Rawb you can do a vid if you want mate - if you do it like Joe though I'll make sure to include a towel also to catch any dribble! ... :roll:
Cool I can do a very good Joe imatation. Considering I spent my youth and a good portion of my adult life partying like him. :shock: :roll: :roll: Instead of trying to play like him :roll: Oh well! I may not be able to entertain everyone... But I know I will be one of the last standing! :shock: :twisted:
not to get off topic or anything, , but I just thought I'd chime in making your own instrument. To build one from the ground up requires a skill set that most don't have. Not to say you couldn't jump right in and on your first attempt put together a masterpiece, its just not very likely. For folks with limited experience in woodworking and limited access to the proper tools , putting together an axe from pre-made parts is an excellent way to get your feet wet and can very rewarding at the same time. There are lots of sources here in the states for quality parts, the choices almost endless. If the flashy topwoods or inlay don't mean as much as tone, then I would think you could put together a truly great sounding and great playing guitar for less than $1000 US dollars. I have never put together a kit or part guitar , I make all mine from my own designs , but really other than the neck and body its all parts as far as electrics go anyway. I say go for it.... get the parts and put one together and see how it turns out, if you start with quality stuff then I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised with the end result as long as you take your time and be patient.
I have some pics of my custom creations at www.myspace.com/pcwsongs ... i hope that give you a bit of inspiration.
IMO nothing is more satisfying than playing a guitar that you made with your own hands.
I say go for it.... get the parts and put one together and see how it turns out, if you start with quality stuff then I'm sure you will be pleasantly surprised with the end result as long as you take your time and be patient.
I have some pics of my custom creations at www.myspace.com/pcwsongs ... i hope that give you a bit of inspiration.
IMO nothing is more satisfying than playing a guitar that you made with your own hands.
I completely agree. A lot of people have said to me why bother putting a guitar together when you can buy one but to me thats not what its about - it all about the exercise and saying at the end that I did this! And if it sounds like a belching dog then so be it!
If the parts are top quality then I can't see a reason why something won't sound good. The tone totally depends on the timber you choose and usually an exotic top adds to that tonal equation to a degree. The characteristics of the pickups you choose are important too.
Your custom crations are sweet. Interesting shapes so I'm wondering how they sound or can you describe a guitar they sound like? Also, tell us about the timbers you've used and pickups. I noticed you have a neck-thru that looked like a lot of work - how did you put that together?
Your custom crations are sweet. Very Happy Interesting shapes so I'm wondering how they sound or can you describe a guitar they sound like? Also, tell us about the timbers you've used and pickups. I noticed you have a neck-thru that looked like a lot of work - how did you put that together?
thanks Boo, I get alot of pleasure out of every one of them.
As far as the various woods...
the one set up like a strat there is a five piece mahogany(Honduran of course!) and maple body with a maple top and a top veneer of sappale pommelle which is 50 yrs. old. the dig cam doesn't really show the true beauty of that top. maple neck with maple fretboard. the p/u's are out of an old epi strat copy that I parted out some time ago. I have no idea who made them but they are CREAMY sweet. I would describe the tone as warm strat but the quack is there if you want it . the p/u's are very tonally versatile.
the single cutaway is a mahogany body with a one piece cherry top. You don't see alot of cherry in electric guitar construction and I always wondered why( I am a cabinetmaker by trade and I work a lot in cherry), so I decided to try an experiment, which I think worked quite well. maple neck with rosewood fretboard. the p/u's are EMG, both humbuckers (the front p/u is stacked) and the bridge p/u is coil tapped.
this axe is very quiet thanks to the EMG's . with the coil tapped you can get a quasi tele tone out of this but to me it sounds more like a friends prs with the mahogany body and all. overall its very well balanced and I wouldnt hesitate to use cherry again on another project.
the double cutaway is again mahogany body with a maple top. I custom made the pickguard from aluminum sheet and several wood veneers , thats walnut on top . the p/u's in this one are called \"Dragonfire\" ,got them off ebay on a whim cause they were fairly inexpensive and I had seen a few good reports from others on thier tone. They did not disappoint, they are very warm and mellow turned down but they will scream when cranked with a great deal of definition. this guitar is very reminiscent of a les paul,maybe just a touch brighter with the maple neck, just not as heavy.
the last one there has a soft maple body with a walnut top veneer. all the rest of the guitar except the roller bride was recycled from an ESP viper50 I got for 40 bucks at a yard sale. I stripped the neck and reworked the headstock , made a custom tailpiece out of teak and there she is. This is a shredders axe no doubt. 24 3/4\" scale and a very low action, great for tapping and runs. I'm not thrilled with the stock ESP p/u's , seem a bit brittle to my ears, I'll probably switch them out one day with something more suitable to the dark nature of this axe.
I noticed you have a neck-thru that looked like a lot of work - how did you put that together?
