Swamp Ash Floyd Rose wang-a-phon Warmoth neck

[amigarobbo]

Guitar build 4! Very much a work in progress, hey, I've been busy!  :turtle:

Guitarbuild.co.uk body, 'Black friday' sale, with wudtone T-bird finish with more coats of the gold top coat than what was strictly neccary gives it a almost but not quite Sea Foam Green colo(u)r.

First 2 coats

Finished the coats, it's no-where near this blue in real life

Gold Original Floyd Rose term on order, the Gotoh machine heads have turned up, and looks the gold with paint job is a good match.

For the neck I was thinking of a Rosted maple stat with bloodwood fretboard, with AVO frets and Arizonian turquoise inlays, possibly not the most tasteful, but..

Still thinking about a Sustainer/sustainic, after my first (non-bass) guitar build was rather traditional F*nder Esquire sort of thing, I wanted to go bang up to date, Floyd Rose, possibly EMGs etc.


It is still 1981 isn't it?

 

[fdesalvo]

It's always 1981, brother.  Looking good!

 

[Tweed]

I'm in love with this guitar already.

 

[rgand]

Looks good. Keep the pics coming.

 

[amigarobbo]

Wangaphon bit turned up, studs frozen, greased  :laughing7: and hammered home.

Don't think I can do much before the neck is fitted, so... terrible exchange rates be darned, I've ordered it!  :turtle:

Stratstyle, nothing too fancy, this time.
Roasted Maple with Bloodwood fretboard.
RIGHT/LEFT: Right Handed
NUT WIDTH: 1-5/8" (I like 'em tight at the top)
NECK PROFILE: Boatneck (I like 'em chunky)
FRET SIZE: GD6150 (Gold Color)
TUNER REAM: Vintage Style (11/32")
INLAYS: Arizona Turquoise Stone Dots
SIDE DOTS: White Side Dots
RADIUS: Straight 10" (I like em' curvey)
SCALE: 25-1/2"
FRET #: 22
MOUNTING HOLES: Standard 4 Bolt


I just about resisted the urge to add a 12 string 'Smurf hat' neck and a spilt Jazzcaster in Burgundy Mist... Maybe next time..


Also I've ordered the custom neck plate, it's a picture of my little canary looking out the window looking pensive.

Artists Impression:

 

[amigarobbo]

Well, that was quick got the email telling me the necks on its way.  :hello2:

I think I've got everything to bolt it together so I can set up the guitar to play acoustically, I've decided I will get a Sustaniac style pickup, and using the neck tone to control it.  I was quite impressed with the Don Mere pickup I got for my Esquire thingy, I might use them for the two other strat pickups, but all that expensive nonsense will have to wait till probably next year 

Bonus picture of the neck plate,

I also fitted the claw, didn't do the best job, but it should work. One of those things if you do twice you'll do every one perfect after that.

 

[zebra]

That neckplate is awesome - really the whole build is coming together really well!

 

[amigarobbo]

Yeah!!! It's here!  :turtle:

Photos available as soon as Photobucket starts working. So it could be some time.  :tard:


EDITED TO ADD:

It's here!

Finished!

Well, for now, I can't afford the Sustaniac/pickups/pickguard till next year, I think there's a clue in the first picture as to exactly why.

 

[rgand]

Looking really good. Congrats. I'm liking turquoise more and more.

 

[Logrinn]

Looking really good. Congrats.
We await some sound clips from it in the future when it's completely assembled.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Tweed]

Gibson RD sighting! One of my favorite body shapes. Is it very heavy?

 

[amigarobbo]

I'll get my scales out tomorrow, but considering what a massive chunk of maple it is, I was slightly disappointed to find that the Peavey T-40 still holds heaviest bass crown, with ease.  :redflag:

:chiropody:

 

[Cagey]

I sometimes wonder if Peavey deliberately chooses extra-heavy wood. I've played a few of their guitars and have always been struck by how heavy they are.

 

[amigarobbo]

From http://www.samuelbarker.net/t60mafia/ctecustoms.html

"Chip and Hartley both knew that weight was not necessarily equal to sustain when the T-60 was being designed, however Hartley was astute enough to understand that the current market trend called for a heavy guitar, hence the T-60 was made to meet the demand of the time."

So, yeah, pretty much.

 

[amigarobbo]

I've got my bathroom scales out, not the most reliable of things, but it'll have to do.

My Walnut body, Purpleheart neck, ebony f//b 10lb
Peavey T-40 12lb
Gibson RD Artist 12lb I think I was wrong about this being lighter then the Peavy, not much in it.
Höfner 500 11lb, but to be fair that was the weight INCLUDING THE CASE!

Swamp Ash Floyd Rose wang-a-phon Warmoth neck including strap is 7lb.

tried it on metric, Peavey and Gibson both 5.3kg.  Looks like we have a contender!

 

[amigarobbo]

Anyway,

The roasted maple feels great, loverly and smooth, slightly darker than I expected, although the Bloodwood wasn't as red as I was expecting, still nice thought. Can't keep my hands of the trem bar,  Twananananangg! Dive bomb play harmonics and swoop upwards etc etc. Will be even better when I fit the pickups.  arty07:

Surprised how different it sounds acoustically to my maple neck/swamp ash telecaster thing, what with it pretty much having the same woods and thin paint cover,  Stainless steet vs EVO frets, I'm putting it down to the Floyd Rose cf. strings through the body.

 

[amigarobbo]

With black pickups/knobs?

or White/cream with white/cream pickups? Hmm...

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

White Pearl, all the way!

 

[zebra]

White Pearl, all the way!

I'm agreeing with TFS on this one - I'd go with the white pearl. I think pickups and knobs could go either way, though (black or white). 

 

[TonyFlyingSquirrel]

White Pearl, all the way!

I'm agreeing with TFS on this one - I'd go with the white pearl. I think pickups and knobs could go either way, though (black or white).

With the White Pearl Pickguard, you might even be able to get away with using some Green Dimarzio Knobs & switch tip, you can get them from BanjoMikes on Ebay easy enough.