Aden Mackness
Vocals, guitar · Sparrows Eat Crows
Founder of Ink Guitars. Every build is designed, sculpted and set up by him.
Plays: Bloodcaster, Sparrowcaster
Ink Guitars · Custom builds by Aden Mackness
Weapons of
mass riffage
One-of-a-kind guitars. Sculpted in ZBrush, printed in resin, hand-stained and relicked, then set up low and fast. Built to be played hard on stage, not hung on a wall.
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- 01EMG 57TWActive humbucker, push-pull to split to single coil
- 02Sculpted resin pickguardDesigned in ZBrush, printed and hand-finished
- 03TKO killswitchFor the stutter effects
- 04Block inlays, wider neckThe 2.0 neck, built for feel
- 05Custom headstockLocking tuners on every Ink guitar
The builds
Every one is the only one
From the first DIY kit to the Inkcaster 2.0. Tap a guitar for its specs and story.
Ink artists
Played loud, every week
Ink guitars get tested where they are meant to live: on stage and in the studio.
Ben Taylor
Bass, production · Sparrows Eat Crows
The first Basscaster was built for Ben, for both the live set and the studio.
Plays: Basscaster Octobass
Dan Rubock
Ink artist
Part of the Ink Guitars family.
Hear what they sound like
Aden and Ben both play Ink guitars in Sparrows Eat Crows, a heavy three-piece from Orange County. This is Gods That Fade.
Gods That Fade · Official music video
Live at the Viper Room · Sat Nov 21
The Ink process
From ZBrush to stage
Design and print
Parts are designed and sculpted in ZBrush, then printed and cured in 3D resin.
Shape the body
The body is cut to its shape and the parts are prepped for staining and finishing.
Ink finish
Neck and body are hand-stained and relicked. This is where each one becomes a one-off.
Assemble
Fully assembled and wired with EMG active pickups and a killswitch.
Set up
Neck adjusted, intonated and frets levelled for low, smooth action.
Merch
Wear the ink
Can't wait for a build? Ink Guitars tees are printed to order and shipped straight to you.
About
Made by a player
I'm Aden Mackness. I've played in original bands for decades, and I run Black Rooster Creative, an animation and design studio in California. Ink Guitars is where the two meet: 3D art and guitars I want to play every night.
I'm not claiming the title of master luthier. I build guitars the way I want them: light, loud, low action, and impossible to mistake for anything else.
Where I can, I build from recycled parts, factory rejects and abandoned builds, and give them a second life. The long-term goal is to get guitars to people who can't get one themselves.
Commissions
Want your own?
Every Ink guitar is built one at a time. Tell me what you play and what you're after, and I'll come back to you about design, timing and cost.
- 01Pick a starting point: Inkcaster, Shadowcaster baritone or Basscaster.
- 02We work out the sculpt together. The Omegacaster client brought his own symbol.
- 03Pickups, killswitch and finish to suit how you play.