Natural ash soloist.

[bruzanhd]

My build this year was functionally meant to be the MK 2 of my build from last year, I wanted to perfect all the details I learned along the way and I think I’ve achieved that. Also picked some slightly different shapes and colours just to have something with a different vibe. Spec list:

Body:
-Warmoth Soloist
-one piece swamp ash natural gloss
-Wood mount bridge humbucker
-non recessed Floyd with angled pocket AND 720 MOD (more on this later)

Neck:
-Musikraft beak head
-one piece flat sawn maple with Ebony skunk stripe
-Franky C .80-.84 profile
-oil finish
-6100SS frets
-two way heel adjust truss rod
-threaded inserts

Hardware:
-Gotoh 1996T with All shims and tension plate removed (running on Floyd studs)
-Dimarzio 36th PAF bridge
-R3 nut
-500k pot
-7/8 jack hole with square plate
-Gotoh tuners

Weighing in at roughly 7lbs on my inaccurate bathroom scale. Feels very light, comfortable and resonant.

(Place holder photo until I get to take a nicer set of pictures)

 

[bruzanhd]

Previously I have only used the OFR for Floyd type bridges. After seeing the ge1996t I decided it seems like a much better design for three reasons. Number one is the beveled bridge edge. When using a decked Floyd Rose bridge you lose out on some dive travel because the edge of the bridge makes contact with the body and binds. With the ge1996t the edge is very heavily beveled, which completely eliminates this concern. Second is the fine tuner design, the angled fine tuner area gets in the way of my hand much less, and also the fine tuners themselves have much more range, I can go to drop D with the fine tuner alone. The third improvement is more minor, and that is that the saddles are rounded on the edge and don’t dig into your hand when palm muting hard.

 

[bruzanhd]

For anyone who uses a decked Floyd setup you’ll know that it can be almost the most difficult possible bridge setup to get right when you’re initially assembling the guitar. The bridge has very little functional height adjustment on the posts which means the only way to set action is at the neck pocket, either with shims, or by removing material. What I decided to do was take a lesson from Eddie Van Halen’s 5150 Kramer. That guitar has a deep set neck pocket with an angle and it sets up perfectly and allows shims to be added without raising the neck way above the plane of the body. I contacted warmoth to see if they would route my neck with a 720 mod which is not normally available. They were willing to do it so I went with that and it is perfect. My other idiosyncratic preference is to remove the the tension plate and block shim from the bridge, which additionally brings the bridge closer to the body. This setup lined up exactly perfectly with the bridge almost dead flat on the body, at just over 4/64ths action at the 22nd fret without the use of any shims at all.

 

[bruzanhd]

The neck is great, I picked musikraft because they offered some neat novelty features which I wanted to try. I feel like the beak head is perfect for the soloist shape so that’s one. Also the option to use ebony for the skunk stripe was unique and adds and extra “custom” feel to it in a subtle way. They offer an oil finish which I wanted to try and so far it feels great. Very fast neck. I knew I wanted to try threaded inserts on this build for the extra piece of mind when assembling and disassembling the guitar, that I won’t strip the holes. Installing inserts is stressful and a drill press and good clamping solution is vital.

 

[Kostas]

Also the option to use ebony for the skunk stripe was unique and adds and extra “custom” feel to it in a subtle way...

Agree. Personally I prefer no skunk stripe, especially on figured necks, but Warmoth offers this option only on modern construction necks. They do offer ebony for an upcharge. I'm curious, why you chose heel adjustment?

 

[Spud]

You aren't going to force the strings to change pitch with that bar are you!!?

 

[bruzanhd]

Agree. Personally I prefer no skunk stripe, especially on figured necks, but Warmoth offers this option only on modern construction necks. They do offer ebony for an upcharge. I'm curious, why you chose heel adjustment?

I like the uncluttered head stock look, but mainly because sometimes head adjust truss rods can interfere with the Floyd nut and getting the nuts with the recess in them is harder. Also since this neck has the machine screw inserts, taking it off isn’t as much off an issue. It’s a one piece neck so the skunk stripe is necessary in this case.

 

[krystalfire918]

How does the neck angle feel?

The drop D trick wouldn't work if this were floating correct?

I've been on the fence about the Gotoh trem as it uses a wrench to adjust the bar tightness, then I remembered you can get one of those red bishop magik arms. Kinda interested now, thanks

 

[bruzanhd]

You aren't going to force the strings to change pitch with that bar are you!!?

Only to change pitch downwards, so maybe that’s only half as bad haha.

 

[Spud]

 

[bruzanhd]

How does the neck angle feel?

The drop D trick wouldn't work if this were floating correct?

I've been on the fence about the Gotoh trem as it uses a wrench to adjust the bar tightness, then I remembered you can get one of those red bishop magik arms. Kinda interested now, thanks

Neck angle is great it pulls back just enough to not feel flat. I also started out playing les pauls and acoustics so I'm very accustomed to the small neck angle, and this is a good compromise imo.

Correct, the drop d trick works only if the trem is blocked from pulling back. So either decked or by using a trem stopper.

I have the red bishop arm on another build, and have been using it for about a year now. I would highly recommend it. The mechanism on this gotoh bridge so far feels great, the set screw seems to be a set and forget. I prefer my bar to be free swinging but without slop and clunk and so far both the red bishop and the gotoh achieve this.

 

[stratamania]

Only to change pitch downwards, so maybe that’s only half as bad haha.

Don't forget to release the bar so the pitch goes back up

 

[bruzanhd]

Don't forget to release the bar so the pitch goes back up

That’s a good idea, my picking hand was getting tired holding it down all this time

 

[bruzanhd]

For anyone who's installed threaded neck inserts before, would you be willing to comment on the depth that I countersunk my inserts to? some pictures I'm seeing online have the inserts set much deeper. I may be over analyzing but it does worry me a little bit. They are roughly 1mm below the main neck heel surface. They are also secured in using wood glue if that matters. Needing some reassurance if possible.

 

[stratamania]

The inserts being below the surface is the important point so that they do not interfere with a flush fit between the neck and body, but what is the concern about?

 

[bruzanhd]

The inserts being below the surface is the important point so that they do not interfere with a flush fit between the neck and body, but what is the concern about?

Yes I agree, I’m wondering if in your (or anyone else here) opinion, do my inserts appear to be far enough below the surface of the neck?

 

[mayfly]

They look fine.

 

[Rick]

As long as they are below the level of the wood you're good. The best tool is your finger tip. If your finger tells you it's below, it's below. From the pics, I'm with Mayfly.

 

[bruzanhd]

They look fine.

As long as they are below the level of the wood you're good. The best tool is your finger tip. If your finger tells you it's below, it's below. From the pics, I'm with Mayfly.

I appreciate the reassurances. They are at least 1mm below. I also realized that the countersinking I saw in pictures was likely due to the use of knife thread inserts which cause some minor bulge when they self tap and so more depth is necessary.

 

[stratamania]

Yes I agree, I’m wondering if in your (or anyone else here) opinion, do my inserts appear to be far enough below the surface of the neck?

Yes, as I said as long as they are below the surface.