New Ibanez Mods Day

[ThePhilosopher]

I decided I want an ERG with a Floyd-Rose so I snagged this recently to modify my RG8:

I've found out that it's easier/cheaper to have a new body built instead of modifying my existing body. I have found a competent builder to make a new body for me and I have sourced a set of Dimarzio Ionizer pickups.

Here's a quick mockup I put together:

I'll try to update this thread as it progresses.

 

[stratamania]

That looks different an 8 string Tele with a Floyd, or looked at another way an Ibanez with a Tele body. I like it...

 

[Timmsie95]

Reminds me of Tosin Abasi, I like it!

 

[BigSteve22]

Hot Damn! That there's sure a lot of real estate on that neck!

I have a friend who plays 7 and 8 strings. He loves 'em. Me, I have a hard enough time with six. Yours does look pretty nice though...

:icon_thumright:

 

[Verne Bunsen]

I have a friend who plays 7 and 8 strings. He loves 'em. Me, I have a hard enough time with six...

That's what I was thinking, I don't know if my head has room for that many more chord voicings! Certainly a unique aesthetic, it'll be the only one like it on the block! I do look forward to seeing it together, very interesting.

I have to say the knob and switch placement kind of jump out at me as being a potential source of trouble, might not be much fun trying to flip the switch lever without knocking the knobs about...

 

[ThePhilosopher]

The control placement is not really adjustable in the customization tool online that I used to make the mockup; however, it will be more like the layout on the Ibanez FR:

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Some updates on this, I got the body back from the luthier yesterday and it's stunning in person. We had an ordeal with the stock FR sustain block being too tall that delayed progress, but that got sorted out.

Here's some progress shots:

Here's testing the stock block, the bridge sits much higher than I would like (and the neck shelf isn't routed quite as deep here):

Some more progress after an appropriate sustain block could be sourced:

Grain-filled and ready to send back to me:

A sneak peak of why the control cavity is so over-sized:

I'm torn on a natural finish or going with a nice pearl white, any thoughts?

 

[stratamania]

Looking good so far. Will the ghost saddles be for each string ?

 

[AirCap]

Beautiful piece of mahogany or khaya, I'd guess.... Needs a bit of red or brown stain (maybe sunbursted around the edge), and then coated with satin lacquer or TruOil. Pretty interesting project. Next time, just grind a bit off the end of the sustain block. Those spring holes go pretty deep.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Looking good so far. Will the ghost saddles be for each string ?

Yes, it's a full Ghost setup for the 8 string Floyd: 8 Ghost saddles + Acoustiphonic Kit and an extra summing board.

Beautiful piece of mahogany or khaya, I'd guess.... Needs a bit of red or brown stain (maybe sunbursted around the edge), and then coated with satin lacquer or TruOil. Pretty interesting project. Next time, just grind a bit off the end of the sustain block. Those spring holes go pretty deep.

Mahogany, it's actually a lot more brown/red in person than his photos show. I already have some TruOil I bought for this project. That's a good tip, but the bridge got recessed a bit more and grinding off 3-5mm evenly was not something I was prepared to ask the builder to do.

 

[stratamania]

Thats cool, that you can get all eight strings to work with the acoustiphonic.  I just checked and they do a 7 string version which they did not do a few years back.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

That's precisely what I did. I found a 7 string set from a retailer and ordered a single saddle from Graphtech. The setup for an 8 string isn't different from a 12 string ghost system setup - it's sourcing the Ghost FR saddles is a bit trickier than hardtail saddles.

 

[stratamania]

OK, thats good information for anyone contemplating doing a similar thing.

Look forward to seeing the rest of the build.

 

[fdesalvo]

Nice bass!  :laughing7:

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Why thank you, I have one of those too . I like to think of this as a guitar ++, I mean it still has your standard 6 strings on it.

 

[fdesalvo]

Thats pure seshual healin right there

 

[ThePhilosopher]

Some slow progress is being made, I'm still trying to find the best way to slot the base plate of the Floyd for the wires to pass through:

In case you missed the color done by Tonar:

 

[fdesalvo]

NICE  work!  Can't wait to see the body buffed out.

 

[ThePhilosopher]

It's buffed out in the top image (at least I think it is); though it's hard to tell with the poor quality image I received from my tech.

 

[DangerousR6]

Hot Damn! That there's sure a lot of real estate on that neck!

I have a friend who plays 7 and 8 strings. He loves 'em. Me, I have a hard enough time with six. Yours does look pretty nice though...

:icon_thumright:

No kidding, my fingers aren't long enough for a fretboard that wide... :doh: