Inside Emerald Guitars

B-Spec and Ex demo sale

2011-09-29T14:30:00.000-07:00

This month Im doing a little bit of a clear out so Ive collected together a few guitars to offer to you at exceptionally low prices.

B-spec guitars
From time to time we have guitars with some minor cosmetic flaws in the carbon surface so we paint these guitars with our satin black finish and offer them at highly reduced rates. These guitars are structurally and tonally as good as our top spec guitars and we stand over them the same as all our guitars.
This month I have an X5-OS at €395 and an X7-OS at €475. Both guitars are without a pickup but the B-Band A3T with built in tuner can be added for an extra €100

Ex demo X10 12 string

This is a 2010 X10 12 string that was a demo model but is in perfect condition. Its the very last of the original style X10 and is a fabulous small bodied 12 string. The X10 12 string has a strong punchy voice that really gives a great well balanced 12 string tone and its compact body and slim neck profile make it really easy to play.

Its fitted with the B-Band A3T preamp and pickup with built in tuner giving it a great plugged in tone as well

The usual price for this is €1300 but Its going for €900.

X7-OS with a very minor flaw

This is our new X7-OS model but is a custom finished with an all gloss finish and exposed carbon weave on the back and neck. Its in perfect condition except for one very small area on the heel where the paint has been buffed through. Its also fitted with our A3T pickup system.

This is a real beauty and is available for €750

The last production X5

This is the last of the original X5 and has been hanging over my desk for the last few months but its time to find it a home.

Its yours for only €495

We dont often have bargains like this so grab them quick.

Looking for a bargain? 2 B-spec guitars have just become available

2011-06-28T05:07:00.000-07:00

We rarely have any B-spec guitars but an X5-OS and X7-OS have come through with very minor cosmetic issues.
This is very much a first come first served situation so email me for details and grab a bargain.
Alistair

These guitars were snapped up in a very short space of time but if you would like to be put on a list to be notified when B-spec guitars become available then please drop me an email.
Alistair

email emeraldguitars@yahoo.com

Welcome home "Welcome to my head"

2011-06-20T15:48:00.000-07:00

Way back in 2003 a very talented Artist named Emett Shinners worked for me and we came up with an idea for a series of guitars with hand painted cartoons called "welcome to my head". Emmett used to sit at his bench day after day drawing whatever came into his head hence the name and put around 40 hours into each guitar.
In all 6 of these guitars were made but the first in my opinion was the best and was most memorable.

That first guitar was used by someone acting as a sales agent for us to promote Emerald guitars and it created alot of interest everywhere it went but then we parted company with that sales rep and in the process the guitar went missing and I assumed I would never see it again.
I persued it for a couple of years but finally gave up on it until a couple of months ago when I got an email from Heather asking for information about a guitar she had. She had decided to sell it and wanted to know more about it and what it was worth.
I knew straight away it was "WTMH 1". I emailed her back and politely told her the story and really expected to never hear from her again but to my surprise Heather emailed back to say she wanted to do the right thing and return her.
I was amazed that she would be willing to part with such a special guitar and I have been really moved by her kindness and understanding.
The guitar which Heather nicknamed Emmy arrived back here last week and she is in near perfect condition which was a great bonus.It was great to loose myself in Emetts great artwork once again. Its been a great journey and a great story.
Here is Heathers side of it.

"I first came into possession of her when I was living in Lydhurst, New Jersey; a fellow who had taken over our living room gave it to me in lieu of two months' rent and living expenses. Looking back, I should've looked a gift horse in the mouth. Being young and stupid (which was how I ended up in Jersey in the first place!), I accepted it without an adverse thought. Derp.

I played the guitar all over Manhattan -- it got quite a bit of face time in the folk clubs of the West Village, places like The Bitter End and The Back Fence, where the shadows of Jack Kerouac and Bob Dylan still loom large. It even did a little time at CBGB's. I'm not sure much of anyone was paying close attention to me there, though. All the kids downing liquids I wouldn't pour on concrete were like, "Who's THIS hillbilly?"

When I finally packed up all my black clothes, books and six thousand and one scraps of scribbled-on paper, I took the guitar -- dubbed "Emmy", short for Emerald -- and dragged myself over the rails for two days until disembarking back in my home state of Arkansas, where I've been since mid-2005. Since our stay here, we've been through an electric pickup replacement, a post-tornadic flood, an audition for a Virgin Records executive, and lots of late-night living room jam sessions. Then there's the matter of the great guitar caper....

Shortly after my now-husband and I began seeing one another in 2006, we returned to my home to find the front door unlocked. Alarmed, we sorted through the house and discovered that only Emmy and a Fender mandolin had been stolen from a closet in my spare room. Infuriated more than afraid because of the break-in, I contacted the local Sheriff's department and filed a report. To this day, I suspect one of two things happened: the jilted CRAZY cop ex-boyfriend of mine -- one of the only people who had been in the house and was aware of the instruments' presence -- had stolen and pawned these things out of spite, OR some daring individual who was aware of my isolated rural residence simply picked the lock and got lucky.

The strange part is yet to come: after my family circulated posters in the nearby town of Hot Springs to spread the word of a $500 reward for the stolen instruments, we received a phone call from a newish pawn shop in town where both instruments had been accepted. The shifty-eyed owner of the shop claimed that shortly after an employee of his had bought the instruments, he stopped showing up for work and was discovered to have skipped town. The pawn shop itself boarded up its windows very quickly after that. hm. The case was never solved, but I'm very suspicious that the owner himself had something to do with his, ahem, buildup in merchandise.

After that incident, the guitar was retired to a safe hiding place at my parents' residence, where it lived for two years until I decided to find it a better home. I know in my heart now that it's in the right place. I'm honored to have been a tiny footnote in the Emerald Guitars story.

