"absolutely black strat" project
- Thread starter blackofe
- Start date
arty07:
ORCRiST
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blackofe said:
Same thing happened to me when I ordered my neck. Initially, I was NOT happy. I wanted jet-black. There was no "black, black" option at the time I placed
my order, I looked for it. I was going to dye mine black too - but then I really started to dig the streaks, and after a year - am really glad I didn't dye it.
I wouldn't have got the vintage construction, that rear truss-rod adjustment is a PITA - and lets face facts, there's nothing about your axe thats vintage (and IMO,
thats a good thing).
You're getting rid of that bright chrome input jack I hope?
:kewlpics:
ORCRiST, youre right. initially i was shocked slightly - not absolutely black! 
but then i rethought this. this stripe add "aliveness" to the guitar. it's not just a piece of dark black something. it's made with real wood - it's a by-human-using thing.
i have no idea yet, what to do with the jack. probably i will be able to find an appropriate black nut, but the jack itself.. :icon_scratch:
for now i'm worrying about the tremolo, pickups and switch screws. i'm thinking about a white head stock logo decal. later i'm gonna take care about the pickguard (black one-ply). and - the most scared thing - the art on the body, that exists for now only in my head. :glasses9:
but then i rethought this. this stripe add "aliveness" to the guitar. it's not just a piece of dark black something. it's made with real wood - it's a by-human-using thing.i have no idea yet, what to do with the jack. probably i will be able to find an appropriate black nut, but the jack itself.. :icon_scratch:
for now i'm worrying about the tremolo, pickups and switch screws. i'm thinking about a white head stock logo decal. later i'm gonna take care about the pickguard (black one-ply). and - the most scared thing - the art on the body, that exists for now only in my head. :glasses9:
Tipperman
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Bagman67 said:
Ditto. I keep coming back to this thread. I'm a big strat guy, as I'm sure people have figured out by now, and this just looks badass as all get-out. :icon_thumright:
I think the stripe, as I've probably stated multiple times, really accentuates things nicely. I also think keeping a little bit of chrome looks really cool. Hows she quack?
thx guys! :headbang:
i've tried it already. it sounds sweet! probably later i'll be able to post some samples. about feeling: in comparison with the original maple neck, it sounds a little bit sharper. everything strat's is in - glass, bottlness, but just a little bit more expressive, harder and explicit.
about the neck - probably it's the most comfortable neck i've ever been trying. thin (as a vintage one), round (vintage radius), but C-shaped, and the ebony fingerboard make my fingers just fly along the neck. the guitar plays just by herself (my guitar is obvoiusly she
).
however i got a problem, too. the very first string buzzes. i'm gonna figure it out. and i didn't make fine tuning yet. so hopefully this is gonna be resolved.
i've tried it already. it sounds sweet! probably later i'll be able to post some samples. about feeling: in comparison with the original maple neck, it sounds a little bit sharper. everything strat's is in - glass, bottlness, but just a little bit more expressive, harder and explicit.
about the neck - probably it's the most comfortable neck i've ever been trying. thin (as a vintage one), round (vintage radius), but C-shaped, and the ebony fingerboard make my fingers just fly along the neck. the guitar plays just by herself (my guitar is obvoiusly she
).however i got a problem, too. the very first string buzzes. i'm gonna figure it out. and i didn't make fine tuning yet. so hopefully this is gonna be resolved.
line6man
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Jet-Jaguar said:
Lovers of stripey Ebony opt for Macassar, rather than Gaboon.It's worth paying extra if you like what you find in the gallery.
I thought Gaboon would be a bit boring on a guitar I just finished up, so I ordered a plainer piece of Macassar from the gallery, to keep it interesting with subtle figuring.
http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6060/6213347452_38cfe7986f_b.jpg
Cagey
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It really is a judgment call, as the Macassar (Indonesian Ebony) can be quite attractive, but sometimes you don't want any interfering color textures so you go with the Gabon (African Ebony). Plus, in my experience, the Gabon Ebony is denser, so much so that it almost feels more like plastic than wood because the surface is so smooth and grainless. Not that the Macassar isn't dense - it most certainly is - but it's not the same.
Of course, that could just be my exposure, so I probably shouldn't generalize.
I know prior to getting the Indian Rosewood over Indian Rosewood neck I have, I'd have never expected any serious density out of that stuff. But, the fretboard on that neck is clearly not the same as the neck meat, even if it is the same species. The grain color/figuring is spectacular, and the density rivals Ebony. So, wonders never cease. Either that, or somebody in the shop made a mistake and put Brazilian Rosewood on this neck and didn't mark it right. I've had more than one person tell me that's what it is, but they're not experts and neither am I so it'll remain a happy mystery.
Of course, that could just be my exposure, so I probably shouldn't generalize.
I know prior to getting the Indian Rosewood over Indian Rosewood neck I have, I'd have never expected any serious density out of that stuff. But, the fretboard on that neck is clearly not the same as the neck meat, even if it is the same species. The grain color/figuring is spectacular, and the density rivals Ebony. So, wonders never cease. Either that, or somebody in the shop made a mistake and put Brazilian Rosewood on this neck and didn't mark it right. I've had more than one person tell me that's what it is, but they're not experts and neither am I so it'll remain a happy mystery.
i need your consultation, ORCRiST. i mean i would like to have one. i'd like to put some arts on my guitar's body. how did you do it for your guitar? it looks pretty stylish and firm. you gave your guitar to a specialist? what did you provide? pictures? design? ideas?ORCRiST said:
Cagey
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There's probably not a well-defined edge or transition from the nut to the string at the point where it heads out to the fretboard. You might want to read through this treatment of the subject and see if you want to mess with it yourself or take it someplace where they have professional guitar techs (not Guitar Center) to work on it.
It's not difficult to do yourself if you know what needs to be done, but a good set of nut files will run you $100 or so, and if you screw it up and need to replace the nut, you'll also need a spacing rule, a scribe, some shaping files, and a small vise, so add another $50 or so. It sounds like a lotta money, but really, you only need to make 4 to 6 nuts and you've broken even. Nuts wear out, so if you own more than one guitar (or plan to) it might not be a bad investment to make.
It's not difficult to do yourself if you know what needs to be done, but a good set of nut files will run you $100 or so, and if you screw it up and need to replace the nut, you'll also need a spacing rule, a scribe, some shaping files, and a small vise, so add another $50 or so. It sounds like a lotta money, but really, you only need to make 4 to 6 nuts and you've broken even. Nuts wear out, so if you own more than one guitar (or plan to) it might not be a bad investment to make.
as i was advised, ordered a decal on Guitar and Headstock Decals.
btw, is MOHAWK Finishers Choice Clear Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Gloss good for laquering a headstock (after the decal sticked)?
btw, is MOHAWK Finishers Choice Clear Nitrocellulose Lacquer, Gloss good for laquering a headstock (after the decal sticked)?
bagman67
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blackofe said:
That Mohawk lacquer will work fine. First couple coats should be light, and then apply wet coats.
You'll want to account for humidity and temperature - lacquer will blush (develop a cloudy appearance) if it's too humid and moisture gets trapped in the finish. Best case scenario is low humidity, temperature in the 70's (Fahrenheit, obviously). If it's substantially cooler than the high 60's, consider waiting for the weather to warm up, or at least letting the cans of lacquer stand in a warm water bath before you shoot.
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