I’ve been asked many times why I use different metals for my bridge saddles on guitars. Continue reading
Category Archives: Story Behind the Guitar
Origin of the Voodoo TE-59 Pickup
In 2010, Brad Paisley called me from Guitar Center in Los Angeles saying he had found a great-sounding 1963 Telecaster, but someone had finished it with glue and gold glitter. He was sending it to me for a refinish. Continue reading
Increase Sustain with Guitar Neck Inserts
The pros and cons of using guitar neck inserts have been debated many times on guitar forums. While some say they do not hear a difference in sound with inserts, I do. I have tested and used neck inserts for years and I install them on every guitar that I build. Continue reading
Brad Paisley’s Crook Guitars Gear: Rig Stories Part 3
Guest Post by Zac Childs —
Brad’s Salsa Paisley
2004 was a busy time of promoting the Mud on the Tires album with tour dates, television appearances and music videos. All the guitars, including the Buckocaster, were seeing much use, but Brad was interested in having Bill build a 60s vibe guitar with a rounder tone. They tossed around ideas and settled on a T-style with a rosewood fingerboard and a fiesta red and white paisley finish. The guitar was a real stunner, and Brad nicknamed it “Salsa.” Continue reading
Brad Paisley’s Crook Guitars Gear: Rig Stories Part 2
Guest Post by Zac Childs — The making of the Mud on the Tires album was a bit of a grueling process. Brad was under the gun to turn in a record to Arista, and we were in the middle of heavy touring. So we recorded during the week and toured on the weekends. In the midst of this, we performed at the CMA Awards, where Brad used the Crook charcoal paisley to perform his summer hit, “I’m Gonna Miss Her.” While recording the “Mud” album, my only breaks were mainly when Brad recorded vocals or did media interviews. One such break will always stay with me. Continue reading
Brad Paisley’s Crook Guitars Gear: Rig Stories Part 1
Guest Post by Zac Childs — Many of you have seen Brad Paisley on stage or on TV playing a variety of colorful and certainly toneful Crook Custom Guitars. A little over a decade ago, there was only one Crook paisley in Brad’s collection of gear. With its stellar performance, it wasn’t long before the guitar was joined by two more that would become very important tools in Brad’s climb to superstardom. Continue reading
Fat Humbucker Sound and T-Style Neck in Hybrid Guitar
Many Crook hybrid guitars start out the same way. Players aren’t sure what they want, they just know what they have isn’t quite cutting it. A hybrid isn’t just about focusing on one feature. The guitar comes about because a customer is looking for the right feel and a particular sound they haven’t been able to find in one guitar. Continue reading
Unique Guitar Tone for a T-Style Crook Custom
I have talked to a lot of players that think a custom guitar has to be a whole new creation from top to bottom. But often, a custom build can have many familiar features with just a few specific specs that fit the player’s desires. Continue reading
New Crook Guitar Finishes: Paisley on Butterscotch and Hot Rod Diamond Plate
After many customer requests for new finishes, I came up with two that I think turned out pretty cool. I started experimenting with my paisley finish and took it in a new direction. The other finish is brand new and speaks to my interest in hot rod patterns. Let me know if you want either of these new finishes on your custom build. Continue reading
Goldtop Lescaster with Bigsby Upgrade
I recently finished a goldtop Lesquire guitar for Tristen Smith of Big Machine Records. Normally last-minute changes aren’t good, but his late request for a Bigsby tremelo led me to a new product that raises the bar of the lowly Bigsby to a precision instrument. Continue reading