Custom Builds
THE WOODSHOP
Where every Hot Rod and Tatalias instrument is born. Raw lumber walks in, and one-of-a-kind guitars walk out.
The Hot Rod Way
NO CAD. NO CNC. NO SHORTCUTS.
All work is 100% handmade in Brookfield. Machines carve identical guitars; hands carve YOUR guitar. Grain direction, weight, resonance: a luthier reads each piece of wood and works with it, not against it.
Hand-Selected Lumber
Chris personally picks every board. Nothing goes into a build that he hasn't touched.
Hand-Carved Necks & Bodies
Shaped with rasps, spokeshaves, and scrapers to a feel you sign off on.
Real Joinery
Tight neck pockets and clean glue joints that transfer vibration the way vintage builds did.
Progress Photos Throughout
You watch your guitar come to life at every stage of the build.
A Walk Through The Shop
SIX STATIONS. ONE STANDARD.
The Neck Rack
Maple, mahogany, and roasted blanks waiting their turn. Every neck is carved by hand to a documented profile: V, C, D, or U, matched to your grip.
The Carving Bench
Body contouring, tummy cuts, forearm bevels, weight relief. Rasps, spokeshaves, and scrapers, not tool paths.
The Fret Station
Boards are slotted, radiused, and fretted under specialized lighting with Jescar, Dunlop, and Stew-Mac wire.
The Finish Room
Thin-coat nitrocellulose lacquer applied over weeks, cured over months. Aging and relic work done here when the build calls for it.
The Electronics Bench
Harnesses built from scratch with CTS pots, premium caps, and shielded wire. Every cavity comes out quieter than factory.
Final Assembly
Fretwork, nut carving, hardware, and a full Hot Rod setup. The guitar is played and adjusted until Chris is satisfied.
Come See It Yourself
WATCH YOUR GUITAR BEING BUILT
We build in the open. Stop by the shop and see the benches, the wood, and the work up close. Commissioning a build means progress photos at every stage and an open invitation to visit your instrument along the way.
YOUR GUITAR, DONE RIGHT.
From ground-up custom builds to critical, tour-ready repairs, we have the master-level expertise to bring your vision to life. Stop in the shop.
14 Del Mar Dr, Brookfield, CT · (203) 775-6989