Ali Gator
When I was asked to build a guitar with an alligator skin pattern I wasn’t really sure what to think but I’m not one to shy away from a custom request, no matter how unusual. I spent a few days studying pictures of alligators and then went about carving the design free-hand into the top.
We made the guitar with an extra thick layer of clear polyester on the top and then carved the three-dimensional pattern into that leaving the carbon weave exposed underneath.
It was a time-consuming process carving each scale pattern, but the end result was well worth it. The top was then covered with an amber tinted clear coat and the back and sides got one of our marble finishes.
It’s an unusual guitar but a very very cool one. It also had to sound and play great and this guitar is actually a 28.5” baritone and has a sound as powerful as a real life gator.
Scale length: 25 1/2”/650mm
Nut width: 1 ¾”/44.5mm
Bridge spacing: 2 ¼”/57mm
Overall length: 40”/1020mm
Max body width: 15 ¼”/38mm
Max body depth: 4 ¾”/120mm
Max body length: 19”/480mm
Weight: 4.4lbs/2kg
Frets: 24 medium stainless steel frets
Tuners: Gotoh 510 Tuners 18:1 ratio (cosmo black)
Nut/Saddle: Graphtech low friction nut and saddle
Bridge: Graphtech bridge pins with Paua shell inlay
Pickup: B-Band A3T preamp with undersaddle pickup and built-in tuner
Veneer: None
Colour: Amber
Finish: Custom