Wenge/Wenge & Wenge/MacEbony VIP - PICS ADDED!!

[OzziePete]

Wow, very interesting project you have there.

Routing a control access area on a wenge body sounds like hard work for the router.

Will be keen how this all looks when finished.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

In the future don't forget that you can do the 720 mod to make that gap disappear.  Warmoth offers it now for a 20 dollar fee or something like that.  Only on rear routes though.  Would have suited your needs perfectly.

 

[m4rk0]

I have a feeling that this will become one of my most favorite builds ever!! i just love the wenge!

 

[jkellington]

In the future don't forget that you can do the 720 mod to make that gap disappear.  Warmoth offers it now for a 20 dollar fee or something like that.  Only on rear routes though.  Would have suited your needs perfectly.

Funny thing; I asked for the 720 mod, but was told on the phone that I didn't need it...

 

[jkellington]

...damn! After that lemon seed oil....just WOW! I know what you meant about that "dry" look before the oil, but now....just man all I can say is im super jealous, and wow. Hows the weight?

I'm guessing weight-wise I'm looking at about 11 pounds as you see it in the pictures, but I haven't actually weighed it yet.

 

[Volitions Advocate]

well it's true, you don't NEED it. its a preference thing.

Funny thing is my LP doesn't have the 720 mod and the fretboard lays flat on the top.

 

[Death by Uberschall]

If it's a carved top, the 720 mod doesn't apply. Neck should be down low already.

 

[jkellington]

This is a carved top, but the neck sits pretty high.  At any rate, I'll set it up with the Wilky and see what happens.  Looks like I'm going to have to take some tall pup rings and shave them down as the short rings are 'too' short.  I'll have all of the hardware/electronics and routing templates here by the end of next week.  With any luck I'll be playing this guitar early in June!

 

[Death by Uberschall]

Can you post pics?

 

[jkellington]

Go back one page in this post.  The pic is there.

 

[hannaugh]

That thing is sick.  I can't wait to see it with hardware!  :headbang:

 

[jkellington]

You and me both!  I'll be putting cream P-Rails with Cream pup rings and retaining the chrome/nickleish Line6 bridge and knobs and putting grover deluxe keystone tuners and an ivory earvana drop in nut.  Everything should be here by mid next week and then the fun begins!

 

[DangerousR6]

This is a carved top, but the neck sits pretty high.  At any rate, I'll set it up with the Wilky and see what happens.  Looks like I'm going to have to take some tall pup rings and shave them down as the short rings are 'too' short.  I'll have all of the hardware/electronics and routing templates here by the end of next week.  With any luck I'll be playing this guitar early in June!

It looks perfectly fine to me, I don't see that it's too high off the body...The guys at Warmoth have built hundreds if not thousands of these. I'm sure it's puuuuuuurfect and you shouldn't have any trouble with the Wilky... :icon_thumright:

 

[jkellington]

Well, it's been a while, but I'm finally getting going on this again.  I've put on the trem and strung it up and the fretboard height from the body works just fine.  I've also drilled holes for the pickup rings and strap buttons, but who really cares about that, you guys want pictures!  My routing guy is making copies of the templates and we should be cutting into it sometime next week.  I'll post picture as soon as I have them.  Cheers.

 

[JaySwear]

:headbang1:

THAT is some awesome woodgrain. very nice! can't wait to see more of this

a little inspiration, i just ordered my VIP yesterday  :icon_biggrin:

 

[DangerousR6]

Oh yeah baby... that's it. The top looks great, very pretty uniformity. The back would have been to busy for a top. I'm not sure if you've said, but what pickups are you putting in it?

I'm  just the opposite, i would have used the back for the top. I mean that's the oportunity of the first impression, to make people go Ohhhhh and Ahhhhh...And I see it way to often that the back is way prettier than the fromt, I mean after all the front of the guitar is what people are going to see the most, not the back...Right? :dontknow:

 

[kboman]

Oh yeah baby... that's it. The top looks great, very pretty uniformity. The back would have been to busy for a top. I'm not sure if you've said, but what pickups are you putting in it?

I'm  just the opposite, i would have used the back for the top. I mean that's the oportunity of the first impression, to make people go Ohhhhh and Ahhhhh...And I see it way to often that the back is way prettier than the fromt, I mean after all the front of the guitar is what people are going to see the most, not the back...Right? :dontknow:

Well sure, but then it has to actually be pretty, right?

 

[metalman22105]

Nice build! That is going to be one awesome VIP! Keep us posted!

 

[Mapleg4]

This was the other portion that I wasn't happy with, there is about a 1/8" standoff from the fret board to the top, wich is just too much in my opinion, especially considering I'm putting a wilkinson trem on here which doesn't give me a ton of height at the bridge.  I'll just end up having to route the neck pocket 1/8" deeper to bring the fretboard flush against the top.

In the end, I'm happy with it.  It's heavy, but I still have a LOT of cavity routing for the variax components.

The wood has a dry look to it raw which I don't find particularily appealing.  What's the best way to give it the "wet" look to dfine the grain more and still retain most of the raw feel?

My G4 has the same gap, but I'm so overall pleased with it that it doesn't really matter for me anymore. There are a lot of guitars that have a gap like that.

 

[tfarny]

My bass has the same gap. Who notices such things while playing or listening to someone play? If it really bugs you, I would fashion a little block of ebony to fit in the spot, better than a risky pocket rerouting.