Ash the world turns...

[Dannyalcatraz]

I was thinking a Reverend style bass contour, but you"ve got that covered with your board, it seems.

[KuruPrionz]

 

I like LOVE the EMG SPC, but some vintage-style fuzzes and treble-boosters won't work right with it- and I can't have a 'hard-bypass' version of the SPC.

 

Here's an idea. Bridge the connections on the PC board so the SPC is all the way up - bypassing the pot. Carefully snip the leads to the pot and remove the pot. Now it is just a circuit board that you can fasten to the bottom of the control cavity with double stick tap.

 

Run the SPC, full mid boost into one wiper of a double stacked pot. Run a parallel output, direct from the volume pot to the other wiper of a double stacked pot. Put the inputs on opposite sides, connect the outputs and run it to the output jack. Use the TRS jack for battery power for the SPC, the passive pickups will ignore it since all that switch does is connect ground to the battery. It doesn't connect ground to anything else and the battery positve is connected to the SPC. Harmless.

 

Now you can blend from your normal tone to the SPC tone using the double stacked pot in place of the tone control.

 

How on earth did you determine that the SPC causes a problem when using older pedals? It does have a really hot output, does it overdrive their weak little inputs until they cry like girls?

Just curious, and yes for some inexplicable reason I miss my Bazz Box.

If I had it I bet it would just sit around though...

[surfergirl]

Does it overdrive their weak little inputs until they cry like girls?/quote]

 

[Larryz]

Come on and rock the world! You tell'em SG! Turn it up and play like a Girl!

[KuruPrionz]

My apologies Surfer Girl, it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

 

Fanny!!!! They rocked, no two ways about it. I'll try to think of other snotty things to say in the future. Cheers, Kuru

[surfergirl]

My apologies Surfer Girl, it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

 

Fanny!!!! They rocked, no two ways about it. I'll try to think of other snotty things to say in the future. Cheers, Kuru

 

No problem, and I don't think you are a dumb-ass.

[KuruPrionz]

My apologies Surfer Girl, it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

 

Fanny!!!! They rocked, no two ways about it. I'll try to think of other snotty things to say in the future. Cheers, Kuru

 

No problem, and I don't think you are a dumb-ass.

 

Well, maybe just somebody with a knack for making poor life decisions - like going to college to become a photographer. THAT was a dumb-ass move for sure!!!!!

[Caevan O’Shite]

= Mega post, replying to everyone =

 

 

I did a LOT of searching and reading about various tone-control product and wiring options last night!

 

 

I'm a big fan of ash, sonically and aesthetically.

Recently picked up a project Tele body that's ash with a black korina top, and the ash has me interested in the pickups and hardware chosen here.

Cool. That's gonna sing, ring and sting...

 

I'm almost certainly going to go with one or another pickup from Lindy Fralin.

 

If you're not likely to be using that axe with fussy vintage style fuzzes and treble-boosters, I can HIGHLY recommend the EMG SPC and EXG units ( < links) that replace standard tone-controls; 9v battery powered (maybe even 18v capable, I'm not sure), but compatible with passive pickups, not just with active EMG's. Super cool. What David Gilmour has in his Strats. I bet you'd love 'em.

 

Sorry to hear the SPC is going bye bye! I like having a series vs parallel on my Taylor T5. On my Taylor T3B there is a push/pull tone pot. It works very cool but I'm not sure how they did it LoL! (i.e., with caps or with two different tone circuits?).

 

Here is an idea and I'm not sure if it would be of interest or if you can find out if it would work...but how about a blend pot instead of a tone pot? Use the volume pot as a master, the 3 way selector and instead of a tone pot, use a blend pot? I get a lot of tonal differences on LP wiring with two tone pots and two volume pots, working the middle position which blends the bridge and neck pups. A blend pot could call up more of the bridge or more of the neck pup in combination and get more treble or bass. Anyway, it's a thought...

 

https://www.stewmac.com/electronics/components-and-parts/potentiometers/alpha-blend-pots.html

 

 

That's a GREAT idea, thanks! But in this case, I'm going with the Free-Way 3/6 switch (gives the standard Bridge, Bridge & Neck [in parallel], Neck; plus, when pushed sideways: both on in parallel/out-of-phase; both on in series/out-of-phase; and both on in series/in-phase). I don't believe that the Blend Pot will work with the Free-Way 3/6 switch; and, I get plenty of pickup-blending on my Les Paul.

