Ted Crocker Custom Guitars profile picture

Ted Crocker Custom Guitars

I am here for Friends and Networking

About Me


My World Visitor Map since 12/10/06!
Flame of Hope
Peace
I create guitars and gear. It's my therapy. I make 'em for myself, and for serious musicians with an itch for something handcrafted and one of a kind. Sometimes I offer a finished custom guitar for sale that wasn't made for a particular customer.
I'll build one for you based on my production designs, or from your sketch & specs. Be prepared to have a lot of input and communication when we create your instrument. I post a private 'Client Progress' page so the buyer can see their instrument evolve from a slab of wood into their dream guitar.
I guess I'm best known for my line of Rusty Nail instruments. These are organic and one of a kind. They feature my handwound Stonehenge pickups.
Honey Dripper is the most 'famous' Rusty Nail guitar. She sounds sweet and plays like a dream. There's a great presence and a definate mojo. She calls to you to pick it up and play. I have no idea how I'll react when I see AND HEAR HER on the big screen.
Taser is a production instrument, but the one in the pics isn't for sale, it's too sweet to part with. Want one? - I have the templates and jigs, just tell me your pup, hardware & wood choices. I have a rough body cut from a Poplar/Oak combo - wanna reserve it for your own?.
I'm always working on new designs, so check with me to see what's available. I'll post the ones that need a loving home here so be quick when you see one you want.
Contact me [email protected] for any info, or just to chat. Got a question about building or repair or how to design your own one-off? I'll try to help. I'm always happy to teach. And learn...
I also build cigar box guitars. Some have the latest hardware and others look like you found them in a shed after a hundred years - all play awesome with a voice of their own. Got a cigar box (or a lunch box or cookie tin or practically anything)? I'll give it a voice...They always get attention.
The Delta Box guitar is almost ready to be wired. This guitar is shaping up to be very special. Check my website TedCrocker.com for details on the Delta Box Blog Tour and to sign up to be a part of it.
Armageddon is nearly complete. This beast will growl thunder with 2 quad rail humbuckers. She has a marble finish.
I also build harp mics with a wood shell like a Bullet, and a custom gig case. I'm working on a smaller design that hides in your cupped hands, another that attaches to the harmonica and one that fits in a mic stand.
Contact me with any cool ideas for gear you want me to build.
I'll post more designs and products as soon as I shoot them (and figure out HTML). I'll soon have guitar stands, hangers and display cases and even some cool wall hanging art. I can turn a pic of you into a wooden piece of art that hovers a few inches off the wall, lit from behind to give an aura. I'll get a pic of a sample up as soon as I can. Check my website for Buffalo Horn Guitar Picks, Ebony Picks and other cool, hand crafted gear!
I'm a one man, one bird shop, and we do this to create unique tools to help you express your soul.
Start thinking about your dream guitar...
Thanks for stopping by.
Ted & Taxi
TedCrocker.com

My Interests



Instruments created one at a time for serious musicians.

***** NEWS *****

Ted Crocker Guitars Completely New Website Goes Live 1/1/08

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Ted Crocker interviewed by Modern Guitars Magazine. Click here .

***** NEWS *****

Ted Crocker was chosen to make instruments for 2 upcoming movies; Honeydripper and Bolden!.
Honeydripper is a John Sayles film starring Danny Glover due for release in late 2007/early 2008.
Set in 1950 Alabama, Honeydripper is an intense glimpse into life in the rural south.

And the blues...

Glover's juke joint is about to go under and he hires an unknown guitar player to fill in at the last minute.

Sonny opened his case and revealed the first electric guitar anyone had seen.

A blurb about the movie says
"it evokes that magic Bo Diddley moment when music fused the blues with rock & roll".

Gary Clark Junior is an accomplished blues musician who plays the role of Sonny.

The script described the guitar as 'a neck screwed to a piece of wood with exposed wires'

This is how I interpreted and crafted it.

Honey Dripper is in the Crocker 'Rusty Nail' series of instruments and gear.
She had to be up to the rigors of recording the soundtrack in a 21st century studio
as well as hold up to location filming and live recording.
It's Hollywod, so I made two, just in case a stand-in was needed.

I tried to put myself in the mind of Sonny. I wound three 2 string pickups and put them in an exposed cavity.
Stonehenge pickups are great sounding and also beautiful artwork.
Taxi donates a feather for mojo to every project..

Cick to learn more

Here's a video of Ben Prestage playing her

Ben is an awesome, award winning blues musician, and a friend...

Ben Prestage was voted “one of the three best unsigned performers in the world”
at the 2006 International Blues Challenge
and is the only two-time recipient of the prestigious
“Lyons/Pitchford Award" for 'Best Diddley-Bow Player'.

