Blackout Soloist

[GearBoxTy]

In my never-ending quest for the perfect whammy guitar I have decided to make my second Warmoth.  This time, I got a gloss black contoured heel Poplar Soloist body from the Showcase and had it routed for a single bridge humbucker and recessed Original Floyd Rose tremolo.

This guitar will be totally black.  Well, as black as I can get it.  As it stands, the only non-black parts will be the pickup pole pieces, pickup logo, back of the neck, and possibly whatever I select for a headstock logo decal.

The body and other parts arrived January 23, 2014.

Here is the body:

The body and the black Original Floyd Rose tremolo:

The black parts (including every screw I'll need):

I ordered a 24-fret, Maple with an Indian Rosewood fingerboard Arcade neck.  It is being prepared for the R4 nut with mounting holes and will have 6150 sized frets.  I was considering no inlays but decided on getting Black Mother-Of-Pearl inlays so there is a subtle marker for me.  The neck has a Standard Thin back contour and compound radius fingerboard with a clear satin back finish and a gloss black headstock face finish.

As I wait for the neck to be built and shipped, I will do all the body work!

 

[Miotch]

Rockin !!
Good choice on the fretboard markers.  I would turn from a bad player into a horrible one without some occassional glimpse at reference markers

 

[Cederick]

Why not black on all the neck? Should look way cooler

 

[SustainerPlayer]

All black. The ultimate bad.  :icon_thumright:

 

[sixstringsamurai]

Why not black on all the neck? Should look way cooler

I did that on my last build, Ebony with only side markers.

It took some getting used too, But I don't really even notice now.

Black MOP on oiled rosewood will look really nice too. :rock-on:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I can only assume the pickup will be a Seymour Duncan Blackout.

 

[swarfrat]

Don't forget to paint the recess!

 

[GearBoxTy]

The recess and humbucker route will both be coated with conductive shielding paint so they will be dark and shielded.

I didn't want an ebony fingerboard because I want the warmth of rosewood.  And, I didn't get the back finished in black gloss to keep with the all-black theme because I wanted a satin finish and I'm fine with a clear satin back finish.  I really wanted it to look like a Charvel/Jackson with the black headstock face.  Too bad they put the "tumor" on the Arcade neck instead of keeping them like the regular Jackson headstock.  I know it has been discussed, but I don't understand why they couldn't keep producing them since Jackson is owned by Fender; maybe the license isn't a blanket.

The pickup is a Duncan Distortion Trembucker, but a Blackout would be a cool alternative.

 

[GearBoxTy]

I have begun!

Finally got around to coating the cavities with conductive shielding paint.  Here is the top:

This picture is after one coat; I also did the control and tremolo cavities.  I have since put the other two coats on and I'm done with the shielding.  I guess running the bridge ground wire and installing the tremolo will be next.  Or, should I do the humbucker mounting and wiring first?

 

[Cederick]

That shouldn't matter, when I did a similar setup I installed bridge and ground and then humbucker (or vice versa) and then pot last. You can do whatever

 

[Great Ape]

Man, that is gonna be NASTY!!

 

[devrock]

You can take a Sharpie to black out the pole pieces. Not ideal, but should work fine.

 

[Strat Avenger]

Very cool.

 

[swarfrat]

Thanks to goth chicks - you can probably find some black nail polish that might do better than sharpie