scott Walker guitars
BY RICH OSWEILER
Northern California is a hotbed of custom lutherie—almost like a
year-round guitar show. One could spend
weeks in the greater Bay Area touring
shops and talking to top-flight luthiers
before having to plan the next trip to see
even more. One such master craftsman is
Scott Walker, a Santa Cruz-based luthier
who cut his teeth in the business working
for Santa Cruz Guitar Company alongside
Richard Hoover. But SCGC produces
acoustic instruments, so when Walker
heard the siren call of electric guitar, he
decided his work experience, education,
and time spent crafting electrics during
his off hours would allow him to start his
own company. In 2005, he launched Scott
Walker Guitars.
Walker fell in love with music at an early
age and started experimenting with homemade pickups and guitar modifications
shortly thereafter. Before long, he’d combined his interest in electronics and playing
music with his passion for drawing and
art. Shortly after high school, he knew he
wanted to be a guitar builder and was off to
the Roberto Venn School of Lutherie.
Walker handcarved over 1,000 necks
while at the SCGC, including necks for
such notable musicians as Tony Rice and
Norman Blake. When asked what he took
from his experience working almost solely
on acoustic instruments, and how it would
translate to starting an electric guitar company, Walker explained, “Just handling the
different wood species, proportions, and
combinations really opened my eyes and
ears to the fact that it’s how you manipulate the wood that’s the biggest factor in
the end tonal result—acoustic or electric.
It may sound strange, but like anything
else you do over and over, you develop
this other sense. So when I pick up a piece
of mahogany, rosewood, or maple, I can
just kind of hear what it’s going to sound
like—and if it wants to be a guitar.” It
should be noted that Walker just completed his first batch of dreadnoughts, based
on Norman Blake’s old 12-fret, slope-shoulder Martin.
When questioned about trends in
lutherie and what current one could
have the biggest effect in the next 15-20
years, Walker responded, “Wood—
sustainable, renewable woods will become
more accepted and expected. But I think
the industry has to decide on what those
woods actually are.” He doesn’t believe
that mahogany is mahogany is mahogany.
“You take three different builders and
give them the same billets, and you’ll
have three different sounding guitars. So
over the next 15 years, we as an industry
will have to decide on what guitar wood
is going to be used and be heard on our
grandkids’ records.”
The phantom
With the Phantom, Scott Walker pays
tribute to what was one of Steve Cripe’s—
the late, legendary builder—most elegant
designs and last electrics played by Jerry
Garcia. The model shown features an
ebony top and back, along with a figured-
maple core and padauk laminates. This gui-
tar boasts custom single-coil Lollar pickups
and a minimalist approach to the controls
that still provide a unique variety of tonal
options. There are two different preamps—
an op-amp-style unity gain buffer, and
an FET-style booster, both with On/Off
switches—allowing a passive option, as well
as a choice of either preamp, or both.
The phoenix
In 2007, Scott Walker and Steve Kimock
began discussing the ergonomics of a guitar that led to the current design of the
Phoenix. It was also during this time that
Kimock discussed pickups with Jason Lollar
and how to go about designing the perfect
single-coil that would be hum-canceling
when both pickups are engaged. What
they came up with was a wide, thin, blade-style single-coil shown on the Phoenix.
Additionally, an extended, hidden tenon was
added—on which the pickups are mounted
directly—giving superb alignment, stability,
increased resonance, and tone transfer. With
a curly-mahogany body and neck, and a
Brazilian rosewood fretboard, the Phoenix is
outfitted with a solid copper pickguard for
electronics shielding and to provide Walker
a canvas for his patina and engraving skills.
THe pHanTom
