hello all

[nukedoc]

So I am thinking about my next guitar to be a warmoth les Paul. Just to give an idea of what I want to do I'm showing a pic of a guitar that I pieced together from parts that I spent about $350 on.

Its not the greatest piece of work but I do gig with her regularly. And she does play surprisingly well... with much consideration of the fact that none of the parts used were really made for each other. But what I want is an instrument that actually feels like it was supposed to be built that way. Something that just feels solid. I'm basically just waiting for this one to totally fall apart on me... even though she has been gigging strong for me for over a year.

I know there is no way I can get the guys at warmoth to build me a neck with a slotted head stock like this one ( I cut this out myself from a Chinese Eden neck with blank head stock using a dremel and metal files)  so I will have to reluctantly pass on that feature. Believe me i called. But I have a couple questions...
1. I looked but didn't find any pic in the gallery of a les Paul build with a 25.5" scale. Could someone please direct me to a picture of one? I just need to see how it all looks together. I would also like to see how my access would be to the 18th fret with the les Paul body.
2. I plan on installing a bigsby b700. Is there anything in the build I should note so that I don't end up with unnecessary holes in the top of my guitar?
3. Does anybody know of another way I could get the guitar described below WITH the classical style slotted head stock?

Plans:
Les Paul body, chambered mahogany body, flame maple top, black binding, p90 neck, p90 bridge, black bigsby b700 tremolo, black TOM bridge, black strap locks, master volume, master tone, black knobs, black toggle between knobs, black single ply pickguard, clear gloss finish.
Les Paul neck, Birdseye maple shaft, Birdseye maple fingerboard, black binding, 6130 frets, black nut, black locking tuners, black block fret markers, 25.5" scale, clear satin finish.

After all is said and done, complete project should cost me about $1600-1700. Hopefully.

Thanks in advance for any help, suggestions, tips, etc.

 

[reluctant-builder]

1. I looked but didn't find any pic in the gallery of a les Paul build with a 25.5" scale. Could someone please direct me to a picture of one? I just need to see how it all looks together. I would also like to see how my access would be to the 18th fret with the les Paul body.

I can't direct you to a picture of a 25.5 LP, but I can direct you to a 25.5" LP-style guitar, the Hagstrom Super Swede: http://www.hagstromguitars.com/Super_Swede.html

That's not to say it's a direct correlation but, with that, and with some minor photoshop skills to mock-up a Warmoth LP body with one of their 25.5" necks, you could get a decent idea.

2. I plan on installing a bigsby b700. Is there anything in the build I should note so that I don't end up with unnecessary holes in the top of my guitar?

You choose a tremolo in the body builder, specify a Bigsby, and they'll drill only the holes you need for it.

3. Does anybody know of another way I could get the guitar described below WITH the classical style slotted head stock?

You could buy an unfinished Warmoth neck with a paddle headstock and do it yourself, again. (http://www.warmoth.com/Guitar/necks/angledpaddle_warmothpro.aspx)

Gotta say, that guitar of yours looks mighty good for $350. That headstock is a trip...

Edit: Personally, I avoid the non-Fender or not-inspired-by-Fender models because, for example, I can't imagine an LP with a bolt-on neck. I may just be obtuse, though.

 

[nukedoc]

RB thanks for the reply. Especially on #2. I didnt realize that option was there.

As far as building my own again from one of the blank paddle heads... i just couldnt do it. The chinese Eden neck was bought off ebay for only $45 shipped and it was already fretted. All I had to do was dress the frets a bit and cut out the slots. But I dont think i could bring myself to start cutting into a neck that cost more than most of my other guitars. At least not until I have my own woodshop. The work I did on that Eden neck was with a dremel and metal files. I just couldnt do that to such a fine piece of work that cost so much to begin with... but then again I have been known to start hacking at stuff that i know i shouldnt be.

