License To Shred! This Paola Garage Creates Some Of The Most Amazing Custom Guitars The Island Has Ever Seen
There’s no such thing as too many guitars. Any musician will tell you that guitar collection is more than just tools of the trade, it’s a library of expression and musical history. And no guitarist’s collection is truly complete unless they have that one custom-built and tailored for them which, for Maltese musicians, is a total possibility.
Located in the garage of one Paola residence is a Maltese custom guitar shop creating some of the finest axes this island has ever seen.
Manicaro Custom Guitar is the work of Andrew Manicaro who channels his passion for music and carpentry into creating utterly unique and custom guitars and these products are breathtaking…
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“It all started six years ago when I wanted to upgrade a guitar that I had,” Andrew told Lovin Malta.
“After a quick browse on Youtube, I discovered a whole world of people building their own guitars and, being fond of DIY and woodwork, I decided to build one myself. After six months of intensive research (and some lumber and tools purchases) I built my very first guitar, the Proto-1.”
Andrew has come along way in six years and his latest creation is a mind-blowing Odin 7 Multiscale, the first headless guitar designed and manufactured in Malta and it’s a technical, futuristic masterpiece…
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What started out as a small restoration project which turned into then turned into full-blown out custom-made guitar workshop and we’re glad he did.
No one custom guitar is the same but what they do share in common is the sense of pride they carry for being Maltese made.
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This one-luthier-army designs and builds the guitars himself, in his own workshop that he has set up in his garage.
“After the first order, I decided to move a step forward and built a CNC (Computer Numerical Control) machine to increase production and improve quality.”
Though his days are spent buffering, sawing and polishing, Andrew also takes the time to record himself doing so and uploads his journey on his YouTube channel – showcasing the process of creating one of his custom guitars from start to finish.
“The first step is to choose the lumber for the body, neck, fretboard and if so a fancy body top. After that, I’ll figure out the specs of the guitar e.g neck thickness, neck width, scale length, and body design.
Then I’ll sort out the hardware needed for the particular guitar and begin designing it on CAD/CAM software.
After the guitar has been modeled, I will create tool paths for my CNC and then I’ll put a body blank – which I already jointed and glued together. Finally, I let her do the cutting while I nervously watch and hoping nothing goes wrong!”
A complicated process but one embedded in a deep passion for the craft, Manicaro’s Custom Guitars is no doubt a musician’s heaven!
Tag a guitarist who’d love to get a custom Manicaro guitar
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