 

And I've come back around, and will most likely now go with a fairly standard tone-control- but with an adapted version of " '50s Les Paul" wiring, that also reduces the loss of treble when the volume-control is rolled down, but more smoothly and subtler than a "treble-bleed" cap and resistor on the volume-pot...

 

Like this, though my Volume and Tone controls will be switched around with a "reversed" control-plate:

 

Mod Garage: "50s Les Paul Wiring in a Telecaster, by Dirk Wacker ( < link)

 

Here's why: The '50s wiring exhibits much less treble loss that standard wiring because it follows a completely different curve, depending on the ratio of your pot. It works best with audio taper pots, preferably those with a 60:40 or 70:30 ratio. Smaller ratios like 80:20 or 90:10 limit this benefit and result in the typical 'on/off" or 'bright/dull" problem when using the controls.

 

Deceptively simple, but I think it will serve my wants and needs very well, particularly with its beneficial effect on the volume-control; I'll use the volume-knob a LOT more than the tone-knob

 

 

I almost decided on a Stellartone ToneStyler 'Guitar Ten', somewhat like a ten-step version of the old Gibson Varitone- sort of. Maybe someday, maybe on another guitar...

 

I was thinking a Reverend style bass contour, but you"ve got that covered with your board, it seems.

I do have a bitchin' treble-booster stylee stomp, that is true; but also, I do not think that I want to do anything with this Tele-type axe that will remove any lows or mids. But thanks, my good friend!

 

 

I like LOVE the EMG SPC, but some vintage-style fuzzes and treble-boosters won't work right with it- and I can't have a 'hard-bypass' version of the SPC.

 

Here's an idea. Bridge the connections on the PC board so the SPC is all the way up - bypassing the pot. Carefully snip the leads to the pot and remove the pot. Now it is just a circuit board that you can fasten to the bottom of the control cavity with double stick tap.

 

Run the SPC, full mid boost into one wiper of a double stacked pot. Run a parallel output, direct from the volume pot to the other wiper of a double stacked pot. Put the inputs on opposite sides, connect the outputs and run it to the output jack. Use the TRS jack for battery power for the SPC, the passive pickups will ignore it since all that switch does is connect ground to the battery. It doesn't connect ground to anything else and the battery positve is connected to the SPC. Harmless.

 

Now you can blend from your normal tone to the SPC tone using the double stacked pot in place of the tone control.

Cool; if that works, that'd be plenty cool. Although, I'm not so sure that would effectively be any different than turning the SPC all the way down- some buffering effect would most likely still be present, and that's where the issue is with some vintage-style fuzzes and the like- buffering before their inputs usually makes some of 'em get all 'washed-out' sounding, or makes bad noises...

 

But if that would do the trick, it'd be cool, using a concentric-stacked knob and pot set-up like that, and getting both.

 

How on earth did you determine that the SPC causes a problem when using older pedals? It does have a really hot output, does it overdrive their weak little inputs until they cry like girls?

An age or two or three ago, I tried a few various old original vintage fuzzes out that I could have had for great, dirt-cheap deals; but it seemed that there was something wrong with them, so I passed.

 

Years later, I discovered that it was almost certainly my EMG pickups and SPC and EXP (later known as the EXG) controls causing those pedals to sound bad. It's not that their output is too powerful and that they're overdriving the inputs of said vintage-y pedals, it's buffering and impedance weirdness.

 

I'll do another EMG loaded axe, another time; this one, I want tricked-out but sort of 'vintage', and I want it to be perfectly compatible with several specific pedals, including a few vintage-based fuzzes, octave--fuzzes, and a treble-booster...

 

Does it overdrive their weak little inputs until they cry like girls?

Well, Jenny, it could be worse, they could cry like boys...

 

...it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

Now you're goin' 'n' talkin' prejudice trash... hillbillies... colloquialists... Fresnos... Dumb-Ass... that takes the cake... as a long time dumb-ass I take offense!

[Larryz]

The SPC is out- as much as I dig what that li'l unit can do, there's no simple way to achieve a 'hard-bypass' option- EMG has informed me politely that they can't/won't do that, as any such switching makes an unavoidable loud POP; I don't want that, or any overcomplicated extra switches of ANY kind here. And as-is, even when rolled all the way off, there's enough of a buffering intact that it will likely NOT get on well with some vintage-style pedalry such as fuzzes and octave-fuzzes and treble-boosters, S0O0O0O0O... NO0O0O0O0.

 

Any suggestions of interesting one-knob ONLY affairs that are completely compatible with such antique-ish stomps would be welcome!

 

I vaguely recall a passive tone-pot that had a number of step-detents that rolled-off increasing amounts of treble, while leaving midrange intact... ?

 

Maybe just a good quality tone-pot and cap would be plenty... But, I do like trick circuits and hardware, and this axe is a Hot Rod project, for sure!

 

For some reason I thought you were giving up the SPC and the 3/6 FreeWay switch (i.e. as the "any overcomplicated extra switches"). Glad to hear you are keeping the 3/6 and working with the phase/series/parallel/etc. concept. The blending idea came from my old Tele days when I seldom used the tone knob. I could change treble and bass and mid just by my picking location with the 3 way in the middle position just using the volume. If you had given up the 3/6 then I think the blend pot in the middle position of the 3 way would have been cool (sans tone pot or using the 3 pot plate if you still wanted one)...it would be cheap enough to try a blend pot before doing any final wiring just to see if it would work...I like the 50's wiring concept in the article too! Keep us posted!

[Caevan O’Shite]

For some reason I thought you were giving up the SPC and the 3/6 FreeWay switch (i.e. as the "any overcomplicated extra switches"). Glad to hear you are keeping the 3/6 and working with the phase/series/parallel/etc. concept. The blending idea came from my old Tele days when I seldom used the tone knob. I could change treble and bass and mid just by my picking location with the 3 way in the middle position just using the volume. If you had given up the 3/6 then I think the blend pot in the middle position of the 3 way would have been cool (sans tone pot or using the 3 pot plate if you still wanted one)...it would be cheap enough to try a blend pot before doing any final wiring just to see if it would work...I like the 50's wiring concept in the article too! Keep us posted!

Blending controls are very cool! You're right. I'll very likely use that in a different guitar sometime.

 

I'm just giving up on the SPC for this project; I'm keeping the Free-Way 3/6 selector-switch, and have that ordered- it'll be here in a couple of days or so.

 

What's really cool about that Free-Way 3/6 switch is that it looks completely stock- it looks like a normal 3 position selector-switch, and takes up the same amount of space as one- but it gives you six combinations. With no extra switches or knobs or taking up any more space. Three positions as usual, but a sideways >click< at each position gives you three extra options- parallel/out-of-phase, series/out-of-phase, and series/in-phase.

 

That's going to sound AMAZING for clean-tones with my HomeBrew Electronics ComPressor Retro (aka the HBE CPR)- a vintage-Ross-based compressor-pedal, which is just MAGIC with a Telecaster! I have two of those- a 2-knobber and a 3-knobber, if you will; not particularly good with my Les Paul- that requires a different sort of a compressor, if at all- but these HBE CPR's are so damn good with a Tele, even a cheap Tele knockoff, that I kept them around for when I'd eventually have to get a good Tele to go with them. And now, I will!

 

[KuruPrionz]

 

...it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

Now you're goin' 'n' talkin' prejudice trash... hillbillies... colloquialists... Fresnos... Dumb-Ass... that takes the cake... as a long time dumb-ass I take offense!

 

Since when did dumb-asses get all PC and stuff? Time for a Benny Hill marathon, ain't no safe place for humanity in Benny's world because we are the most absurd of all the apes. So, stir that on into yer corn pone an' chaw it on down...

[Caevan O’Shite]

 

...it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

Now you're goin' 'n' talkin' prejudice trash... hillbillies... colloquialists... Fresnos... Dumb-Ass... that takes the cake... as a long time dumb-ass I take offense!

 

Since when did dumb-asses get all PC and stuff? Time for a Benny Hill marathon, ain't no safe place for humanity in Benny's world because we are the most absurd of all the apes. So, stir that on into yer corn pone an' chaw it on down...

Are you callin' me a Fresno?!

 

Again, as a Dumb-Ass of certifiable degree, I take umbrage with that statement. Good day. I said good day.