Check out Ben Prestage for up to date scedule and more tunes.

Click to visit the Official Honeydripper Movie site:

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The Back Porch'r is a Rusty Nail guitar made for Sidewalk Bob .
She's similar to the Honey Dripper but has 5 strings with a fully adjustabe bridge.
The Back Porch'r has a 2 and a 3 string Stonehenge pickup.
I listened to a lot of Sidewalk Bob's music to get an idea how to design for his style and sound.

Each Rusty Nail guitar includes a tweed case, custom stand, wood picks and a vintage strap & cable.
I usually create a few extras for the artist!

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High Freq is a Rusty Nail guitar crafted for Microwave Dave .

High Freq uses a 6 string Crocker Stonehenge pickup with a volume and tone control.
She also has three 1 string pickups for the E, A & D strings, each with its own volume control which goes to a separate jack.
The 2 circuits will allow Dave to output his guitar tone through effects and into a guitar amp,
and also output his bass strings through different effects and into a bass amp.

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Soul Bender is a Rusty Nail bass crafted for Mike 'Monotone' Taylor of Big Red & the Soul Benders

Soul Bender has Crocker Stonehenge pickups similar to both a Jazz and a Precision to give Mike more control over his tone.
Stonehenge pickups are individually crafted to suit the musician, the guitar & amp and the type of music played.
Mike will probably get the new nickname 'Multitone'!

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Low Freq is a Rusty Nail guitar being crafted for Ben Prestage .
She is nearly a twin of High Freq and incorporates the same intricate pickup circuits.

Ben is a solo performer and the Low Freq will give him expanded capabilities to voice his bass riffs.
Ben plays a foot drum kit as he picks and sings. Check his schedule and go see him in person!

Click here for more video I shot of Ben, as well as footage I shot of all the artists at the 2007 Cigar Box Guitar Extravaganza.

Click here to visit my other MySpace project: Cigar Box Guitar Headquarters.

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The Mississippi Stinger is a Rusty Nail harmonica microphone crafted for Blind Mississippi Morris.

The Mississippi Stinger started life as a Mulberry tree next door.

Click hear to see and hear the story of her transformation from log destined for the fireplace.
(Clicking on any of the links on this page will take you to more stories and photos)

She has a crystal element and I perform some tricks inside to get a dirty blues tone.
As with all my microphones, it comes in a custom gig case, and this one has 'Morris' on the top in Braille.

Here's Morris and his Stinger in action at BB Kings in Memphis.

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Taser is an instrument from the TC Rocker series:

She's available with your choice of pickups and hardware - even left handed!

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Armageddon is a TC Rocker series guitar still In Progress:

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The Delta Box is a guitar still In Progress. She defies description...

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Here are some other instruments I've created:

The Spasm Bass is a reproduction of a homemade instrument played in a Spasm Band in 1905 New Orleans.
It was crafted for the upcoming movie Bolden!, a biography of jazz pioneer Buddy Bolden.

The Delta Plank was the inspiration for the Honey Dripper

The BoSS, and Pinetop Perkins tickling her:

The Jawbone Harp Mic . Another Rusty Nail family member., crafted for Pat 'Jawbone' Kenyon .
This one has a Mag/Res element and some under the hood modifications.
All my harmonica microphones are hand made and one of a kind.
I have some tricks to get a great blues tone.
All microphones come with a custom gig case.

Contact me if you're a harp player and interested in a Rusty Nail mic.

Fever Baritone

Fever Bass

Romeo y Julietta Cigar Box Guitar

More Cigar Box Guitars

Cohiba Cigar Box Resonator Guitar

Hollow Body Flying Vee

Boat Paddle headless travel guitar prototype

Hot Dog Bun Harmonica Mic prototype

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Mini Delta Box Ornament
(many for sale)
Completely hand crafted

A 6" mini cigar box guitar ornament. Ideal for your rear view mirror or Holiday Tree!

Only $16.00 free shipping (US/48)

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Buffalo Horn Guitar Picks

These are great, rock hard picks ideal for a sharp attack, when using a slide or when you really want to hear the string.
I used to use a stainless steel pick for loud, articulate notes, but now I use these for almost everything.
The sound when using a slide is incredible.

These are, thick, hand shaped and polished to a high gloss.
Compare them to a tortoise shell guitar pick.

These are very cool and I always have a bunch in my pocket.

Only $4.50 each (cheapest price on the web)

Free Shipping US/48

ASK ME ABOUT EXOTIC WOOD GUITAR PICKS!!!

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Start imagining what Ted Crocker can create for you...

I'd like to meet:

Franklin, Edison, DaVinci, Fender, Gibson, Rickenbacker, Smith, Goldberg, Escher, Dali, Jobs, Foose, the Tuetals and You...