New build: Iceman!?

[Tretgeraet]

The Intro

Technically, I really don't need another guitar. But, right now, I could afford it and I'd love to build one.

So, if I did, I could go for something I don't have yet, right? Like a 12-string, or something for even lower tunings, with a baritone neck. Or a 7-string maybe, I don't have one of those. Or I could build a bass. Or at least something with a scalloped fretboard.

Well, I thought about any of those and usually those ideas for new guitars come and go. But the one that stuck for the last few weeks, the one that I really want, obviously, is none of the above, but another variation of the (metal) theme:

The Iceman

I always loved the shape and I'm thinking about combining it with aesthetic "choices I didn't make" in the past, in favor of others:
- Alder Body
- HH config, ring mounted
- 2× vol 1× tone with push-push pots + toggle switch
- Schaller Floyd Recessed
- contoured heel
- no binding
- finished in glossy Black Cherry Metallic

I would combine that with a Nomad Neck:
- Gibson scale conversion
- walnut shaft wood
- ebony fretboard
- 1 11/16" nut width
- right-handed
- standard thin
- straight 12" fretboard radius
- 22 frets
- pearloid binding
- 6100 stainless jumbos
- schaller tuners
- white pearloid split diamond inlays
- Luminly w/ black sidedots
- R3 Floyd prep w/ mounting holes
- clear satin finish
And I want a matching headstock in black cherry, which means I need a finish, otherwise I would have gone with roasted maple. So, walnut is mostly an aesthetic choice, to fit with the somewhat darker theme of the guitar.

All hardware and pickups would be black, Schaller Tuners and the aforementioned Schaller Floyd;
I'm not 100% sure about the pickups, some PAF type in the neck position, and for the bridge I'm thinking about something which ceramics;
- my favorite supplier Rockinger has a pickup called "Destroyer", which I think is meant to be something like a dimarzio super distortion;
- or maybe a Duncan Custom!

The push-push pots for the volumes would split their respective humbuckers and the one for tone would switch between "neck only" and "master tone", so in the default setting, the bridge pickup doesn't have a tone control.

Regarding the body color: I'm 95% sure that Black Cherry is what I want, although I also considered other, more colorful choices, Holo Flake being one of them. But black & red was always my favorite color combination (see my 7/8 S-Style) and Black Cherry has them both.

The other 5% are if Warmoth reveals some new Flake finish in the next few days, that I can't resist.

The Community

Usually, I would make all those choices alone, place the order and then tell you guys about it.
But this time, I wanted to use the combined wisdom and knowledge of the forum, to make the right choices... or rather to be sure of myself, that I made the right choices.

So, your input, your concerns and ideas, they're all welcome.

 

[mayfly]

Hahaha!!! Do it! Party like they do it in Detroit, Rock City!

 

[rockandroller]

I say that whole project gets the GREEN LIGHT. Nomad headstock especially!

 

[Hodgo]

The two pearloid elements seem to clash with such an intentional “blackout” build otherwise, but that’s just my opinion.

 

[Tretgeraet]

The two pearloid elements seem to clash with such an intentional “blackout” build otherwise, but that’s just my opinion.

True! Good point, I thought about that, too.

There are a few aspects at play here:

Firstly, I was going for a bit of a Jackson-aesthetic there, where it would look kinda weird, if the fretboard would not clash with the rest.

Then I think I just don't like unbound ebony fretboards! Maybe if the frets were black as well... I don't know.

Also, I played a Les Paul for quite some time and this guitar will be the closest I have in a hard 'n heavy guitar to the ergonomics of a Les Paul in where the guitar hangs, the position of the toggle, scale length... and a fretboard binding!

All in all, I think a bit of clashing will give the guitar a nice contrast between body and neck.

But thank you for your input @Hodgo

This is exactly, why I'm doing this!

 

[stratamania]

With the neck for the matching headstock in you did not mention gloss to match the body. You can still put a satin finish on roasted maple if you'd like to.

 

[Tretgeraet]

With the neck for the matching headstock in you did not mention gloss to match the body. You can still put a satin finish on roasted maple if you'd like to.

Of course! But then it wouldn't be unfinished!

I meant, that I would choose roasted maple, if it was possible to have a painted headstock, but with the rest of the neck unfinished.