 

(I couldn't keep a straight-face without laughing as I typed that... ! )

[KuruPrionz]

 

...it is a hillbilly colloquialism and I'm just another dumb-ass from Fresno.

Now you're goin' 'n' talkin' prejudice trash... hillbillies... colloquialists... Fresnos... Dumb-Ass... that takes the cake... as a long time dumb-ass I take offense!

 

Since when did dumb-asses get all PC and stuff? Time for a Benny Hill marathon, ain't no safe place for humanity in Benny's world because we are the most absurd of all the apes. So, stir that on into yer corn pone an' chaw it on down...

Are you callin' me a Fresno?!

 

Again, as a Dumb-Ass of certifiable degree, I take umbrage with that statement. Good day. I said good day.

 

(I couldn't keep a straight-face without laughing as I typed that... ! )

 

Nor I as a read it. It is a complicated situation. I don't want to hurt anybody's feelings but sometimes and in many ways, we are profoundly absurd and I feel like we all could use the laughs if we could let go of the indignity.

Last fall I sat outside in the shade, hanging out with Elders of the Lummi Nation. They were "capping" or "doin' the nines" on each other relentlessly and in full force. And everybody was laughing the entire time.

They recognize and accept that they are ridiculous and have some fun with it. That's a good way to live.

[Caevan O’Shite]

MB'uhwaahhaahhaahhaahhaaahhh.... !! More and more of my various parts are shipping or even already in the grip of my craggy paws and claws... !!

 

This begins to grow toward fruition... !!

 

I'm stoked.

[KuruPrionz]

Sweet!!!

 

A great friend (and our bassist) has been helping me with some needed improvements at home. So I ordered a Jazz Bass neck and P-Bass body, fairly inexpensive import stuff but still more than decent.

Gonna build him a bass as a thank you gift.

 

Now I'm wondering if you used parallel inputs on for the straight pickups and the OUTPUT of the SPC on the double ganged pot if that might do the trick?

[Caevan O’Shite]

I've decided to go with a set of Lindy Fralin Blues Special Tele pickups, and probably CTS pots from Stewart-McDonald.

 

I would have ordered the pickups already, but I'm waiting for confirmation on one detail concerning compatibility with the Free-Way 3/6 switch.

 

After the pickups and pots, the only thing left to order will be the Dunlop Flush-Mount StrapLoks that I want. I've even already got strings and a couple of straps no order.

 

Oh, come to think of it, I might want to get some adhesive-backed copper-foil to line and shield the control and pickup cavities... I think that's everything. >whew<

 

 

A great friend (and our bassist) has been helping me with some needed improvements at home. So I ordered a Jazz Bass neck and P-Bass body, fairly inexpensive import stuff but still more than decent.

Gonna build him a bass as a thank you gift.

 

SWEET. Clearly you're a good friend to have!

 

Now I'm wondering if you used parallel inputs on for the straight pickups and the OUTPUT of the SPC on the double ganged pot if that might do the trick?

 

It might. I'd had half a similar thought before, myself. But I'd decided initially to keep this primarily as simple and sort of vintage-correct, without any extra pots, toggle-switches or jacks- and I'm continuing to do so.

 

That Free-Way 3/6-way selector switch is gonna do me VERY well here, along with the *" '50's Les Paul wiring for Telecaster" tweak, what with the added series, series/out-of-phase, and parallel/out-of-phase options available on-the-fly- I'm stoked about that! AND, with no additional switches, pots, or push-pull pots.

 

The series/IN-phase option should give me a big midrange and volume boost, and, coupled with s li'l roll-back of the tone-knob, it should be in the neighborhood of the SPC...

 

 

*Debating back and forth about whether or not to go with the " '50's Les Paul wiring for Telecaster", or "Modern" wiring plus a cap & resistor "Treble-Bleed" across the volume-pot. The wiring difference is extremely simple and small, though- and I don't know as it'll make much difference in the pots and tone-cap I choose to begin with, so a little simple trial-and-error comparison test may be necessary to decide in the end...

[Larryz]

I like the 50's LP wiring for Tele shown in the article as it looks pretty easy to do. I also like your idea of trial and error while the parts are in place to see if it will work as predicted with your 3/6 switch. The switch will probably be the trial and error portion on the bench while having an amp plugged in before final install. The big issue will be not having to heat up and re-solder the 2 grounds on the volume and the 1 ground on the tone pots. You're lucky you are doing the wiring using good quality and thicker gauge wire. Most imports (like my main guitar) use cheap thin wire on the grounds for some reason (i.e. cut costs I guess?).

