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New Guitar Build Underway....

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Vman
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: 11:50 - 14 Jan 2011    Post subject: New Guitar Build Underway.... Reply with quote
One of my other 'hobbies' is playing the guitar and making them, just started a new one, a French Polished Strat style one. Body is two piece swamp ash, and it'll end up with over 1000 passes of polish over about 10 sessions. Long drawn out process, but the finish is just beautiful.

Planning on an ebony fret board, on a vintage style neck, and a mint green, or black pick guard, with bare knuckle pu's. Should be awesome!

Also posted some pics of a Tele style git I made last year. This one is a one piece Black American Walnut, vintage neck and tuners, mint green guard and bare knuckle pu's. Sounds sweet, and is a joy to play with those 'train track' frets. This one has been slightly 'aged' (relic'd or road worn in Fender speak), so some hardware is a little rusted, and the finish has been worn a little in places. Weird concept, making a new guitar look old, and well, you either like it or you don't. Personally I don't mind it, it stops you 'mothering' the thing too much - it's a tool as much as a highly crafted piece.
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ajbsmirnoff
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Dec 2009
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PostPosted: 14:01 - 14 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice.

I 'made' 2 guitars last year. Or rather I assembled 2nd hand ebay parts into 2 guitars, which probs doesn't count.
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Damon
World Chat Champion



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
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PostPosted: 14:42 - 14 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Good luck Smile Keep us posted of any updates.

I made a guitar out of a old mahogany science bench a few years ago. It took me years but came out great.

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1937/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5394151_2515.jpg

Since then I have build a strat. I bought a preshaped body this time as it saves months of work. I made the neck myself though and carved the fretboard out of a slab of ebony.

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1937/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5394008_8848.jpg

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v2119/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5666669_4414.jpg

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1931/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5596685_2385.jpg

https://l2.sphotos.l3.fbcdn.net/photos-l3-ash1/v650/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5444663_5189.jpg

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-ash1/v650/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5444662_4855.jpg

https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1937/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5394005_7997.jpg
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ajbsmirnoff
World Chat Champion



Joined: 09 Dec 2009
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PostPosted: 19:33 - 15 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Nice work chaps!
This is shinier in person, as I've wet sanded the clearcoat and polished it a bit more. I've not fiddled with the intonation yet and I'm going to stain the fret board black. It was was going to be a cheapo vai replica, but I throttled back to just a gaudy bauble of a guitar.

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/157089_462425629289_578364289_5837062_5045247_n.jpg

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/155074_462425674289_578364289_5837064_3766816_n.jpg
https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/220820101388.jpg
The wiring was a right old pain to do.
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Vman
Scooby Slapper



Joined: 23 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: 21:54 - 15 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
I really wanted the Vai JEM in the early 90's. That looks great. Seems to be odd thinking of pointy headstock gits as being 'retro'!


Liking the Crapocaster as well....how did the fret board turn out? I find making the necks the hardest thing, body I find quite easy (easier) now using templates.

Funny, since I started making my own, I'm far less likely to trade around, I was constantly buying and selling kit in the 80's 90's. I suppose because of the effort put in, they would probably have to sell at silly money to hit a return.
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carlosthejack...
World Chat Champion



Joined: 16 Aug 2010
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PostPosted: 00:30 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
ajbsmirnoff wrote:
Nice work chaps!
This is shinier in person, as I've wet sanded the clearcoat and polished it a bit more. I've not fiddled with the intonation yet and I'm going to stain the fret board black. It was was going to be a cheapo vai replica, but I throttled back to just a gaudy bauble of a guitar.

https://i178.photobucket.com/albums/w255/ajbsmirnoff/157089_462425629289_578364289_5837062_5045247_n.jpg


I thought Vai as soon as I saw it...
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lihp
World Chat Champion



Joined: 22 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: 02:32 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Interesting question, as somebody who is relatively new to Electric Guitar, what is the difference between?

A £100 Electric, with Pots and pickups upgraded
or a big brand £1000 guitar

Is the sound quality going to be that much better? Or is it merely paying for the image?
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Gone
Nearly there...



Joined: 01 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: 09:43 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
PhilDawson8270 wrote:
Interesting question, as somebody who is relatively new to Electric Guitar, what is the difference between?

