Recent Custom Builds

Getting Exactly What You Want... 

Seriously - How Often Does That Happen?
Spoiler Alert: it happens EVERY TIME when you order a custom build from Chatsworth Guitars!
We all settle for a lot of standardization in our "off the shelf" daily lives. That should never be the case when you're seeking your dream guitar. You choose the body shape and design, the number and type of pickups, the tonewoods, custom mix the colors and finishes, develop special-needs controls ~ anything and everything you want in your personal tone machine. 

Below are a few recent dream guitar projects that delivered on some very specific customer wishes....   
Built for Consignment
Gold Eagle Glitter Top Lap Steel
23" scale length

Chatsworth Guitars Custom Vintage Style Bridge
 Two Railhammer Pups
Railhammer P-90 style at neck and Humbucker at bridge.   Body/Neck finished in hand rubbed tung oil and lacquer.
Built for Consignment:
New Legacy Model, "Blue Jean Baby", created for McCabe's Guitar Shop sale. Parlor style body, slot head, custom bridge.
Bridge is Chatsworth Guitars Custom Vintage Style one-piece lap steel bridge in T6 (6061) aluminum. Brass control plate cover. Fretboard: curly maple with Abalonoid position markers.
Railhammer bridge humbucker, Tone & Volume controls with cream chicken head knobs.




Client Custom order:
A 6-string, short scale (30"), Bass/Lap Steel with EMG active pickups
Due to the unique configuration, the guitar was designed to accommodate both top load and string-through scenarios.
Bridge is from Hipshot and can be strung either string-through (for Fender Bass 6 series strings) or top-loaded (for full scale, large-ball bass strings). Pickups are EMG J45 active (9v battery access on back of guitar).
Custom Brass nut and Gotoh tuning machines.












Client Wish List: 
"...I'd like a Gibson SG & ES335- inspired slot-head  lap steel with  dual pickups  / chambered, with an f-hole / left handed ~ in vintage wine red..."
The realization of the above client wish list delivered up this maple body/neck beauty with Bolivian rosewood  fretboard, Goncolo Alves cover plate, dual RailHammer pups (1 HB/1P90), and Grover open-gear slot head tuning machines. 
Got the look and the tone ~ Mission Accomplished!



Client Wish List:
"... a parlor guitar body style, chambered, with an f-hole, dual pickups, separate bridge and  tailpiece, a unique take on the slot-head design, and padouk fret marker inlays on a maple fretboard. A custom approach to the volume swell control is also needed...."
As delivered: Redwood body/neck; Curly Maple fretboard with Padouk rectangular position inlay, RailHammer pups neck and bridge (P90 & HB), 3-way selector, stop tailpiece, custom volume swell control, faux tortoise cover plate with f-hole, Grover open gear tuning machines, hand-rubbed tung oil and wax finish.





Client Wish List: 
"...I want a 60's era Danelectro-inspired leftie lapsteel, with dual body horns, dual Dano lipstick pups, 3-way selector, stacked Dano-style volume/tone knobs, in sparkle blue finish..."







Client Wish List:
...A slot-head parlor style lap steel, with a small resonator cone to add flavor, a P90 in the neck, an active acoustic pickup, individual volume/tone controls, stop tailpiece and Grover open gear tuning machines, in dark red.
Several custom routing templates were required to fit the 7" reso cone, pups, battery chamber and several potentiometers, jack and switches into the snug space of a small lap steel body.
Gold Eagle Headstock ~ 6 In-Line
tuning machines
Brushed Brass controls cover plate.  Custom Chatsworth Guitars vintage style top load bridge in T-6 aluminum
It was hard to let this one go!
Redwood body/Neck with Gold Glitter Acrylic top. 
Body/Neck is one piece, rustic knotty pine.
Grover Vintage Style slot head open gear tuning machines. "Faded Blue Jeans" trans dye-stain , hand rubbed lacquer finish.
It was hard to let this one go...!







No cad-cam here!
One piece body/neck is African Sapele. Fretboard is Bolivian Rosewood with Maple position markers. Control cover plate  is Walnut veneer over Birch. 







Custom Vintage Wine Red Analine Dye stain dialed in... Final finish in poly with hand rubbed wax to top it off.























Exploration of the client's request for a  custom volume swell control resulted in this extremely oversized knob, carefully positioned  to be easily accessed during play with the side of the hand, making volume swells performable without hands ever leaving the strings.













This custom journey delivered a truly Dano-vibed, poplar bodied, sparkle-topped, dual-lipstick tone machine with Seymour Duncan pups, custom top load bridge plate and Bolivian rosewood fretboard with maple position markers.




The build recipe delivered this African Sapele body/neck 23" scale slot-head lapsteel with Bolivian rosewood fretboard, maple position markers, RailHammer P90 style pup at the neck, Fishman active resonator pup on the 7" copper cone and individual volume/tone controls.  All topped with a custom machined/brushed copper resonator cover plate.