ridgewing guitars
The Ridgewing Essays
A collection by Tim White, written in early 2017
These Ridgewing technical essays are not in any particular subject matter order. They represent what was on the mind of the writer on the particular date cited between January and June 2017. This was two years after the end of the fabrication of the first suite of seven Ridgewing guitar prototypes.
The idea for each essay was to focus on and document some particular facet of the Ridgewing guitar with enough technical detail and depth to allow a would-be Ridgewing Maker to duplicate or improve upon the design. There is presented an accumulation of self-taught CAD, writing and technical documentation skills that one thinking of entering the guitar world would do well to acquire as soon as possible.
All pictures were taken in the Ridgewing shop or marketing events such as South-by-Southwest in May 2015, where the Ridgewing made its public debut. Photo renderings are from Solidworks models of the various Ridgewing components. All images are Copyright © 2017 by Ridgewing, Inc. of New Boston, NH.
- Tim White
December 1, 2019
Origins (preface)
January 4, 2017
Ridgewing Serial #3 in Attaché Case
January 5, 2017
The Woman in the Guitar
January 6, 2017
Klingon Ridgewing
January 7, 2017
The Headstock Lever Mechanism
January 8, 2017
Making Ridgewing-Compatible Guitar Components
January 9, 2017
The Ridgewing Modular Electronic Bridge
January 10, 2017
New Life for a Lock-Picked Tool Box
January 11, 2017
3D Printed Back Shells
January 12, 2017
First Solid Aluminum Frames
January 13, 2017
A Les-Paul-Sized Guitar in a Violin-Sized Case
January 14, 2017
Making Carbon Fiber Frames
January 15, 2017
3D-Scan Digitizing the Grill Model
January 16, 2017
Ridgewing Prototype #1 – First Light – December 2014
January 17, 2017
Ancient Guitar Shamanism
January 18, 2017
Off to War
January 19, 2017
Lost in Grill Space
January 20, 2017
The Joy of 3D Printing Metal Parts
January 21, 2017
Don’t Tell the Cook
January 22, 2017
When Grill Molds get Old
January 23, 2017
The Original Ridgewing/Chrysalis Guitar - Pure Acoustic
January 24, 2017
A Most Perfect Structure
January 25, 2017
Ridgewing First Edition Guitar Rendering
January 26, 2017
Fixing Grill Designs
January 27, 2017
Norm the Cat – Ridgewing’s Spirit Totem
January 28, 2017
Making Bridge Electronics Interchangeable
January 29, 2017
Going to Heaven with Gold-Plated Grills
January 30, 2017
View Out the North Window
January 31, 2017
Don’t Need no Stinkin’ Carbon Fiber
February 1, 2017
Winter Morning Light
February 2, 2017
Setting the Neck Angle While Playing
February 3, 2017
Making Molds
February 4, 2017
Ridgewing Shop Panorama December 2014
February 5, 2017
Journeyman Guitarmaker - When Life Was Simple
February 6, 2017
The Ridgewing Prototype Gang
February 7, 2017
How the Pearly Gates Got Their Name
February 8, 2017
Leather Case Magic
February 9, 2017
Ridgewing’s Magic Wand - The Headstock Lever
February 10, 2017
What Could Go Wrong?
February 11, 2017
Making a Carbon-Fiber Grill
February 12, 2017
The Amazing “Q”
February 13, 2017
Home
February 14, 2017
Harvey Reid’s Mandocello Kit
February 15, 2017
The Self-Tuning Headstock
February 16, 2017
Opening the Mold
February 17, 2017
If Guitars Were Pizza
February 18, 2017
Sweet Little Bridge Covers
February 19, 2017
Open Pre-Amp in Action
February 20, 2017
Ridgewing Pickguard – Pick a Color
February 21, 2017
Ridgewing Maker : Nate Burnell
February 22, 2017
A Peek Inside the Kimono - the Ridgewing First Edition Grill Design
February 23, 2017
Look Up From Your Workbench
February 24, 2017
Headstock – Business End
February 25, 2017
Texas Law Enforcement – Ridgewing Style
February 26, 2017
Tired of Tuning Your Guitar? No Prob…
February 27, 2017
Air Conditioning, New Hampshire Style
February 28, 2017
Don’t Need No Stinkin’ CNC
March 1, 2017
Sewing the Light Fantastic - Ridgewing Neighbor and Master Seamstress Pat Barss
March 2, 2017
Treble Mold Box Detail
March 3, 2017
Making a Case
March 4, 2017
Ridgewing’s First Self-Tuning Headstock
March 5, 2017
Radical Guitarmaking
March 6, 2017
That Escalated Quickly!