 

If you don't like the LP wiring, I think the most it will cost is a couple of pots +/-. They can be re-heated about 3 times (counting the 1st time) but I'm sure you won't have that problem. Keep the hits coming!

[Caevan O’Shite]

I like the 50's LP wiring for Tele shown in the article as it looks pretty easy to do. I also like your idea of trial and error while the parts are in place to see if it will work as predicted with your 3/6 switch. The switch will probably be the trial and error portion on the bench while having an amp plugged in before final install. The big issue will be not having to heat up and re-solder the 2 grounds on the volume and the 1 ground on the tone pots. You're lucky you are doing the wiring using good quality and thicker gauge wire. Most imports (like my main guitar) use cheap thin wire on the grounds for some reason (i.e. cut costs I guess?).

 

If you don't like the LP wiring, I think the most it will cost is a couple of pots +/-. They can be re-heated about 3 times (counting the 1st time) but I'm sure you won't have that problem. Keep the hits coming!

 

Actually, I'm sure that the 3/6 switch will be fine. And I'm REALLY looking forward to it!

 

It's the " '50s Les Paul wiring for Tele" that I'm unsure of, apparently much of its benefits depends on the ratio of the audio-taper of the volume-pot, and ratio specs seem hard to come by; if in the neighborhood of 8:20 or 90:10, the '50s LP/Tele- wiring can likely result in the volume-taper seeming to go from full-on almost instantly to mostly-off and full-off, instead of a usable, gradual sweep. I can't use that.

 

But if I can find the correct pots and the LP/Tele wiring works as described in that article, it'll really suit my wants and needs very well, and probably even better than the "treble-bleed" (which I've used before)!

 

If I try different caps or change the Tone to Volume pot wiring between "Vintage LP" and "Modern" arrangements, I'll do so with temporary connections, most likely via alligator-clips or somethin', rather than heating and reheating and overheating components.

[Larryz]

I think the audio taper pots will solve the worry problem as they have a much better gradual sweep over linear taper pots. In my last mod I learned the difference between the two and used audio taper on my 2 volume pots and my two tone pots. I could really hear the difference when rolling off the tones a little. Way more control over the bleed off that could be picked up by ear, instead of a wide linear sweep that just didn't work for me. A good quality orange drop cap will also help. With a tiny bit of solder, the lugs on the switch should be easy to change without the alligator clips and you can go back and add a little more solder if needed after the test(s). The heat issues are more involved with changing pot grounds. The pot lugs will be the same as the switch lugs for ease of changing as they don't need to be heated up as much. The 3/6 switch might take a little playing around with to get it right. I've never used one so I'm wishing you the best of luck on the 1st try!

[Caevan O’Shite]

So, I've got almost everything I'll need to build this guitar; I'm just waiting on the custom bridge-plate, the volume and tone knobs and a cool black-nickel plated switch-tip, and the body and neck themselves.

 

I've got my Lindy Fralin Blues Special Tele pickups! Shiny nickel-plated cover on the neck-pickup, the de-rigueur white-string wrapped around the coil of the bridge-pickup; "hybrid stagger" for the Alnico V slug pole-pieces...

 

I've gotta say, that even before these pickups arrived, Lindy Fralin's customer service and support has been stellar- they've emailed me multiple tips, instructions, and suggestions for how to best install them and get the most out of 'em. Great stuff! Highly appreciated!

 

 

I might grab a few more capacitors of various types and values, just to compare and listen for myself- not only to decide which I want in this guitar with these pickups and pots and wiring scheme, but to do my OWN listening and playing test to compare and make up my own mind about whether some of these caps really can and do make a difference, or if it's a lot of snake oil and BS. That'll be fun and interesting in and of itself!

 

I'll probably need to get at least some stuff- materials, supplies, maybe tools- to do some finish and nut installation and filing and fret-work. Depends on just how much I want to tackle myself- and how much I'd rather have a seasoned, qualified, experienced, skilled, bona fide PRO do right, the first time, the best way.

