Planning build. Have questions.

[JohanHK]

Hi, I'm new here.

Recently I have been really hooked on the idea of building a warmoth L5S for the nice smooth blues tone and some low to medium gain rock. The plan I've come up with is a hollow mahogany (or korina if I decide for it to be a bit more fancy ) body with two f-holes and the recessed T.O.M. and string through body design and a mahognay LP style neck with ebony or pau ferro fingerboard to (hopefully) add some bite to the tone. I plan on putting low output humbuckers in it.

Now for the questions I have:
-Can Warmoth make two f-holes and still drill holes for 4 knobs? It's not really important but I think it looks good.

-Will warmoth do a tobacco burst finish with trans brown back? I read something about them not doing custom paint jobs anymore.

-I want my neck to kind of like on my american fenders with 9,5" radius all the way down the neck. Will this be compatible with the T.O.M. Isn't it made for 12" radius?

-How does the recessed T.O.M. work? Won't my strings be far to low with it? I guess you can raise it but what is then the use of recessing it?

-Lastly will all that mahogany take make the sound to smooth and take away the edge? With the neck being mahogany and everything.


Thanks in advance for any answers and sorry for any bad spelling, english is not my mother tongue.

 

[Orpheo]

-Can Warmoth make two f-holes and still drill holes for 4 knobs? It's not really important but I think it looks good.

I think so. the f holes are on a different location than the control cavity. otherwise ask for rear routing+fholes and drill the knobholes yourself

-Will warmoth do a tobacco burst finish with trans brown back? I read something about them not doing custom paint jobs anymore.

sure. this is a regular asked finish. not a very special custom-finish. I've got a tobaccoburst+transbrown back. if they didnt do this, it would be VERY strange!!

-I want my neck to kind of like on my american fenders with 9,5" radius all the way down the neck. Will this be compatible with the T.O.M. Isn't it made for 12" radius?

yeah, this will fit. why not? you wont be able to get this supersuperlow action. but remember, you have to make notches in your bridgesaddles. when you make that, you can already compensate, if you like, for the radius.

-How does the recessed T.O.M. work? Won't my strings be far to low with it? I guess you can raise it but what is then the use of recessing it?

you recess the bridge so the strings can make a proper angle with the bridge, because the strings dont go through a stoptail, but through the body. the neckangle will be routed accordingly. you can adjust your action as you like, as on any other guitar. no strange things here. the point of recessing is a more clean look, no stoptail, and/or more sustain due to string-thru-body

-Lastly will all that mahogany take make the sound to smooth and take away the edge? With the neck being mahogany and everything.

no, a full mahogany wont mush up your sound, it will be smooth, but with an edge, think of an SG. those guitars arent mushy, right? I'd recommend by the way a wenge or bubinga or rosewood or goncalo alves neck. no finish, and an even better sound than mahogany necks. still warm, but with a beautifull ring to it! and you dont need a finish! once you've played that, you dont want anything else.

 

[JohanHK]

Thanks alot that really helped. The T.O.M. thing got me pretty confused as all my guitars are fenders but it's a bit clearer now. One more thing, do you guys think it is possible to get Warmoth to route the hole for the switch les paul stile?

 

[Orpheo]

Thanks alot that really helped. The T.O.M. thing got me pretty confused as all my guitars are fenders but it's a bit clearer now. One more thing, do you guys think it is possible to get Warmoth to route the hole for the switch les paul stile?

hmm I dont know. havent seen one so far. asking is always possible. otherwise you have the toggle on the horn.

 

[JohanHK]

I did a quick search and found this: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2669.0

That one awsome axe jackthehack awesome!

Still I can't figure out if the knobs would fit with the second f-hole, not a big problem though.

Also, any idea if those horror storys about gold hardware is true? I've seen some pictures where the grey metal underneath showed through. I think this guitar screams for gold and I don't mind it looking a bit worn but still.

Lastly do anyone know how visible the controll panel will be through the second f-hole?

I'll keep you updated when this is coming along although it might take some time.

EDIT: If you see this Jack, how do you feel about the korina? I'm torn between that and mahogany for the body and rosewood or wenge/ebony for the neck.

 

[rpguitar]

Remember that Gibson, essentially the creator of the F-hole itself, makes a zillion such guitar models - all with 2 F-holes.  The only difference is that there is usually no control access cover.  You fish out the electronics through the F-hole to work on 'em (fun!  :toothy11.  Many of these guitars have two humbuckers and four pots (knobs).

ES-335, ES-175, etc. are just a couple of the most obvious examples to look at.  You will be fine.

Roger

 

[jackthehack]

I did a quick search and found this: http://www.unofficialwarmoth.com/index.php?topic=2669.0

That one awsome axe jackthehack awesome!

Still I can't figure out if the knobs would fit with the second f-hole, not a big problem though.

Also, any idea if those horror storys about gold hardware is true? I've seen some pictures where the grey metal underneath showed through. I think this guitar screams for gold and I don't mind it looking a bit worn but still.

Lastly do anyone know how visible the controll panel will be through the second f-hole?

I'll keep you updated when this is coming along although it might take some time.

EDIT: If you see this Jack, how do you feel about the korina? I'm torn between that and mahogany for the body and rosewood or wenge/ebony for the neck.

First, here's a gallery pic of an L5S with dual f-holes and V-V-T-T controls, similar to ES-335 placement:

I wanted a second F-hole, but it was a Showcase body and they only cut the f-holes BEFORE they glue the top on, but you can get it done on a custom order.

The only other hollow body I've done is an all mahogany Thinline; but having usually always had an ES-335 type axe in my arsenal I'm totally blown away by the hollow black korina L5S tone and would definitely recommend it.

I've never had any issues with gold hardware; would take a lot of "rubbing off"/abuse to have an issue I'd think

 

[Orpheo]

Remember that Gibson, essentially the creator of the F-hole itself, makes a zillion such guitar models - all with 2 F-holes.  The only difference is that there is usually no control access cover.  You fish out the electronics through the F-hole to work on 'em (fun!  :toothy11.  Many of these guitars have two humbuckers and four pots (knobs).

ES-335, ES-175, etc. are just a couple of the most obvious examples to look at.  You will be fine.

Roger

oh really? that would mean that mr. stradivarius went had an internship at gibson!



around 1500 A.D.!

 

[DocNrock]

That's a gorgeous L5S! 

 

[rpguitar]

oh really? that would mean that mr. stradivarius went had an internship at gibson!

Yes, good point my friend.  :sign13:  Obviously I meant with regard to modern guitars!  Thanks for the reminder on that one.

 

[Orpheo]

oh really? that would mean that mr. stradivarius went had an internship at gibson!

Yes, good point my friend.   :sign13:  Obviously I meant with regard to modern guitars!  Thanks for the reminder on that one.

no, not true either. F-holes were used on guitars way before gibson. I've seen a guitar, build before gibson even made his mandolins, with fholes.

 

[rpguitar]

I hope to have the last comment on this...  :tard:

"Lloyd Loar joined Gibson in 1919, a year after Orville's death. Loar's refinements of Orville's orginal carving concepts brought about the Master Model F-5 mandolin and L-5 guitar, with tuned tops and backs and the first "f" holes ever found on fretted instruments."

F-5 Mandolin in 1922
L-5 Guitar in 1923

http://home.comcast.net/~ukecat/mandolin/loarhead.html

There are other references as well.

 

[dbw]

Good find, Roger!  Very interesting.

 

[JohanHK]

Thanks alot everyone.  :rock-on: