as he would of contributed to many GOTM (and non GOTM) over the time I have been involved.

[jonwhitear]

Congratulations DarkMark and Simon - two beautiful guitars. Simon, I can't stop looking at the finish on your SG - that's something else!

[king casey]

Congratulations DarkMark. Of course it was the demo that nailed it.

cheers, Mark.