I don't have a name for this...

[Tretgeraet]

Hello Warmothians,
I just posted my first guitar build with Warmoth parts a few hours ago. What I didn't realize when I ordered those parts, is how long those nearly 19 weeks (yes!) would feel!

I'm working - among other things - as an instructor/teacher for CNC woodworking. So, while waiting for my Warmoth parts I thought about HOW I could make a guitar body myself. I had never done anything like that, but I like to learn and try new stuff.

I started experimenting with guitar shapes in AutoCAD, which resulted in so many ugly looking designs until I came up with something that looked kinda like a Charvel star and a Kramer superstrat had a baby.



I thought that would look great in purple, so I planned to build this out of purpleheart and buy a purpleheart neck from Warmoth. But as purpleheart is heavy but very hard and stable, the idea was to sandwich the body out of a heavily chambered front and back.



All of this planing, programming, gathering materials...that took months, which was good, 'cos it made the wait for the other parts feel shorter. And it made me appreciate more what they do at Warmoth.



Since the order I was waiting for, was a 7/8 S-Style body and neck, I designed the new body around a 7/8 Warhead neck and wrote the CNC program with variables. That way, the moment the neck arrived, I could just take final measurements, make some tests and check if everything fits, build the body and check again if everything fits, before ordering the new neck.



After the Body was build, the Neck I ordered was this:

7/8 Warhead Guitar Neck

Construction: Modern
Shaft Wood: Purpleheart
Fretboard Wood: Purpleheart
Nut Width: 1-11/16" (43mm) - Modern Medium
Right / Left Handed: Right-Handed
Neck Back Profile: Standard Thin
Fretboard Radius: 10" - 16" Compound
Number of Frets: 24
Binding: None
Fret Size & Material: GD6150 - Wide & Tall (Gold)
Tuner Hole Size: Gotoh/Grover (13/32" - 11/32")
Inlay Shape: Premium Dots
Inlay Material: Arizona Turquoise
Side Dots: White Side Dots
String Nut: Standard Nut - GraphTech Black TUSQ XL
Mounting Holes: Standard 4-Bolt
Neck Heel Shape: Strat® Shape

 

[Tretgeraet]

Here's what the completed guitar looks like:



'Cos purpleheart is so strong, I could even make the covers in the back out of it.



All the hardware is gold, 'cos I think it looks great with that wood:

Tuners: Gotoh Magnum Lock
Bridge: Schaller Vintage Tremolo
Bridge-PU: Rockinger Jay Bee Custom
Neck-PU: Rockinger Texas Twister
Strap Buttons: Schaller S-Locks
Jackplate: Electrosocket

Toggle switch is wired as usual, Volume pot is a 500k push-pull. If pulled, the humbucker is split and a tone cap is activated on the neck pickup.



This last picture shows, how difficult it can be to photograph purpleheart. Sometimes even with the naked eye you are not completely sure what color you're looking at. The camera seems to "feel" the same way.

 

[ragamuffin]

That’s a beauty!

 

[Hodgo]

Dang! I am wildly impressed with the CNC work. I’ve seen many builds where the operator wasn’t confident in having the CNC do the more detailed work (cover recessed) but it looks like you got the whole thing roughed in in one pass!

 

[Tretgeraet]

Dang! I am wildly impressed with the CNC work. I’ve seen many builds where the operator wasn’t confident in having the CNC do the more detailed work (cover recessed) but it looks like you got the whole thing roughed in in one pass!

I'm not 100% sure if I understand what you mean, but look at it this way:
The sole purpose of the CNC machine I used for this, is to teach people how to operate and program a CNC machine. I even made it a lesson about making that body, explaining what I do and why, measuring every tool/router bit precisely and so on.

And this was a long program btw. Purpleheart is brutal! It's so hard on the tools and in order for it not getting burned I programmed A LOT of passes at rather high speed.

Afterwards I made a lot of Chuck Norris jokes but with purpleheart!

 

[Hagwood]

Man, that is very cool ! This is the kind of stuff I aspire to do one day……

 

[Don O]

Outstanding work ! I’m a big Purple Heart fan, I’ve done 3 PH neck builds and one more on the shelf. There is a guy, Guilford Guitars, on Reverb that makes PH switch tips.

 

[supertruper1988]

That looks awesome!

 

[bagman67]

Pretty sure that's a Star-to-caster.

Beautiful piece of work. Wouldn't want to hang it on my shoulder, but it's a visual stunner.

 

[rockandroller]

Magnificent Work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much does it all weigh? Did you happen to weigh just the chambered body?

 

[Tretgeraet]

Magnificent Work!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

How much does it all weigh? Did you happen to weigh just the chambered body?

No, I actually forgot to do that

But the weight of the complete guitar with strings is 3,79kg which is 8.356 lbs.

I'd say it's not as heavy as you'd think it is, when you first pick it up.

 

[Rick]

Impressed!

 

[bagman67]

Looked back at this again. That purpleheart woodgrain is insane. Such a lovely hunk of timber.

 

[Tretgeraet]

Looked back at this again. That purpleheart woodgrain is insane. Such a lovely hunk of timber.

Yeah right? And I was honestly a little shocked at how inexpensive it was; I paid about 150€ for the whole board you see in the forth picture. That's 4m! I still have more than 2

 

[Tretgeraet]

Man, that is very cool ! This is the kind of stuff I aspire to do one day……

Now that I've seen some of your stuff I see right through you: You were just fishing for compliments, were you?

No seriously, nice of you to say that, but you do very cool stuff yourself. And without a 120K€ machine.

 

[Hagwood]

Now that I've seen some of your stuff I see right through you: You were just fishing for compliments, were you?

No seriously, nice of you to say that, but you do very cool stuff yourself. And without a 120K€ machine.

LOL, I appreciate that ! Still pretty new at it, although been messing with wood and Vintage Audio for some time. It’s kind of a combination of both. I have really been passionate about it and excited to have this hobby in retirement !!

 

[Hagwood]

How does the purpleheart fretboard feel ? Was thinking of getting a new Mooncaster neck for my Purple Haze with Purpleheart and cutting my headstock design. Would look pretty cool on that I think.

 

[teleme01]

I like the mooncaster headstock, if only it was available in gibson scale, purple heart would have me

 

[Tretgeraet]

How does the purpleheart fretboard feel ? Was thinking of getting a new Mooncaster neck for my Purple Haze with Purpleheart and cutting my headstock design. Would look pretty cool on that I think.

That's a good question!

It's very hard!

Two things you have to keep in mind:

• the color doesn't stay that way forever, direct sunlight will turn it brown in a matter of weeks, or even days. I have no long term experience though.
• It is quite open grained. If you tend to have sweaty fingers like me, it can look dirty quickly. Still prefer it over rosewood or ebony on that guitar!

Ah, another thing: Because it's so hard it polishes up really good!

 

[Hagwood]

That's a good question!

It's very hard!

Two things you have to keep in mind:

• the color doesn't stay that way forever, direct sunlight will turn it brown in a matter of weeks, or even days. I have no long term experience though.
• It is quite open grained. If you tend to have sweaty fingers like me, it can look dirty quickly. Still prefer it over rosewood or ebony on that guitar!

Ah, another thing: Because it's so hard it polishes up really good!

I wonder how it would be with just an oil finish on it ? I know we don't generally finish fretboards, but something like Danish Oil that you can still buff to feel very smooth and almost raw wood like might give enough protection to keep it looking better. May have to get a piece from Rockler and do some experimenting......