Layton.

Making — 2023

The Willowcaster

A commissioned 635 mm scale Stratocaster: Honduran mahogany under a galaxy acrylic base and hand-painted weeping willow, capped with fiddleback Victorian blackwood.

The Willowcaster electric guitar, deep blue body with hand-painted weeping willow motif
The Willowcaster
Year
2023
Type
Electric guitar, commission
Body
Honduran mahogany
Neck
Fiddleback Victorian blackwood
Finish
Galaxy acrylic, pre-catalysed nitrocellulose
Artwork
@pearlsugarpie

Designed and built as a commission. The body is Honduran mahogany under a Dupli-Color galaxy automotive acrylic base, hand-painted with a weeping willow motif by @pearlsugarpie, then sealed in pre-catalysed nitrocellulose. The neck and fretboard are fiddleback Victorian blackwood, with a bone nut, mother of pearl markers and Jescar nickel fret wire.

Hardware is specified the way the rest of the instrument is built, deliberately: Gotoh Japan bridge, tuners and fittings, CTS and Bournes pots, a CRL five-way switch, Switchcraft output and a Sprague orange drop capacitor, wired in Fender USA cloth single-conductor.

Angled view of the Willowcaster body and painted willow artwork
Body and artwork
Willowcaster headstock in fiddleback blackwood with chrome tuners
Headstock — fiddleback blackwood
The Willowcaster from above the headstock, looking down the fiddleback neck
Down the fiddleback neck
Rear view of the Willowcaster body in deep blue
Rear — galaxy acrylic under nitrocellulose
Full specification
  • Pickups — Tonerider UK pure vintage single coils, 5.9k / 6.1k / 6.45k, hand-bevelled
  • Bridge — Gotoh Japan 510 vintage steel tremolo, chrome
  • Tuners — Gotoh Japan SG360, Schaller style, chrome
  • Strap buttons — Gotoh Japan steel locking, chrome
  • Neck plate — Gotoh Japan steel four-hole, chrome
  • String trees — Gotoh Japan steel barrel
  • Jack plate — Gotoh Japan steel oval, black
  • Pots — CTS USA 250k split shaft; Bournes USA 250k push/pull
  • Switch — CRL USA five-way lever
  • Output — Switchcraft USA gold-plated mono
  • Capacitor — Sprague USA .022 mfd orange drop
  • Wiring — Fender USA vintage cloth single-conductor
  • Nut — Fender USA bone
  • Pickguard — Allparts USA 3-ply BWB, eleven-hole
  • Frets — Jescar USA 57110 nickel
  • Markers — natural mother of pearl, PVC side dots
  • Scale — 635 mm