 

A very BIG part of those decisions concerns whether or not to spend more money yet on specialty tools that I'd need to do the work- that I might have little use for afterward. We'll see.

 

 

In a few months ( !), I'll have one INCREDIBLE, FANTASTIC axe!!

 

>sigh<

[KuruPrionz]

"Whole bunch of happy..."

 

The one thing that matters the most, BY FAR, is having the frets be perfect. A baked, one-piece maple neck should be very stable so a standard level, crown and polish ought to be fine. Nothing wrong with having it Plek'ed but probably a bit of overkill for this one.

 

The Devil is in the details. I took an ordinary (but high quality) square needle file and very carefully ground and polished one side to be flat and smooth. This is perfect for rounding the fret ends, taking those sharp points off makes a huge difference in comfort, even though they may be almost microscopically annoying. A baked neck should not shrink but it may swell so be sure to seal the wood in some fashion to prevent moisture from being absorbed.

 

If the frets are perfect, the rest of the guitar can be a sloppy mess and it will still be the joy of your life. Cheers, Kuru

[Caevan O’Shite]

Woot! The neck has arrived- and it's a beaut'. Wonderful round 'just-right' profile reminiscent of '59 Les Paul style necks, feels great in the hand; completely one-piece construction save for the walnut "skunk-stripe" plugging the channel cut for the truss-rod; Roasted Maple that is a nice baked light golden brown; very light with a ringing sonic 'ping' when rapped on with a knuckle... Excellent Stainless Steel frets very well seated in a Compound Radius fretboard (well, the face of the one-piece neck)... I'm very pleased.

 

All I'm waiting on now are the body; and the bridge-plate, volume and tone knobs, with a cool black-nickel-plated knurled metal switch-tip. I have everything else amassed now, with the exception of some further supplies and tools for some finishing work and drilling for the hardware, etc.

 

 

Now... I didn't even realize that Quartersawn maple could be figured with flame or bird's-eye figuring, let alone that I could have requested that when I ordered this neck from Warmoth...

 

Apparently, Flamed and Bird's-Eye Quartersawn Maple is available and can be ordered from Warmoth- if the request is put in following the initial order for Quartersawn Maple.

 

Top priority for me here, though, was and is the stability and rigid stiffness of Quartersawn Maple; such figuring looks nice, but is of lesser importance to me- and I have to wonder, if the best section of Quartersawn wood from a given tree-trunk is the least likely to exhibit such figure, and, vice-versa, if Quartersawn woods chosen for maximum flaminess might be from the segment where that straight vertical 90° wood-graon orientation is beginning to run out and be less straight and uniform...

 

IN ANY CASE, without my having requested or paid for flame or bird's-eye figure, the neck DOES have some subtle flame figure here and there, and fairly evenly, uniformly spaced. More noticeable on the back, but also between the frets, as well. A Win-WIN, as really extreme flame would have seemed a bit ostentatious to me for this guitar.

 

I'll try to get a photo or two of the neck up here before too long, for anyone interested...

[Larryz]

We're interested in the pics...big time!!!

[KuruPrionz]

Woot! The neck has arrived- and it's a beaut'. Wonderful round 'just-right' profile reminiscent of '59 Les Paul style necks, feels great in the hand; completely one-piece construction save for the walnut "skunk-stripe" plugging the channel cut for the truss-rod; Roasted Maple that is a nice baked light golden brown; very light with a ringing sonic 'ping' when rapped on with a knuckle... Excellent Stainless Steel frets very well seated in a Compound Radius fretboard (well, the face of the one-piece neck)... I'm very pleased.

 

All I'm waiting on now are the bridge-plate, volume and tone knobs, and a cool black-nickel-plated knurled metal switch-tip. I have everything else amassed now, with the exception of some further supplies and tools for some finishing work and drilling for the hardware, etc.

 

 

Now... I didn't even realize that Quartersawn maple could be figured with flame or bird's-eye figuring, let alone that I could have requested that when I ordered this neck from Warmoth...

 

Apparently, Flamed and Bird's-Eye Quartersawn Maple is available and can be ordered from Warmoth- if the request is put in following the initial order for Quartersawn Maple.

