We first started working with Michael Gillet Instruments in 2013 when they approached us to prototype the 3d shaping for some of their guitar components. We worked closely with their cad designer and production manager Simon Austen to devise methods of producing the neck assembly and other complex shaped components in small batches. We have now successfully achieved this for several different models. A high quality of work is required as components are machined, glued together and re-machined in multiple processes whilst maintaining a high degree of accuracy throughout. This is vital to ensure that components mate together properly, allowing subsequent work in MGI’s workshop to progress without production problems.
‘We used to use a local commercial routing company to produce low volumes of templates and flat panels from ply and MDF and although they produced good quality work it was always frustrating squeezed between large production orders and never knowing when our job would be completed.
When we started our guitar project we wanted to find a company to work with who valued our custom, communicated well and really understood how to work with solid wood with the high degree of accuracy and quality of finish required for our instruments. We have found all of that in Waywood.
We are very CAD literate and solid model all of our parts using Solidworks. Waywood are able to understand and use our native CAD models to produce their machining strategies thus eliminating any chance of any errors in translation or in the interpretation of drawings.
Now five years down the line we are moving into full scale production and Waywood are producing several complex three dimensional parts and assemblies for our guitars in batches of 20 and they have become a key supplier to our operation.’
Simon Austen – CAD designer/production manager, MGI