Cheers,
Heather

This is a very special guitar with a great history that would be a worthy addition to any collection. If you would like to become its new keeper then email me at emeraldguitars@yahoo.com for details.

New website is now online

2011-05-16T14:42:00.000-07:00

Finally after 5 longs months, countless late nights, endless cups of coffee and 2 trips to a Chiropractor to relieve the tension in my neck, thew new website is complete.
Its been a much bigger undertaking than I originally planned but the results have exceeded my expectations. I was lucky enough to find an incredibly talented and motivated web designer to work with me on this and together we built the website ive always wanted.
It started off as just a product showcase but has become more of an archive with over 1000 pictures of my current work and past custom creations. We have also added some videos and this is something we are actively going to expand in the coming weeks and months.
Now the challenge is going to be to keep this site going and constantly updated with new content and our next big step is going to be to translate the entire site into Spanish, German, Chinese and Japanese.
I feel more late nights coming on.
Alistair

New website coming soon

2011-02-22T10:21:00.000-08:00

As many will know the Emerald guitars website is usually out of date and currentlyt its really far behind times.
Ive struggled to keep on top of this but now I have a very talented web designer working on a complete new website that we hope to have ready by the end of March.
The new website will be a huge step forward and will give you access to pictures, video and sound clips of all the guitars. Basically everything youve wanted to know about Emerald guitars should be answered on the new site.
Its exciting, We are building the site Ive wanted for years.
Alistair

New for 2011

2011-02-22T08:24:00.000-08:00

We are now well into 2011 and Im only now getting a chance to post about the new guitars we are launching this year.

The first new guitar is the redeveloped X5. The X5 has been much loved since its birth 5 years ago but we felt we could get more out of this little guitar so I went about redeveloping it towards the end of 2010.
The basic shape and size of the X5 is unchanged but we have now reduced the scale length to 24" bringing the bridge further forward on the body and we have offset the soundhole maximising the vibrational area of the sound board. All this has given the X5 a much fuller and warmer voice. The previous X5 was a great finger style guitar with punchy distinct notes but was often described as being a bit harsh when strummed heavy. The new X5 is a much better all round guitar and has a great full sound when strummed. We have also reworked the neck increasing the width to 1 3/4".

Next up is the all new T20. The T20 is the first in a new series of gutars from Emerald that will feature all the inovation of our construction methods housed in more traditional styled guitars. To kick this off we started with the most traditional body shape the dreadnaught.
Its a full bodied not cutaway guitar with a 25.5" scale and 1.75" nut width. we have voiced the guitar to give that big rich bassy sound yet it still has great balance and beautiful distinct trebles.

The third newcomer marks our first step into the world of electric guitars with the introduction of the "Flow" bass. Flow is a remarkable instrument that we have been developing over the last 2 years. It features a slim neck that runs seemlessly into a sculpted back and is all moulded in one piece to give incredible structural strength and amazing tone and sustain.
Its a beautiful bass to look at, feels great to hold and most importantly plays and sounds amazing. The great strength of carbon fibre means we can build a nice slim neck that doesnt move with temperature or humidity so we can set it up with a really low action that you can rely on.
we have fitted the bass with EMG X pickups and coupled with the specialy tailored core material it gives of a great rich bass with exceptional mids and great balance.

Its been a busy time with the new arrivals but its been worth the hard work and the excitement they have generated makes me quickly forget the sleepless night!
Alistair

Looking forward, Looking back!

2011-02-22T07:58:00.000-08:00

Its New years day and a time to reflect on the year passed and the new year ahead.
2010 was a real milestone year in the history of Emerald guitars marking our first full year back in business. After closing Emerald as a production company in 2007 due to circumstances beyond my control I had decided to concentrate on other businesses I had and make guitars in my spare time. Truth be told I was completely unhappy during this time, I thought I could follow my head instead of my heart but when the Irish economy collapsed in 2009 my other businesses were wiped out and the only thing I had left was my talent to design and build guitars.
Through 2009 I slowly rebuilt the tooling and did some great custom work and then along came Macnichol guitars and coaxed me back into production guitars. Michaels passion and the continual feedback from the carbon guitar forum has been inspiring and has had a great influence in the direction of the company.
We had a lot of hurdles to overcome due to the fallout of the deep recession that’s been effecting Ireland so much and the failure of our previous business. I was left with a 12,000 sqft factory and significant debts so the decision was whether to keep on the building and create a business that could service the debts or to sell up and start over.
We built this factory to house our family business back in 1990 and it contains too much of our history to let it go without a fight so early in 2010 we decided to set about a strategy that could save it and create a future that could bring hope to our family and in time other families in this depressed area. In the past we employed 30 people here and it was a real centre to the community how great would it be if we could build things to that level and beyond.
It was a slow start to the year but we started with optimism and set a very low target of 100 guitars for the year, tiny by any standards but we were aware of the difficulties of getting back into the market and the work that we had to do on new designs.
The first guitar up for redevelopment was the X10 and it became a guitar full of new ideas and direction. The X10 has always been one of my most popular but there was a lot I wasn’t happy with. I wanted to make it louder and more powerful and give it a voice much bigger than its compact size. After a lot of trials I came up with the Radius top, the curvature of the top gives a lot of extra stiffness and we discovered that we could use this stiffness to build the top lighter and more responsive and in turn create a guitar with much better projection. Its been a great innovation and has found its way into other designs the first of which was the X7
The X7 was basically a scaled down version of the X10 and was my attempt to build a guitar almost as compact as the X5 but with a much bigger voice. Its truly exceeded my expectations and has really carried us forward this year but I think we have only scratched the surface of the potential of this guitar. I am continuing to develop its voice and bring much more from this guitar.
The big event of 2010 was our American road trip. I have wanted to drive across America for some time and this seemed to be the perfect opportunity to take my new designs on tour and get some direct feedback and expand the market along the way.
My friends from the Forum both inspired the trip and also made it possible. We covered 4,400 miles in 2 weeks in a Dodge Charger stuffed with 10 guitars and along the way got to meet Kramster, Evan, Michael, Buzzard Whiskey, Carbon Axe and many other great characters. Thank you all for your hospitality and friendship.
We finished the trip in Nashville at Summer NAMM where we had a great show and made great new contacts. It was nice to be back in the buzz of the NAMM show and compare our guitars directly with the best. We had an incredible response over the 3 days and it confirmed we are on the right track.
We came back from there with orders and a good number of potential new dealers but it also has revealed how difficult the current market is. Many stores liked the guitars but under the current economic climate many are reducing their lines rather than taking on new ones. Its an uphill struggle but not impossible.
One of the most enjoyable parts of 2010 has been the custom commissions I have done. From simple inlay to something as unusual as the 12 string Bass/Baritone, this is my favourite part of my job. While I build guitars using a mould it doesn’t mean we cant deviate from the original design. There are many ways we can adapt the guitars after the initial moulding and create some ground breaking designs.
I think some of the bass commissions have really shown the benefits and freedom that carbon can offer. It offers me the opportunity to build guitars that just wouldn’t be feasible with wood and create tones that have never been heard before.
The 12 string has a truly unique voice and perhaps surprised me more than any guitar I have previously built.

