Leverty Custom Guitars

Leverty Custom Instruments is a collaboration between luthier and musician Dick Levens and custom guitar airbrusher and finisher Jim Fogarty, both of whom share a desire to produce innovative and totally unique high quality musical instruments.

It was by sheer coincidence, that both Dick and Jim ended up living within half a mile of each other in South Ronaldsay, Orkney (practically neighbours in Orcadian terms), and so it was that the two came to know of each other. Jim having dabbled with an airbrush for some years, initially decided to paint his son Greigs first guitar (the 'Noddy' guitar) and asked Dick if he could sort out the technical side, pickups, etc., after it was painted. Dick, not only a superb artist and musician in his own right, is also a very accomplished luthier. As time progressed the two discovered a common interest in musical instruments with a 'difference' - and Leverty Custom Instruments was the end result.

The 'Maestro' at work. Dick testing one of his instruments (The Elban 4)

Both Dick and Jim are perfectionists who like to push the limits where-ever possible, both striving to produce the unique. Take a look at the work on their own websites if you need any proof of that. So it was that after much coffee and lengthy discussions the concept of the 'Guardian Guitar' was hatched. The basic idea was to develop some guitar designs that combined ergonomically shaped guitar bodies with the artwork being painted onto them. This unlike most custom guitars, where the guitars are generally a fairly standard shape (most also still being basically mass produced), with some then having a custom paintjob applied, usually as an afterthought. The original idea for the 'Guardian' guitar was quite simple - to combine some 'mega-detailed' guitar artwork with a totally handbuilt guitar that would play as well and sound as awesome as it looked - and so it was that early plans for 'Eric' were hatched.

Pencil drawing design for the front of the Leverty Guardian Guitar

'Eric' will be the first 'Leverty Special' unleashed upon an unsuspecting world. A total 'one off' custom, mahogany bodied, 'Kent Armstrong one off pickup' shod, maple necked and ebony fingerboarded beastie, wearing highly detailed artwork that will 'blow the nuts off' of any custom guitar paint job out there!

An early stage picture of the back of the Guardian Guitar body, being shown as a 'Works in Progress'.

A development stage of the front of the Guardian Guitar

'Eric', aka, 'Guardian Guitar' is now well advanced in the process of being painted and is being shown as a 'Works in Progress' on Jims' website. You can follow the work as it progresses and see it develop stage by stage simply by clicking the images above.

Click on the images to see more

The Leverty 'Classic PL1' is the design of Peter Levens, Dicks' fifteen year old son...........and it is gorgeous. These pictures unfortunately don't do it justice. It's not light, being made of solid maple, but it has lovely tone, is perfectly balanced and feels as sexy as Pamela Anderson in silk stockings (unfortunately I can only imagine that). The finish is a lacquered finish, but unpolished giving the guitar a really classy look and a feel you have to experience to appreciate.

Some basic graphics.

An example of Jims work - Click on the image above to see more of Jims custom guitar airbrush work and finishing.

The whole concept of 'Leverty' custom guitars is that they are totally unique, individually crafted one offs. There will never be a limited edition 'Leverty', as neither Dick or Jim like going over same ground twice. The challenge for them is in constantly pushing one step further, whether it be in design, materials, technical spec, artwork or finish. Owning a 'Leverty' guitar, you will be guaranteed the ultimate sounding, top quality, hand crafted, totally unique and beautifully finished guitar.

Above - One of Dicks previous builds, the 'Cox Special' Custom Mandola.

Below - The finished Cox special along with some of Dicks other work.

"Cox Special" Custom Mandola
Sycamore body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, Kent Armstrong custom humbucker, Schaller tuners, handmade bridge unit.

'Mandanglin'

Hand carved mahogany body and neck with a fistful of tuners. 22 frets plus a few extra. Kent Armstrong humbucker, oiled finish.

Elban4
Bubinga neck and body. Rosewood 24 fret finger board. Roland GK midi pickup, Kent Armstrong humbucker. Oiled finished.

Only very limited numbers of 'Leverty' guitars will be made each year, as each individual guitar is a totally one off concept. So if a hand built, custom designed and totally unique guitar appeals to you it's worth having a chat with either Dick or Jim. They will happily help and advise you on the best route to your dream guitar and between them almost anything is possible.

Guitar airbrushing bench.

Guitar Spray Booth

The scene of many hours prepping, rubbing down and polishing.

A 'Leverty' custom guitar can either be built totally to your own technical or artistic specification, or, can be designed and developed by Dick and Jim around the most basic of ideas. Like any specialist hand built instrument, quality and originality take time. Each guitar is individually designed to be both aesthetically and ergonomically perfect, taking anything up to three months to build and finish. Prices for 'Leverty' customs vary according to design and finish specification, so please feel free to give them a call. If you have five minutes to spare take a look at Dick and Jims work, there are links to their own websites below. See if you can find the same old fashioned dedication to detail, innovation, craftsmanship, artwork and finish elsewhere - then come back and give them a call.

If you would like to see more of Dick and Jims previous work, they each have their own websites which are well worth checking out. Here you will get some idea of the kind of work they produced individually and see why, working together, Dick Levens and Jim Fogarty make 'Leverty' custom guitars so unique.

Levens- custom electric mandolins, pizza fiddles, and other things with strings

Dick Levens

The Old Schoolhouse, Garth, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TJ

Tel: (44) 1856 831592

Email: info@dicklevens.co.uk

Check out Jims work at 'Jim Fogarty Graphics'

Jim Fogarty

Cletts, Eastside, South Ronaldsay, Orkney, KW17 2TJ

Tel: (44) 1856 831741

Email:

Visitors to this page since 09.00hrs on the 10th December 2007

Your guide to over 1000 Guitar Resources & Music Sites!

Custom built, custom finished quality guitars - for those that want something 'a bit special'.

All designs and pictures by Dick Levens ©2000-2004 Dick Levens. All rights reserved.
All brands, product names, logos, images, multimedia elements, and technologies are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders, and are hereby acknowledged.

All artwork shown on this website is protected by international copyright law. No image on this website may be used for any commercial or noncommercial purposes without prior written permission from the artist.