 

Top priority for me here, though, was and is the stability and rigid stiffness of Quartersawn Maple; such figuring looks nice, but is of lesser importance to me- and I have to wonder, if the best section of Quartersawn wood from a given tree-trunk is the least likely to exhibit such figure, and, vice-versa, if Quartersawn woods chosen for maximum flaminess might be from the segment where that straight vertical 90° wood-graon orientation is beginning to run out and be less straight and uniform...

 

IN ANY CASE, without my having requested or paid for flame or bird's-eye figure, the neck DOES have some subtle flame figure here and there, and fairly evenly, uniformly spaced. More noticeable on the back, but also between the frets, as well. A Win-WIN, as really extreme flame would have seemed a bit ostentatious to me for this guitar.

 

I'll try to get a photo or two of the neck up here before too long, for anyone interested...

 

 

LOOK!!! A FLYING SAUCER!!!!! *grabs neck and runs away!!!!*

[Caevan O’Shite]

LOOK!!! A FLYING SAUCER!!!!! *grabs neck and runs away!!!!*

 

 

By the way, I made an error in my previous post, since corrected- I'm also still waiting for the guitar body, as well, besides the other items I mentioned above.

 

I ordered it with a finish, so it'll take longer, even though it was the first item that I ordered.

 

I'm just chompin' at the bit for that custom bridge-plate to arrive, so that I can install the bridge-saddles and bridge-pickup. I'll wait till then to start installing the controls on the control-plate.

[KuruPrionz]

LOOK!!! A FLYING SAUCER!!!!! *grabs neck and runs away!!!!*

 

 

By the way, I made an error in my previous post, since corrected- I'm also still waiting for the guitar body, as well, besides the other items I mentioned above.

 

I ordered it with a finish, so it'll take longer, even though it was the first item that I ordered.

 

I'm just chompin' at the bit for that custom bridge-plate to arrive, so that I can install the bridge-saddles and bridge-pickup. I'll wait till then to start installing the controls on the control-plate.

 

 

I was wondering about the body. Stealing the neck only gets you so far... lol.

I'm looking forward to seeing this build, I've wanted to do something similar for quite a while but my tastes have changed a bit and now I'm thinking a book matched flamed walnut top on the body, chambered and probably Western Maple for the back of the body (it's not heavy like hard rock maple, grows all over the place up here and beautifully flamed pieces are not rare.

 

I want the Warmoth 1 7/8" fatback, which I think only as a neck with a fingerboard glued on so - ebony!!! The streaky kind, it's pretty. No frets, I'll fret it myself with the All-Parts Extra-Super-Gigantic fret wire, I have some of that. Graph-Tech Ratio tuners, my usual EMG Tele pickups with SPC and since it will be chambered - no pickguard. Maybe one of these days...

 

Meanwhile, I'll watch your dream guitar come to fruition.

[Caevan O’Shite]

I'm looking forward to seeing this build, I've wanted to do something similar for quite a while but my tastes have changed a bit and now I'm thinking a book matched flamed walnut top on the body, chambered and probably Western Maple for the back of the body (it's not heavy like hard rock maple, grows all over the place up here and beautifully flamed pieces are not rare.

 

I want the Warmoth 1 7/8" fatback, which I think only as a neck with a fingerboard glued on so - ebony!!! The streaky kind, it's pretty. No frets, I'll fret it myself with the All-Parts Extra-Super-Gigantic fret wire, I have some of that. Graph-Tech Ratio tuners, my usual EMG Tele pickups with SPC and since it will be chambered - no pickguard. Maybe one of these days...

 

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice... That's going to be a really nice neck! Warmoth? "Modern Construction"? Similar to the "59 Roundback" I went with- which is really nice- but with even more of a... fat back... You, me, 'n' Jeff Beck would probably all like the neck you're describing, humongo frets 'n' all.

 

"Western Maple for the back of the body"- We have some similar maple here in the East; it grows fast, and because of that it tends to be a bit softer than some, and can sometimes show dramatic figure like flame.

 

Years ago, a "micro tornado" came down like a bouncing giant drill-bit on the end of a locomotive engine around our house, twisting-off and throwing around five trees. One of them was a maple on the side of the driveway (one of two twin trunks that grew in a "V"- oddly only the one was taken), with a good nine foot section displaying strikingly beautiful tight, uniform flame across a log wide enough to yield book-matched backs and sides for several mandolins, violins and- a Les Paul style top for me one day... It's been curing for many years now in the stash of a luthier and violin-crafting friend of mine, promising a top for a future Les Paul styled axe for me...

