Craftmanship

How we build our guitars

Origin from a piece of raw wood to enter the rock stages. It may be a simple way of describing our work, but it’s actually how it begins. A plain piece of fine wood is, through genuine craftsmanship, turned into a custom-made piece of music instrument. We build according to your preference and create a unique guitar together.

Strings and string height

Our building process always starts with:

• Choice of string gauge
• String height
• Tuning

The strings need more space to vibrate freely on a down-tuned guitar with thick strings. A standard tuning guitar is most often delivered with standard string gauges. With this in mind, we can influence the neck break angle and customize the guitar. Always based on our customer’s requirements and preferences.

Headstock

The headstock is a big part of the identity of a guitar and a part of the soul of a guitar brand. The choice of headstock determines if you want to go towards metal or a more traditional, classical style

Neck-through construction

We build our standard guitar necks with one-piece quartersawn C-shaped European maple. The neck-through construction provides superior sustain and is the most ergonomic design for the joint. European maple differs from American in both density and color. European maple is lighter, which is the preference of an SGT DOOM guitar.

We also make laminated necks on order. Other wood combinations are optional and we have a wide variety of wood to choose from.

Fretboard and compound radius

A compound radius is a blend of both comfort and playability! Think of the strings as a cone; The bridge is our fixed number, to which we add scale length and string spacing. We then calculate the correct radius for your guitar. Typically our guitars are delivered with a 10″-13″ fretboard radius.

Hardware

When it comes to a high-end instrument, the choice of hardware significantly impacts the overall feeling. We equip our SGT DOOM Guitars with GOTOH’s 510 Series tuners (and tune-o matic’s). In our opinion, the best series in the market. The 510 Series has a lower gear ratio, resulting in a more accurate tuning.

In addition, we also sell and install original Floyd Rose, Schaller bridges, Evertune, Kahler, etc., on our guitars.

Inlay in mother of pearl

Genuine mother of pearl (FSC) is our top choice of decoration. From rough cut blanks to block-, sharkfin-, lightning-, and diamond-shaped patterns. Mother of pearl is a classy way to decorate fretboards and head plates.

We also provide custom inlay work on request.

Frets

We use stainless steel frets as standard and jumbo frets from Wagner (9685). Stainless steel is a more rigid material than nickel/silver, which leaves us with a longer-lasting fret. Harder material means less friction. We polish our frets to a gorgeous mirror-like finish.

Scale length

Scale length equals what the strings measure. We recommend 25,5” on our Challenger and 24,75” on the rest of our models.

Truss rod

The truss rod is installed in the neck and sits right beneath the fretboard. We use two-way truss rods in all our guitars.

Headstock angle and reinforcements

The weakest point of a guitar is where the neck and headstock meet. The headstock is glued to the backside of the actual neck-plank to get the sturdiest construction possible. We mount at an angled joint corresponding to the headstock’s final 13° angle. We also reinforce the headstock with two 1/4″ wooden rods placed beneath the head plate from under the fretboard, passing the nut through the headstock. This method provides a more distinct tone and a tight response and minimizes the risk of breaking.

Neck break angle

The Neck break angle is a crucial parameter in terms of playability. The guitar might not get the desired super low string action if the neck angle is too flat. On the other hand, if the angle is too large, we need to mount pickups and bridges in a position high above the body. We’ve spent a lot of time getting the perfect angle. We now have both a super low action and a compact designed guitar.

Body wings

Spanish Cedar is an awesome compliment for maple necks. It is a well-resonant wood, and due to its reasonable weight, it’s the ideal material for body wings. It has an excellent tone and is pleasant to work with. The combination of maple and Spanish Cedar is a true winner!

Other wood combinations are optional. We have a wide variety of wood to choose from.

Figured wood

To get that extra classy look on a guitar, why not add a flame/quilted maple top?  Combined with stunning colors, we can achieve the most beautiful finishes and create a completely unique piece of musical art for you.

Unbleached Bone Nut

Unlike bleached bone nuts, we use the unbleached type, which is slightly yellowish.

The bleaching process makes the material fragile, while unbleached bones have a natural toughness and an oily feel. That helps the strings to run better through their slot. We can polish the material to a high gloss surface, which results in a beautiful visual experience.

Lacquer

Most manufacturers use polyurethane lacquer because it hardens fast. That is not our preference. We aim for perfection, not speed. We coat our instruments with a thin layer of clear nitrocellulose lacquer. When you hold our guitars, you will feel honest and solid craftsmanship. In addition to that, the cellulose gives a nice feel when played. Our lacquer is durable, and your instrument will age with dignity.

Electronics

We believe that electronics should be sturdy and functional. Simple and of good quality. We use CTS pots for our volume/tune knobs and Switchcraft as our pickup selector.