How Dunable Builds Guitars - Full Shop Tour

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Dig into this inside view of the ‪@DunableGuitars‬ shop in Los Angeles, conducted by PG’s own Chris Kies and namesake builder Sacha Dunable. It’s a major step up from the two-car garage where the company started in 2012! Dunable grew from making one-off guitars for Sacha and his fellow Intronaut guitarist, Dave Timnick, by generating word-of-mouth about the instrument’s easy playability and biting rock tone. “Before I know it, I was getting orders for guitars,” Dunable says.
Our tour starts in the tonewood storage room: mahogany, limba, maple-mahogany primarily for guitar necks and maple primarily for bass necks. Fretboards are ebony. For bodies, it’s mahogany, limba, and swamp ash. Watch a run of bodies for Dunable’s Gnarwhal model in the saw shop (check out the stunning buckeye burl wood for tops) and eyeball the varieties of raw ebony for fretboards. In the CNC shop, you’ll see how to design a custom guitar and then observe one of Dunable’s two CNC machines in operation. “It’s about the consistency, not the speed,” Dunable assures.
Also, you’ll see that all the final cut and trim work is done by hand, as is the artful sanding. (You’ll eyeball a Yeti being smoothed.) In the neck area, Dunable explains the various scale lengths on the company’s instruments, and how some of their production-run necks are farmed out to Grover Jackson’s Tennessee shop. Frets? Dunable’s come from respected fret-wire company Jescar, and they’re typically nickel extra jumbos. After the necks are glued in place, it’s time for paint prep: removing minor blemishes, etc. A gel wood sealer is part of Dunable’s finishing process, “so you can really feel the wood grain and hear the wood resonate,” Sacha explains. He displays a fresh black rainbow sparkle finish with nitro lacquer and a rose-gold over swamp ash, which really lets the wood grain show. Also, get a look at a beautifully finished Dunable Minotaur, plus a rare 9-string Yeti (with doubled treble strings).
In the assembly shop, it’s time to check out Dunable’s own pickups. They’re double-wax-potted by hand (unless requested otherwise). Some Cave Bear pickups are displayed-the latest in the company’s 10-humbucker line.
And the last step is final assembly for Dunable’s roughly 50 guitars shipped per month, and includes custom setup if requested. As the video concludes, Dunable talks about his Southeast Asia-made, lower-priced DE Series, which are setup, tested, and quality checked at the L.A. shop before leaving for stores and individual owners.
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00:00 - Intro
00:30 - Inside Dunable's Wood Shop
04:45 - Exotic Woods for Tops, Necks, Fretboards
07:05 - CNC Design & Engineering
08:25 - Handsanding & Carving
11:21 - Neck Shaping and Fretboard Options
15:51 - Paint Prep, Headstock Logo & Finishing
17:26 - In-Progress Dunable Models
21:06 - Pickup Design & Winding
22:47 - Final Assembly & DE Series
#guitar #factory #guitarbuilding #dunable #dunableguitars

[@premierguitar]

Learn more: bit.ly/Dunable-Guitars Win Guitar Gear: bit.ly/GiveawaysPG Subscribe to PG's Channel: bit.ly/SubscribePGKZbin Don't Miss a Rundown: bit.ly/RIgRundownENL Merch & Magazines: shop.premierguitar.com

[@akrmfk]

If my local retailers would stock dunables(even the de) instead of chapmans..that would be great

[@nathanielcava4128]

I feel that fr

[@jonwsin0014]

Shout out to the band shirts at this place. It’s so nice to see a company making guitars for more unique music.

[@AlbusBand]

Best intro ever--Chris Kies is the man 🙌 and Dunable makes killer guitars…I still miss my Yeti 😢

[@chris_kies]

Love you Aaron!

[@AlbusBand]

@@chris_kies right back at ya my handsome dude 😘

[@ileutur6863]

Really glad these guys are branching out. I'm seeing more and more of them everywhere, hope they become a household name. I'll probably get myself a DE one of fhese days

[@zaccupples4485]

If anyone is considering buying a Dunable, do yourself a favor and just do it. I did my first custom order on January 1st 2018. When my Black Limba Yeti arrived in the fall, it absolutely blew me away. I bought a Custom Shop Cyclops in the summer of 2021 from a dealer and it’s absolutely incredible too. They are the most comfortable necks that I’ve ever played and have all the right contours and finishes. I will be ordering more in the future. Sacha and his team do an fantastic job and it covers all the bases, they aren’t just for metal bands.

[@MatzaFTW]

So proud of how far the company has come in such a short time (and I had NO CLUE Grover Jackson does the necks). Just bought a DE series Cyclops as my first ever Dunable from Chicago Music Exchange and it’s perfect. I actually played that exact 9 string at CME on the day I bought mine haha

[@wakjob961]

'Naught-Kicker' was one of the best shows I've had the pleasure seeing.

[@Deatg-ek8rf]

The new Gibson for the metal heads!

[@fives.]

Sacha & co. make works of art, Nick DiSalvo’s old Yeti and the blue R2 Misha ordered with the carbon fibre ‘guard is what tipped me off then by the time I came across Intronaut’s Rig Rundown I was hooked

[@julianlasut1520]

I've been seeing dunable guitars and basses since Intronaut and Russian Circles, always wanted one. Great seeing them became bigger!

[@carryingfire286]

Sasha’s doing everything right IMO. The asthenic that made old school guitars badass but with some modern amenities and the ability to add basically whatever you’d want. Sick, simple guitars.

[@gregmize01]

Cool combination of woodworking, art and music! 🎸🎸🎸🎸

[@louderthangod]

I’ve got a Dunable with a Robot Graves neck and absolutely love it.

[@billyhughes9776]

I"ve been bojanglin on buy a Dunable -- I've wanted one for several years now. All the models look great but the Gnarlwhal and the Yeti are the two I like the most. The day is coming.

[@Alexroy666]

gorgeous guitars

[@ChannelForty2]

Dude makes some absolutely amazing instruments! I'm just as big a fan of his guitars as I am his music!

[@harryanderson7282]

I said it before and I'll say it again, Dunable makes the guitars that Gibson should've always been making. Truly, my Cyclops has the best ergonomics of any guitar I've ever played or owned.

[@jerrymorgan1752]

Ok, I want a USA one now. The owner seem like a nice honest guy.

[@0odles0fBrutals]

am i crazy or was the video sped up slightly around18:30 to 19 minutes in?

[@tradito]

lol, i just posted the exact same coment.

[@simontone]

awesome stuff!

[@tarkenton3895]

Am I going nuts or do parts of this video feel sped up? I swear nearer the end I can hear some artifacting and the voices being slightly pitchshifted.

[@premierguitar]

Things aren't sped up, but there are points we had to do some heavy filtering/noise cancelling due to the background noise of the machinery in the shop. We walk a thin line balancing between producing a high-quality video that brings you inside the shop and not disrupting production flow and output. Unfortunately, that puts some extra weight on editing, including massaging audio parts into submission. Thanks for watching!

[@tarkenton3895]

@@premierguitar makes sense! Idk maybe I was just super lethargic waking up and watching this and normal person talking speeds just felt very sped up to me lmao

[@premierguitar]

😂😂😂

[@feedboy2112]

At 18:35 it definitely speeds up for a minute or so.

[@zaccupples4485]

@@feedboy2112 yep, 100%. I’ve done video editing for a living the last 10 years, it wasn’t just a noise filter/reduction. It’s not a big deal but it was sped up for about a minute or so. Just saw the pickup section too and it was the same way, you can also tell by the movement and swaying and stuff.

[@nicgundy]

Oh hey!! I tried that exact Yeti 9 string last week, that thing is wild!!!

[@rareform6747]

Love the T-Shirt ! Have a wonderful Korean Guitar from 2005 from Guitar Fetish .

[@melvined]

got a black beauty Asteroid, and damn, one of the best playing gits i've ever laid my hands on. the neck is so dead on, all the way up. great work, Sacha and team!

[@stealingtomorrowband]

Nice.... You guys keep on putting out guitars... I'd love to try one of their basses...

[@mbrighton1802]

Man. That 9 string looks so cool. I wish i could afford something like that.

[@anechoicmedia]

Dunable! yes!!!!

[@bhbuzzco7719]

I would love to own a dunable 🥰 l will someday!! Intronaut are amazing need a new album!!

[@ShredForth]

If you guys ever do a lefty R2 DE I will instantly buy or preorder. Then eventually buy a custom order one. They just seem so killer

[@ronnieparfait]

Love Chris he’s a great interviewer, he freaks me out tho if you watch @ 9:11 he doesn’t blink for like half a minute. 😳🤘🏼✌🏼

[@arthurperez4884]

These are so fine i would love one!

[@miked2721]

Awesome video. So informative and interesting.

[@premierguitar]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Ibaneddie76]

Sick guitars!

[@paperhanger29]

Dunable was my decision for a full custom guitar. Saving currently and one day ill have one.

[@tradito]

Am i going crazy or there's something weird going on with the speed of the video at 18:30?

[@Intaminator]

I'm stoked to see that Dunable is doing so well, feels like a shitton of heavy underground bands are playing them now, and likely for a good reason. Certainly beats having to overpay for a Gibson. I really hope I can snag one of those R2 DEs next year.

[@tunelowplayslow5623]

PRS shop was amazing but this is my shit right here.

[@victorycrosby4896]

I like the oven knob.

[@asshat7160]

Gotta custom Cyclops and Asteroid. Best guitars ever.

[@watcherzero000]

Man I like that Russian Circles shirt that Sacha has on. Never seen one of those.

[@twinreverb87]

I want one!

[@premierguitar]

SAME!

[@TheDorkKnight23]

I want a custom Guitar from Dunable. The Gnarwhal is hands down their best looking Guitar. They even made a Guitar you can smoke weed with haha

[@bukwok]

this video is speed up..? or just me...? not whole video, 17:26 and 21:06.

[@tomireunanen8033]

I see Primordial shirt, I press like!

[@eddykidd]

GO HABS GO!!!

[@mr.timebombman2230]

Like that V

[@zipporaid]

Have been waiting for a yeti DE but probably just have to sell off some gear to get a usa model 😅

[@memq1987]

is the video sped up on some sections?

[@ZakkiLowe]

My dream guitar is a Dunable R2 with a 27.5 inch scale. One day....

[@rikjones5924]

Price ranges?

[@TOBORtheMighty]

Are parts of this sped up a tiny bit? Or did someone spike my drink?

[@clintbrown9622]

that is a sick russian circles shirt! about the only thing I could afford in this video....

[@misunderstudios]

I want that Russian Circles shirt LOL

[@thedirtyknobs]

What make is m2 cnc?

[@slartybatfast5426]

The large machine is a Laguna M2 with tool changer, the small one is a Laguna IQ Pro with tool changer

[@thedirtyknobs]

@@slartybatfast5426 cool I have a cam master I going to switch to a shop saber all ball screw machine. Not hip on rack drive and customer service is terrible with them ..

[@thushankathimira9587]

Made in USA, Gibson Killers.

[@latioswarrior]

I’ve tried to be supportive of these guys but every time I pop into the shop to get work done there tends to be issues and it’s not just from me. Buddies have had issues as well. I’m a bit hesitant to try to spend thousands of dollars if their shop isn’t up to par

[@kodykindhart5644]

Please explain further?

[@djefferson5669]

"Your Guyzes!"

[@damonkatos4271]

Looks like a Squier

[@FriskyOG]

better not let Gibson see some of these shapes. Some may say they arnt "playing authentic" /s

[@MrJohnnyDistortion]

Why do they all look hostile?

[@KARMiP]

KP55

[@smelltheglove2038]

That’s a bunch of ornery looking dudes.

[@AndrewSchwartzenberger]

Chiming in to say that I appreciate the "wood" pun. kzbin.info/www/bejne/iqS0iaFqpq55r6M

[@_o__o_]

dude bro

[@benlogan430]

Man guy…

[@alexandergarr6624]

Why do you all look so angry? 😂

[@bobbyblair6862]

Weird. Last post I read from them said they were ceasing production and the owner was moving on to other things🤷‍♂️

[@a.j.fullerton5459]

Lol. Good 'ol internet. And where did you read that?

[@bobbyblair6862]

@A.J. Fullerton literally from Dunable, several months ago. I don't care enough to dig through their social media posts, but it's there. It wasn't just the gOoD oL iNtErNet

[@DunableGuitars]

@@bobbyblair6862 That definitely wasn't us. We didn't take custom orders from Jan-April 2022, so maybe that's what you're thinking about.

[@bobbyblair6862]

@Dunable Guitars I guess that was it. I had just saved 2 grand and the announcement came that day.🤷‍♂️

[@theAreaMan]

@@bobbyblair6862 We believe you.

[@vincentlussier8264]

Every time you turn around ,there's another name trying to sell you a guitar in an already saturated market. And every goddamned one of them looks like a STRAT or an SG or a Les Paul! Flop!

[@a.j.fullerton5459]

Saturated market = options. Some guitars might look similar but quality, component options, weight, price-point, and a billion other things go into differentiation between them all. There's something for everyone out there nowadays. Don't really see anything to complain about there. You can scream 'flop' all you want but at the end of the day, these guys are going to be around for a long time. As long as there's a market for riff machines "for the people, built by the people", (myself included) there will be a demand for Dunable. Am I a 'fanboy'? Sure. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong.

[@mattstolzenfeld4833]

Welp, we found the Schecter guy, bedazzled jeans and all.

[@a.j.fullerton5459]

@@mattstolzenfeld4833 Lol.

[@TOBORtheMighty]

I know! It's like, do we really need another company making cars? Another brand of phone? Obviously we're all fine with our Pontiacs and Nokias. Why would anyone else even try?

[@vincentlussier8264]

@@a.j.fullerton5459 And you wouldn't have all these dead copies to choose from if they didn't have Gibson and Fender to copy from! Body shapes, single coil, humbuckers, headstocks ,machine heads,bridges and whammy bars , they ALL took from the first and best guitar builders we have. And not a billion other things make them individually different and certainly not better! Most players "settle" for a low cost alternative knock off even though they are well made (and I say they are) when they'd really like a Les Paul ,STRAT,Tele ,SG ect... but of course the U.S. price gets in the way right? We'll say your dream guitar is four or five grand. You spend more than that in a lifetime right? It's not like you're after a dream Ferrari or Lambo here ! Save for a real American guitar even if it's once in a lifetime!

[@gorf101]

Did he say "riff rifles" ? Ba Ha Ha Ha Ha ! Der