My friend/twice-roommate Cameron told me he was building guitars. I’m an acoustic player, mildly interested in electric, but I wanted to support him, so I ordered one.

I just got my guitar. I was NOT expecting this. I think this may truly be the finest guitar ever made.

Cameron made this guitar with chisels and sandpaper. Every detail is perfection. In some ways beyond perfection. Anything above 320 grit sandpaper is considered overkill. He hand-sanded this to 2000.

I can’t even believe what he’s done.

The body is made of thick (thicc) quilted maple, the most beautiful piece I’ve ever seen. It’s a 3-dimensional holographic aquarium of delights. The back is book-matched walnut. The lumber guy called Cameron months later to tell him it was the nicest tree they’d ever processed.

The neck is Brazilian Rosewood. The fret board is a piece of Kingwood with its bottom edge being this perfectly thin strip of sapwood.

The headstock is seamlessly integrated maple, for its weight, so that the guitar is perfectly balanced.

The whole guitar weighs 6 pounds, and he achieved that by using titanium for some of the components and playing with the walnut (heavy) to maple (light) ratio. Parts of this guitar he built multiple times before getting it just right.

There are honestly too many details to go into here. The electronics cover fits perfectly flush, attached by four rare earth magnets. The tuning pegs are geared so that no matter which string, a half turn is a half step. Even the knobs are carefully crafted.

The fret markers are custom stainless steel and brass mosaic pins filled with luminant resin… Yes, the fret markers glow in the dark (for when I’m on stage one day).

The fifth fret marker is flanked by 18 karat gold pins, denoting that this is the fifth guitar Cameron has made.

I specifically requested that my guitar be the fifth (I have a weird brain about numbers), and that he sign it. He apparently doesn’t believe in signing, so these gold pins were his way of signing.

As someone who makes tools, I don’t know if there’s any way I can adequately express what a masterpiece Cameron has achieved with this guitar. I have never seen its equal.

I expect this guitar might be played by my children’s children’s children one day.

I tried to capture the spirit of the guitar at my desk with these video clips but I intend to give it a truly proportionate cinematic treatment later. I also interviewed Cameron about its genesis (resentment at every guitar he’s owned, the most common asset of a great toolmaker).

Cameron is on Instagram (llewellynguitars) and Twitter @llewellynguitar. If 1. you have the means, 2. want one of the finest guitars ever built, and 3. don’t mind waiting, I recommend you contact him before he becomes unreachable.

And if you know a rockstar, please pass along.

Again, this really isn’t hyperbole… To my knowledge, I have in my possession the greatest guitar ever built. I do not deserve this thing. And to pre-answer the most common question, I’ll quote Cameron: “It plays like it looks like it plays.”