Testimonials
James Comparato - Guitar/Vocals/Songwriter
“Being a lifelong Toad fan, I was intrigued when I saw Todd Nichols was making guitars - and since they looked amazing I jumped at owning one. And to be honest, figuring even if the build was average, it was still made by a musician I highly respect, and I was happy to support his efforts.
Goodness was I surprised. First, at his incredible attention to detail and communication prior to the build. And second, by the absolutely SUPERB instrument I received. It is nothing short of excellent, both in play-ability and aesthetics - and the sound is to die for.
A lifetime of experienced playing has yielded a builder who is supremely adept at guitar builds that meet professional standards and well beyond. I will own more of his builds! Thanks Todd!”
Portrait: The Music of Kansas (PortraitKansas.com)
Dollar Crown (Original Midwestern Rock)
YouTube Channel (https://www.youtube.com/user/almjos)
Nichols Tangy Demos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jvb_6SyQMkk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRzWEoFyBBk
Don Côqayohômuwôk Chapman
“A couple of years back Todd & his tour guitar tech showed me a couple of custom relic'ed Tele's Todd had built and was using on tour with TTWS. I loved how they looked/sounded.... and also loved the idea that I could, through Todd / Nichols Custom Guitars, spec exactly what I wanted for some specific uses: specific neck/fret specs, improvements on classic guitar styles, special TV Jones, Don Mare, and Tom Anderson pickups, and with the best bodies, weights, pots/caps, machine heads, bridges, etc. Todd offered to build me whatever I wanted and we are now up to 4 very different & specialized guitars for tour & recording purposes! Each instrument has a very specific character & sound that Todd worked with me to achieve. His focused attention to detail and instrument performance comes from years of touring & maintaining his own stage & studio instruments. Although they are beautiful and affordable for anyone to own, they are guitars that true pro players will love and respect. Just contact Todd and he'll dial it up for you. Or, he usually has some pre-build instruments available if you're seeking instant gratification!”
Don Moody
“…this bass is fantastic!”
“After having received my ’54 P Bass from Nichols Custom Guitars in Santa Barbara, CA and playing it both at my home studio and in a band setting. I can honestly say this bass is fantastic! The attention to detail, the quality of materials and the execution of the build is stellar. The personal interest Todd took in making sure the bass was setup to my preferences was beyond anything I have ever experienced. I’ve owned hundreds of guitars and basses, both vintage and new, and in all price ranges and this one is at the top of the list. I can highly recommend Nichols Custom Guitars without any reservations for both the instrument and the experience.”
John Sherwood
“I fell in love with Tangie #2 as soon as I saw it. As beautiful as it is, it plays and sounds even better. The guitar is a pleasure to play. It's super light, coming in at only 6 1/2 pounds. I love the feel of the Chunky C neck, which has been lightly flamed and roasted - giving it a super light yet solid feel. I'm amazed at how well it stays in tune with the Bigsby and the Sperzel locking tuners.
Todd was incredible to work with. He is extremely passionate and clearly knows what he's talking about. He was super responsive and gave me a ton of insight (and education) throughout the process. When I suggested the idea of a neck pickup, Todd immediately came back with a few different options of what he could do - with pros/cons for each set-up. I ultimately opted to add the 2nd pickup to give the guitar a broader range of tones and sounds since it's my primary guitar, and I'm not disappointed. Todd's passion, knowledge and most importantly craftsmanship made for an entirely wonderful experience.”