No neck thrus..... all mine are bolt on's.... never really subscribed to set neck/ neck through school... bolt on necks are easier to work on and repair and for those who may think you get a better tone or sustain from a neck through no one has ever proven it to me. the only advantage I can see with a neck through is the heel joint when you are playing up past the 12th fret.
I have several others in the works ...a chambered body that I'm thinking of trying out some piezos to mate with the magnetics and use some type of blend control between the two, a mini sized body along the lines of the discontinued gibson nighthawk, a all poplar body with a funky new design I've worked out among others....the only thing stopping me these days is the economy.... no money for parts. I could just sell one I could get the others finished, but nobody's buyin these days it seems. oh well...it will pick up before long .
thanks again boo...if you have any more questions please feel free to ask. i'd be happy to help any way I can.
Comments
Shut Up!...don't tell'em that!
:shock: AH-Hah... yer a Bass guitarist. hahaha C-G-C-G-G-C
(Lead guitarist yelling) Hey...turn it down and get in the pocket doofus! :evil:
Cool I can do a very good Joe imatation. Considering I spent my youth and a good portion of my adult life partying like him. :shock: :roll: :roll: Instead of trying to play like him :roll: Oh well! I may not be able to entertain everyone... But I know I will be one of the last standing! :shock: :twisted:
I have some pics of my custom creations at www.myspace.com/pcwsongs ... i hope that give you a bit of inspiration.
IMO nothing is more satisfying than playing a guitar that you made with your own hands.
I completely agree. A lot of people have said to me why bother putting a guitar together when you can buy one but to me thats not what its about - it all about the exercise and saying at the end that I did this! And if it sounds like a belching dog then so be it!
If the parts are top quality then I can't see a reason why something won't sound good. The tone totally depends on the timber you choose and usually an exotic top adds to that tonal equation to a degree. The characteristics of the pickups you choose are important too.
Your custom crations are sweet.
thanks Boo, I get alot of pleasure out of every one of them.
As far as the various woods...
the one set up like a strat there is a five piece mahogany(Honduran of course!) and maple body with a maple top and a top veneer of sappale pommelle which is 50 yrs. old. the dig cam doesn't really show the true beauty of that top. maple neck with maple fretboard. the p/u's are out of an old epi strat copy that I parted out some time ago. I have no idea who made them but they are CREAMY sweet. I would describe the tone as warm strat but the quack is there if you want it . the p/u's are very tonally versatile.
the single cutaway is a mahogany body with a one piece cherry top. You don't see alot of cherry in electric guitar construction and I always wondered why( I am a cabinetmaker by trade and I work a lot in cherry), so I decided to try an experiment, which I think worked quite well. maple neck with rosewood fretboard. the p/u's are EMG, both humbuckers (the front p/u is stacked) and the bridge p/u is coil tapped.
this axe is very quiet thanks to the EMG's . with the coil tapped you can get a quasi tele tone out of this but to me it sounds more like a friends prs with the mahogany body and all. overall its very well balanced and I wouldnt hesitate to use cherry again on another project.
the double cutaway is again mahogany body with a maple top. I custom made the pickguard from aluminum sheet and several wood veneers , thats walnut on top . the p/u's in this one are called \"Dragonfire\" ,got them off ebay on a whim cause they were fairly inexpensive and I had seen a few good reports from others on thier tone. They did not disappoint, they are very warm and mellow turned down but they will scream when cranked with a great deal of definition. this guitar is very reminiscent of a les paul,maybe just a touch brighter with the maple neck, just not as heavy.
the last one there has a soft maple body with a walnut top veneer. all the rest of the guitar except the roller bride was recycled from an ESP viper50 I got for 40 bucks at a yard sale. I stripped the neck and reworked the headstock , made a custom tailpiece out of teak and there she is. This is a shredders axe no doubt. 24 3/4\" scale and a very low action, great for tapping and runs. I'm not thrilled with the stock ESP p/u's , seem a bit brittle to my ears, I'll probably switch them out one day with something more suitable to the dark nature of this axe.
No neck thrus..... all mine are bolt on's.... never really subscribed to set neck/ neck through school... bolt on necks are easier to work on and repair and for those who may think you get a better tone or sustain from a neck through no one has ever proven it to me. the only advantage I can see with a neck through is the heel joint when you are playing up past the 12th fret.
I have several others in the works ...a chambered body that I'm thinking of trying out some piezos to mate with the magnetics and use some type of blend control between the two, a mini sized body along the lines of the discontinued gibson nighthawk, a all poplar body with a funky new design I've worked out among others....the only thing stopping me these days is the economy.... no money for parts. I could just sell one I could get the others finished, but nobody's buyin these days it seems. oh well...it will pick up before long .
thanks again boo...if you have any more questions please feel free to ask. i'd be happy to help any way I can.