How do you decide on what project to start next?

[mgaut051]

I mean, other than cash - and exclusively instrument related.

I'm sure we all have mile-long lists of projects we'd like to do, even when you exclude all the non-musical stuff.

I come up with concepts probably on a one-a-day basis, and jot it down in my iPhone for Lata.

So, here's what (I think) influences my pick:

• I have some things I want to make for others (my dad, brother, brother in law, best bud, daughters etc). Those projects seem to be more urgent.
• I have some wood and pickups on hand, that was erroneously bought for other projects (like a cocobolo Tele... Ahem...) and that just seems to make sense - cost effective, you know?
• Lucky for me, the showcase doesn't seem to exert much of a siren's call, except when related to the above
• Some projects (like a guitar for my dad) entail a heavy tool investment - obviously a little more frightening for the financially challenged (but on the rise)
• Sometimes, I'll spot an interesting deal on FleaBay (http://cgi.ebay.com/SEYMOUR-DUNCAN-Hot-Lead-Stack-Tele-Telecaster-/130470446592?pt=Guitar_Accessories&hash=item1e60a50600) and it's going to make a project that was deep and dark in my mind glow with potential (http://terrydownsmusic.com/Archive/brent_mason_tele_body.jpg)
• And sometimes, the concept of the day seems PAINFULLY out of reach

How do you chose?

 

[mgaut051]

And I feel like now that I've finished a tele, I can't do another tele, even though Brent Mason is making love to a Bigsby in my head right now - and I like it.

 

[AGWAN]

in terms of Wamoth I put a Tele before the Iceman because I honestly couldn't find a headstock or color in Warmoths lists that made me happy.

Tele's look good in a lot of colors.

Tele's just always look good.

 

[mgaut051]

in terms of Wamoth I put a Tele before the Iceman because I honestly couldn't find a headstock or color in Warmoths lists that made me happy.

Tele's look good in a lot of colors.

Tele's just always look good.

Case in point: my butcher job.

 

[The Norwegian Guy]

I start a new project when I'm bored.....

This is the result of boredom a late night/early morning :laughing11:

 

[mgaut051]

I start a new project when I'm bored.....

This is the result of boredom a late night/early morning :laughing11:

Hmm... I wonder - cards from grandmothers always come with cash component (they have for me anyways). So do grandmother lambshirts come lined with cash? In that case I will get 20 granny lambshirts to have enough money to be bored like you.

:icon_biggrin:

But back on track: what made you pick a fireburst strat, and not a shredding black 3p90 firebird, or a twangin blonde Tele classic, or a korina Lp - I'm sure deep down you have a hankering for one of each, right?

 

[The Norwegian Guy]

:doh:

 

[JaySwear]

i come up with ideas ALL the time as well (good and bad). the ones that stick with me for more than a couple weeks are usually the ideas that i start thinking about more heavily. i've loved the look of telecaster deluxes since i first saw them, so that was project number 1! then i starting thinking more and more about a true singlecoil telecaster. so project number 2 is in the works right now, and i've started thinking more and more about a jaguar or jazzmaster. so now it'll be a test to see which (if either) is still in my mind 6 months or a year from now

 

[mgaut051]

And I guess the obvious part II is: what is your "current" next project?

 

[crash]

I've got tons of ideas on future guitars I want:

A highly figured Black Korina Explorer with EMG 60/81 pickups
Mahogany LP with a blue burst quilted maple top
Telecaster with a spalted maple top and P90's
Recreation of Gilmour's black strat

The explorer will be my next guitar but that is not going to be for a while.  I have to put a whole new fuel system in my race car by this summer.

 

[taez555]

Although there's some unexplainable gut feeling in your soul that usually overrides everything, for me it's sound.    It's a search for the tones I don't have yet.  Much like a painter who wants different colors to paint with, I want different tonal variantions to create and play with.

 

[Mor Paul]

Although there's some unexplainable gut feeling in your soul that usually overrides everything, for me it's sound.     It's a search for the tones I don't have yet.  Much like a painter who wants different colors to paint with, I want different tonal variantions to create and play with.