Another great bass commission was Brian McHale’s 8 string bass. He wanted an acoustic bass that could compete acoustically with other guitars and with this Im sure we have achieved that. I cant wait to hear his response when he gets it next week.
And since the 8 string bass was my last guitar of 2010 I think this is the right place to start looking forward to the year ahead.
Right now I am coming up to what might be the busiest week of the year getting ready for NAMM.
I fly out to LA on the tenth and we still have a mountain of work to do. With the severe weather we have been experiencing here before Christmas we find ourselves a week behind schedule. The new X5 is nearly done but there is a lot still to do on the T20. I will certainly have a T20 with me but it will need a bit more perfecting when I get home.

So what is the T20? well the T stands for tradition and it will see us not so much change direction as add another direction. Throughout 2010 I have had many discussions with people about the styling and direction of my guitars and it became clear that people either loved it or hated it. I think the X series is true to me and are the guitars I want to build with the freedom that carbon allows and it was always going to be difficult to appeal to more traditional tastes without compromise and Im not all that fond of compromise.
The T series in my mind will be traditional design with innovation hidden within. They will be much subtler designs but I hope they will still have little Emerald signatures. This will also give me much more freedom with the X series and expect to see some innovative designs in the coming years.
The T 20 is a non cutaway Dred and actually takes me back to the very first guitar I built. I brought out Emerald no.1 to inspire me with this design and it certainly brought back some memories.
I have taken a lot of time with this design as it’s the first T series and will have designs that will be present in future T series models. The headstock was the big issue as that will become the prominent trade mark, I actually only committed to the final outline yesterday which shows how far behind Im running.

The other big step for 2011 will be the launch of the electric bass. I will officially be launching it at NAMM and it marks the first production solid body instrument in our lineup. I have been designing it over the last 18 months and have been reluctant to release it until its right. This is a special bass and the interest has been very strong so far. Summer NAMM gained a lot of interest for it and I identified a lot of improvements that could be made so I completely remade the tooling and with some subtle changes have made it much better.
Its going to be an exciting year ahead and I have more plans than I have time for but looking back at 2010 I realise I have come further than I could have ever expected and Im sure 2011 will surprise me in many ways too. There are a lot of hurdles ahead but the road this year looks just a little clearer.
Thank you all for your support and inspiration over the past year. Its an exciting time for composite guitars.
BRING IT ON!!!!!!!

We have finally made it to Nashville

2010-06-17T22:05:00.000-07:00

Well after 2 weeks on the road and 4,000 miles we finally made it to Nashville.
We have alot of stories to tell and and I will tell them as I get time.
Heres another little video blog in the mean time.

Alistair Hay

On the Road

2010-06-13T13:35:00.000-07:00

We have been covering some serious miles on this trip but we love it

Day 5

2010-06-08T20:31:00.000-07:00

Well I cant Beleive its day 5 already.
Its been an amazing trip so far.

On Saturday We got to hang out at LA guitar sales And play some tunes and show off the guitars. Ted has a great little store there and it was a great way to kick of the trip properly. Joel played some tunes and even got to serenade a Cockateel!

Saturday night we went and hung out with our friend Joe Bochar who builds JB guitars. We sat and jammed until 3 am in his little work shop.

Monday saw us climb Squaw Peak in Phoenix in 105 degree and we took along a few guitars for Fun.

Road trip Day 2

2010-06-04T08:23:00.000-07:00

I am here in California tired and jet lagged but Im happy to finally be in the USA again. Its been a few years!

Day 1

2010-06-02T21:54:00.000-07:00

Well I guess this is officially the first day of my American road trip.
Its been a crazy few weeks getting ready for this and I have been working consistently from 6:30am to midnight but thats all behind me now.
Yesterday was the last crazy push trying to get a couple of guitars finished and it took me right into the late hours. I thought I had loads of time before getting my Bus to the airport but then discovered it was leaving a couple of hours earlier than I thought so the panic set in. I got packed in double time with the help of my amazing wife and got to the bus with 2 minutes to spare. It wouldnt be good to fail at the first hurdle.
Now I am in the airport waiting for departure to Newark and then get a connection to LA. From there I pick up a hire car and head up the Pacific coast to Santa Barbara.

