Already Planning my CT-3

[mwbjr13]

So, as soon as I saw the teaser fror the starc... I mean CT-3, I started planning my build. I was actually about to pull the trigger on my very first build, a tele is anyone cares, when I saw that and had my world turn upside down. I've always wanted a full sized, or atleast larger than a tele, semi hollow that I could bend to my will. But enough of my ranting, I want this to be a very dark and mid-range guitar acoustically because I usually set my amps pretty bright.

I'm thinking about using Mahogony or Korina for the body with a Wenge neck and Ebony fretboard. I have no expierence with either Wenge or Ebony but with everything I've read that combo should give me what I want. Oh, and by the by, I'm going to paint and bind the neck. I don't care about grain patterns and I can't tell the difference between my painted necks and raw neck. I want this to be my workhorse not a show piece.

Thanks  :icon_thumright:

 

[Patrick from Davis]

I love Wenge, but I would suggest Goncalo for a warmer sound.  I find it to be very nicely tempered, and a lot warmer.  Not muddy, but warmer.  The Wenge will be much livelier, the Goncalo will be smooth and warm.
Patrick

 

[mwbjr13]

Thanks for the advice Patrick. One question about Goncalo, how dark (color not sound) can I get it?

 

[Patrick from Davis]

It is darker than maple, not so much of the whitest yellow, more a yellow yellow.  I hope that make sense.  It has chocolate blobs in it.  Very much like a marble cake.  I was mainly giving the suggestion for the sound qualities.  If it is going to be your main player, and you know the sound you like, I would have to choose the sound qualities over the dark neck look.  Or get Mahogany, and have Tonar put an oil finish on it.
Patrick

 

[mrpinter]

It is darker than maple, not so much of the whitest yellow, more a yellow yellow.  I hope that make sense.  It has chocolate blobs in it.  Very much like a marble cake.  I was mainly giving the suggestion for the sound qualities.  If it is going to be your main player, and you know the sound you like, I would have to choose the sound qualities over the dark neck look.  Or get Mahogany, and have Tonar put an oil finish on it.
Patrick

I have two Warmoth teles with Goncalo necks (one has a wenge fingerboard and one has a Goncalo fb). One thing to know: they darken considerably over time, mine started out kind of a med./lt. orange color. Now they are both darker - and it's only been less than a year for the newer one (that's pictured below).

I'll try to find some pics:

Here is one soon after the build when the neck was still pretty new:

Here it is now:

 

[Corey P.]

Another practical consideration if you're doing a hard finish on the neck - wenge would be a less than ideal choice because it's coarse and open-grained: it's appeal as a neck wood is the contact your hand isn't making with the reduced surface area making it faster to play: as you said that's not part of what you're after, and you're also going to need do a significant amount grain filling.  Walnut is in a similar tonal range to wenge, and would be fairly dark color-wise (if that's what you're after) depending on the piece you get, also, too, as well.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Well, I tried to reply yesterday, but interweb issues tubed that.  I missed that you want to finish the neck.  Mahogany would do what you want if that is the case.  Rosewood would also be a nice one, but I am not sure about finishing it.  Walnut, as said before, would get you more towards the Wenge and less towards the warm end of the spectrum.  But truth be told, there is a lot of variation with wood.  One tree can be nice and warm, another hard, weathered and disgruntled.

The reason I like Goncalo is that it can take the bite out of a Tele very nicely, and make them a bit more mild mannered.
Patrick

 

[aarontunes]

So, as soon as I saw the teaser fror the starc... I mean CT-3...

FYI, I have it on good authority that the official name for the CT-3 will be the "Mooncaster".

 

[swarfrat]

Definitely gonna have to get the Ray Stevens neckplate on that one.

 

[mwbjr13]

I like Mooncaster  :icon_thumright:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I cast a moon out the window of my car once. Cop didn't like it.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

I cast a moon out the window of my car once. Cop didn't like it.

You were probably missing a Floyd.

 

[Patrick from Davis]

Ha, a Mooner.  I like it.  Rumor has it Fender will be bringing this model back as well, so the pickup rings and such will be available, perhaps with a wait...
Patrick

 

[alterbridgefan]

They are. Coronado too.

I can't wait to try a Fender Starcaster Bass...

 

[Perry Combover]

Poor Doug.  Imagine the "creative" Mooncaster logos that he is going to have to soon engrave.  :icon_jokercolor: