Revelator Headstock

The "Revelator" headstock. The result of an hour of sheer boredom in 7th grade study hall. The "Revelator" was going to be my guitar line, secure my place in rock and all music history, make me a millionare, enable me to take over the world and with a little luck, maybe score with a chick...

Revelator Acoustic volume knob

The non-functional yet elegant faux-volume knob. If you have the means I would highly reccomend one...

The Revelator Acoustic front closeup

Here is a nice front shot of the "Revelator" acoustic I built in the 7th grade circa 1973. Please take a moment to appreciate the off center soundhole which originally contained a stereo speaker which was used as a pickup and the cabinet pull which served as a "volume knob"

The Revelator acoustic.

I built this guitar in the 7th grade - that would have been around 1973 I guess. I did not know how to bend wood so I came up with a design that would allow me to construct the guitar using all angle cuts. Unfortunately I knew nothing of bridge and saddle placement at the time so it is way out of intonation. The sound hole was cut big enough to allow me to install a speaker I got out of a television set that I found in a dump were I used to ride my bike. It severed nicely as pickup but was removed later to use in some other "experiment" I was doing at the time. The knob is actually a cabinet door pull I also found at the dump and provided the guitar with an non-functional yet elegant faux-volume knob! While the other kids were struggling to make a wall sconce for their mom I was busy trying to start my own line of guitars - "The Revelator!" It bears more than passing resemblance to an electric guitar I built about 20 years later - and with perfect intonation I might add!

I built this electric guitar in 1995 or so. Considering the life it has led on the road it is in remakably good condition. The body is Mahogany with a Zebrawood top (Zebrawood has a tone similar to ash/maple) The neck is made of Walnut and has an unfinished Maple fretboard. The guitar is very dark sounding but thanks to the mixture of woods chosen it also has a nice pronounced top end and a very defined mid range punch. It has been a good guitar guitar and has never let me down on stage or in the studio. Thanks to the trick wiring of the pickups - Al DiMeola bridge (DiMarzio) and a PAF Pro in the neck (also DiMarzio) it is capable of providing me with both "Fender Stratish" tones and "Gibsonesque Les Paul" sounds as well. The inverted Pre-CBS style strat headstock gives me a little extra sustain and I like the tension it gives to the strings - the little "E" string is shorter than the lower "E" string - normally it is the other way around but this set up is really more appropriate for the string tensions I think. I believe it is one of the little things that made Jimi's tone sound like it did. I think the slight similarities between this guitar and the one I built in 7th grade are kind of funny. Zebrawood-like grain, custom knob, custom wiring, somethings never change...

Zebrawood guitar closeup of controls

A nice closeup of the Rosewood knob, threeway pickup selector switch, tone switch and coil-tap switch. The tone switch is an idea I stole from an old Gretsch guitar I used to have. It is a three way switch with the middle position wired open (no tone shaping) the up position adds a .22 microfarad cap for a nice throaty tone shape and the down position setting of the swith incorporates a.44 microfard cap that is very dark and creamy when activated. It is easy to wire and allows me to quicly and accurately hit the tone position I need. This is real handy when I am playing the E-bow! 

Zebrawood Guitar Front perspective

I built this guitar around 1995 or so. It has a Mahogany body with Zebrawood top. The neck is made of Walnut with a unfinished Maple fretboard. The knobs are made out of Rosewood. The controls are as follows: Two Volume knobs, a threeway pickup selector switch, coil-tap switch and an idea I stole from an old Gretsch guitar I had - a tone switch!