Now, finally, after much anticipation......Flame maple Lefty WGD!!!!!

theklanch

Senior Member
Messages
209
Finally.  To quote Tom Petty and his Heartbreakers, the waiting is the hardest part.  It took 6 weeks, but it is finally here!!!!!!  I hope the pics come out. 
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Now what to do with her.....  I originally thought of doing an abalone purfling, but I just don't know now if I want to break up that beautiful flaming.  I am still going to put in a back stripe down the center of the back, but as for the top I am really undecided.  I'm gonna let it sit here for a couple of days so I can stare at it and see what comes to mind.

I am also really up in the air about finishing it.  Kind of want to keep it in the natural to amber hue family, and I still haven't decided on satin or gloss.

I gotta find a neck now, I am going to do position marker inlays on the neck.  I really love maple fretboards, but I don't know they are a bitch to do inlay on, if you aren't exact with your routing you can tell.  Ebony would look alright with the accent stripe in the body, and you can fix your inlay route mistakes pretty easily on Ebony.  Unfortunately for me, funds are gonna dictate what kind of neck is gonna go on it.  It may get a temporary import ebay neck till I can afford a flame maple warmoth neck.

All that is set in stone on this build is the pickups and bridge..... Dimarzio super 3 and  PAF.  Don't know which pu I will put where. Probably the PAF in the bridge position cause the wire is really short, but that is an easy fix. LR Baggs t-bridge with the control x module and Jer's TRS effects loop.  Heck I still haven't decided on what type of controls or how I want to switch the PU's

Please guys don't be bashful, I want as much input on this as I can get..... whatever you woud do if it was yours, I'll consider every suggestion. 
 
Let's see what some folks here might say...

Paint it matte black. (NT will disagree)

Put a Floyd on it (promptly followed by "No Floyd")


I say amber for the top at least.
 
That's gonna be purdy.  Obviously, no Floyd since it is drilled as a TOM/string-thru. 

With the flame top, I'd be thinking a dyed job, perhaps with a burst (bengal burst?)  What wood is the body itself made from?

Regarding the neck, you've probably thought of this, but if you get a Warmoth exotic, no finish is required and the cost would likely be less than having them finish a maple neck.  If you were going to finish it yourself, this would save you a lot of time.

Regarding the pickups, I'd put the Super 3 in the bridge and the PAF in the neck myself.  The Super 3 might be a bit muddy in the neck position, and would certainly overpower the PAF in the bridge, in any event.

JMHO. 
 
Max said:
Paint it matte black. (NT will disagree)

Sparkle black! :laughing7:

Amber sounds cool!
But you gotta think about the inlay, do a kind of cover while put the amber and take and make a coat of clear or the inlay will look darker (like the strat I build)
 
DocNrock said:
That's gonna be purdy.  Obviously, no Floyd since it is drilled as a TOM/string-thru. 

With the flame top, I'd be thinking a dyed job, perhaps with a burst (bengal burst?)  What wood is the body itself made from?

Regarding the neck, you've probably thought of this, but if you get a Warmoth exotic, no finish is required and the cost would likely be less than having them finish a maple neck.  If you were going to finish it yourself, this would save you a lot of time.

Regarding the pickups, I'd put the Super 3 in the bridge and the PAF in the neck myself.  The Super 3 might be a bit muddy in the neck position, and would certainly overpower the PAF in the bridge, in any event.

JMHO. 
Thanks Doc, yeah I'm not a floyd fan. LR baggs t bridge is going in here one thing I decided so far....

The body is maple also with some very subtle flaming and some little birdseyes........ It is a heavy chunk of  lumber shipping weight was 10 pounds.  I hadn't thought of a burst finish, don't know if I can do that myself though.  I was thinking like tung oil or an amber dye or something along those lines I can't believe how good the black accent stripe looks in person.  

