Pau Ferro/Korina Strat - Pics up, question on controls

RadsRock

Junior Member
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51
Alright!  Months of considering, contemplating, thinking and actual planning... and finally everything is set, just waiting for the neck and the final parts to arrive!   :toothy10:

Hopefully I like the look of all the selected pieces together when they're all here [/fingers crossed]

Here's the rundown of components, plans and inventory (experienced builders, please holler if I'm missing anything):

- Body:  Korina Strat with Pau ferro lam.  HxH.
- Neck:  Koa with ebony fingerboard
- PUPs:  Rio Grande Tallboy (neck) and Muy Grande (bridge), black
- Bridge:  Recessed Wilkey, gold
- Tuners:  Schaller mini-locking, gold
- Knobs:  Macassar Ebony
- Switching/Electronics:  With plenty of time left to change my mind on the wiring scheme (I got the body with no control holes drilled), my plan of the moment (pretty solid) is this:

      Master volume
      2 tone (500K with .047 caps)
      Mini-toggles for each pu for series/parallel/coil
      4-way Tele switch for neck/bridge/both series/both parallel
      One tone pot is a push-pull for OOP (yes, I do like Fleetwood Mac!)

Do you think the resistance and cap values are right for the tones?  Although I am mainly building this for 'buckers,  I do still hope to have a good single coil sound as well, which is the primary reason I went with the Rio Grandes.  I'm meaning to drop them a call to find out what they recommend.

Only thing that still is a question in my mind on this is the cosmetics of the min-toggles.  But I think (hope) that with the wooden knobs, the black minis will look OK.

OK, so here's what I either have or is coming:
Body, neck, PUPs
Gotoh Wilkinson bridge
Tuners and pair Graphtech string retainers
Neck plate (I also got one of those neck plate pads - not sure the utility of it?  But is was 2 bucks or something so I threw it in there.  Do you recommend 'em?)
Jack, jack plate
3 500K pots, 1 is push-pull
2 .047 caps
2 on/on/on mini-toggles
4-way tele switch
Knobs
Wire (got the Warmoth wiring kit)
Schaller strap-locks

And... I think that's it. 

Eager for any input!  Pics to follow when construction begins!   :guitaristgif:

 
I like the wiring idea :)
I'm a sucker for guitars and basses with a ton of knobs and switches :icon_biggrin:

Can wait to see how it turns out!
 
Very Exotic! exactly the way I like it! :)
oh and thank God there is no pickguard in your order list!  :icon_biggrin:
 
Order History:    11/12/2008 Shipped 

:hello2:    :hello2:    :hello2: 

Some pieces coming in from other suppliers... but I think everything out to be here by early next week.

The downside of this is that I'm out of town for 5 days!  And then come back to working a couple of night shifts, which leaves me in a funk for a few days afterward.  So I'm in for a 10 days or so of tease...

And say, I already have my first question.  I got the jack hole side-routed.  Don't remember what size hole I requested, but I talked it over with (I think) John when ordering.  Got a standard switchcraft jack.  The thing is, it is very loose in the hole.  I mean, the plate should hold it OK, but I rather expected the jack itself would be at least a little snug.  Is it supposed to be totally loose like that?  Or do I need a bigger jack, or to pad it a little with something?


 
Neck arrived today.

It is beautiful, no doubt about that.  BUT... I'm not sure it's right for this body.

It doesn't look bad, but it didn't take my breath away and leave me certain that I made the right choice.

Now, I am a little out of sorts from working nights this week, so I might look at anything with a bit of blah, and I only had a few minutes to check it out.  So on Saturday I'll spend some more time, set the pick-ups and bridge in to get an overall look.

But I might need to follow the advice I read here time and again - to GO SLOW.  Even if that means sending this one back and even if it means ordering one made from scratch (which I've been reluctant to do because of the time factor).

:rock-on:

 
RadsRock said:
Some pieces coming in from other suppliers...

NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Say it isn't so!  :sad:

of course none of us believe you actually ordered and received anything, ya know? cuz if you had there'd be pictures to prove it  :evil4:

not to mention that we'd all be able to help you decide whether you actually made a wise choice in your wood selections

all the best,

R
 
OK, some pics!

Too much work, sick kids, blahblah, plus some indecision has left me with no significant progress, but getting ready to dig in.

I could use some feedback on control placement.  As you can see, I made cut-outs in the footprints of the pots and switches, and have stuck them on, pretty close to what I think my layout will be.  But doing something not standard/tried-and-true (I mean, I'm not doing standard strat-style, etc), has me a little worried I might overlook something.  And once those holes are drilled... well, you know!  So I would really appreciate hearing any thoughts.  The 3 big ones are of course pot knobs - 1 vol 2 tone, then the 2 little ones are mini-toggles, and then the pick-up selector is pretty self-evident.  The jack is side drilled.

I am thinking the selector down there will give quick convenient right-hand access, more so than in typical strat position.  The volume knob is placed nearly exactly where it is on a strat (I am going to double-check my measurements against my strat, but I did measure when I did this layout a week or so ago).  My father-in-law complains about accidently hitting the vol when strumming on a strat, but that has never bothered me.

