We’ve all seen Sean Nudl’s brilliant guitar playing at college events over the past two years, but few people would know that as part of his Product Design Technology (Wood) class, he’s been putting in long hours to design and build his own guitar.
The result is stunning; a hollow-bodied electric guitar that takes its inspiration from the iconic Hofner bass (think McCartney in The Beatles) and the classic Rickenbacker played by the likes of George Harrison and Tom Petty.
The front of the guitar is made of a single, beautiful piece of sassafras, while the back comprises 16 individual pieces of Tasmanian blackwood.
“I tried lots of different pieces of timber to find the right one,” Sean said. “I like how the knots in the timber almost form a pair of eyes.”
Sean began the planning process back in February, with most of the construction/crafting happening during second semester.
“It’s been a long process… on a really different level to building something like a piece of furniture,” he said. “This is something I’ll play every day… the guitar already feels like a perfect fit for me.”
Sean’s teacher Tim White is equally enthusiastic about both the project and the results.
“This is by far one of the most exciting projects I’ve been involved with during my time at the college,” he said. “Technically there have been lots of challenges to overcome, which is really satisfying and results in great learning.”
Sean will debut his creation on stage at The Vine this Saturday night.
“It’s going to be pretty special to play a guitar I’ve made myself,” he said.
