Building my first body.

[Corey P.]

I think the real controversy is over not saving that flame for another project and finding other maple.  :evil4:

 

[DangerousR6]

Let the controversy begin!

:headbang1:

More like Floyd bashing, than controversey.... :-\

 

[bagman67]

YMMV of course.

 

[Cagey]

More like Floyd bashing, than controversey.... :-\

Bashing? I've seen little bashing here. What we have to suffer here is a lot of unending mourning. What you call "bashing" is mostly the thoughtful and considerate evaluation of the positive and negative ramifications of utilizing such a ham-fisted design.  But, to be fair, it was an early attempt to break out of the mold of the really bad previous vibrato bridge designs, and even with the profound changes Floyd made it was highly successful. To his credit, he didn't have any giant shoulders to stand on; he revamped the whole shebang as if he'd never seen a vibrato bridge. Plus, it didn't hurt that it worked like a charm.

Guitar players are funny in that they want to be as cutting-edge modern as possible while still using obsolete equipment that has been repeatedly and unquestionably proven to be inferior. When the Floyd came along, it was a release. A giant sigh of relief wafted through the ranks of guitar players everywhere. You could have a vibrato bridge AND stay in tune? What a concept!

But, as slow as it is, there is progress in the guitar hardware world. Over time, we've found ways to eliminate the locking nut, the locking bridge, and the micro-tuners, and in the process make our lives even easier. Now the only reason to use a Floyd design is so you can look like [insert hero here]. Unfortunately, if you're not a hero who can afford his own personal guitar tech, dealing with the Floyd design on an ongoing basis isn't any fun.

 

[line6man]

Ok, it looks like I'm going to need a 37mm block, rather than the 43mm block it came with.
Where can I buy a regular 37mm block without spending a fortune on ridiculous, oversized chunks of titanium or brass?
Also, do the Schallers use the same screw size and spacing as the original Floyds? The brass blocks I'm seeing on eBay are for the original Floyds.

 

[Cagey]

For what it'll cost to get another block, just rout the cavity a bit to give the bigger block room to travel. Even if you have to pay someone to do it, it'll probably be cheaper, and you'll get more range out of the deal.

 

[bagman67]

Ok, it looks like I'm going to need a 37mm block, rather than the 43mm block it came with.
Where can I buy a regular 37mm block without spending a fortune on ridiculous, oversized chunks of titanium or brass?
Also, do the Schallers use the same screw size and spacing as the original Floyds? The brass blocks I'm seeing on eBay are for the original Floyds.

Call Fatdog at Subway Guitars in Berkeley, CA - http://www.fatdawg.com/ all kinds of guitar-graveyard parts.  Maybe they can help you out.

 

[line6man]

For what it'll cost to get another block, just rout the cavity a bit to give the bigger block room to travel. Even if you have to pay someone to do it, it'll probably be cheaper, and you'll get more range out of the deal.

It's not the width, it's the depth.
I don't want the bottom of the block protruding from the back of the trem cavity.

 

[bagman67]

It's not the width, it's the depth.

That's what she said.

Hey-oh!

 

[line6man]

Neckplate! (Thanks Doug!) :icon_biggrin:

 

[B3Guy]

woah nelly! thats a killer neckplate! top notch, Dangerous!

 

[DangerousR6]

woah nelly! thats a killer neckplate! top notch, Dangerous!

Thanks man... :icon_thumright:

Also got these killer pens from Line6man in the mailbox today when I got home...Pic sucks, but these are sweet canarywood pens.... :headbang1:

 

[line6man]

woah nelly! thats a killer neckplate! top notch, Dangerous!

Thanks man... :icon_thumright:

Also got these killer pens from Line6man in the mailbox today when I got home...Pic sucks, but these are sweet canarywood pens.... :headbang1:

:icon_biggrin:

Better pics. :blob7:
Pen 1: (Very straight grain)

Pen 2:

 

[DangerousR6]

They are exquisitely beautiful.... :headbang:

 

[line6man]

I found an example of the single coil shape I want.

Direct-mounted singles look great like this. I think I'm going to have one custom made.

I'm starting to question my pickup combo choice now, though. I'm wondering if a single coil neck will be too bright, considering the Walnut body?
I don't like the idea of a guitar without a single coil on it, so if I do a humbucker in the neck position, I would also have a single coil middle. The question is whether to go SXH or HSH?

 

[Cagey]

That does look much cleaner.

As for a single coil neck pickup being too bright - that's why they invented filters. Back off the "tone" knob a notch or two. You can always darken a bright coil that way, but there's nothing you can do to brighten a dark coil. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

 

[kboman]

That does look much cleaner.

As for a single coil neck pickup being too bright - that's why they invented filters. Back off the "tone" knob a notch or two. You can always darken a bright coil that way, but there's nothing you can do to brighten a dark coil. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

+1 on both points. And yes the SC install on that red guitar looks much cleaner than with the standard awful baseplate.

 

[line6man]

That does look much cleaner.

As for a single coil neck pickup being too bright - that's why they invented filters. Back off the "tone" knob a notch or two. You can always darken a bright coil that way, but there's nothing you can do to brighten a dark coil. Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

I was thinking about experimenting with passive filters, but I'm too lazy to try to calculate frequencies from a complex impedance source, when I don't even know what frequencies need to be fixed half the time to begin with. I guess the best way to do that is to put a breadboard on top of the guitar and play around with L C and R components until the guitar sounds good. :blob7:

 

[line6man]

Ok, this may well be the most redneck thing I've ever done with my Strat, but I took the pickguard off and mounted a single coil at a slant in the neck position, so I can get a feel for the vibe of a slanted pickup, and see if there are any differences in the harmonic content, since there is a node right in that area.

I'm going to go back and forth between straight and slanted and see if I can hear any difference. If I do the SXH combo, as originally planned, I would like a slanted neck pickup, purely for aesthetic reasons. :blob7:

 

[Cagey]

I was thinking about experimenting with passive filters, but I'm too lazy to try to calculate frequencies from a complex impedance source, when I don't even know what frequencies need to be fixed half the time to begin with. I guess the best way to do that is to put a breadboard on top of the guitar and play around with L C and R components until the guitar sounds good. :blob7:

You don't need to go through all that rigmarole. A 250K or 500K pot in series with a .022uf cap to ground is all the filter you need, and it's adjustable. That's what 99% of all guitar filters are, give or take a bit on the cap size.