 
Here's the neck.

Earlier on I said I wasn't sure about keeping this koa neck, but it really is gorgeous and I think does work with the body,

 
Last, about that "indecision" (which has been a problem since I started this project!  :-\ )...

Initially I envisioned gold hardware.  Now thinking I don't like it.  Takes the eye too much to the hardware, and not to the wood.  But as of now I do have a gold bridge (Gotoh Wilk), which I got from Stew-Mac and am past the 10 days no-question return... hopefully they would still exchange it for chrome.

I tried to get pics of it, but the yellowness really doesn't come through.

Also, here's a shot of my current selection for knobs (subject to change --  :icon_tongue: ).  Rosewood with some kind of plasticy inlay that does a pretty fair MOP imitation, at least in a small dose like here.  I got these from Grizzly and for wood knobs they were cheap - 5$ for a pair.  Sorry, photo is poor because my little snapshot camera can't really do close-ups.




 
Oh, one more thing:  Assuming there's no drastic change in the control layout, one thing I will do is move the toggles slightly so that the angles from the tones to the toggles matches the line of the selector switch.

Just had to mention that little detail! 
 
1. Great woods, that's gonna be beautiful.
2. What, a 5-way AND two mini switches and three knobs? That's too many controls for two pickups. You'll be onstage with a couple shots in you, and forget how to 'program' your axe.
3. If the mini switches are in order to get coil tapping, you can easily do that from the 5-way. Look up "super switch" at guitar electronics.com and you'll see if you don't know that already. One of those and maybe a push pot could probably get you all the combos you're after, and have two less holes in that body. I'm skeptical of funky control layouts; what specific problem is this layout trying to solve?
4. Yeah, gold might look too dressy for a bar band, in combo with that high-dollar wood. Hopefully you can ebay that stuff and not lose too much cash in the process.
 
[QUOTE author=nonsensetele] DON'T DRILL ALL THESE HOLES! [/QUOTE]

NT -- I feel that angst a continent away!   :icon_smile:  But really, it is only 2 mini-toggles more than a strat.  And, the jack is moved off to the side.

I think the cardboard cut-outs make it look more severe than what rosewood knobs and black min-toggles really will do.


[quote author=tfarny]
1. Great woods, that's gonna be beautiful.
[/quote]


Thanks man!  Although I can't lay claim to making it up -- got her off the showcase.

[quote author=tfarny]
2. What, a 5-way AND two mini switches and three knobs? That's too many controls for two pickups. You'll be onstage with a couple shots in you, and forget how to 'program' your axe.
3. If the mini switches are in order to get coil tapping, you can easily do that from the 5-way. Look up "super switch" at guitar electronics.com and you'll see if you don't know that already. One of those and maybe a push pot could probably get you all the combos you're after, and have two less holes in that body. I'm skeptical of funky control layouts; what specific problem is this layout trying to solve?
[/quote]

I spelled it out in the original post... but it is a little wordy with all the details.  So:

      Master volume
      2 tone (500K with .047 caps)
      Mini-toggles for each pu for series/parallel/coil
      4-way Tele switch for neck/bridge/both series/both parallel
      One tone pot is a push-pull for OOP (Peter Green  :icon_thumright:)

And you can't do that with a superswitch.

I know some people don't dig guitars with a lot of controls.  But I like it (to a point) (2 mini-toggles is fine).  And some people say, 'You don't need all those options, you won't use all those tones."  Maybe.  But I like having the choices, and being able to dial up something different on occasion.  Its like, I don't use my router much (these days)... but I'm still glad I have one!

And I'm not worried about drunk-on-stage.  For one thing, I got a 1-year old and a 3-year old, and a more than full-time job... so its going to be a long time before I'm playing out other than the occasional open jam.  :(

The one thing I'm not totally sold on is having 2 tones...




 
Here's my two cents. I do enjoy guitars with lots of tonal options, my tele is hum-single-hum with both humbuckers individually tap-able and all pickup selection options available. But, I think you're trying too much (though I don't think anyone will convince you of that!!)

At the least, I will say that two tones probably aren't necessary. I think you will find yourself regulating 'brightness' and 'warmth' with your pickup options and settings, not your tone controls. This is the case with my guitar at least, I've got just a master tone control in it, and I rarely use even that.
 
Wooooooooow, that is just fudging sweeeeeeeet......
omfg.gif
 
Well, at least keep the normal strat layout and add the two switches... the way you're doing just make it look weird...

And remember:

I've seen some ESPETACULARY NICE Warmoth bodies on eBay going not sold or cheap sold because the guy made a weird wiring with lots os holes like this one... So be sure you'll have this guitar untill the day you die...
 
Hey Rads, ok if you really want it then do it. I've got a piezo system in my tele, and an extra switch on my own strat, so I'm not immune to gadgetry either.
Just be sure, cause it will definitely kill your resale if you do something original hole-wise. I like the control pattern of that one just above better, though.
 
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