Hummeroid
Newbie
- Messages
- 3
Hi everyone,
First post here and it's likely to be the beginning of a saga.
Two weeks ago I was presented with an interesting proposition. The story goes: My drummer and I were warming up (screwing around) playing "Rocket" by Smashing Pumpkins. Our other guitarist walks down, listens for a bit, then we go on to play our practice session. At dinner afterward, the guitarist asks if that was some old Pumpkins stuff, to which we reply "Yes". I go on about how as a teen, I was a huuuuge fanboy and keep talking about it longer than I should. Then, our guitarist says "Yeah, I have Billy Corgan's pickups in my basement". I instantly assumed something like a display case or some thing, but he says no, just sitting in a cardboard box. So I next assumed they must just be some Lace Sensors, you know, LIKE Billy Corgan's. Nope, they were pulled out of Corgan's guitar back during a recording session, where a tech was allowed to have them, and then then they ended up with my guitarist. I called blasphemy, and said that as a teen, I would have killed him for those. He replies "If you build a strat, I'll give them to you."
GAME. ON.
With the success of my first guitar build behind me, this strat project seems like it should be more fun than stressful. First project: Moderne. It is likely the reason I have some gray hairs.
*see attachment due to link fail*
That was before final finish, but you get the idea.
The only requirements:
Use all 3 pickups
Be different from all my other guitars
Cannot be a purchased finished body or neck
Should not be a duplication of one of Billy's guitars.
Well, I have a bunch of woody looking guitars, flame, quilt, transparent stuff. I also have a black LP Custom. I don't have a double locking guitar so that's an easy one to go for. I'm involved in a lot of surface coating stuff, and know a guy who has a chrome spray system I can use. Chrome was decided on as a body finish. For those of you who don't know, there are quite a few chemical reaction type sprays now, which are FAR better than that old spray paint that is chrome. See vid for fun times!
[youtube]e8alYwpyFjc[/youtube]
Now chrome is cool and all, but it's just bright. It isn't sexy. Let me introduce you to the sexiest hardware I've ever seen. Schaller Ruthenium.
Now THAT is a color I could deal with having a guitar body done in! Dark enough to be mysterious, bright enough to shave in front of. Easy enough to match once the chrome is laid down. Just requires a darker tinted clear on top!
After using Schaller bits on my Moderne build, I had no qualms about building this with a bunch of Schaller parts. Just have to order them from Germany. So, on order right now is a Schaller Lockmeister in Ruthenium, a set of knobs in the same finish, and locking nut. Tuners deviate from the Ruthenium because I have a set of black LSR gearless tuners that I want to use. If they break, Schaller locking it will be, with barrel knobs.
There was a pretty serious decision I had to make with regard to the neck. What on Earth goes with Ruthenium?! As it turns out from a bunch of Photochopping, most everything does! Lucky break! So, while I was ordering my custom body, a nice roasted maple modern standard thin neck came up on the site, and it was promptly ordered.
But, what do you do for a pickguard on Ruthenium? Well, I'm up in the air, but so far, this seems like it'll do just right.
Due to cost though, if someone has another great idea, I'm all ears! I really want the body finish broken up by a pickguard though, not one solid chromed guitar.
I'll update this thread as things go. Give me your ideas if there's something I'm not thinking of!
First post here and it's likely to be the beginning of a saga.
Two weeks ago I was presented with an interesting proposition. The story goes: My drummer and I were warming up (screwing around) playing "Rocket" by Smashing Pumpkins. Our other guitarist walks down, listens for a bit, then we go on to play our practice session. At dinner afterward, the guitarist asks if that was some old Pumpkins stuff, to which we reply "Yes". I go on about how as a teen, I was a huuuuge fanboy and keep talking about it longer than I should. Then, our guitarist says "Yeah, I have Billy Corgan's pickups in my basement". I instantly assumed something like a display case or some thing, but he says no, just sitting in a cardboard box. So I next assumed they must just be some Lace Sensors, you know, LIKE Billy Corgan's. Nope, they were pulled out of Corgan's guitar back during a recording session, where a tech was allowed to have them, and then then they ended up with my guitarist. I called blasphemy, and said that as a teen, I would have killed him for those. He replies "If you build a strat, I'll give them to you."
GAME. ON.
With the success of my first guitar build behind me, this strat project seems like it should be more fun than stressful. First project: Moderne. It is likely the reason I have some gray hairs.
*see attachment due to link fail*
That was before final finish, but you get the idea.
The only requirements:
Use all 3 pickups
Be different from all my other guitars
Cannot be a purchased finished body or neck
Should not be a duplication of one of Billy's guitars.
Well, I have a bunch of woody looking guitars, flame, quilt, transparent stuff. I also have a black LP Custom. I don't have a double locking guitar so that's an easy one to go for. I'm involved in a lot of surface coating stuff, and know a guy who has a chrome spray system I can use. Chrome was decided on as a body finish. For those of you who don't know, there are quite a few chemical reaction type sprays now, which are FAR better than that old spray paint that is chrome. See vid for fun times!
[youtube]e8alYwpyFjc[/youtube]
Now chrome is cool and all, but it's just bright. It isn't sexy. Let me introduce you to the sexiest hardware I've ever seen. Schaller Ruthenium.
Now THAT is a color I could deal with having a guitar body done in! Dark enough to be mysterious, bright enough to shave in front of. Easy enough to match once the chrome is laid down. Just requires a darker tinted clear on top!
After using Schaller bits on my Moderne build, I had no qualms about building this with a bunch of Schaller parts. Just have to order them from Germany. So, on order right now is a Schaller Lockmeister in Ruthenium, a set of knobs in the same finish, and locking nut. Tuners deviate from the Ruthenium because I have a set of black LSR gearless tuners that I want to use. If they break, Schaller locking it will be, with barrel knobs.
There was a pretty serious decision I had to make with regard to the neck. What on Earth goes with Ruthenium?! As it turns out from a bunch of Photochopping, most everything does! Lucky break! So, while I was ordering my custom body, a nice roasted maple modern standard thin neck came up on the site, and it was promptly ordered.
But, what do you do for a pickguard on Ruthenium? Well, I'm up in the air, but so far, this seems like it'll do just right.
Due to cost though, if someone has another great idea, I'm all ears! I really want the body finish broken up by a pickguard though, not one solid chromed guitar.
I'll update this thread as things go. Give me your ideas if there's something I'm not thinking of!
ccasion14:
