SHITIMINTO

Collections of Functional Art

Newport News, VA 23607 USA

A brand new liver and an epiphany about what is important. No more waiting for 'someday' to start diving into things that strike my fancy, because 'someday' may never come. Perhaps you share in my interests. Take a look around and if you see something you like, I might be willing to part with it or build something custom to your desires. I'm still creating and collecting.

hand made guitars - when art and engineering collide

My evolution into guitar making was born out of poverty. Okay, not exactly poverty, but I was on a tight budget. I was divorced and living paycheck to paycheck when a good friend (Jennings Lyon) offered to teach me how to play guitar (for free!). Nothing too technical or boring like learning how to read music, just 'put your fingers here' kind of a thing. My personal opinion is that this type of learning method makes more sense than the traditional "learn everything at once" (read, understand theory, technique), because we learn how to talk years before we go to school to learn how to read and write. My guitar has a voice, even though I am musically illiterate. I fell in love with it and invaded his house once a week for 5 years!

It turned out to be great therapy as I got a lot of poison out of my system by writing a hundred "that woman done me wrong" songs. I also had a great desire for a really nice guitar, but without thousands of dollars in non-discretionary funds, I was left to experiment on my own. Starting with broken acoustic guitars, then making bodies and attaching old electric necks to them, and working my way toward anything that I thought might resonate sound (aluminum flashing, paper and glue, cookie tins, oil cans, etc.). By the way, not having a girlfriend or a TV at that time of my life helped a great deal with letting my creative juices flow. With no distractions other than alcohol (JL also taught me how to homebrew), you can do any damn thing you want . . . including homebrew! 

Anyway, my attempts at making something a concert musician would want in their collection has failed to bare fruit, but they do sound better than one would expect. The most striking thing to me is the unique sounds that can be made using unconventional sound boards and experimenting with different kinds of strings. They inspire a different playing style that leads to new songs. Creativity inspires creativity. My quest continues.     

papermache' guitar

My first attempt at a homemade guitar somewhere around 1997.

It's made from paper and glue, approximately 12 layers thick. Neck and hardware are from a junk electric. I used an old archtop guitar as a form and was hoping (naively) for an acoustic instrument. I might as well have put strings on a rock. So, cut down the thickness, add pickups, and start painting in a Northwest Coastal Indian style. Never did finish it, perhaps someday, if the spirit moves me.  

homespun dobro

Another creation born out of a 'what the hell' attitude.

With little money and a huge desire to be creative, I built this dobro out of plywood, aluminum flashing, embroidery hoop, U-bolt, drawer pull, and bottle opener. It sounds a little tinny and a little too much unwanted vibration on the base strings, but has plenty of volume. Someone commented that it has a sitar quality to it. I've had a qualified individual play it and it was so cool to see something I made in the right hands and wow a crowd. When he finished he held it in his hands staring at it and calmly said "hilarious". Now, if only I can ever learn to play the damn thing . . . 

don diego slide

This was my first cigar box build.

Simple fretless slide guitar with a nice deep tone but very little volume.

  • Neck: Poplar
  • Fret Board: Pine
  • Fret Scale: 20 inch
  • Strings: 3,  phosphor bronze wound, from standard 6 string set #4,5, & 6
  • Pickups: single disc piezo
  • Pots: none
  • Price: $

berio olive oil can guitar

My first fretted neck

Tuned to DGBE, strings are very bright. Thinking about putting heavier strings to suit my playing style.

  • Neck: Red Oak
  • Fret Board: Red Oak
  • Fret Scale: 25.5 inch
  • Strings: 4,  phosphor bronze wound, from standard 6 string set #1,2,3, & 4
  • Pickups: single disc piezo
  • Pots: 250k volume
  • Price: sold

romeo y julieta uke

This is a good sounding (and looking) baritone uke. I really enjoy playing this one.

  • Neck: Poplar
  • Fret Board: Red Oak
  • Fret Scale: 20 inch
  • Strings: 4,  standard nylon baritone uke
  • Pickups: single disc piezo
  • Pots: 250k volume
  • Price: $

ponce de leon mandolin

Tuned to DAE, bottom 3 string sets of a standard mandolin. Has a nice throaty sound because of the nylon strings. Fun to play and unique sound lets you go places you wouldn't take a normal mandolin. Hated selling this one. Will probably build another.

  • Neck: Poplar
  • Fret Board: Black Walnut
  • Fret Scale: 20 inch
  • Strings: 6,  nylon, from 2 sets of baritone uke strings #1,2, & 3
  • Pickups: single rod piezo under the bridge
  • Pots: 250k volume
  • Price: sold

don tomas twins

These are a commissioned set by a friend for his 2 sons for Christmas. My first attempt at dot inlays. I used aluminum and brass rod glued into the fret board. The tailpiece is aluminum angle shaped to compliment the headstock. I'm really happy with the look, feel, and sound of these.

  • Necks: Curly Maple
  • Fret Boards: Black Walnut
  • Fret Scale: 25 inch
  • Strings: 4,  phosphor bronze wound, from standard 6 string set #1,2,3, & 4 on the yellow Classico and #3,4,5, & 6 on the Maduro
  • Pickups: single disc piezo
  • Pots: 250k volume and tone
  • Price: sold

revolution

2013

Made this one for a good friend, John Tingley, who knows how to rock. He picked out the box so I decided to stick to the 'revolution' theme by using a bloodwood neck, 45 caliber bullets as the volume and tone knobs,  a fired Mauser shell as the 12th fret inlay, another Mauser shell as a string guard on the rusted channel tailpiece,  a 1908 Springfield rifle sling, and topped it off by cutting half the headstock with a chainsaw.  

  • Neck: Bloodwood
  • Fret Board: Black Walnut
  • Fret Scale: 25 inch
  • Strings: 6 - standard electric
  • Pickups: single coil lipstick
  • Pots: 250k volume and tone
  • Price: sold

Undercrown guitar

2015

Haven't made many 6 string necks, but it did turn out well.  The nut is black walnut, the bridge is a adjustable, and the fret markers are steel nails that have been blackened with gun bluing. The headstock and tailpiece mimic the Undercrown theme. That was a lot of filing and sanding. 

  • Neck: Cherry
  • Fret Board: Padauk (West Africa)
  • Fret Scale: 25 inch
  • Strings: 6 - flat wound, medium
  • Pickup: double rail humbucker
  • Pots: 250k volume and tone
  • Price: sold