Developing Nations Guitars (Aluminum, Made in Baltimore)

[whoismarykelly]

In response to this comment from the EGC thread. These guitars deserve their own thread.

Paging whoismarykelly.

I might be wrong but I think I saw some pics of you with the Developing Nations gear this weekend. I've got an order placed with him and am really keen to hear some feedback on what you think of them so far.

I've recorded a couple records with Kevin Bernsten, who owns Developing Nations Studio in Baltimore, Maryland. Kevin is an incredible engineer and producer and you've probably heard a ton of his work if you listen to heavy music. He is absolutely one of the very best if you're looking for someone to record with. I've owned a handful of different metal necks over the years and Kevin has shown me the bits and pieces of his startup guitar company over the last year or so. He has his necks machined to a rough state by a contractor and then does all the finish work, machines and installs his own fretboards, and frets and sets up every guitar. He winds his own pickups and makes the bodies himself from raw lumber. I've been seriously impressed with every step I've seen along the way. I was working on a record with him when he had the first neck finished and strung up and I was blown away that his first fret job and first nut were extremely well made and finished. The dude just has a talent for executing his vision really really well.

DNGs have a hollow aluminum neck that fits into a slot in the body. The neck is visible from the front of the instrument which is unique. Sort of like a Curlee crossed with a Bean. The necks have a medium thick C shape that can be made thicker or thinner based on the fretboard dimensions. The nut width is between 1 3/4 and 1 11/16 so its wide but still feels very comfortable. Its one of the only necks on the market that isn't painfully thin and reminds me of my TB1000 with a much wider nut width.

The frets are stainless, available boards are Richlite and aluminum, and the bodies currently available are an LP DC shape and Kevin's own shape which is more of a vintage look. Prices at this point are ~$2200 which is very reasonable and delivery is measured in weeks rather than years which is a huge benefit. I know basses are the next design in the works with baritones coming after that. If you're interested its definitely worth hitting Kevin up on IG or through email. His IG handle is @developing_nations.

[Chankgeez]

Nice!

(Charm City Meadworks? Where's the Natty Boh?)

[whoismarykelly]

Boh isn’t made in Baltimore anymore.

Meadworks is dope though.

[dubkitty]

nice-looking guitars, but there's gonna be a c&d letter coming in the mail from Rickenbacker at any moment. they're notoriously litigious about their designs, which is why you seldom see Ricky clones.

[skullservant]

Cannot waaait for mine

[whoismarykelly]

nice-looking guitars, but there's gonna be a c&d letter coming in the mail from Rickenbacker at any moment. they're notoriously litigious about their designs, which is why you seldom see Ricky clones.

Its not a Rickenbacker clone though. There are a lot of changes to that design to make it not a Rickenbacker. For one it has a full lower horn so its not the cresting wave shape. The top horn is also changed from the Ricmenbacker shape. Rickenbackers don't have a bevel along the top. The guard is different. So on and so forth.

[Olin]

nice-looking guitars, but there's gonna be a c&d letter coming in the mail from Rickenbacker at any moment. they're notoriously litigious about their designs, which is why you seldom see Ricky clones.

Its not a Rickenbacker clone though. There are a lot of changes to that design to make it not a Rickenbacker. For one it has a full lower horn so its not the cresting wave shape. The top horn is also changed from the Ricmenbacker shape. Rickenbackers don't have a bevel along the top. The guard is different. So on and so forth.

Some people haven't even recognised the Rickenbacker design and have thought it was a Gretsch shape instead. I would imagine he's fairly safe here and that the changes made to the body are substantive enough. He said I was the first to place an order in that shape, so if a C&D does happen I'm glad I got in first.

Anyway, thanks for all the info, really nice to be able to get some more information about them, especially when it's so glowing. What have you made of his pickups so far?

[whoismarykelly]

I had the first pickup he made in a guitar for a day or so and I liked it. It was bright and punchy without being thin. Really worked great for heavier music where control of bass on the front end is important.

[mcatano]

I'm really interested in these and love the ric-esque shape. Someone mentioned that he's doing an offset style body as well, I wonder if the neck-through design would accommodate a JM tailpiece?

[whoismarykelly]

I'm really interested in these and love the ric-esque shape. Someone mentioned that he's doing an offset style body as well, I wonder if the neck-through design would accommodate a JM tailpiece?

The neck ends at the bridge as you can see in the pictures. The neck drops in from the top of the body so if you had a JM trem then that would not be mounted to the neck which would defeat the purpose of the neck-through design.

[mcatano]

Right, but the bridge would still be mounted to the neck.

[JonnyAngle]

Imo youd be better off with a mustang bridge to keep it all on one piece

[whoismarykelly]

Right, but the bridge would still be mounted to the neck.

Would prob also require a new neck design as the part of the neck the bridge bolts to is only wide enough for a hardtail strat-style bridge and would not be wide enough for a TOM/JM type bridge.

[ibarakishi]

reeeeeeally want one of these. hope he sells just the necks as well with the thru piece design unlike what others are doing with just the bolt on necks

[coldbrightsunlight]

These are so pretty!

Particularly love the little wave/spike at the top of the headstock. Nice touch.