Its going to be a long day and I will probably be awake for 40 hours straight but somehow I am still really excited.
This trip marks a new start for Emerald guitars as we move back into the American market. I cant beleive its 5 years since I last exhibited at the NAMM show.
Anyway, I have some great things ahead over the next couple of weeks.
Stay tuned.

American road trip 2010

2010-05-23T14:46:00.000-07:00

I am currently working frantically making the final preperations for our big USA road trip.
Starting on June 3rd myself and a very talented guitar player by the name of Joel Moreli will be hitting the road with a bunch of guitars and making our way in a crooked 3,500 mile line from California to Nashville where we will be exhibiting at the summer NAMM show.
This is a trip I have wanted to do for a long time and now seems to be the right time. Along the way we will be meeting our friends and dealers and having as much fun as possible along the way.
We have some amazing people who have agreed to put on some little parties for us along the way and everyone is invited. We will have barbecues, jam sessions and mini concerts along the way so lots of people will get a chance to get their hands on our latest guitars.
I will be doing my very best to put little video clips and reports up here daily to keep you up to date and let you be part of this.
Heres the itinerary
June 4th Santa Barbara CA
June 5th LA guitar sales, Sunset Blvd, LA
June 7th Phoenix ,
June 9th Las Vegas, NV
June 11th Salt Lake city, UT
June 14th St.Louis, MO
June 15th Springfield, MO
June 18th to 20th summer NAMM Nashville TN

Hope to see you on the road

A personal insight

2010-03-20T15:25:00.000-07:00

I watched the film "Once" tonight!
Its an independent film starring Glen Hansard from "The Frames" and "Swell season"
I have been a big admirer of Glen for a long time now and for some reason I never watched Once until now. I guess I was waiting for the right time.
Its an amazing film and it started me thinking about the past couple of years and my road back into full time guitar building.
You see a couple of years ago I had to shut down Emerald guitars due to circumstances beyond my control. It was gut wrenching to step away from something I had put my life and passion into for 10 years. I thought I could walk away but I guess it had too strong a hold on me. I found myself working on my other business by day while still making guitars by night but it was tough. We weren't making money and the hours were taking a toll on my family life. With a wife and 4 kids its not just about working hard.
Things were getting to a head and I found myself at a cross roads. I had been listening to a song by Glen that had the line "when you want something so much it starts causing trouble in your life" thats exactly where I was with the guitar business.
I decided to go off on a sales trip for my other business which was making fibreglass tanks and just get some head time. I found myself on the west coast of Ireland and booked into a little hotel in a tiny town called Doolin which just happen to be beside the famous cliffs of Moher. I checked in and then took a walk up to the cliffs. It was late in the evening and all the tourists had gone except for a few french people who thought it would be cool to hit golf balls of the top of the cliffs.

Its an amazing place. These are some of the highest cliffs in Europe reaching 700ft from the Atlantic Ocean. I found a quiet place on the edge of the cliffs and with my feet dangling over the edge started to contemplate my future. I watched the sun set as the waves rolled in.
It was a magical place on a magical night.
I found myself crying out to God asking what I should do. My heart said I am a guitar builder but my mind said I need to stick to the more practical business. Its a dilemma that so many have gone through before me. The need to be creative versus the need to provide for the family that are my inspiration.
I left the cliffs that night without answers but with a certain contentment that the answers would come.

I slept well that night and the next day I drove to my first appointment in Listowel in county Kerry. It was a long drive but a beautiful one and on the way down I heard on the radio that Glen Hansard had been nominated for an Oscar for the song Falling slowly from the film Once. I was so happy. Glen had visited my factory just before we closed down and it was an amazing experience to have him and the band sit in my office playing guitars. I have admired Glen so much for his dedication to his music and has always chosen the integrity of his music over commercial success. It was great to hear that success had sought him out.
I was early for my meeting so I pulled into a petrol station to get a breakfast roll. I was sitting in my big white rusty van eating my unhealthy breakfast of two sausages a slice of bacon and a fried egg all bunged into a soft white bread roll when I noticed a familiar figure walking out of the shop. It was Glen!!!!
I jumped out of the van and called to him and he said "Alistair what are you doing here", he kind of stole my question. He was the last person I expected to see after hearing of his success and in such an unlikely and remote place. It was a short conversation but he said "I was just talking about you the other day, your guitars, you have something there, stick with it" That was about all he said before he wandered off with his coffee.
I dont know if you believe in devine appointments or perhaps you call it fate or even luck but there was no one else that I could have met that morning that could have had such a profound effect on me. It was the right words at the right time.
I think right then I knew who I was. I am a guitar builder, its something that is beyond my control, its who I am and I have to pursue it.
Many twists and turns have occurred in the 2 years since then that I could write a book about but that was the moment that kept me motivated that kept me swimming against the tide. My other business failed during the recession and possibly because my heart wasnt in it. It was costly but has brought that adversity that breeds inspiration. I am now 100% focused on rebuilding Emerald guitars and we have already made huge steps. This past month has been the best sales in 5 years and I know I am building and designing the best guitars of my life!
Glen went on to win the oscar and funnily enough right now I am building some model glider parts for his bass player (a long story) and another interesting fact is that shortly after that Benny the Busker bought one of my guitars to play on the cliffs of Moher where he busks every day. Some kind of strange alignment there.