I wish I could shell out the $300 for a Warmoth neck and be done with it, but I don't see my finances improving till the snow melts.  I am gonna scour ebay to see what I can find.   I need some inlay practice too it has a while since I did any abalone work, so the idea of trashing a $100 neck is better at this juncture in my mind than a tasty exotic..... I can always sell the neck later and get a W neck.  (I gotta get back to work soon!!!)
You hit the nail on the head about pickups.  Exactly what I was thinking about that combo........ I think they would balance out better with the super 3 in the bridge as it is a lot hotter than the PAF.

Max said:
Let's see what some folks here might say...

Paint it matte black. (NT will disagree)

Put a Floyd on it (promptly followed by "No Floyd")


I say amber for the top at least.
Ahhh Max you made me laugh.  Don't think I'm gonna go with matte black, I think that would piss the guitar gods off for good if I did that to this sexy flame maple.....

I do like the amber idea.....

GoDrex said:
Can you make the pictures smaller? :laughing7:
Ummm how do I accomplish that?  I'll try.....

Keep them coming.  Thanks again guys!!!!!   :rock-on:
 
Well, if it were mine...Amber dyed top with a trans yellow back, gloss finish. 

If you'd practice your inlays on an eBay neck, why not a clearance Warmoth neck?  There's some unfinished ones for $135.  If it comes out good...sell it to fund the better neck.  :headbang1:

Oh yeah, those pics are kind of tiny.  Any chance of something in the 640x480 ish range? :sad1:
 
since my first choice is already taken (thanks Max  :tard:) I'm going to instead suggest a thick and orange peely optic orange with contrasting flourescent lightning bolts

  :blob7:

all the best,

R
 
10 Pounds!!!!!!!  Can you chiropractor. 

That would look real nice with amber shellac as a color coat and then finished with gloss lacquer.
 
You guys laugh about people painting over nicely figured tops, but I had a guy who was a pretty damned good player tell me that if he built a warmoth he was going to insist on a 5A quilt and probably go with a silver finish.  I tried to explain that it didn't have any tonal qualities and he would just be wasting his money doing that, but he wouldn't listen.  If you Warmoth boys have a guy from Houston try to do this maybe you can explain it to him.  I'd hope you'd just not do it whether he liked it or not.
 
Very nice.   I say just wipe it down with a little tung oil and call it a day.  Keep it simple and satin.  Perhaps a little "Vintage Tint" but little more than that, just enough to pull out the figure (ugh, I hate the word "vintage" unless in reference to wine, but the geetar community has co-opted it and over-abused it....  but I digress...).  Go as au-naturale as possible.  But hey, I like my guitars like I like my women; NAKED!.

For pickups, unless you already have them, check out Reed James Custom http://www.reedjamescustom.com, they're all I use anymore.  Hardwood and exotic wood instead of plastic.  My next guitar will have NO plastic.

On the cheap neck thing, I recomend checking out Karosa http://www.handbuiltguitarnecks.com, they're exotic and inexpensive.  Plus, if you watch their ebay store (http://myworld.ebay.com/karosaguitars&ssPageName=STRK:MEFSX:SELLERID), once a week they roll out three or four necks for a 24 hour auction.  You can get 'em cheap.  I have a Goncalo Alves with a marblewood fingerboard on my thinline that I snagged for a scant $90 after shipping.  I've got a Goncalo Alves with Indian Rosewood fingerboard on its way now that came in around $75 after shipping.   The one I have on my thinline needs a little work in terms of the fret ends, but for the price its completely unreal.  

Soulmate Necks look cool, like they'd go really well on a WGD.  
http://www.soulmateguitars.com/Necks.htm

 
If you already have a guitar to play, I say do not buy any import neck, just wait until you have the money. A maple neck with extreme flame would look great, I would go for the looks of Macassar Ebony if you want ebony. I just don't like a black wood... I welcome most other inlays than dots, there are too many guitars with dots in this world... :tard: Binding also looks great :hello2:

For pickups, the Super 3 must go on bridge as it's much hotter. If they have 4 wires split em (preferably with push-push). I put WCR's in my LP and they split veeery good, it sounds almost as a strat! By the way, I suggest WCR pickups as a future upgrade, they really are great despite being expensive.

