As the owner and operator of ZS Guitars -- a small guitar maker based in North Carolina -- Z. Seth Thomas makes one basic model. The company spent two years developing the instrument and adding their own special flair to it, along with ergonomic advancements any serious player will appreciate. Thomas spoke to Gearwire about the whys, whats, and hows of his young company.

As we noted the company currently has only one model, but Thomas says that is going to change shortly.

"I'm working on a new model that I call the Deluxe," says Thomas. "I'm keeping a tight lid on it until I reveal it, probably in the next month or two. But I will say that it's going to blow people's minds."

Even though the company makes only one basic guitar, that doesn't mean it is a "one-size-fits-all" operation. Thomas works diligently to maintain his custom guitar show status and that, of course, means building to client specifications.

"I do however try to urge my clients to choose options that work better with my design, such as a blend knob rather than a pickup selector switch." he says.

There is an "off the rack" version of the first ZS model as well, for those not into tweaking all the details.

"It basically consists of my signature curved-body guitar loaded with high quality parts such as Sperzel locking tuners, ABM bridges, and dual Seymour Duncan humbuckers. And I always use a three knob volume / blend / tone control setup." says Thomas.

There is a boiler-plate question that hovers above any interview with a small music gear manufacturer; Why should someone buy from you rather than a bigger, established company? The reasons vary with the type of gear but Thomas' answer is somewhat unique -- at least the first part anyway.

"The answer to that question is love. Our guitars are built slowly with a lot of care and attention to detail. And no two guitars are the same," says Thomas. "Also, customer service; we stand behind our work and you can bet we will fix it for free if anything goes wrong. You get all of this at prices that are competitive with "big name" high end models. It's a no-brainer."

One of the innovations that Thomas has included in his instruments are his pot pods.

Z. Seth Thomas's proprietary Pot Pods

"Pot pods are an invention of mine designed to enhance the aesthetics of the electric guitar. Once installed the pot pods eliminate the need for access plates on the body of the guitar. To access the electronics you simply remove the guitar knob, where you will find a pod hidden underneath," he says. "Open the pod with a screwdriver and you will find pots and wires just like any electric guitar. The difference is no ugly plastic covers that hide the beautiful wood grain or candy paint job."

And he has also made the guitar more ergonomic. According to Thomas, his design fits the human form better than most flat-backed guitars.

"The shape of the guitar has a slight curve to it from the wings to the tail. It conforms to the human body because it mimics our natural organic shape," he says. "It rests more comfortably against the human torso and easily accommodates the players arm. The curve helps the guitar stay in place, so it feels more natural and easy to control."

Thomas has a background in product design and has studied "human factors" in design as applies to human-instrument interaction.

"I deeply pondered the subject's relevance to the realm of electric guitar design. Two years of design work including a number of physical and computer generated test models were produced and the guitar's shape was honed into the design we're using today," he says.

Then there is the wood. And as everyone hopefully knows, the wood you make a guitar with is where the instrument's personality originates. It is the home of the tone.

Side View Showing The Ergonmic Curves Of A ZS.Thomas Custom Guitar

"I usually stick to traditional tone woods. Wood selection is very important because it has a major impact on your sound. For example, if you build an electric guitar with too much of a very hard wood you will hear a brightness coming through your amp that sounds 'harsh,'" he says. "Too much of a softer wood will sound "muddy". Not enough of either one will sound "weak". A good balance between "brightness" and 'mellowness' is the goal."

Typically Thomas uses mahogany and maple for his guitars, but he notes that those are not the only appropriate woods.

"I also use basswood, alder, walnut, and cherry. I like pairing woods that work well together tonally. For example, a warm sounding basswood or mahogany with a bright sounding maple or walnut."

The wood Thomas uses comes from a hardwood distributor in North Carolina.

"The figured maple they carry, I believe, comes from right here in the state. A lot of manufacturers use 'big leaf' flamed maple that comes out of Washington state that have these really tight 'boat wake' curls in them. The local stuff here has the same sonic properties, but the look of it is a bit different," says Thomas. "If you look at some of my tops you will notice the figure is less uniform. Instead of tight, perfect flames we get lumber with big out-of-control tube flames, or erratic sectional boat wakes punctuated with burls. The shape and feel of my guitars is somewhat other-worldly. I think the natural rustic tops bring them back down to earth."

Thomas' plan is to stay small and focus on a high-quality product that will build him a reputation. He hopes to grow the ZS brand when the time is right and bring these fine instruments to the masses.