Have you finished finding the sounds on that green strat?  :laughing7:

 

[Cagey]

I don't plan my builds at all until some target of opportunity shows up. A magical-looking body or neck becomes available, and may inspire an idea that gets fleshed out into a whole guitar.

 

[taez555]

Have you finished finding the sounds on that green strat?  :laughing7:

Everyday I flip a new switch and it's like, "holy crap, where did that sound come from?"

 

[mgaut051]

Shameless plug.

I'm planning on doing a halfmoth for my dad - carved top double cut hollow double f-hole, something with a little bit more bite than the VIP - Maybe like Indie Guitars

- longer upper horn, a little squarer butt.
Also thinking of a carved-top Lead II -

but just can't decide if the body looks mean enough for me, even carved out.
May end up using the butt from the lead II, the horns from the Indie, with a little photoshoping to make the horns *a little* bigger...

EIR top, with or without binding - I can't decide. I really like the end grain on unbound tops.

3-piece back walnut-curly (maple or koa)-walnut, with a maple pinstripe between the top and the back if there's no binding.

I'll try to manage without a control rout.

Charlie Christian old school mount in the neck

Archtop bridge with TOM on top, replaced with a ghost system bridge

Still can't figure out how I'm gonna wire this beast.

Benedetto style tailpiece

Two knobs - volume for each pup. Each will also be a push-pull (mid dark for the piezo, on off tone cap for the neck).

Neck will be curly maple shaft, ebony board, pearloid blocks, no binding, ebony peghead veneer.

Vintage style tuners

Ahh... to dream...

would need an overhead pin router for this to be perfect.

 

[mayfly]

Whatever I'm going to need for the next musical project.  In my case it will be the next album.

 

[m4rk0]

Shameless plug.

I'm planning on doing a halfmoth for my dad - carved top double cut hollow double f-hole, something with a little bit more bite than the VIP - Maybe like Indie Guitars
Also thinking of a carved-top Lead II -

but just can't decide if the body looks mean enough for me, even carved out.

Go for the LEAD!!! I always wanted a lead since I saw Boner play one when I was a 12 yr old kid...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DiCDScr2V4g

 

[mgaut051]

Sorry bud - no carved-top Lead II. Brit Spears said it best: Oops, I ...

Seems I just won this piece of junK

And I may be building a guitar for my brother before my dad.

Something like this

Out of plain maple (hollowed out of course). Think I'm going to get the template from that guy... (All RW neck, of course)

Gibson mini HB in neck (any one have any alternatives to suggest? Any one know where I can get the adapter plate to mount that ring - it screws into the bottom of the cavity and it's tapped for the pup screws?) The beat up tele bridge hot stack pup will be in the mid - I know it's too hot, but it's going to have it's own volume, and I may put a fixed value resistor to match the output of the other pups. Vintage stack in the bridge.

Lollar uses that adapter plate - but I can't find it anywhere (appears at 2:30):
[youtube=425,350]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=exAo2lDMYMo[/youtube]

TD has a nice schematic:

'cept I think I'll have an independent volume for each pup, and a Push Pull for each to make them Series vs Parallel. No tone. Don't see what I need the switch for, but m'eh.

Other things I considered and discarded:
Bigsby + modded ashtray. Like the look, but don't see myself using it that much.
On board BD-3 - that would give me a reason to have a super switch in there - to be able to select different levels on the pedal without extra knobs... but I think I'll just leave the pedal on the outside.
DP3T slide switches so that I can do series-tap-parallel - this one I may still do, and forgo the push pulls. Loaded onto a Jaguar like plate or just directly into the pickguard.
I may do a rosewood pinstripe - like a reverse Harrisson.

I'll be doing tru oil finish probably, but I'd love to get a faint vintage burst on there like PRS :

So:

• whadda ya think
• what mini hum would you recommend
• where can I get that stupid adapter plate
• Push pulls or slide switches - jaguar mount or pg mount
• what useful purpose can the blade switch serve if I have 3 independent volumes? Can I use it for series \ tap \ parallel switching?
• can I do vintage burst with oil - I have no spray gun

Sorry for the post-battery.