Seth Thomas couldn’t stop thinking about his guitar design. The Southern Pines resident had always been a guitar player, and was interested in building one. While in college at Appalachian State, he drew up a design and held onto it for two years, hoping to pursue it one day.

It was a new take on the venerable and iconic electric guitar design — one that is more ergonomic and aesthetically pleasing for players.

After returning home a few months ago, he made that dream come true by opening his own guitar company — Z.S. Thomas Guitars.

“I think I’m the first one to put this spin on the guitar,” he says. “All throughout my apprenticeship I was just dreaming about this guitar. It’s good to make it a reality now.”

Thomas got involved with woodworking and built his first guitar in college. An industrial drafting and design major, he did an independent study on electric guitar construction and design. With that knowledge, he built another one. From there, he did an apprenticeship with a guitar builder in Raleigh.

After that, he decided it was time to start his own business. He wanted to put his own unique design on the market.

“I noticed something that was missing from electric guitars in general, and that’s a more ergonomic shape,” he says. “The electric guitar was invented in the 1950s, so it’s a fairly new concept. Since its invention, it hasn’t changed.

“It’s something that I recognized could benefit from a change if it was built to more comfortably fit the human body.”

While the change is new, it isn’t drastic. He’s taken a classic design and his put his own touch on it.

Thomas recognized that guitar players are traditional in a sense that they go for what they understand. The classic shapes that have become iconic over the decades are something important in the minds of players, including Thomas himself.

“You can’t stray too far from what’s been established and what’s a good design and a classic shape that historically, guitar players like Eric Clapton and Jimi Hendrix, they play,” he said. “If you look at their guitars, they all look the same, so you’ve got to keep with that theme and make variations within that. However, you can improve what’s there.”

What makes Thomas’ design different?

For one, the back of the guitar is contoured to better fit the body of its owner, resulting in a more comfortable playing experience.

Thomas has also incorporated his own patent-pending invention into his product — “pot pods.” Basically, the pods allow the guitar builder to make an instrument that’s free of unsightly plastic cavity covers.

Typically, guitars have a cavity in the back that contains the potentiometers — or electronic components — of the instrument. The cavity and its plastic cover detract from the look of the guitar, especially when it uses beautiful woods like mahogany and flame maple, Thomas says.

Thomas’ pot pods house the components and are installed on the front of the guitar, under the knobs. The knobs cover the pods completely.

“You can’t tell how the electronics were installed,” he says. “You can’t tell how to get to them. It’s something when people pick up the instrument, they notice no plastic cavity covers.”

To access the electronics, you simply remove the knob and open the pods with a Phillips-head screwdriver.

Thomas said the process by which his guitars are constructed is much more in depth than building a typical electric guitar.

While it may take a standard guitar a week to roll off the assembly line, it takes Thomas an average of two to three weeks to produce his. It’s an extra step that the big manufacturers haven’t taken because it’s more expensive and time-consuming.

“If you have a small shop with a small clientele who recognize the advancements and can appreciate that and can appreciate the extra costs involved with production of such an instrument, it’s something that’s feasible,” he says.

All of the work takes place in house at his shop. Thomas works with his father, and has a painter who does work off and on.

Thomas also does repairs and instrument refinishing.

Thomas has two models available, having just introduced his deluxe model. So far, he has built 13 of his guitars. Each guitar can be customized to the specifications of each individual client.

There a variety of different woods to choose from, and each provides its own unique look and sound. Thomas takes great pride in the craftsmanship that goes into each instrument, adding that the level of that craftsmanship and attention to detail is much higher when dealing with a small manufacturer.

“The guitars themselves are sculptural, and it sort of takes an artist to construct and shape one of these things,” he says. “Each one is unique. These are something different.”

The finish on the wood also plays a big part in the look of the instrument.

Beyond that, there are different pick-up configurations that can be chosen to produce different sounds. There are different hardware colors as well.

He says his design has created a lot of buzz and excitement among guitar enthusiasts, even among those who aren’t his customers.

Among his first clients is Gage Howe, also a Moore County native and Appalachian State graduate. Howe is the front man for “Guard The Van,” a rock band based in Boone.

“The look and the sound of a guitar allow a musician to express themselves,” he says.” The quality I’ve most appreciated about having a Z.S. Thomas guitar was being able to personalize the instrument. It was made to my specifications, and Seth was more than willing to be creative with the process.

“In a world of mass production, it’s great to perform with a quality guitar, customized to the feel and sound of my liking.”

Could Thomas’ guitar become the next Gibson Les Paul? He thinks so. For now, the business strategy is to stay small, with growth coming in “due course.” His goal is to grow as big as possible.

Outside of his company Web site, Thomas hasn’t carried out a huge publicity blitz. But as his name gets out there, he expects his company to pick up some steam.

“I feel like it’s just a matter of time before the greater guitar community discovers what I’m doing and I’m appreciated for it,” he says.

For more information, visit the company’s Web site at www.zsthomas.com.

Contact John Krahnert III at (910) 693-2473 or by e-mail at jkrahnert@thepilot.com.