Anyway tonight I just wanted to commit these thoughts to words and give you guys an insight into why Emerald guitars has risen from the ashes.
Alistair

Relaunch of Emerald guitars

2009-11-11T16:56:00.000-08:00

Today I sent out my first newsletter in nearly 2 years. The last time I sent one it was doom and gloom when I was forced to close down due to circumstances beyond my control.
I have had great support from so many people in the last couple of years that have physically helped get me back on the road and so many who have motivated me to defeat the odds with kind words of support.
Most importantly I have to thank my wife who has put up with all the late nights in the factory while I retooled the guitars. She is so patient and hopefully I will sell enough guitars in the next few weeks to be able to buy her an amazing Christmas present. Doesnt she deserve it.
Its great to be back building guitars and doing what I was put on this earth to do.
I have so many new ideas and creatively perhaps the break was good for me. I am doing the best work of my life right now and I love it.
Thanks for supporting me.
Heres looking to the future

Inspiring the next generation

2009-09-18T14:55:00.000-07:00

Today I had the awesome privelage of giving a talk about guitars to a 7th grade class in a school near where I live.
A very good friend of mine Chris scholes is a teacher in the school and over the last few months I think Chris has been telling the kids about Bahamut the dragon guitar and my antics in China with Leehom.
The kids had an opportunity to do a school project so they chose to design guitars so I guess thats where it all falls into place for me to be invited there.
I have spoken in front of a few hundred adults before but there was something even more intimidating about a bunch of 10 year olds.
I turned up at the school with a travel guitar, my new electric bass and to get them really excited I took along the Alien. Well you can imagine the reactions when I unpacked the Alien. I had gone in there with a plan of what to say but from word go I just got interigated with questions so it kind of took care of itself.
I showed them some pics of guitars and talked about how I design guitars and even had Chris put the bass between 2 chairs and sat on it to show how strong my guitars are. That really got the kids excited because to put it politely Chris is a big guy, actually he is a really big guy. Thankfully the guitar held out and the kids got a laugh.
Then I told them the story about Bahamut and Leehom and I showed them a Clip of a Leehom concert, well that really got them going. It was amazing to see a class of Irish kids taking so much interest in Chinese music.
It was a great day and a great privelage to be able to share my experiences with the kids and hopefully inspire them a little. The cardboard guitars they had made were great and full of imagination. Brings back memories of my childhood making mock up guitars when I was about 10!
I think I will do this sort of thing again!
Alistair

Getting settled back into home!

2009-09-08T06:18:00.000-07:00

I am finally back at work after nearly 5 weeks of travel. This is the longest time I have ever been away from work but in fact it has been one of the most productive times in my career with so many things coming together in China and Thailand.
I now have the challenge of getting everything back up to speed.
My personal focus over the next few months will be some more spectacular custom guitars that I have on order for a customer in Thailand as well as overseeing the production of the standard guitar range.
There is alot in the pipeline for the next few months in terms of development of new models with the new Woody guitars coming through and the ongoing development of the new electric bass.
Its going to be an exciting and busy run up to Christmas.
Just the other day I received a video clip from Leehom. Bahamut has become a major part of his music and that in turn has created alot of opportunities. This whole thing has been an incredible experience.
Who would have thought that a young guy from Ireland could be getting the job of building Dragons for people in China. Its kind of like selling snow to Eskimo's.

Hanging on Koh Chang

2009-09-08T06:11:00.000-07:00

I was preparing for my trip home when I got a call from Mr Ekkasit requesting that I stay a few days longer and go Koh Chang Island with him. Well I didn’t have to think twice about that so we have been on the Island for the last 2 days.

This is a magical place. It’s a small Island near to the border with Cambodia with tall mist covered mountains covered in thick lush Jungle.

While this is a tourist Island it is still pretty much unspoilt and retains its charm. While in Bangkok we regularly used Limo’s here our Limo was the back of a pick up truck or on a Moped.

The first day we went up into the mountain to a large waterfall where We eventually ended up going swimming and I couldn’t resist demonstrating the water resistance of the X5 so it went swimming too. I think the locals thought I was crazy.

Today we went on a boat trip around a few smaller islands to go snorkelling, It was a great experience snorkelling on the coral reefs with all the fish. This was my first time.

In between snorkelling we lounged on the boat where I got my legs incredibly sunburned, Ouch and we played guitar and yes the guitar went swimming again too. I cant recommend salt water for the strings but It was worth sacrificing a set of strings for the pics.

This has just been amazing here. I feel so blessed that my work has brought me here. It makes all the tough days much more worth while.

Tomorrow I fly back to Ireland and then the reality kicks in. !

Thank you Mr Ekkasit for giving me this amazing trip.

Time for home!

2009-09-08T06:10:00.000-07:00

We have been back in Bangkok for 5 days now and I am supposed to be flying home tomorrow.

This has been a great week. Its been all about relaxing and taking in the sights of Bangkok and its surroundings. This is a truly inspirational place.

My main reason for being here is to design some new custom guitars for Mr Ekkasit and my travels have been my inspiration.

It’s a long time if ever since I have had time to just sit with my thoughts and truly look at whats around me to gaion inspiration. Yes I take inspiration from my surroundings all the time but on this trip my eyes just seemd to be focused that little bit better. I have been looking sat things in a different way, a more creative way and I have had some great ideas this week. This trip will certainly have an impact on my work well into the future.

Walking on the wall !

2009-09-08T06:07:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here on the flight back to Bangkok looking back at the last couple of days and I can barely describe how much it meant to me. I had planned to go to the wall with jingles but having everyone there was just so special. I had hoped to get some nice footage of myself and jingles with the guitars but what we got was beyond anything I could have planned. Jingles playing and everyone dancing on top of a tower will stick with me for a long time not to mention Queen Brandi being carried up the side of a mountain on that throne by her 2 loyal subjects. It was the perfect day with the perfect bunch of people and I hope the planets allign again in the near future and bring us all together again.

The memories of today will live forever in the work they inspire!