March 7, 2017
The Devil’s Popcorn Popper
March 8, 2017
Essence of Bridge
March 9, 2017
Ridgewing Guitar Brain 1.0
March 10, 2017
Ready to Ship Dec 2014
March 11, 2017
Carbon Fiber Arm Pit
March 12, 2017
#3 Bridge Charging in the Case
March 13, 2017
Polishing the Self-Tuning Headstock Push Rod
March 14, 2017
Ridgewing Serial #2 – Gold on Blue
March 15, 2017
Casting a Phone Spell
March 16, 2017
Aluminum, Rosewood, Carbon Fiber
March 17, 2017
Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Spray Booth
March 18, 2017
Self-Tuning Simplicity
March 19, 2017
Titanium Saddle
March 20, 2017
The Woodie
March 21, 2017
New Hampshire’s Coolest
March 22, 2017
Prototype Klingon Warship Being Re-Fueled
March 23, 2017
Mixed-Up Guitars
March 24, 2017
Key Features of a Ridgewing-Compatible Neck
March 25, 2017
Blue on Blue
March 26, 2017
Counterbalance
March 27, 2017
So, An Inflatable Guitar You Say
March 28, 2017
Making a Solid Wood Insert
March 29, 2017
Runaway Grills
March 30, 2017
Molding Day in the Shop, and a Broken Headstock
March 31, 2017
The Ruler of the Shop
April 1, 2017
Lucky Number Seven
April 2, 2017
The Ridgewing Dragonfly Mascot
April 3, 2017
An Interesting Guitar Family
April 4, 2017
Old Friend
April 5, 2017
Seeing Wavelengths
April 6, 2017
Bridge Hook Repair
April 7, 2017
Have Guitar, Will Travel
April 8, 2017
Aluminum Beauties
April 9, 2017
Nate Cleaning up a Fresh New Grill
April 10, 2017
WMUR Visits the Shop, January 2013
April 11, 2017
Become a Ridgewing Maker
April 12, 2017
SECRET RIDGEWING MAKER DOCUMENTS LEAKED !!
April 13, 2017
The Bottom Drawer
April 14, 2017
Maker, Ken Butler of Brooklyn, NY, with his guitar creations at Makerfaire in San Mateo, CA, in 2013
April 15, 2017
Inlay Confession
April 16, 2017
Toward a More Perfect Dreadnought
April 17, 2017
“There is no Mistake. There is Only Disobedience” – Gene Clark
April 18, 2017
The Well-Heeled Hobo’s Travel Kit
April 19, 2017
Chrysalis Guitar First Drawings - January 1984
April 20, 2017
Die Cast Frame and Grill
April 21, 2017
Wireframe
April 22, 2017
U.S. Patent 4,573,391 - 1986, Inflatable Knock-Down Guitar
April 23, 2017
U.S. Patent 6,188,005 B1 - 2001, Grillwork Soundboard
April 24, 2017
U.S. Patent 5,945,614 - 1999, Modular Guitar System
April 25, 2017
Design for Ultralight Carbon Fiber Frames
April 26, 2017
Makers, Start Your Engines
April 27, 2017
Ridgewing Makers! Headstock Secrets Revealed!
April 28, 2017
E Z Make-a-Bridge
April 29, 2017
Early Holographic Imaging of Guitar Resonances
April 30, 2017
How to Minimalize a Full-Size P-Bass
May 1, 2017
Ridgewing Gets a Name – March 16 2014
May 2, 2017
What the heck is he doing now?
May 3, 2017
Grandchildren brought up properly don’t need chairs or beds
May 4, 2017
Every journey starts with a single step. Q.
May 5, 2017
First Look at Booth Graphic for South-by-Southwest March 2015
May 6, 2017
Hand-Carving Oilite Insert for Self-Tuning Headstock Lever
May 7, 2017
Trying on a new outfit for the evening
May 8, 2017
Filling the Bridge Mold
May 9, 2017
Grill v. Grill
May 10, 2017
Harvey Reid’s Chrysalis Mandocello, revisited
May 11, 2017
Designing a New Noogie
May 12, 2017
Hangers On
May 13, 2017
Getting Ready to Take the Video – December 15 2012
May 14, 2017
Planning the Travel Kit
May 15, 2017
Side Dots for Valerie’s #2 Ridgewing
May 16, 2017
Tone-Meister Scott in His Element
May 17, 2017
Filling Bubbles
May 18, 2017
Prototype Light Show
May 19, 2017
Making a Mold for the Self-Tuning Headstock
May 20, 2017
Neck Cap Assembly
May 21, 2017
Ridgewing #1 – Almost Done
May 22, 2017
Weaving a Treble Frame
May 23, 2017
Ridgewing vs. Voyage-Air at NAMM
May 24, 2017
Lookin’ Pretty
May 25, 2017
3D-Printed “Pivot Dowels” a/k/a/ “Noogies”
May 26, 2017
Installing the Frame Joining Bracket
May 27, 2017
That Sweet Moment - Turning the Last Screw
May 28, 2017
Shop Re-Org Day
May 29, 2017
Experimenting With Bridge Electronics
May 30, 2017
Ridgewing #1 Coming Together
May 31, 2017
Headstock Mold
June 1, 2017
Near the End
June 2, 2017
Classic Ridgewing Body with Chrysalis Grills
June 3, 2017
Bring Daughter and Granddaughter to Work Day
June 4, 2017
Self-Tuning Carbon-Fiber Headstock with Ebony Veneer
June 4, 2017
Akiji is the MAN
June 5, 2017
The Ridgewing Bridge Electronics