FAQ
FAQ and General information:
Ships worldwide?
Yes
Average shipping price?
40-$90 in the USA. 60-$130 International.
Tunings:
Any tuning is possible, but we prefer standard tuning:
12-string guitar: 6+6 setup: EADGBE + EADGBE
14-string guitar: 7+7 setup: BEADGBE + BEADGBE
14-string guitar: 8+6 setup: F#BEADGBE + EADGBE
16-string guitar: 8+8 setup: F#BEADGBE + F#BEADGBE
16-string guitar: 9+7 setup: C#F#BEADGBE + BEADGBE
8-string bass: G D A E + G D A E
10-string bass: G D A E B + G D A E B
12-string bass: C G D A E B + C G D A E B
Guitar String gauges:
You can use any gauges you like, but these are our favorites:
1-6th: .008, .011, .014, .022, .030, .038 (Ernie Ball Extra Slinky 8-38)
7th: .62
8th: .74
9th: .100
Bass String Gauges: (Approximates)
C: .26
G: .32
D: .45
A: .65
E: .85
B: .105
What's the difference in sound between basswood, alder and ash?
There's pretty much no difference in sound. Basswood it's the lightest and alder is the best looking for "Natural" wood looks.
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Neck wood:
Maple and Mahagony.
Scale Length:
These are our most common options (but anything is possible)
6 & 7-string Guitar: 25.5
8-string Guitar: 27
9-string Guitar: 29
8-String Bass: 33
10-String Bass: 34
12-String Bass: 34
Multiscale:
These are our most common options (but anything is possible)
6-string: 24.75 - 25.5
7-string: 25.5 - 26.5
8-string: 25.5 - 27
9-string: 27 - 29
8-String Bass: 33-34
10-String Bass: 33-34
12-String Bass: 33-34
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Warranty:
Our instruments have a 1 YEAR limited warranty. The instruments are warranted to the original owner against defects in materials and workmanship. This warranty does not cover damage due to normal wear and tear, abuse, neglect, extremes of temperature or humidity, or natural disaster. Periodic maintenance is the responsibility of the owner and is a condition of warranty. FM Guitars, upon notice of any defect, will repair or replace, at their option, any defective part or material.
Multi-piece neck?
Yes. We will decide that for you depending on the guitar / bass model.
Finishes options:
Gloss and Satin.
Available Tops:
Quilted maple, flame maple, spalted maple and burl maple. That's aside from solid colors, sparkle, relic, etc.
Body options:
Mahogany, alder, and basswood.
Fretboard wood options:
Ebony and Jatoba. Ebony is black/dark wood and Jatoba is almost orange / light rosewood looking.
Why headless?
Lighter and more portable. It does not affect tone.
NAMM?
Yes. Every year.
What guitar pickups do you use?
We use our own pickups. They are very versatile and work any style of music and playing style. They are mid gain and we use ceramic magnets. You can watch demos on the video section. You could also tell us if you want an specific DC resistance (output) or a different magnet (we suggest we should that for you)
Can I use other pickups?
We can also use other brands like EMG, Fishman, Bare Knuckle, Seymour Duncan, Lundgren, etc. To calculate the price, simply add the price of the pickups to the base price.
What bass pickups do you use?
Same as story as the guitar pickups. We make soap bars, PJ, Jazz and MM style pickups.
Whats the size of these guitars?
They are very small and thin (even more than a normal guitar) They fit on most guitar cases.
Why two fretboards?
To expand the possibilities of the electric guitar.
Carbon fiber rods?
Yes, 4.
Are the FM muting strips included?
Yes (they mute the open strings)
What kind of hardware do you use?
We use our own hardware and Hipshot.
Average weight?
Depends on the model, but usually 7lbs for the 12-string guitar (less than a Strat!)
How do you call this type of guitars?
We call them by the number of strings since it's one neck. 12, 14, 16-String Guitar. Or 8, 10 or 12-String Bass. You can also call them FM Guitar, FM Guitars, FM Bass and FM Basses. This is just not the name of the brand, it's the name of the actual guitar style we created.
Copyright, trademark, patent?
Yes. Please don't allow other companies to make our guitars.
Can I have a smaller symbols on the fretboards?
Yes. You can have the 1 fret size logo on the 12th fret. Just let us know on the specs. The guitars normally come with the bigger (3 fret) logo. You can also choose no logos.
Fanned frets vs straight frets? Single scale vs Multiscale?
Both work great. It really depends on the player's preference.
Do you have any instructional videos?
Check out the Musical Concept section on our website. More coming soon.
Who makes these guitars?
Each guitar is made by Felix Martin in collaboration with his luthiers.
Who does quality control of the guitars?
Felix Martin.
Left handed possible?
Yes. In fact, Felix can make a video with it before shipping it!
Differences between ebony and jatoba fretboards?
They have a very similar sound on our guitars. Ebony is black, and jatoba are a bit more orange / dark orange depending on the kind of jatoba we get.
Is it hard to play these guitars?
No. Fingerstyle is harder!
Do they fit on most cases / gig bags?
Yes. Remember the body is probably smaller than the guitar you already have. You should be able to find a case easily at guitar center, amazon, etc.
I'm an artist endorsed by another guitar company, should I be using your guitars?
Since these are a different type of guitars, they don't serve as a competition for other brands. It won't be a problem for them. Plus, we are good friends with most guitar brands in the business.
Output Jack:
The instruments come either in mono (normal guitar jack) or TRS (to divide each signal separately) They normally come with the normal / mono jack.
Are your guitars double neck?
No. They are single neck.
Double fretboard vs double neck?
These guitars are designed for tapping as well as traditional guitar techniques. Double neck guitars are made for a different purpose altogether, and they are very large and heavy. Additionally, the majority of these guitars have a 6-string and a 12-string neck. They are not designed with tapping in mind.
Straps?
Any strap works.
Stands?
For our multi-string guitars: make sure that it doesn't have a neck holder.
Payment options:
Credit Card, Paypal, Venmo, Zelle, Bank transfers, Wise, etc.
Any other questions?
Feel free to email us at info@fmguitars.com or DM us on Instagram. We are friendly!