Music Man show !

2009-09-08T06:05:00.000-07:00

22/8/09

Its 4:30AM and I have just come in from the after show party.

Today was a great day. This morning I went to meet Henri Benaim who is the director of an art gallery out here. I saw the guy on a CNN program the other day and tracked him down. He is originally a New Yorker but has been living in Beijing working successfully in the art world. I arranged to meet him to get an insight into the local galleries and over a cup of coffee in Starbucks he was able to give me a great deal of help and direction. From there we went off on Henri’s direction to find some galleries.

We took a short Taxi ride to an area called 798 which is an old industrial complex which has now been transformed into an art district with studios galleries and all kinds of unusual little shops.

We wandered there for a few hours before going back to the stadium where we had arranged to take photos of Leehom with Bahamut. We also were photographing Jingles and the new bass that I built for him. What a great thing it was to see a guitar that I just completed a couple of hours before I left home being tested on such a grand stage. It looks and sounds awesome. I am looking forward to taking the bass thing further.

After sound check we went to dinner with all the musicians and some of the crew in a beautiful restaurant by a lake. It was good food with great people.

Then came the show! I had been assigned a couple of extra tickets so I invited Henri along as my guest and after meeting him at the gate we went to look for what were supposed to be VIP seats but I found myself way off to the side in horrible seats with a terrible view. I was a bit pissed off as I knew someone had made a cock up and although I had been in the stadium for the past 2 days I hadn’t been given a proper pass so I couldn’t get into the proper area so off I went to the back of the stage and after a few minutes of arguments with Chinese guards who didn’t understand what I was arguing about along came a guy from Sony and gave me the proper passes. By this time we had missed the first 30 minutes but I soon was able to settle into what was an awesome show. The stadium was filled with 45,000 people waving glow sticks. It made an unforgettable sight.

About half way through the show an unexpected guest appeared. It was Jackie Chan. Leehom genuinely knew nothing about it and nearly fell over on stage with surprise. Leehom had recently finished a film with Jackie so I guess this was a bit of PR. I had hoped Jackie would turn up at the after party but there was no sign of him.

I had a great time at the aftershow party hanging with all my new found friends and after the after show party came the after,after show party in a little club some where in Beijing where we Celebrated Patricks birthday.

Its been a long night and in fact its been a long few days so now its time for some sleep. A bunch of us are going to the Great wall tomorrow. Its going to be amazing!

Sound Check Beijing

2009-09-08T05:59:00.000-07:00

Beijing 21/8/09

I have the best seat in the house! I am currently inside the stadium listening to the rehearsal. We are in the workers stadium which is a large soccer stadium. Its been a great day meeting everyone again and just catching up.

it’s a weird vibe here because the local police have such a strong presence. They are dotted all around the stadium and marching too and fro for reasons that weren’t apparent. All day they were keeping people off the pitch in the centre of the stadium as if it were sacred ground. Even Jim was getting chased as he checked the sound levels in the centre of the pitch but now the sun has set and I have made my way silently out to the centre circle where I am watching this private show. I have been told to move a few times but I just refused and they surprisingly left me alone. A couple of minutes ago 8 soldiers marched across the field to me in perfect sync and proceeded to scold at me in Chinese. I thought the game was over but weirdly another guy came over and said something and they all marched off and left me all alone on the field. It is an awesome feeling sitting on the grass in what now is a dark stadium with only the stage lights filtering back onto my vantage point.

I cant believe I am here in Beijing. This is an awesome privilege and something I could never have imagined could have happened to a guy from a small town in Ireland. Its just so unlikely being here in the land of the dragon as the builder of what is currently the most famous dragon in China. Thank you Leehom.

I have been sitting here thinking I was not seen but just a second ago the flood lights came up on the pitch to leave me looking like a rabbit caught in the headlights. Leehom just waved and said high Alistair through the PA. Now theres a memory!

Delivering the Dragon

2009-09-08T05:28:00.000-07:00

I have now been in Bangkok 3 days and only now am I getting a chance to write the blog.

I had intended to do this everyday but to be honest I have been too busy.

The day before I left was crazy. I had a problem with the new bass for Jingles and ended up having to rewire it. It was only completed 1 hour before I left.

My dad picked me up at 3:30 PM. Now the PM part is important as my dad was knocking on my door at 3:30 AM. I chased him and went back to bed but the night was ruined.

We had a good trip across flying from Dublin to Abu Dhabi then on to Bangkok where we were met of the flight and escorted to a waiting Limo.

I have to say this beats the usual commotion and confusion that surrounds me when I travel.

We arrived at the hotel and checked in where my very gracious host Mr Ekkasit had arranged a beautiful suite for me. After a quick shower to wash away the sweat and a quick brush of the teeth to remove the fur that had built up during the flight we went to meet Mr Ekkasit in the presidential suite to present him with his new guitar.

When we met I think we were both as nervous. I was nervous that after 3 months work and 9 months in planning the guitar would not be what he wanted and he was nervous that after 9 months this might not be what he hoped and in fact he later told me that he didn’t really like the designs from the picture.

He opened the case and to see the look on his face was worth travelling half way round the world to see.

He loved the guitar in every way and when he plugged it in it sounded awesome as I knew it would. The double EMG humbuckers really give this guitar a big voice. And the carbon makes it sustain for ever.

It was a great first day and we topped it off with a beautiful Thai meal.

That night I slept like a log and then Tuesday was just spent relaxing and catching up on a few emails before going for a traditional Thai massage and no it wasn’t what you are thinking. It was the best way to get rid of the tension that had built up over the previous months and indeed year. I lay there looking down at the flowers floating in the bowl below me and it was as if this was the reward for everything that has gone on. I very rarely look back ,but this past couple of days have allowed me to look back and realise that it was the difficulties I have encountered over the last few years that have led to the opportunities that now lie before me.

