First Build, First Blog

[Jumble Jumble]

Hey guys.

First time poster but already I've had tons of help from this forum. Just wanted to let you guys know that I'm about to embark on a build, which I anticipate will take around 6-9 months. Just because I'm doing it slowly, not because it's complicated!

I thought it'd be fun to blog the project so I've started a blog here: http://www.jumbleguitar.com and you can follow the twitter account @jumbleguitar if you want to be notified about new posts.

There's no advertising or commercial side to the site at all, lest you think this is just spam to get visitors to my site. I just thought a blog would be fun.

You guys already had a mention in the post I made explaining why I chose Warmoth - one of the reasons is this excellent community!

 

[Updown]

Welcome to the land of 'Bliss'  :icon_thumright:

Go the SS6100 frets ......... you can thank me in 6 - 9 months  :icon_biggrin:

 

[Jumble Jumble]

What's the sufferer with stainless steel? I have regular frets on all my current guitars and they're not dented or anything. Is it just that they're more hard wearing, or is there something else?

 

[Updown]

Smoother and a hell of a lot longer lasting than regular ones.

Try them sometime  :dontknow:

 

[Cagey]

What's the sufferer with stainless steel? I have regular frets on all my current guitars and they're not dented or anything. Is it just that they're more hard wearing, or is there something else?

The wearability of SS frets is dramatically better, but the real selling point to me is that it feels like you're playing on glass. They're really slick because they're so hard. It doesn't affect the tone at all, although it seems to me there's a tad more attack to the things if you do a lot of hammer/tap work. That could just be my imagination, but I think I can hear it. Then the slickness of the things makes it feel like it's easier to do bends and vibrato, but again, that could just be my imagination.

In any event, Warmoth only charges $20 extra to install them and there's certainly no downside to them so even if it's only a longevity thing, in my mind it's a no-brainer. A new set of frets will run you $200-$300 or better depending on who does it, so if you can get a set to last 3 or 4 times as long...

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I really never knew it was only $20 extra somehow. I guess I just assumed it would be a lot more expensive. Sold!

 

[Cagey]

Well, as long as you're in a buying mood, you might want to consider going with a raw neck rather than something with a satin finish. Satin finishes only last so long before they turn glossy, where raw wood stays raw forever. The feel is better and the appearance is more consistent over time. Unless you have a real hard-on for Maple or Mahogany, there are a number of species Warmoth will use for neck meat that are just delicious. An Ebony over Pau Ferro neck, for instance, is about as close to sex on a stick as is possible. But, if you don't want to use woods that dark then Bubinga, Canary, and Aframosia are tonally similar. They're more expensive to start with, but the increase in cost is often lower than what a finish will cost you. Plus, delivery times are improved with unfinished parts.

As an added bonus, when your friends see it and ask what it is, you can rattle off some exotic name and play the wise connoisseur <grin>

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Ah, but all that exotic wood would really be deviating from the guiding philosophy I'm using for this build. Back to basics, stripped down, 80s frankenstrat. Plus, I do love maple!

As for the satin finish - I really like how it polishes up to glossy on the back of the neck, while staying satin on the fingerboard and on the headstock. I'll definitely be staying with that.

 

[Cagey]

I like Maple, too. And I don't mind a finish on the neck itself, but can't stand it on the fretboard. Don't know why; it's sorta irrational. Kinda like enjoying broccoli but not asparagus. Of course, as we all know, asparagus is the devil's own feces... <grin>

Seriously, though, there's little reason to go with the ancient ways when it comes to building guitars. Modern hardware and exotic woods will return you an instrument that's not only a joy to behold, it's magical to play. Not that there's anything wrong with traditional woods, but I doubt you could find a single member on this forum who'd reverse a decision to use some of the fancier stuff that's available. Warmoth doesn't make it available just for the brag potential, it's usually just much nicer. The major OEMs don't use it simply because there isn't enough to go around.

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Oh don't worry. I've got a tele project in mind to do next, and on that I am going to hit the wood options hard. It's just that the aesthetics I've got in mind for this particular guitar are all about going back to basics.

 

[Cagey]

That's fine. You might want to look up Tonar here on the forum. He does old-school nitro finishes that are just stunning. Maybe let Warmoth do the neck, but he's The Man for the body.

 

[Updown]

exotic woods will return you an instrument that's not only a joy to behold, it's magical to play.

I'll vouch to that  :icon_thumright: ...... great line Cagey
Magical is the perfect word, they actually make me play better / smoother / faster  :headbang1:

Oh don't worry.
I've got a tele project in mind to do next, and on that I am going to hit the wood options hard.

That's the spirit we like to hear  :icon_biggrin:

If you have yours in mind already, go with it.
We are just tossing you those other idea's if you weren't aware of them and to help you out.

Locking Tuners
Raw Necks
Graph Tech Nut
SS Frets 

 

[JCizzle]

Welcome to the forum, I'm a fellow noob-builder, as well!

My first build so far has been heavily influenced by recommendations from the fine folks here; SS frets, walnut body, BKPs.

I'd also check out Doug's Custom Neckplates, they are pretty fantastic!

 

[Jumble Jumble]

Well I'm definitely going with SS frets.

I normally swear by locking tuners (Sperzels are my favourite) too, but this is a Floyd Rose guitar so I'll be locking at the nut. I'm going to use the non-locking Sperzels in black - I've got experience in fitting Sperzels and I like the looks, so it seems like a good fit.

 

[Cagey]

If it was me, I'd use the locking tuners anyway and leave the locking nut off. The end result is the same, and you don't wreck the neck for future use/sale. Actually, if it was me, I wouldn't use a Floyd, but that's another argument. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do <grin>

 

[Jumble Jumble]

I did spend a long time thinking about that, but in the end I decided I wanted the absolute tuning stability that comes from not having the string need to move over any surface at all.

As for future possible buyers, well, I'm making a guitar for me, not them! Don't really care if it reduces the resale price.

 

[JCizzle]

If it was me, I'd use the locking tuners anyway and leave the locking nut off. The end result is the same, and you don't wreck the neck for future use/sale. Actually, if it was me, I wouldn't use a Floyd, but that's another argument. Man's gotta do what a man's gotta do <grin>

Couldn't the strings jump out of their nut slot during an extreme dive bomb with the Floyd?

 

[Cagey]

I suppose it's possible, but at that point you're way past usefulness anyway. Strings wouldn't be vibrating.

 

[bagman67]

I suppose it's possible, but at that point you're way past usefulness anyway. Strings wouldn't be vibrating.

iff you're playing a guitar with STRAIGHT string pull and a properly cut nut, strings should (usually) come back to where they started even if they fall out of the slots during a particularly aggressive divebomb.  But if you're using an Explorer, Jackson, KWS, or other goofy arrangement that forces the strings to fan as they break over the nut, all bets are off. 


Best bet:  Skip the locking nut, and find a new gimmick - any ol' goofball can divebomb.  Make an original statement for a change.

 

[AutoBat]

I went with non-locking Grovers with my Floyd setup.  I had to relearn how to string up a regular tuning machine as I had been spoiled by my Schaller lockers for too long.