ShortScale.org

Know anything about the Nova Scotia Custom Shop(Link) Design your own guitar for $500 and up. Actually,it looks like a scam.On of the guitars pictured in their sample photos is an Epiphone Emily The Strange SG!

Do not want grapevine fretboard inlays.
I'd be reticent to fork out money to a business who's storefront is a blogspot page.

I saw these guys too. Seems like a hell of a deal if its for real. I have been searching and can't find anyone who has used them.

I'd be weary of a great deal without any references. They might just be assembling from cheap parts or something.

Its too bad. Thats a deal I would love to jump on, but I don't want to get screwed

toez10 wrote:I'd be weary of a great deal without any references. They might just be assembling from cheap parts or something.

Yeah and he only has one guitar in stock that he says you can buy but you can't have it until he makes another one.

Tough extradition too.

I'll ask around on a local messageboard if anyone knows anything about this (I'm Nova Scotian) and let you guys know what comes up.

My bet is he's getting them made in China, paying anywhere from $100 to $200 and marking them up for resale. Seriously, you can get any guitar you want made in China on the cheap.

i highly doubt that. One-off guitar builds aren't exactly cheap. Factories that pump out guitars for "cheap" use CNC machines to mass produce instruments in a very definite way. It is because of this mass production and out-sourcing labor that they can sell these at a lower cost. For them to make a custom shape would require them to either program a machine to do it or cut it by hand. yadda yadda yadda so on so forth

my guess is that he buys the parts from china and does some assembly, i still wouldn't go near it

That's pretty likely too, no one should run a business through a free blog. Honestly...

The blog says they buy from a factory in Korea (that's not China); they guy who's in Korea does some QC, and they're sent along to the guy in Nova Scotia, where the frets are dressed and the like. Basically, you're buying an import with a North American set up job. Largely, these guys look to be middle-men.

That said, there are some quality instruments coming out of Korea these days, so who knows, they may be pretty worthwhile.

Alternatively, it looks like "Paul" (there are no last names on the site that I've found...) will make a real custom job for you, but the prices are probably more in line with the standard prices for a hand made custom guitar. From the FAQ - "If you prefer an all Canadian hand made guitar from us, please contact us as pricing and options are very different!"

Ankhanu wrote:The blog says they buy from a factory in Korea (that's not China); they guy who's in Korea does some QC, and they're sent along to the guy in Nova Scotia, where the frets are dressed and the like. Basically, you're buying an import with a North American set up job. Largely, these guys look to be middle-men.

That said, there are some quality instruments coming out of Korea these days, so who knows, they may be pretty worthwhile.

Alternatively, it looks like "Paul" (there are no last names on the site that I've found...) will make a real custom job for you, but the prices are probably more in line with the standard prices for a hand made custom guitar. From the FAQ - "If you prefer an all Canadian hand made guitar from us, please contact us as pricing and options are very different!"

Hold up. Korea and China are separate countries now? When did that happen?

I asked the guy from about the photo of the Emily The Strange SG in his blog. I told him I was trying to understand why that photo of an Emily The Strange SG is in his Custom Guitar gallery. I asked if that was really a guitar that made for someone? Why would someone pay $500 for a replica of a guitar that costs $300 ?

Here is is answer:

"The customer that got that guitar was stoked about the look of her epiphone, but not so stoked about the bolt-on, basswood stuff. She had us make a copy in mahogany with a set neck, with her name on the headstock."

Really?The body shape on his SG looks slightly different that the 2 stock ETS SGs I found photo's of but could that just be the camera angle? Sure wish he posted other photos to back up his claim.



Oh wait,it is just the camera angle.Here is a a stock photo



Looks like his customer wanted to keep the stock cheapo tuners on her custom guitar.

It's obvious the 'custom' Epiphone is just an epiphone. The truss rod cover, 12th fret inlay and other small details confirm it. Maybe for lulz ask him to see a photo of the headstock or the neck join? I imagine he'll say it's with the customer now and he doesn't have any saved.

James wrote:It's obvious the 'custom' Epiphone is just an epiphone. The truss rod cover, 12th fret inlay and other small details confirm it. Maybe for lulz ask him to see a photo of the headstock or the neck join? I imagine he'll say it's with the customer now and he doesn't have any saved.

Ok,I asked him if he had any other photos of that guitar showing the set neck or any other features that would distinguish it a stock Epiphone Emily The Strange SG. It will be interesting to see his response.

They changed the knobs, either changed the switch or added a ring to the stock one and changed the pickguard. They might have had to fill some holes on the low e side with the changed pickguard shape, another picture would maybe show that. It'd be easy to photoshop out though.

I like how the first pic conveniently cuts off the Epi name on the top of the headstock...

TheBurbz wrote:I like how the first pic conveniently cuts off the Epi name on the top of the headstock...

That is probably because he put the customers name on the headstock(or so he says).