As far as abalone I have to say I like it on guitars so I welcome your ideas. These are some pics of an Alembic it costs 9.990,00 Euro in a German store, I'm sure yours will cost less... :toothy12:
 
theklanch said:
I checked out this guy's website.  http://www.handbuiltguitarnecks.com I think I am gonna go this route with this body.  His prices are unbelieveable!!!!  I don't mind $125 for a neck at all......
Make sure you provide him exact measurements of the neck pocket, not just Fender licensed neck pocket. Since you are having a handmade neck you should have a tight fit. I suggest also to try woods Warmoth does not offer, this guy have lots of wood...
 
Wana's_makin'_a_guitar said:
Someone said that not all handbuilt necks are good, you get some that are and some that aren't.
So they are like women.........or a factory built guitar.  This guy isn't that far from me, just across the state of Pennsylvania, which I think is pretty cool.....

Kostas said:
theklanch said:
I checked out this guy's website.  http://www.handbuiltguitarnecks.com I think I am gonna go this route with this body.  His prices are unbelieveable!!!!  I don't mind $125 for a neck at all......
Make sure you provide him exact measurements of the neck pocket, not just Fender licensed neck pocket. Since you are having a handmade neck you should have a tight fit. I suggest also to try woods Warmoth does not offer, this guy have lots of wood...

I will go over the neck pocket with him when I finalize the order.  I really just want a maple neck, since the body is maple.  I would prefer a flame maple neck with either a very quilty birdseye fretboare, or quilt maple itself on the fretboard.  I have read the quilt maple fretboard controversty....., If he can do it, that'll be super.  I also asked him if he could put a black accent stripe under the fretboard (like my body has).  I'm waiting for him to get back to me so I can go ahead with this. 

I hope his quality is at least acceptable.  He's sold over 1350 of these he has said on his site.  I hope I luck out and get some of his good work....  I know I can get what I want from warmoth for over twice the money, and I am well aware of getting what you pay for.  But there is something said about handbuilt Pennsylvania craftsmanship... So my fingers are crossed.  Pics will be forthcoming when his neck arrives.

 
theklanch said:
Wana's_makin'_a_guitar said:
Someone said that not all handbuilt necks are good, you get some that are and some that aren't.
So they are like women.........or a factory built guitar.  This guy isn't that far from me, just across the state of Pennsylvania, which I think is pretty cool.....
Well thats alright, not too far and not to expensive.

 
Wana's_makin'_a_guitar said:
Someone said that not all handbuilt necks are good, you get some that are and some that aren't.

It's more like that:
the measures aren't any closer than CNC, men just can't make the same precision by hand....
If the guy has some nice machines and templates (as most luthiers I saw abroad have) he will make something way closer...

about the quality, well, if the guy only works with nice woods,it will be as good as other, perhaps just not with a 0.01mm precision :)
 
Klanch, watch his ebay site.  http://myworld.ebay.com/karosaguitars  He rolls out about 3 or necks per week with a 24 hour auction, I think this costs him, you snooze you loose, and it keeps them cheap.  I got one for $90 after shipping and another at around $72 after shipping.  I expect the second one any day now.  The first one bolted into my thinline perfectly.  But HEADS UP!  Be prepaired to do some final setup work on the frets, they're pretty sharp on the hand, but still, for the price its killer.  My most recent one is #1668, I tried like hell to get #1666, but it was made of Granadillo and ended up going for $170.  The two I have are both Goncalo Alves, one with a Marblewood fretboard and the other with Indian Rosewood. 

......  as soon as I posted this I saw that you're ordering from him already...  Can't wait to see how it turns out.    and whats the Quit Maple Fretboard Contraversy?
 
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