Les pauls #9 and #10

[Orpheo]

Sometimes you see something, and you can't ignore to buy it. these guitars were just that. The tops, the choice of woods, they just fit the bill perfectly. I had some spare hardware left, exactly what I needed for these builds, and I wanted to try some other stuff, so these guitars became test beds. What I really like about them, besides the GREAT tone and feel and playability, is that their tops are the woods used for my 2nd full warmoth build, slightly figured koa and walnut. Here is a bunch of pics, of these guitars, with their old cousin next to them.

the specs:

AA fig. koa top
1piece mahogany back
purpleheart neck, fatback profile
ebony board
block inlay
qtuner pickups
concentric knobs

Walnut on walnut, flamed maple spacer
bubinga neck, ebony board, fatback profile
motherbucker in bridge and neck, multibucker in the middle
triple shot rings, series/split/parallel toggles
concentric pots
kahler trem

I really like the woodyness of these guitars. The pics were taken with flash, and most of the time, that gives you non-true colors, but this time, the colors actually are very close to the real deal.

 

[dbw]

 

[Orpheo]

Sir, you'll get some more tomorrow. its now midnight and I'll make more pics but lemme tell yah: they play like BUTTAH!!!! and they sound lovely. those qtuners are supercool, and the motherbuckers are not without reason my favorite pickups.

 

[bpmorton777]

yeah, lets get some sound clips too!!! :headbang1:

Brian

 

[Orpheo]

I've played the guitars a bit more, and I have to change the wiring on one of them. its just too much, and it doesnt work. well, it does, technically speaking, but it doesnt give me the tones I was hoping for. so... the triple shots will go, and I'll put them on a guitar with prails (finally, haha). this one will get 'regular' rings, and the toggles, which are now on/on 2 pole toggles, will go, and I'll buy some on/off/on switches, and that will give me all the tonal variety I need. and it will be easier to work with. I have to figure out, though, what I will do with the fourth toggle(hole). I think I'll use that for in/out of phase, though I dont know WHICH pickup (combination) I want out of phase: bridge or neck and middle out of phase, or neck and bridge out of phase...

 

[Nando Vallart]

That dog is lovely

 

[Ace Flibble]

Okay man, put the credit cards down, step away from the internet, you've had enough. Leave some for the rest of us.

 

[Nando Vallart]

Okay man, put the credit cards down, step away from the internet, you've had enough. Leave some for the rest of us.

:laughing7:

 

[shanejw]

Looks great!  Not real big on the white middle pickup.  I actually like the look of the Q tuners from a little farther distance

 

[Orpheo]

Looks great!  Not real big on the white middle pickup.  I actually like the look of the Q tuners from a little farther distance

granted, neither am I, but ey, it works, and sounds like a church clock on sunday. I really dig those qtuner pickups. the tone is great. exactly what I was hoping for: can't put the damn thing down! I have to force myself to play other guitars

and how much is too much? well, not enough!

 

[Orpheo]

Update: the wiring sucked. not that it didn't work as predicted, it just didn't sound as predicted! So... I gave the triple shot rings to my koa guitar (tone improved tremendously, don't know why!)  and I used on/off/on toggles for each m-bucker (left rail, right rail, both in series). I miss the parallel tone, but that one sucked anyway, was utterly useless. Now I've got 1 toggle left, and I don't really know what to do with that. Perhaps I'll wire a phase switch, whatever. its not in the way...

if people want to see more pics, I'm happy to provide them.

 

[Orpheo]

I was absolutely NOT happy with the gold rims on the neck and bridge pickup and the totally white cover of the middle, it was just fugly. so I decided to give them the goldcovertreatment!

and here it is:

and here as a reminder how it was:

 

[shanejw]

Oooo....nice

 

[Orpheo]

I'm getting annoyed by the bad pictures I'm churning out these days; forgive me... I'll be making nicer and better pics of BOTH guitars later today.

 

[bpmorton777]

Dude, it needs gold knobs and switches!!! FTW :icon_thumright:

Brian

 

[Orpheo]

Dude, it needs gold knobs and switches!!! FTW :icon_thumright:

Brian

I beg to differ; I prefer a black and gold mix this time. makes it a bit more 'agressive' looking, and not so 'happy'.

I, on the other hand, am not so happy with one of the 2 guitars; the walnut les paul. Damnit!! The pickups just don't sound right, the guitar just doesn't feel right. Tomorrow I'm going to plug the holes, with some walnut or ash or ziricote plugs. I just can't stand those toggles anymore. Sure, its a shame, but tough luck. they're a huge pain in the ass, not to mention the fact that it just sucks tone and it compromises playabilty, and its just in the way. Its a hard lesson, but it had to be learned I suppose. I've got some scrap pieces of ziricote left, and I think that I'll put those to good use. Wish I had a milling machine this time around though

 

[Nando Vallart]

Looks way better, how did you install the covers?

 

[Orpheo]

Looks way better, how did you install the covers?

just sliding them on and pouring in hot wax  :laughing7: easy as taking candy from a kid.

 

[Orpheo]

Pff, I hope this is my last update!

That cover on the middle pickup was too high! It didn't touch the strings, but every time I played, my pick touched the cover, and because it was too high, I wasn't able to play (pinches) the way I wanted/am used to.

so...

I took of the cover, put on an open cover (open in the middle where the blades pop up), and slid a piece of gold colored metal between the 2 rail-sides. Dimarzio was so bloody smart (quod non!) to have an aperture between the fast track-side and the chopper-side...

This is what it turned out to be;

and here are family pics of all my exotic guitars:

 

[Mor Paul]

That purpleheart is still my favorite.