ONPA guitars

This is my made in SG guitar by the good people at ONPA guitars. Is it new? No. Was conceived at the tail end of COVID. Wanted to abandon the order due to the lack of funds (unemployment + huge medical bill) but managed to sell off some stuff to see this project through which I'm glad I did. Everything was spec'd out by me. Having gone through a good number of guitars, I went with something very simple. 

ONPA did everything less the pickup. I got this double cream, F-Spaced DiMarzio Norton BNIB. The seller said he custom ordered a PAF, but received a Norton instead, so it was my lucky day. Be informed that the double cream colour combo is patented by DiMarzio so anything in this finish would cost a little more than everything else. 

The most outlandish feature of this guitar is the neck. It's flamed all over, headstock included. I didn't ask for this flame grade but it happened. If you know me by now, I'm not one who embraces eye candy, I'm basically a boring person who like simple stuff. I'd rather go for quality than flash. I specified the body to be finished in brown but a creamy shade to avoid a sunburst-esque hue which I dislike. It turned out to be flushed with the neck which was a surprise more than anything else. 

I was skeptical with the order because I have never engaged with a local commercial entity to make a guitar from scratch. The communication leading to the manifestation of this guitar was very good. Details & payment advice were documented for scrutiny before the final decision was made. A 50% deposit was required prior to build commencement. We met up when the body & neck was done  (pre-electronics & hardware) for an initial assessment. Some fine tunings were permitted subject to feasibility. Do check them out: ONPA guitars

GJ6: Rear look

GJ6's rear look, the cavity there is spacious enough for a battery accommodation should you decide to have active electronics in the system. Also, Mr. GJ had opted for the non-conventional by sporting the input jack away from the main cavity. In fact, it's also the instrument's strap button.

GJ6: More body exposures

Here's another take on the GJ6 body; note the mini toggle switch in use as well as the further location of both the guitar & volume knobs.

This is how thick the body is, if you have the chance to handle it in person, you'd realize that it's rather slender, almost a neck-like dimension.

A look at things over at this end & you'd note how generous the elbow relief is.

This is my favourite feature- the neck-body depth difference is only slight. Your fingers wouldn't reject the feel over this area so making upper frets travel very pleasant.

GJ6: Headstock

Here's a close-up of the GJ6 headstock, it's in the image of the Strat but a more trimmed make of it.

A view of the flip-side; a row of Sperzel locking tuners. The neck rear is merely a stained finish from one end to the other.

From this angle we can see the beveling which complements the tuner alignment. In addition to the visual attraction, it's a way to alleviate some weight here.

GJ6: Intro

You've seen the 8-string version, here's the 6. Unlike its behemoth sibling, the GJ6 is more meticulously conceived. Em... I like it more than the 8.

To be continued...

GJ8: Intro

This 8-string behemoth isn't mine, it's on loan for an appraisal here. This installment serves as an introduction to what my friend, Mr. GJ Kung, has to offer. 

The guitar was crafted in Singapore, it's definitely a product of sweat & toil. However, it's not a recent addition, the instrument was made 3 yrs ago. It sports a 30" scale length so it's as good as dealing with a short scale bass. The neck is also a little wider than what you might come across in the stores here but still very playable. Mr. GJ Kung told me this is strictly a prototype for some introverted moments but in the mean time, he's ready to take orders from you if you wish to customize a 6/ 7/ 8-string guitar: gjkung@hotmail.com

Watch this space for more disclosures.