Top 10 Online Custom Guitar Stores in Australia

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Looking to buy a piece of history with a custom built, small production guitar that is made to your very own personal specifications? Then a host of new online custom guitar shops have sprung up to turn your dreams into realities. Some of the finest luthiers in Australia now hone their skills making limited edition guitars and one-off specials that rival the best of the best when it comes to tone, style and price. Here are the top 10 online custom guitar stores in Australia.

1.Ormsby Guitars

Ormsby’s is rated as the number one destination when it comes to custom made guitars in the country. They source only the finest timbers across Australia and offer a unique tailored service to create a reworking of a classic or a one off custom job of your dreams. Ormsby’s offers a wide range of feature guitars as well as a complete bespoke service from tailpiece to tuners for the complete custom shop experience.

2. Tim Kill Custom

 

Tim Kill has been working with guitars for some time now and his efforts haven’t gone un-noticed. One of Melbourne and Australia’s premier luthiers, TimKill Custom offers a large range of customizable features on their guitars with the focus on bespoke craftsmanship, quality of materials as well as the tone to die for thanks to the unique way in which he works.

3. ET Guitars

 

ET Guitars is a great new online store that offers players the chance to build your guitar online, order and receive your guitar to your door.  Choose from a wide range of off the shelf axes, as well as a huge choice of bodies, necks, fretboards, pickups, tuners and just about everything else you can imagine. With ET Guitars, you are truly spoilt for choice!

4. Custom Guitar Works

 

This modern custom shop is a great start for any budding guitarist or professional touring guitarist who wants something a little bit different to stand out from the crowd.  Aside from offering a fully-fledged guitar repair workshop, Custom Guitar Works also offer custom paint jobs with airbrushed designs, digital art and retro paint colors to create a great axe from history.

5. Cargill Custom Guitars

 

Cargill Custom Guitars is considered Australia’s finest guitar workshop that specializes in the craftsmanship behind the skills of the luthiers involved in the creation process. From the type of woods used, the density of the fibers of the fretboard, the attention to detail is staggering – but all in place to offer you the definitive guitar and the ultimate playability and tone for your buck.

6. The Maton Custom Shop

 

Established in 1946, the Maton Custom Shop is your single destination for a schooling in custom shop guitars. Providing you with the ultimate in personal guitar experience, Maton Custom Shop offers face to face chats about the type of tone you are looking for, the types of timber used, the sound dynamics involved in the creation of your instrument and the attention to detail like no other to offer you a truly outstanding bespoke service.

7. Noyce Guitars

Noyce Guitars was created by Ian Noyce with over 35 years’ experience in creating stunning custom guitars of different designs and tones in both electric and acoustic variants. As well as offering a wide array of options when it comes to tailor making your dream guitar, Ian offers expert advice on the tonal qualities of the materials, ensuring that you are kept informed of your guitars’ progress and its readiness to being born.

8. Lauda Guitars

Lauda Guitars is one of the leading custom shops offering a range of electric guitars and basses with a range of options to choose from to get you started. Featuring a price structure that is of benefit to newcomers and professionals alike, Lauda prides itself on its uncompromising attention to detail, quality of materials and an aim to create a flawless custom guitar you’d be proud to play.

9. Ellis Guitars

This custom shop offers a wide range of options and accessories to get the guitar you’ve always dreamed of off the ground. Specializing in acoustics, Ellisguitars use only the finest materials, the AAA grade wood grains and many years of experience to give you the most amazingly bright sounding acoustic guitars that you’ll have ever heard.

10. Glen Bird Guitars

Glen Bird has years of experience as a master luthier that offers you the chance to own one of the most visually stunning guitars you may have ever laid your eyes on. If you’re serious about playing guitar, Glen Bird is the man to visit when you have your inspirational moment, as any song sounds spectacular on this master craftsman’s custom guitars. 

The Top 5 Guitar-Related Injuries - And How to Avoid Them

If you are lucky this holiday season you might be opening up a gift to see your dream guitar, you've waiting for so long to play the legendary axe of your dreams, but don’t go at it all guns blazing as you could cause yourself an injury. With more and more people complaining about guitar-related incidents, here are the top 5 injuries and how to avoid them.

1) The Pete Townsend elbow

We may have all hopelessly failed at doing it, but we’ve all done it. Aspiring to be the next Pete Townsend, many guitarists can be seen strumming their axe windmill style to the “won’t be fooled again” backing track, but that motion can be rather strenuous to your shoulder and elbow.

Not only can you bring your arm down and thwack it against the tailpiece, but you can also completely miss and punch yourself in the face. How to avoid? Play some Bob Dylan instead!

2) Knopfler’s Finger

Playing along to your favourite songs is one of the best feelings in the world, especially if you can pull it off. But there comes a time when some guitar players are so intrinsically biased towards a certain playing technique that it does you some damage.

If you keep playing fingerstyle for too long, your fingers will start to lose all of their feeling and large callouses will appear in their place. This is great if you are in a Mark Knopfler tribute band, but not really if you have a day job. How to avoid? Wear gloves!

3) Hendrix Tooth

Again, this is another stunt that you may have found yourself trying over the years, but nobody thinks you are great at it, and you know deep down that you sound awful. We are talking of course about playing guitar with your teeth. Whilst Jimi Hendrix was a master as it, you may not have the orthodontic integrity to carry it out in such a similar effortless style.

Side effects may include: bleeding gums, missing teeth and an unquestionably large build up of plaque on your g string.

4) Santana’s Plectrum envy

Whilst trying to get the ultimate tonal sound possible using a variety of amps, guitars and playing method is a great way to recreate the sonic precision shown by Carlos Santana, he does use a rather large plectrum to give him the edge over his rivals. Don’t get too carried away by finding the biggest plectrum the guitar store has as it may be down to your technique, only.

5) Gun’s n’ Roses blindness

Whilst Slash is a truly cool guitarist, recreating his clothing style is maybe one step further than you need to go. Whilst it is considered cool to wear sunglasses indoors, wearing them onstage in a dimly lit pub after you’ve had a few drinks in the intermission may lead to you fall off stage.

Ensure that you have full control of your limbs before donning the uber cool shades, and make sure that you have somewhere safe to fall. Ending the gig with broken bones - or worse still a broken guitar will have your band mates in laughter at you for the rest of the tour. How to avoid? Gig outdoors!