Introduction: Feral or Custom
So, you have decided to pull the trigger and get yourself a custom Blackat guitar. How do you find your perfect specification through all available options? While we are considered a semi-custom shop, the long list of possible choices can be confusing at first. This is why I’ve created this guide to help you with decisions. Consider it a manual that will help you understand how options affect each other’s and how to make Your dream guitar a reality.
Building blocks
The idea behind ordering our guitar is that there are no fixed models based on shapes as other manufacturers offer. Each key part of the guitar is treated as building block and you can freely mix many options giving you hundreds of possible combinations. Even Feral line offers this freedom to some extent and we always look into new ways of expanding choices.
Feral and Custom Shop
Let’s go deeper into differences between Feral and Custom series. When we’ve started in 2012, we wanted to create simple high quality instruments that are raw in looks and provide great cost to quality ratio. We have soon realized that customers expect more flexibility in choice of options so we’ve started adding custom options to accommodate this. Custom options usually mean higher cost and longer delivery time so we have looked into possibility of having separate, closed spec line that would allow us to better plan our production and shopping schedules.
After few iterations this is pretty much what current Feral line is.
Completely closed spec wouldn’t work for many of our customers so instead we’ve created a limited list of possible options that are available for Feral. We also try to expand or change something in possible Feral options each year but the core idea stays the same – Feral is a line of simple high quality guitars with raw aesthetics that gets all the same love and care as our custom series. If option doesn’t fit simpler production plan (like tops, bindings, custom inlays, highgloss finishes), or requires non standard solutions (for example DA and AT shapes require different, customized hardcase) it is not available for Feral. But there is still plenty to choose from.
Custom Shop is where Your and our creative freedom can be fully embraced. There are nearly endless combinations that let us create unique and beautiful instruments. You can pick among wide choice of shapes, woods, pickups, hardware and finishes, including custom colors. Probably the most obvious upgrade over Feral line is choice of figured top woods. This opens a whole array of deep 3D finishes and makes each build unique as there are no 2 identical pieces of wood. Or maybe you prefer modern looking pearlescent solid finishes with no visible wood grain? There’s a lot to choose from and I will elaborate in detail on this in future parts of this guide.
Regardless if you decide to get a solid workhorse Feral or state of art Custom build, you should expect same high level of build quality and same core features.