A £100 Electric, with Pots and pickups upgraded
or a big brand £1000 guitar

Is the sound quality going to be that much better? Or is it merely paying for the image?


Better materials, better build quality. Not worth buying a better guitar until your playing skills develop to the point where you can tell the difference, to be honest.
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ajbsmirnoff
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Joined: 09 Dec 2009
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PostPosted: 10:03 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you are buying parts, I'd avoid scrimping on the neck. The feel of the neck and fretboard are your main point of contact with the guitar and a nice feeling/comfortable/playable neck is important.

you can grow to like a bad one, but I like it to be right from the start. The necks on Ibanez RG's are really quite good to play - sacrilege I know, but I think they are.



the 'Bender Crapocaster' - that is a superb label.
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johnsmith222
World Chat Champion



Joined: 26 Dec 2008
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PostPosted: 16:10 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
PhilDawson8270 wrote:
Interesting question, as somebody who is relatively new to Electric Guitar, what is the difference between?

A £100 Electric, with Pots and pickups upgraded
or a big brand £1000 guitar

Is the sound quality going to be that much better? Or is it merely paying for the image?


Provided you like the way the guitar plays, it's decent quality and you've got some decent pickups in there then there's not really going to be any real difference. I've played many guitars ranging from 50 quid to 8k (an old les paul owned by the guitarist from genesis). I just can't see it being worthwhile paying any more than 600 quid on a guitar and plenty of the ones around 500 quid played better than many of the high end ones.

There are plenty of guitars that are overpriced for what they are because they carry a well known name like "gibson". While, they are decent instruments, you'd be better off getting an epiphone and replacing the pickups. Then using the money saved towards a decent amp.

An amp is going to be the biggest factor in how good the guitar sounds. A squier strat through a high end amp like a mesa boogie mk4 or similar will sound great. A gibson les paul through a marshall MG will be not so great. Laughing

The biggest factor in sound is going to be how proficient the guitarist is. Give a squier strat to vai and he'll make it sound good.

I find Yamaha guitars to be decent quality for price. I would recommend them for a beginner who wants a decent quality instrument.

I just feel like a lot of guitars are sold through the image that the buyer aspires to have and are priced accordingly.
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Flip
Super Spammer



Joined: 28 Feb 2004
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PostPosted: 20:57 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
david_m213 wrote:
I find Yamaha guitars to be decent quality for price. I would recommend them for a beginner who wants a decent quality instrument.


A couple of hundred quid on a Yamaha and you can't go wrong. Granted the pick ups are amazing but decent enough.

Untouched apart from binned the middle pick up and black volume & tone knobs. Think I paid £150 in a sale in around 2001/2 I'm going to have to change the silver bridge for a black one though. Laughing

https://i2.photobucket.com/albums/y37/flip_/IMAG0067.jpg

Fancy a newer axe now, LTD or Ibanez around the £500 mark. Not that I need it. I'd keep the Yammy though. Smile

Last edited by Flip on 23:34 - 16 Jan 2011; edited 1 time in total
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mistergixer
World Chat Champion



Joined: 15 Jun 2005
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PostPosted: 23:19 - 16 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Damon wrote:


https://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/photos-ak-snc1/v1931/221/98/784455496/n784455496_5596685_2385.jpg



'The Dangerous Book for Boys' - good read.

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Hockeystorm65
Spanner Monkey



Joined: 08 Sep 2010
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PostPosted: 00:54 - 17 Jan 2011    Post subject: Reply with quote
Must be a common link...motorcycle maintenance and guitar building!

I make guitars as well and also build/rebuild amps, I made a couple of basses last year for my son to gig with and have a couple of 6 string projects under way - a Telecaster and a PRS(ish). Here are the two basses, both are Fender Precision style, the natural one used to be a Walnut tree near Shrewsbury.

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/Hockeystorm65/SodiumBass2-1.jpg

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/Hockeystorm65/EGOxygenBass3.jpg

https://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/Hockeystorm65/SodiumBassBody1.jpg
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Old Thread Alert!

The last post was made 15 years, 269 days ago. Instead of replying here, would creating a new thread be more useful?
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