Drew Gleason
I’ve been playing in local bands over the past 20 years and have been fortunate to own and play a variety of different electric guitars. However, I've never found a "T" style guitar with the right sound, look and feel. Having been a big fan of Todd's guitar playing since the album "Pale", I was excited to see that he was building and selling custom guitars, which he actually plays on tour. After discussing a potential build with Todd, I felt confident that he could create the perfect "T" style guitar for me. Todd was very detail oriented from the beginning. His enthusiasm for the project was evident in our multiple discussions concerning the details of the guitar. Todd took the extra time necessary to insure that my guitar would have a well balanced set of pickups that fit within our design requirements and a neck that would feel great to play and stand the test of time. He kept me well updated during every phase of project and produced an incredible guitar that looks, sounds and plays better than I could have ever imagined. My new guitar is absolute dream to play and has amazing tone for days! Todd is a true professional and a masterful guitar builder. I highly recommend him to any musician looking to buy an excellent, professional grade instrument at a great price.
Brandon Welch
I never thought I’d trade emails with one of my guitar heroes. I took a chance and sent a message. What followed was an exchange of ideas that created this amazing piece of art. I have always loved the sound of Todd’s 56’ Les Paul Jr., and wanted a guitar that emulated that style and sound. Todd’s idea: a Jr./Tele hybrid. This guitar inspired me to pick up where I left off years ago and start creating again. It produces all the tones I need.
Todd exceeded every expectation. Total professionalism. Total friendliness. Total knowledge. I can’t recommend his services enough. His ideas and knowledge are incredible. He can build the guitar YOU WANT.
Thank you, Todd, for this incredible instrument.
Carlos & Ramon
First of all, my Nichols guitar came perfectly tuned and set up, and it´s basically stayed in tune since I received it. The locking tuners work wonderful and the guitar plays like a dream. Because of the neck profile and tv jones pickups, the guitar has a lot of personality and has a thing that makes notes pop, that gets even more personal and complex with distortion. It’s definitely a guitar that could do many things but that lends itself for a player to find a unique sound with it.
Very impressed with the quality of the build and the sonic results and also, how cool is it to receive a guitar directly from one of your guitar heroes, with personal notes and some of his picks? Todd´s customer service and kindness has been highly appreciated and we will definitely plan to get more instruments from him! -Carlos & Ramon (Mexico City)
If you want to check out our band…
https://music.apple.com/mx/album/el-guionista-ep/1459948655?l=en
https://open.spotify.com/album/1a0EzThenn6LQ1lttfHP88?si=PElvb7NiQ2yXKMFq8o1MgA
Dave Herrmann
I’d seen many of Todd’s guitar builds on Facebook and Instagram so I decided to approach him with what I thought might be an unusual request - to build a custom short-scale bass. To my surprise, he was totally into the challenge, so the process began.
Todd was great to work with. Every detail that goes into the build was a true collaboration. He offered great suggestions and design ideas (really love the roasted maple neck) and I couldn’t be happier with the result. The bass plays like a dream and while super lightweight (under 7 lbs.) it has great tone. Oh, and it looks great. I can’t tell you how many complements I have received when playing gigs.
If you’re thinking about buying the guitar you want, to your specifications, do not hesitate to reach out to Todd. You’ll love the process and the product.
Thanks Todd for a wonderful experience!
Todd Barneson
"Todd is the best to work with, and has made me my new #1 electric guitar. Set up was perfect, looks amazing and the tone was better than I could have imagined. I want a couple more!"
Chip Copp
Hi, my name is Chip Copp with the Chip Copp Band. I have been a fan of Todd Nichols guitar playing for years. When I found out he was making his own custom guitars I had to have one. I ended up choosing a mean Telemaster style guitar with reverse headstock, bigsby vibrato and a single TV Jones Powertron pickup. Simply unbelievable! Thank you Todd for such an amazing one-of-a-kind guitar!
Amy T Baxter
Thank you Todd for such an incredible experience with ordering and guiding the process with your creative artistic vision and expertise! Todd makes sure all of the bases are covered and communicates regularly on every step in the process of the build and includes pictures and options to choose from.
The hardware and choice of the pick-ups were an excellent decision as they sound supreme! I couldn’t be happier with this build Todd it is a functional piece of exquisite art! I would definitely recommend anyone on a build from Todd. ~Thanks again Todd!