 

But I digress.

 

Meanwhile, I'll watch your dream guitar come to fruition.

 

The body is supposed to be here this coming Wednesday! Both the neck and the body that I ordered from Warmoth have been completed and shipped much sooner than I expected- even by the estimated time-frames stated by Warmoth.

 

Unfortiunately, a real bottle-neck to this is that there seems to be some sort of unknown issue holding up the creation and/or shipping of the special custom-made bridge-plate that I ordered; that, and the control-knobs and switch-tip on the same order, are ALL that is left once I receive the body in a few days... and I can't do a lot until I have that bridge-plate to mount the pickup and bridge-saddles on- and, of course, strings. I can gradually do a few things like additional sanding of the neck (though it already feels mighty fine as-is!), get what I need to apply a finish to the face, sides, and back of the headstock, and begin drilling some of the screw-holes for the tuners, pickguard, etc. etc.... But I really need that bridge plate! I DON'T want to get cheaper, more quickly obtained bridge plate as a temporary stand-in, just in case the holes don't line-up exactly the same...

 

 

 

LOOK!!! A FLYING SAUCER!!!!! *grabs neck and runs away!!!!*

 

You're RIGHT- !!

 

oh, wait... those are "flying saucer" germanium transistors...

 

[KuruPrionz]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice... That's going to be a really nice neck! Warmoth? "Modern Construction"? Similar to the "59 Roundback" I went with- which is really nice- but with even more of a... fat back... You, me, 'n' Jeff Beck would probably all like the neck you're describing, humongo frets 'n' all.

 

 

My current gigger has a Warmoth 1 7/8" wide fat back, all maple (glued on fretboard). It's a true left-handed neck with side markers on the "bottom". Not so many bidders so I got a deal on it.

I put a drop of black paint on the "top" where I need the markers. I refretted with Jascar Super Jumbo and when that wasn't quite enough I did a full scallop of the board.

 

Then I discovered the All Parts extra super insanely huge jumbo fretwork and ordered enough for 2 guitars. Did I mention I want a FLAT fretboard? That will provide the lowest possible action with no restrictions on how far you can stretch a string.

 

That's a Squier body, it's thinner and lighter and I loved the blue color so I stuck a different body on the Squier and flipped it.

 

I might go with a Strat body, they do hang better and the bigger headstock sounds better too. See attached photos, my gigger. 2 EMG SA pickups, 3 way switch, an SPC control closer to the strings and the volume well away from them. I do swells rarely and mostly control my volume by using a very heavy pick and careful attention to the my picking force. I do use the SPC sometimes to control the distortion when playing in a lead channel. Most of the time, it's wide open full mid boost.

[Caevan O’Shite]

Niiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice... That's going to be a really nice neck! Warmoth? "Modern Construction"? Similar to the "59 Roundback" I went with- which is really nice- but with even more of a... fat back... You, me, 'n' Jeff Beck would probably all like the neck you're describing, humongo frets 'n' all.

 

 

My current gigger has a Warmoth 1 7/8" wide fat back, all maple (glued on fretboard). It's a true left-handed neck with side markers on the "bottom". Not so many bidders so I got a deal on it.

I put a drop of black paint on the "top" where I need the markers. I refretted with Jascar Super Jumbo and when that wasn't quite enough I did a full scallop of the board.

 

Then I discovered the All Parts extra super insanely huge jumbo fretwork and ordered enough for 2 guitars. Did I mention I want a FLAT fretboard? That will provide the lowest possible action with no restrictions on how far you can stretch a string.

 

That's a Squier body, it's thinner and lighter and I loved the blue color so I stuck a different body on the Squier and flipped it.

 

I might go with a Strat body, they do hang better and the bigger headstock sounds better too. See attached photos, my gigger. 2 EMG SA pickups, 3 way switch, an SPC control closer to the strings and the volume well away from them. I do swells rarely and mostly control my volume by using a very heavy pick and careful attention to the my picking force. I do use the SPC sometimes to control the distortion when playing in a lead channel. Most of the time, it's wide open full mid boost.

 

Beautiful!

[Larryz]

I think it was wise to order the body with a finish, even if it takes a little longer to get here!