Joe Caruso Guitars

Lily

January 11, 2020January 11, 2020Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

Lily was a custom build for a retired senior citizen who wanted to get back to playing a stringed instrument. Her passion was the Spanish guitar in her youth and she wanted to start with 3 strings to get back in the groove.

Lily features a mahogany veneer on the headstock.

3 string cigar box guitar, acoustic electric
Robaina cigar box
f-hole sound holes
D-style maple neck, poplar fingerboard, white pearloid fret dots, black side dots
628mm scale length (24.5 inches)
bone nut and floating oak bridge
Piezo electric pickup with brass volume control knob; output jack
Closed brass tuners
Solid brass bin pull style tailpiece
Three string – GDG Open Tuning (strings are 0.044w, 0.034w, 0.026w)
Detailed with brass output jack, brass corners and brass guitar strap buttons

Sunshine

January 11, 2020January 11, 2020Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

“Sunshine” is a soprano ukulele built from an inexpensive kit. You get what you pay for; the body and neck needed a lot of sanding and wood filler, which required a white primer coat to hide the wood filler. My very talented artist cousin Deso agreed to do the artwork; it was his first instrument art and he said he had fun doing it.

“Sunshine” has a piezo pickup and jack to amplify the sound.

Da Kine. Whatever…

June 12, 2019September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

Da Kine was assembled from a Concert ukulele kit. The kit was upgraded from friction tuners to open gear tuners and a piezo-electric pickup was added to allow amplification. it is my go to ukulele for performing at Farmer’s Markets and other volunteer events. By the way, Da Kine is Hawaiian for “whatever …”.

Liona – Classy and Elegant

June 5, 2019September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

This 4 string tenor guitar was originally a custom build for myself as a personal guitar. It was eventually donated to the Halton Down Syndrome Association for a fund raising event and found a happy home with a thrilled customer. It seems 4 string instruments are all destined to go out the door! The guitar’s name was suggested by the DJ whose classical radio program I listen to, after I had requested a song performed by Liona Boyd.

4 string acoustic electric
Robaina cigar box
D style maple neck with mahogany fret board, pearloid fret dots and black side dots
f-hole sound holes
bone nut and floating oak bridge
piezo electric pickup
chrome open gear tuners
chrome box corners and volume knob
brushed chrome tail piece
standard tuning D-G-B-E; G open tuning by setting E to D

SLAYER! Dragon Eyes!

August 21, 2018September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

This is a Custom Order delivered to a family of trained musicians. A dragon symbol was needed and we think those are not really cat’s eyes, but dragon eyes in the headstock with medieval design influences.

4 string cigar box guitar, acoustic electric
Monte Cristo cigar box
wood burned facing dragon images; the wings are cut out for sound holes
D-Style cherry neck, mahogany finger board, tiger wood fret dots, white side fret dots
Bone nut and floating oak bridge
Closed gear brass tuners
Solid brass bin pull tailpiece
Four strings – standard tuning for D G B E
Detailed with: brass corners, brass guitar strap buttons, brass volume knob, custom headstock design and dragon eyes detailing.

Bobby – My Hero

December 3, 2017September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

This Custom Order was a Christmas gift from a customer to a relative, a trained musician. The relative has returned home to Japan with his guitar. The relative is a big Bobby Orr fan so we called this our Bobby model in honour.

4 string cigar box guitar, acoustic electric
Michael’s craft box
4 round sound holes
D-Style cherry neck, maple finger board, walnut fret dots, black side fret dots
Bone nut and floating bone bridge in oak saddle
4 pole height adjustable magnetic pickup, black pearloid facing, volume and tone control
Open gear brass tuners
Solid brass tailpiece
Four strings – standard tuning for D G B E
Detailed with: brass tailpiece, brass corners, brass guitar strap buttons, brass grommet sound hole covers, brass escutcheon on the headstock

Ricky! Where are You?

December 3, 2017September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

This guitar was delivered as part of a 2 guitar custom order. It has an exceptional sound because all the sides of the box are wood; none of the sides are covered with paper. Yes, this box was difficult to find, but we did find one! “Ricky!” is in the hands of a trained musician.

BUILD DETAILS
4 string cigar box guitar, acoustic electric
Brick House all wood cigar box
4 round sound holes
D-Style cherry neck, maple finger board, mahogany fret dots, black side fret dots
Bone nut and floating bone bridge in oak saddle
4 pole height adjustable magnetic pickup, black pearloid facing, volume and tone control
Open brass tuners
Solid brass tailpiece
Four strings – standard tuning for D G B E
Detailed with: brass tailpiece, brass corners, brass guitar strap buttons, brass screened sound hole covers, brass escutcheon on the headstock

Sweet Sue – A Calming CBG

August 20, 2017September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

‘Sweet Sue’ was delivered to a young lawyer who keeps it in his office and strums on it to relax. Again, somebody who has never played a musical instrument and is thrilled with the guitar. (Hmmm – can you guess why this is called our ‘Sweet Sue’ model? )

3 string cigar box guitar, acoustic electric
Monte Cristo cigar box
F-hole sound holes
D-style cherry neck, maple fingerboard, white pearloid fret dots, brass side fret dots
Scarf joint headstock with mahogany veneer overlay
620 mm scale length (24.4 inches)
Nut (polystyrene); floating oak bridge
Piezo electric pickup with brass volume control knob; output jack
Closed brass tuners
Solid brass tailpiece
Three string – GDG Open Tuning (strings are .044w, .034w, .026w)
Detailed with: brass tailpiece, brass corners, brass guitar strap buttons

Minnie – Simple and Sweet

August 20, 2017September 11, 2019Joe Caruso GuitarsLeave a comment

‘Minnie’ was delivered to a Customer who didn’t get much time with it. After playing a few songs and showing the family how easy it was to play, the young son grabbed the guitar and song sheets and disappeared upstairs to his bedroom.

Minnie represents a simple minimalist build for a CBG. It lends itself to Customer detailing. The box can be left unfinished and the Customer can add their own artwork or finish to the box.