The Swamp Thing

Meet the Swamp Thing.

You see this guitar elsewhere on my site. It's an example of 'repurposing' materials. It entered my life as a rickety old bookcase at a thrift store from the Mission San Buena Ventura School District. I bet it was from the forties or earlier. It was plain as can be in structure. But the wood was 100% birdseye maple. Old stuff. Wide, too. Tons of huge birdesyes. Wide enough to bookmatch into guitar caps. Several of them.

Eureka!

I'm supposed to forevermore credit my neighbor Dave C. for this guitar's name. His first words when he walked into my shop the day I was dying it were "What's that Swampy lookin' thang?"

Thanks, Dave.

Even leaving!

This is one of my last bolt on neck guitars. Well, maybe not last. But it's one of fewer and fewer. But, as I play this guitar, I wonder what all the fuss is about setnecks. This guitar meets all of my guitar needs. I'd play it more but I want to get top dollar for it.

Besides this incredible birdseye cap, there are a few other things adding profoundly to the tone of this guitar. Mainly, the Madagascar Rosewood (also old stuff) fretboard. I know little about it except that it's like no other rosewood I've ever worked. It's real hard, uniformly dark brown. But it's got this kind of mojo. That's all I can say.
I also switched it a bit differently than usual. I added a 5 position switch with two tapped positions instead of mini toggles.

I can work with you to get this guitar into your hands. All you have to do is get the ball rolling by email or phone. This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it 1-818-889-5130

Tillycoasters?

RockPlates™by Till Guitars

RockPlates are guitar shaped gift items that I make right alongside Till Guitars.
From the woodworking to the finish, the building processes are quite similar. I think you'll be very pleased with the look and feel of my work.
Like my guitars, I guarantee each RockPlate.

Credit Cards

I'm finding more and more ways to take your money, thank you. Of course, I accept cash and checks. But, for the plastically inclined, I gladly accept anything you can push through PayPal They take Visa and Mastercard for sure. Library cards? Not always.

TG-250 Curly Maple for Toggle Switches

As with my guitars, custom orders are encouraged. Simply write to me with your ideas.

Rosewood 335 SwitchPlate

Till Guitars TG-250 "Lady on the Beach" Setneck No. 152 Birdseye Maple

Welcome to Joe Till Guitars.

That would be me and these would be them. Thank you for visiting.
I think of this website as my online business card. A simple introduction, a chance to show you some of my work. Maybe even plant a seed in your imagination for down the road.
My real goal is to get you to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . That's where the whole process begins.

Pure Elegance. TG-100 Setneck

RockPlates™ by Till Guitars

If you're looking for RockPlates, you've found them. Click here or scroll down to see all of my fun new guitar shaped gift items.

RockPlates by Till Guitars

Guitar Models

I currently offer two different models (with a third in the works) which can be modified endlessly: The TG-100 "Solo" and the TG-250 "Lady on the Beach". Options include your choice of necktypes: Setneck, Neck-Through-Body and Bolt-on. Neck shape and scale lengths are also for you to determine. But, I also build guitars without custom orders. I refer to them as 'Private Stock'. I try to note which ones are available throughout this website.

Career Defining TG-250

Till Guitars on Tour

Thank you, again, for stopping by the Till Guitars website. I look forward to beginning a discussion with you. Please continue poking around my website, there's much more to be learned. And please write to me with any questions - including prices - at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

TG-100 "Solo" Mixed Woods

But over the course of a gig I usually play a little bit of everything I can from bad jazz to worse country, so I want to have the widest tonal range possible. Everything from jangle to punch. And I have to get it at all volumes.
A tall order but I think my newest TG-100's fill the bill. After a dozen years of continual refinement, the Solo can easily be the only guitar you take out the door to a gig. Although you're welcome to take along a TG-250 for balance.
As with my other model, the Solo can be fully customized to your particular needs. About the only thing not on the table is the scale length. Just because. Otherwise, have at it.

I think the Solo is at it's most versatile when set up like this one.

TG-100 Setneck with Bookmatched "AAAA" Curly Maple Cap

Each humbucker has it's own volume control and coiltapping switch to let you flip from light rhythms to seriously snarly leads like nothing flat.
Because shorter scales require less string tension to reach pitch, I recommend a fixed bridge. I like the tune-0-matic because it allows for a good, steep neck angle which adds to the resonance and comfort of a guitar. And you can bend notes to your chin!
However, with proper nut slotting and other considerations, the Solo easily supports a floating bridge. I suppose I can get any brand but I really like The Point tremolo because it's so responsive yet un-obtrusive. And it doesn't require a locking nut to work.
TG-100 Headstock

For both tonal and weight concerns, the TG-100 is built with semi-hollow body. Even the ones without f-holes are semi-hollow. This allows me to use heavier, denser tonewoods without you having to pay the price, physically. Most Solos come in at around 7 1/2 pounds. Even when loaded up with maples, rosewoods, purpleheart and other woods you might not associate with guitars.

TG-100 with Maple and Walnut Cap

#133 TG-100 Setneck - Available

Curly Maple TG-100 "Solo" No. 133 with Setneck

This guitar has hardly been out of the case since I finished it over a year ago. I only take it out to photograph it because of it's incredible flame maple cap. It just glows in any light. I can only imagine what stage lighting will do to this smoldering amber and red finish.

This model always has a 24 3/4 inch Gibson scale. Any longer would make it too top heavy. But this one has a neutral balance. You can wear it at almost any angle.

Under the watchful eye of Punkin Head

Except for it's rosewood fretboard and knobs, I could call this model the 'All American' due to it's otherwise all domestic body and neck woods. Curly Maple is the rule on this guitar, but it's tone is softened by it's semi-hollow alder core. The dark layers in teh neck are California Black Walnut.

As with any guitar you see here, feel free to email me with any questions or comments to This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it I do my best to get right back with detailed answers. I can also take additional pictures of any particular guitar. And sending you a sound clip is not out of the question.

Surf's Up!

The TG-100 has my original 'hound dog' headstock. I drop it back at about 14 degrees for a good amount of downward tension on the nut while still being structurally sound. This one has a set of chrome Sperzel non locking tuners.

                               Heckle and Jeckle

I'm just about done with this pair of setnecks. As of this writing (end of August) they've been clear finished and buffed out to a beautiful gloss. But I have yet to install the hardware. If you lay claim to this absolutely unique set of bookends there are still many choices to be made in terms of pickups, switching and hardware finishes. Call: 818-889-5130, write: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) or stop by the shop to discuss your options.

The light wood is mottled rock maple and the yellowish wood is Indian Satinwood. Separating each is a thin band of purpleheart. The same woods are repeated in the multilaminate setneck.

                                    Interesting from Every Angle

These guitars are as close as I've ever tried to make two guitars. I think they'd make a fine "A/B" setup for a busy guitar player. But in my wildest dreams I see these acting as bookends on stage for a big-haired country band.

Specs so far:

25 1/2 in scale. 22 jumbo frets on 12 in. radius rosewood fretboard with abalone dots. Double-action trussrod.

Drilled for Tune-o-matic bridge / Stop tailpiece. Two potentiometers, one 3-way toggle and two mini toggles which can be used for various switching operations.

Routed for two humbucking pickups.