Tattocaster

[Mike Seta]

I'm new to the forum (I didn't know it existed) but I've got a bunch of Warmoth builds I'll be posting in the next few weeks. The first one is my most recent creation. I call it the Tattocaster because part of the design is based on a tattoo I got 20-something years ago.

It's a Warmoth alder body, rear-mount controls. I carved a faux "pickguard" into the body, but it's just an illusion. The neck is a Warmoth canary on canary, 1-11/16" standard thin with a compound radius. I hand-stained the body to match the grain and color of the fretboard.

Pickups are Lindy Fralin hum-cancelling P90s. It's a hardtail bridge, and Hipshot locking tuners.

This took about 50 hours, and I loved every minute of it.

 

[SustainerPlayer]

Wov. That is cool. Great skilz.

And welcome aboard.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Mike Seta]

^^ Thanks!

 

[mystique1]

Wow, I've never seen anything like this before. The only word I can think of to describe it is....SPECTACULAR!!  :headbang:

 

[bbl4ck]

Very, very cool  :glasses9:
I really like that a lot...
What does the back look like?  Is it just solid or is it carved like the front?
:kewlpics: :rock-on:

 

[Great Ape]

VERY, VERY COOL! Great work!!

 

[LushTone]

That's beautiful and badass. Great pickup, neck, and bridge choices! :headbang1:

 

[Kostas]

Impressive work, good looking guitar!

 

[Mike Seta]

Thanks again. There's not much to see on the back 

I'm doing a similar build for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and the design will go all the way around. Very soon I'll start posting pics in the "A work in progress" section.

By the way, this guitar plays and sounds amazing. The combination of rear-mounted pickups and P90s really bridge the gap between Strat and Les Paul tones. I took a chance buying those Lindy Fralin pickups, but they're incredible. And Lindy himself is super helpful.

One thing I would do different: I always get no fret markers on the neck; just the side dots. Normally it's not a problem, but this is my first canary neck. There isn't very much contrast between the color of the neck and the little black side dots, so I had to put little drops of white paint on top of them to see in stage lighting. Not a big deal, but next time I'll get white markers!

 

[Raunline]

Very unique and I'm digging the "pickguard"!

 

[DangerousR6]

Welcome aboard, and what a very unique strat...Definitely on of a kind... :icon_thumright:

 

[stratamania]

Great job.  :icon_thumright:

 

[Raunline]

Hopefully the tattoo that this was taken from wasn't wood carved onto someone. This looks amazing!!!

 

[stubhead]

Blow down the walls and take no prisoners, huh? Fantastic work! If you need dots, there's a casting epoxy product called Milliput:

http://www.milliput.com/

It comes in two little logs inside a box, you cut off equal sized gobs of each then squeeze them together over and over until it's completely mixed - five minutes - then you have about 20 minutes to work with the stuff. So you drill your side dot holes, then mix it up, stuff it in, and wait four hours. It does shrink a little bit, so you can overstuffed, or drop fill it with super glue.. But there's not really an issue of "spilling" on anything, it's scrapes or lifts right off once it dries. I'm really surprised nobody else knows about it...





I guess you would be acquainted with the work of William Jeffrey Jones?



His is a little more refined, maybe TOO refined - I'd almost be afraid to play "Johnny B. Goode" on that. And good lord, the prices he charges! He maps out all his work in clay first.

My current price range for an original handcarved electric guitar begins at $4,400.

http://divine-jones.com/

 

[Mike Seta]

Great tip on the dots. Thanks. I've seen that Jones guitar but didn't know who did it. Pretty amazing. I would NOT be able to get that detailed. When I screw up, I "work it into the design."  :icon_smile: