Submission: 2-tone swamp ash VIP

[wormbot]

Here's my submission for the featured build.

Roasted swamp ash VIP with swamp ash DL top (let Warmoth decide)
Ivoroid binding
2 wood mount DiMarzio PAF 36th anniversary set with black covers
24th fret reposition
500k volume
500k push/pull tone (split)
Black dome knobs
3 way switch
Modified standard US strat tremolo route
Hipshot US Contour termolo bridge
Natural tung oil top & dark walnut tung oil back (Saman) + wipe-on satin polyurethane finish
Ernie Ball super locks (black)
13mm deep panel Switchcraft jack

Vortex Wenge 24 fret neck 25.5" scale
Pau Ferro fretboard (user choice)
Single 12th fret supernova inlay
10"-16" compound radius
6105 stainless steel frets
Wizard profile
Hipshot open gear locking tuners (3+3)
Black Tusq XL nut
Custom ebony with mother of pearl owl inlay truss rod cover
Dark walnut tung oil + wipe-on polyurethane finish on neck
D'Addario NYXL 10-46

Both body and neck were grain filled with Goodfilla water based grain filler. Neck & body back filler was tinted with Saman water-based rosewood dye. Top was grain filled with same filler, just tinted with Cognac + Sesame dyes.

What I'm proud of:

• first build ever
• it works
• it plays well
• it sounds great
• it looks good

What I will do diffrerently on next build:

• coarser sanding of body before applying polyurethane. I sanded to 1000 before applying top coat. I feel it's too thin and it already has scuffs.
• I would not apply wipe-on poly on neck. It feels good but not woody enough
• No 24 fret on VIP body. Upper fret access is not that easy
• More grain filling on ash before top coat. (ie. improve my patience)
• Have Warmoth install the nut for me

 

[teleme01]

i like it, am lusting for a wenge neck

 

[ruscio]

This is awesome! I can't believe that's your first build, and it puts to shame my early efforts. And, if I'm being honest, probably my more recent ones, too...

FWIW, I wouldn't necessarily revert to having Warmoth do the nut install. You'd probably have to adjust that anyway as you're dialing in your setup. You can get those TUSQ nuts preslotted, and then all you really need to do is final shaping of the edges and, to lower to proper string heights, sand the bottom of the nut. I've never messed with slots, the preslotting seems to work great (though I used 9s, and you're using 10s, so a bit of widening might be needed?).

Anyway, I absolutely love this and hope it gets featured for a while on the site.

 

[JohnnyHardtail]

Looks like an awesome guitar. I like the contrast between roasted Swamp ash on the back with an un-roasted top.

 

[wormbot]

i like it, am lusting for a wenge neck

I really love it. It's beautiful and sounds great!

 

[wormbot]

This is awesome! I can't believe that's your first build, and it puts to shame my early efforts. And, if I'm being honest, probably my more recent ones, too...

FWIW, I wouldn't necessarily revert to having Warmoth do the nut install. You'd probably have to adjust that anyway as you're dialing in your setup. You can get those TUSQ nuts preslotted, and then all you really need to do is final shaping of the edges and, to lower to proper string heights, sand the bottom of the nut. I've never messed with slots, the preslotting seems to work great (though I used 9s, and you're using 10s, so a bit of widening might be needed?).

Anyway, I absolutely love this and hope it gets featured for a while on the site.

Thanks that means alot to me.

I've put a pre-slotted nut in there. I had to sand it a bit to get it sitting flush but I think I could have sanded the bottom of it a bit more, it's too high and the 1st and 2nd fret notes go out of tune at the slightest pressure.

 

[wormbot]

Looks like an awesome guitar. I like the contrast between roasted Swamp ash on the back with an un-roasted top.

Thanks. That was the whole point of it. I love swamp ash and having the possibility of contrast without using stain is awesome.

 

[bagman67]

WOW. That's gorgeous. Nicely done.

 

[ruscio]

Thanks that means alot to me.

I've put a pre-slotted nut in there. I had to sand it a bit to get it sitting flush but I think I could have sanded the bottom of it a bit more, it's too high and the 1st and 2nd fret notes go out of tune at the slightest pressure.

As long as you didn't use too much glue to hold that nut in there, that's a really easy fix. You can always sand it down a bit more. Good thing you didn't err the other way, as you can't unsand it! (Learned that the hard way...)

 

[wormbot]

As long as you didn't use too much glue to hold that nut in there, that's a really easy fix. You can always sand it down a bit more. Good thing you didn't err the other way, as you can't unsand it! (Learned that the hard way...)

There's barely any glue in there. Really easy to pop it off.

This is the second nut I buy for this guitar. The first one wasn't wide enough for the neck and it was too deep. It was protuding over the headstock tilt angle. I had sanded too low too I learned from this.

 

[wormbot]

Here's a bit better picture. Didn't use zoom and color corrected a bit due to cold lighting.

 

[electric__steve]

No 24 fret on VIP body. Upper fret access is not that easy

On the other hand, the square-edged fretboard running right up to the pickup looks pretty sweet.

 

[wormbot]

On the other hand, the square-edged fretboard running right up to the pickup looks pretty sweet.

Indeed it looks the part!

 

[wormbot]

The guitar has already got some changes.

I put a black switch and black barrel jack to complete the black hardware.

And I ordered a DiMarzio AT-1 for the bridge. Don't get me wrong, the PAF 36th anniversary sounds very very good, but that's not the kind of tone I'm looking for in this guitar. I'll keep it for my next Warmoth build, a 24.75" H-H Telecaster. The AT-1 is still Alnico 5 but has more output and smoother top end. I found the PAF to be very bright.

 

[bruzanhd]

The guitar has already got some changes.

I put a black switch and black barrel jack to complete the black hardware.

And I ordered a DiMarzio AT-1 for the bridge. Don't get me wrong, the PAF 36th anniversary sounds very very good, but that's not the kind of tone I'm looking for in this guitar. I'll keep it for my next Warmoth build, a 24.75" H-H Telecaster. The AT-1 is still Alnico 5 but has more output and smoother top end. I found the PAF to be very bright.

Were you using the dp223 or the dp103 in the bridge position? Also the fortitude might be worth looking at. Slightly different eq take on the dp223.

 

[supertruper1988]

I love the AT-1 I have a couple of them. They are great for a smoother JB type sound.

If that doesnt work as nice you might try a DP160 Norton. I have one in an Ash guitar and it sounds awesome.

 

[wormbot]

Were you using the dp223 or the dp103 in the bridge position? Also the fortitude might be worth looking at. Slightly different eq take on the dp223.

I used the DP223 PAF 36th anniversary in the brige position. I looked at the fortitude but I wanted a bit more output too.

 

[wormbot]

I love the AT-1 I have a couple of them. They are great for a smoother JB type sound.

If that doesnt work as nice you might try a DP160 Norton. I have one in an Ash guitar and it sounds awesome.

I'll get the guitar back from the luthier, install it and report back.

The guitar is getting a nut & fret job.

 

[wormbot]

Update!

I just installed the AT-1 in the bridge to replace the PAF 36th anniversary. My quest is over

It sounds like this guitar and that pickup are a match made in heaven. Much thicker and bigger sounding. Way less bright too. That's what I was looking for.

It still has that PAF voicing so it's not like it's a totally different animal. It's just more lively, in a good way, and more forgiving too. Suddenly my Mayfly Open Window overdrive pedal seems to sound angrier too

 

[ragamuffin]

Update!

I just installed the AT-1 in the bridge to replace the PAF 36th anniversary. My quest is over

It sounds like this guitar and that pickup are a match made in heaven. Much thicker and bigger sounding. Way less bright too. That's what I was looking for.

It still has that PAF voicing so it's not like it's a totally different animal. It's just more lively, in a good way, and more forgiving too. Suddenly my Mayfly Open Window overdrive pedal seems to sound angrier too

It's a good feeling when you find the perfect pickup for your guitar!
What are the mids like on the AT-1? Prominent/scooped, upper mid focus/lower mid focus? I've been curious about trying one in the bridge of my Albert Lee style build which is also a wenge neck 25.5 scale and a lot of trebble/upper mids. I've tried a few pickups in it but never been quite happy with the bridge position. Currently it has a Duncan Custom 5 which has been the best for it so far, but is still a little bright/harsh