And although it may look ok on the picture, Im a firm believer in the ten foot rule. Anything DIY, if it looks good from ten feet, its good hehehe. But theres a lot that cant be seen at first glance. The slots look pretty rough from the inside. All the "binding" you see is automotive pinstriping. Block fret markers are black tape. Racing stripe down the body is electric tape and pinstriping. But like I said, she plays well enough to gig with.


update: i just thought of something. i know the extra cost would be kinda stupid, but i could order two necks. one completely finished, and another to work on (very slowly). and if it turns out good, ive got two necks to switch off! then eventually have another body made up (im liking the VIP style) to match the spare neck and OMG im already two 2 warmoth guitars deep and i havent even started saving up for the first one yet. please tell me that these guitars when put together are the total T!T$. im getting excited, can you tell? haha

 

[elfro89]

Welcome to the forum.  :laughing7:

Your guitar is strangely awesome, nice work.  :laughing7:

 

[Tipperman]

A properly assembled Warmoth is a great guitar. You will not be displeased. If you're uncomfortable putting a Warmoth together, find a luthier who can do it for you. It's worth the money you spend when you feel you have a guitar you will keep for the rest of your life.... and then some.

 

[nukedoc]

Welcome to the forum.   :laughing7:

Your guitar is strangely awesome, nice work.  :laughing7:

thank you. but in all modesty, if you had the chance to inspect her up close, you would be laughing for real. this is what brought me to the forum.

A properly assembled Warmoth is a great guitar. You will not be displeased. If you're uncomfortable putting a Warmoth together, find a luthier who can do it for you. It's worth the money you spend when you feel you have a guitar you will keep for the rest of your life.... and then some.

im pretty confident in myself putting her together. pretty much have the whole thing planned out. how to wire, what parts and where to get them, etc. biggest thing for me was that the neck and the body match perfectly. its hard to see, but on that guitar in the pic, i had to space the neck out a bit from the neck pup in order to get the correct scale length. so having the body and the neck made by the same place is a major thing for me. thanks for the reassurance that im going to love this (these) guitar(s). im already thining about putting my other guitars up for sale on craigslist to help fund this endeavor. PLAN: sell 7 guitars to get 2. hahaha

 

[Tipperman]

Welcome to the forum.   :laughing7:

Your guitar is strangely awesome, nice work.  :laughing7:

thank you. but in all modesty, if you had the chance to inspect her up close, you would be laughing for real. this is what brought me to the forum.

A properly assembled Warmoth is a great guitar. You will not be displeased. If you're uncomfortable putting a Warmoth together, find a luthier who can do it for you. It's worth the money you spend when you feel you have a guitar you will keep for the rest of your life.... and then some.

im pretty confident in myself putting her together. pretty much have the whole thing planned out. how to wire, what parts and where to get them, etc. biggest thing for me was that the neck and the body match perfectly. its hard to see, but on that guitar in the pic, i had to space the neck out a bit from the neck pup in order to get the correct scale length. so having the body and the neck made by the same place is a major thing for me. thanks for the reassurance that im going to love this (these) guitar(s). im already thining about putting my other guitars up for sale on craigslist to help fund this endeavor. PLAN: sell 7 guitars to get 2. hahaha

I sold more than 7 to get one Warmoth and a good setup for my gear. Four Fenders, two gibsons, and some other stuff including a BC Rich Stealth (from my Slayer days! Long since passed.) Built a strat, got a bunch of pedals and an amp. Well worth it! You're gonna love it. The neck and body will fit together very nicely. Warmoths tend to have a very tight fit. Very... sexy stuff.

 

[Cagey]

>> PLAN: sell 7 guitars to get 2. hahaha

I'd rather have one great guitar than a pile of experiments I'm not in love with. For my next choice, I'd rather have a pile of great guitars <grin>

 

[nukedoc]

>> PLAN: sell 7 guitars to get 2. hahaha

I'd rather have one great guitar than a pile of experiments I'm not in love with. For my next choice, I'd rather have a pile of great guitars <grin>

excellent point. to craigslist they go!

 

[Patrick from Davis]

One option on the Bigsby is to get the tun-o-matic and stopbar studs installed, and then get a conversion plate from these guys, Vibramate

http://www.vibramate.com/vibramate-v5.php

Then you could technically go back to a stopbar if you wanted to later.  Might not be the Bigsby model you were looking at, but it is another option.
Patrick

Oh yeah, welcome to the board, and here is you complimentary subscription to Warmotholic's Anonymous.

 

[nukedoc]

I thought about that but aren't the b500 bigsbys made for flat tops only? Plus yeah I like the look of the b700 more anyway. Always had a thing for trapeze tail pieces. Incorporate a tremolo and that's just butter. But I may still go the route of having the studs installed just in case. Thanks.