Yesterday we went to the grand Palace in Bangkok, what a beautiful place. Its quite inspiring to see the detail and skill that went into creating it. We wandered around in the melting heat taking the sights and sounds of this beautiful place in and everywhere I went there was Melvin with the camera. Oh yes I forgot to mention I have this crazy little Leprechaun following me around filming my every move for a documentary. I don’t think I will get used to that but at least you will all get a chance to see what I have been up to.

Now brings me to today!!!!!! Where to strart ? Well it was an ordinary day, breakfast by the pool followed by a trip round Bangkok’s art galleries to get a feel for the local scene and to stimulate my imagination. When I came back I met with Mr Ekkasit where he requested that I move the strap button to help how the guitar balanced on a strap. I borrowed a screwdriver, drill and some drill bits and set about what should have been a 2 minute job but while under the firm supervision of Mr Ekkasit and his butler disaster struck. On the last turn of the screwdriver the head just came off the screw. I froze there for what seemed like a few minutes and then looked at them. I didn’t know what to do as the sweat started to build on my brow.

Within a couple of minutes we were in a Limo with Draco reclining in the luxury seats and off we went across the city to the emergency room. A few minutes later we arrived at an exclusive jewellery store where the owner met us at the door and quickly ushered us up stairs. It was like we had just turned up at the ER with a gunshot victim .

It turned out this place was also a major jewellery manufacturer and they took us into a room where about 40 people were working on some highly exclusive jewellery. Everyone stopped to look at this pale faced Irish guy holding a dragon by the neck.

They sat me at a bench and brought me tools and with the Butler by my side and 8 assistants we performed the delicate operation to remove the screw. I think I would have been less nervous removing a bullet from someones chest. The operation actually went pretty straight forward once I had the correct tools but it was certainly a dramatic and surreal experience. We got a new screw and this time it went in without a hitch. Job Done.

There was still the issue of what to do with the hole that remained so we went into another room and chose a nice 4mm ruby which we are going to set in a white gold bezel and then we will come back on Tuesday to have it inserted. That should be a less dramatic procedure.

As I write I am in Bangkok airport waiting for our flight to Beijing. I am really excited about this trip. It was amazing being in Malaysia for a Lee Hom show but to be in Beijing will really be special. Special because it’s the capital city but also because I get to meet everyone who became friends at the Malaysia show. There are a great bunch of people there and they really make me feel welcome. I also have a lot to do to move the exhibition idea forward so a lot hangs on the next few days. Lets hope it all goes to plan.

Taming the dragon

2009-08-26T03:22:00.000-07:00

I have now been in Bangkok 3 days and only now am I getting a chance to write the blog.
I had intended to do this everyday but to be honest I have been too busy.
The day before I left was crazy. I had a problem with the new bass for Jingles and ended up having to rewire it. It was only completed 1 hour before I left.
My dad picked me up at 3:30 PM. Now the PM part is important as my dad was knocking on my door at 3:30 AM. I chased him and went back to bed but the night was ruined.
We had a good trip across flying from Dublin to Abu Dhabi thern on to Bangkok where we were met of the flight and escorted to a waiting Limo.
I have to say this beats the usual commotion and confusion that surrounds me when I travel.
We arrived at the hotel and checked in where my very gracious host Mr Ekkasit had arranged a beautiful suite for me. After a quick shower to wash away the sweat and a quick brush of the teeth to remove the fur that had built up during the flight we went to meet Mr Ekkasit in the presidential suite to present him with his new guitar.
When we met I think we were both as nervous. I was nervous that after 3 months work and 9 months in planning the guitar would not be what he wanted and he was nervous that after 9 months this might not be what he hoped and in fact he later told me that he didn’t really like the designs from the picture.
He opened the case and to see the look on his face was worth travelling half way round the world to see.

He loved the guitar in every way and when he plugged it in it sounded awesome as I knew it would. The double EMG humbuckers really give this guitar a big voice. And the carbon makes it sustain for ever.
It was a great first day and we topped it off with a beautiful Thai meal.
That night I slept like a log and then Tuesday was just spent relaxing and csatching up on a few emails before going for a traditional Thai massage and no it wasn’t what you are thinking. It was the best way to get rid of the tension that had built up over the previous months and indeed year. I lay there looking down at the flowers floating in the bowl below me and it was as if this was the reward for everything that hsas gone on. I very rarely look back but this past couple of days have allowed me to look back and realise that it was the difficulties I have encountered over the last few years that have led to the opportunities that now lie before me.
Yesterday we went to the grand Palace in Bangkok, what a beautiful place. Its quite inspiring to see the detail and skill that went into creating it. We wandered around in the melting heat taking the sights and sounds of this beautiful place in and everywhere I went there was Melvin with the camera. Oh yes I forgot to mention I have this crazy little Leprechaun following me around filming my every move for a documentary. I don’t think I will get used to that but at least you will all get a chance to see what I have been up to.
Now brings me to today!!!!!! Where to strart ? Well it was an ordinary day, breakfast by the pool followed by a trip round Bangkok’s art galleries to get a feel for the local scene and to stimulate my imagination. When I came back I met with Mr Ekkasit where he requested that I move the strap button to help how the guitar balanced on a strap. I borrowed a screwdriver, drill and some drill bits and set about what should have been a 2 minute job but while under the firm supervision of Mr Ekkasit and his butler disaster struck. On the last turn of the screwdriver the head just came off the screw. I froze there for what seemed like a few minutes and then looked at them. I didn’t know what to do as the sweat started to build on my brow.
Within a couple of minutes we were in a Limo with Draco reclining in the luxury seats and off we went across the city to the emergency room. A few minutes later we arrived at an exclusive jewellery store where the owner met us at the door and quickly ushered us up stairs. It was like we had just turned up at the ER with a gunshot victim .
It turned out this place was also a major jewellery manufacturer and they took us into a room where about 40 people were working on some highly exclusive jewellery. Everyone stopped to look at this pale faced Irish guy holding a dragon by the neck.
They sat me at a bench and brought me tools and with the Butler by my side and 8 assistants we performed the felicate operation to remove the screw. I think I would have been less nervous removing a bullet from someones chest. The operation actually went pretty straight forward once I had the correct tools but it was certainly a dramatic and surreal experience. We got a new screw and this time it went in without a hitch. Job Done.
There was still the issue of what to do with the hole that remained so we went into another room and chose a nice 4mm ruby which we are going to set imn a white gold bezel and then we will come back on Tuesday to have it inserted. That should be a less dramatic procedure.
As I write I am in Bangkok airport waiting for our flight to Beijing. I am really excited about this trip. It was amazing being in Malaysia for a Lee Hom show but to be in Beijing will really be special. Special because it’s the capital city but also because I get to meet everyone who became friends at the Malaysia show. There are a great bunch of people there and they really make me feel welcome. I also have a lot to do to move the exhibition idea forward so a lot hangs on the next few days. Lets hope it all goes to plan.
Alistair

My First Blog

2009-08-07T13:58:00.000-07:00

Well here it is, the start of a whole new era at Emerald Guitars.

For far too long I have been tucked away in my factory working on new stuff and now it is time to share it with the world. I intend to keep regular updates here in the coming days and weeks so keep checking and feel free to bug me if I am not keeping up with the posts.

Those of you who get the Emerald news letter will remember the sad news in the last one 18 months ago that declared the end of Emerald Guitars. At that time I suffered difficulties that were all beyond my control and basically the un cooperation of a third party put the lights out over night but they never really went out for very long.

It was a difficult time but I guess looking back it may well have set a new course that is way more positive. At the time I stopped We were flowing well producing good numbers of guitars but the reality was I wasnt enjoying it. I started building guitars because I loved to build guitars but the irony was that the bigger the company became the more I was removed from building guitars and for nearly three years I hadnt built a guitar from start to finish. My day was consumed with office work, marketing, purchasing and sorting out other peoples mess and any one who knows me knows that what I love mess is being at my bench being creative. It had to change!

For the past year I have been working on new ideas and doing some amazing custom builds and I love it. The past 18 months havent been a breeze because alot had to be resolved but being back building guitars from the start through to playing there first note has been amazing.

I guess I should walk you through some of the highlights.

It all kicked off last year when I got a call out of the Blue from a gentle man looking for a rather unusual guitar. It turned out this guy was the assistant to Leehom Wang, one of Asia's biggest stars. He had seen some of my previous work and was looking for something special for an upcoming concert. What that something special turned out to be was a guitar (which is now called Bahamut) shaped like a dragon spiraled into a treble cleff.

it was an exotic design but the kind of thing I love so within days construction started and I had a 6 week window to build the most incredible guitar of my life.

It was early morning and late nights but it was worth it. It turned out amazing and when Leehom Unveiled it to the world it became an instant success. You might not speak Mandarin but you will get the jist of the impact it had.

The Guitar was unveiled in September and has been touring Asia since making quite a name for itself. Check out some concert footage here.

Since all this it has led to some amazing opportunities and I had the privelage of being a guest at Leehom's concert in Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia in May. What an experience to see your work being played in front of 25,000 people, this is what I started building guitars for.

The last 3 months have been spent building another Dragon for a customer in Bangkok and currently I am just putting the final touches to it before I fly out to deliver it next week. Soo many doors have been opening in the last year that the difficultes of the past have melted away. I have 2 weeks in Bangkok where I will be working on more designs for this new customer and then we are flying on to Beijing to see Leehom perform in front of 50,000 people. Thats going to be an amazing trip and I hope to do regular posts here during the trip. So what of acoustic guitars? after all that is what my true purpose is on this planet. Well over the last 18 months I have built some real beauties and have been doing alot of development. The big new development has been the wood veneer guitars. I have finally perfected the art o fusing the most exotic veneers to the carbon body to give a guitar with all the structural and tonal benefits of carbon with the beauty of exoic woods and the best part is that I can use just about any type of wood as its not structural or tonal so you will see things you have never seen before on an acoustic guitar.

I am just completing a new website and the new series will be available there very soon.

As well as the new finish options I have been tweaking the structure a little to give the guitars a bit more projection and enhance the tone somewhat. I am always tweaking the guitars and I always try to make my next guitar my best guitar. Its been great being back building right the way through as I have picked a number of areas for improvement and now there is noone to blame but myself.

For the past 18 months it has just been me building and thats been great but a valued friend is going to be joining me very soon to keep me from talking to myself. I intend to keep things small for the forseen future and I am definitely sticking with the direct sale policy as I love being able to get to know my customers and build a guitar that will bring out the best in their playing and inspire new music. I learn so much more about my guitars by having this direct connection ad I hope in turn you get a better guitar. I know its not for everyone to buy a guitar they havent played before from half the way around the world but for those who do you are sure to get the personal experience whether its a €595 X5 or a €20,000 Dragon and in the unlikely event that you discover that you dont like the guitar I am happy to take it back.

Thank you to everyone who sent me all the kind emails of support over the last 18 months. You are the guys who inspired me to overcome the substantial hurdles.

Its a new Dawn with an exciting future, I hope you will follow that future through these posts and please give me your feedback.

Alistair Hay