Premium Features
EXPAND YOUR DESIGN HORIZON
Premium features give you even more design latitude to create a guitar completely customized for you. Some premium features, like a multi-scale design or a cutaway, will give you specialized functionality as well as visual impact. Others, like the Ryan-style arm bevel, will enhance your playing comfort, especially in long sessions. Still others are designed purely to add elegance to the instrument’s appearance. Explore all the possibilities with Michael Bashkin, your design partner.
Multi-Scale Fret Design: Ideal for Drop-Tunings and Brighter High End
The multi-scale fret geometry plays just like a regular guitar but creates a tension gradient across the strings (more tension on the bass and less on the treble). The increased tension creates more power and focus in the bass strings, especially useful for drop tunings, and a more complex, richer high-end.
Bashkin guitars can be made in two multi-scale configurations, 25.75 – 25” and 26 - 25.4”. The first one is a bit longer on the bass and shorter on the treble than a standard scale guitar. The second configuration is just longer on the bass.
All Bashkin guitars are made from master grade woods that have been individually selected and seasoned. Wood storage and instrument construction occurs in a humidity-controlled environment to ensure long-term stability. Upon order, you are invited to reserve woods for your guitar, and pictures of the sets will be provided.
A Cutaway Adds Convenience and Elegance
The view accepted by most luthiers today is that a cutaway allows the player to access the upper part of the fretboard – and does not affect the sound of the guitar significantly. Meanwhile, the graceful curve of the cutaway adds beauty and visual complexity. The cutaways on all Bashkin guitars are artfully bound with full miters.
The Bashkin Headstock:
Tradition Meets 21st Century Design
The slotted headstock is based on traditional classical guitar design. On all Bashkin guitars, the headstock is a signature design element that expresses the elegance of classic design with a modern accent.
Custom Inlays in Rosettes and Endgrafts
Your guitar provides many opportunities to express yourself visually, not just tonally. It begins with your choice of the guitar model, the tonewoods, the neck and fret style, the headstock. Rosettes and endgrafts expand the creative possibilities even further.
The rosette, in particular, is considered the one of the main visual features of the guitar. The endgraft, like the overlay on the reverse side of the headstock, makes a more subtle statement.
Together these tasteful embellishments allow the builder to express his sense of design and demonstrate his skill. In an open creative relationship, in which you are welcome to participate as Michael's design partner, they allow you to showcase your design sense, too.
Ryan-Style Arm Bevel
The Ryan-style arm bevel relieves the corner where your arm contacts the guitar, resulting in an instrument that is more comfortable to play. The bevel cap is cut from the same wood as the binding to ensure good color matching and seamless flowing lines.
Sideport
The sideport may give the player a more three dimensional experience of the sound of the guitar and does not reduce the forward projection. Opinions vary among luthiers and players if the effect of the sideport is beneficial or neutral.
Amber Inlays
The Amber or water buffalo horn inlays are a unique fret position marker which serves as both the top and side marker. The amber is backed in a white veneer which reflects light through the translucent horn. This style of inlay is also available in bone as well as a variety of other materials.