Andronico Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Hi, my name is Julián and live in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I´m learning guitar with a Gibson S1 and during the last year I was thinking about the possibility of make a little travel guitar in order to use it when I´m on holidays (I´m not sure if my wife and kids will be happy with this situation...) The idea is to make a headless guitar, a portable amp and a custom case for the guitar + amp + cables. I´m righty but my 14 years old kid is lefty and he´s playing classical guitar. I want that this guitar can be easily changed to be played for him (if he wants to play electric in the future). The guitar will have the following specifications : 1) Mahogany body inspired in the style of the Riverhead Unicorn but customised for righty/lefty use. 2) Headless neck with 25.5 scale and 24 frets. 3) HardTail bridge. 4) Home made custom headless hardware. 5) Two humbuckers pickups. 6) Built in SansAmp GT2 board (because I use this pedal everytime) with rechargeable 9V Battery and charge circuit. 7) Controls in the front : One toggle switch to select pickups, two volumes, effect on/off switch. 8) Controls In the back : GT2 pots and switches. 9) And of course must be cheap ! Remember that I live in South America ... For people that don´t know the Riverhead unicorn here are some pics : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/RIVER2.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...r/riverhead.jpg The neck that I bought from Guitar Fetish for dirty $ 32.00 (shipping included) : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Neck04.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Neck03.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Neck02.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Neck01.jpg The Hex Humbuckers (from Guitar Fetish too, but not GFS brand !) http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...r/HexPickUp.jpg The HardTail bridge : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...r/HardTail2.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...r/HardTail1.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Well, continue with the guitar. The body : The style is inspired in the RiverHead Unicord. I found a site about these guitars : http://www.handen.us/riverhead/index5.html The owner of this site is a very friendly Finnish guy named Hande that sent me different measurements of the body parts. With this measurements and the pics I draw a diagram in paper. Thanks Hande ! The woods for the body are mahogany with a strip of jacaranda in the centre. http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...tar/Blank02.jpg Beginning with the body : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body01.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body02.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body03.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body04.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body05.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body06.jpg I hope to finish the most part of the body on weekend in order to begin with the headless hardware. More pics soon... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Quick question. YOu have a headless neck and a hard tail. how are you planning to tune the guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 reminds me of the burns flyte Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 29, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Quick question. YOu have a headless neck and a hard tail. how are you planning to tune the guitar? The tuner hardware will be under the hard tail, and I´ll access it on the back side of the body. I know that is not the most confortable way but it´s a travel guitar and I need space for the GT2 board and control. WezV, I thought that RiverHead had an original design, but... perhaps they had a little help... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted January 29, 2008 Report Share Posted January 29, 2008 Quick question. YOu have a headless neck and a hard tail. how are you planning to tune the guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Ok, this are the last days of my holidays and I can´t wait until weekend to continue with the travel guitar... So I spent a few hours last night and this morning to advance with the body. Here are the results : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body07.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a...itar/Body08.jpg The body was sanded all around to the final size with my drill press using the sanding tool that I made some weeks ago : http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=33990 Quick question. YOu have a headless neck and a hard tail. how are you planning to tune the guitar? I know that I wasn´t very clear with my explanation about the use of a hardtail bridge with a headless guitar, so I try to be more specific : 1) This hardtail uses the strings passing through the body. 2) The common way to tune a headless guitar is in horizontal form. The tuner stretches the strings moving the saddles horizontally. 3) My tuners will be under the hardtail (in vertical position not horizontal) in the some path that the strings are passed in a common through the body design. 4) I can access the tuner´s pegs on the back of the body. I think that when I begin with the tuner hardware all will be more clear. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aidlook Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 I posted that while you where replying to the original question. It'd be nice to see a drawing on how you're gonna pull this of, I've got some ideas of my own that I might put into practise one day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiki Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 hi neighbor, saludos desde brasil! pretty interesting project! the body looks very good, I'm waiting for news. I'd like to built a travel guitar someday, similar to tyours. but i was thinking in a built-in-amp, with a few efects inside. hasta luego Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 I posted that while you where replying to the original question. It'd be nice to see a drawing on how you're gonna pull this of, I've got some ideas of my own that I might put into practise one day. Hi Aidlook I have only a draw in paper but don´t worry in a couple of days I´ll be working in the tuners. Perhaps we have similar ideas about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 hi neighbor, saludos desde brasil! pretty interesting project! the body looks very good, I'm waiting for news. I'd like to built a travel guitar someday, similar to tyours. but i was thinking in a built-in-amp, with a few efects inside. hasta luego Hi Kiki, un abrazo para ti también ! Thanks for your comments, my first idea was to put a small amp inside but the body is really small and the GT2 board and its controls will use the most part of it. And finally I decided to leave the amp out of the guitar. Perhaps in another project... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 I know that I wasn´t very clear with my explanation about the use of a hardtail bridge with a headless guitar, so I try to be more specific : 1) This hardtail uses the strings passing through the body. 2) The common way to tune a headless guitar is in horizontal form. The tuner stretches the strings moving the saddles horizontally. 3) My tuners will be under the hardtail (in vertical position not horizontal) in the some path that the strings are passed in a common through the body design. 4) I can access the tuner´s pegs on the back of the body. I think that when I begin with the tuner hardware all will be more clear. Cool! I've been thinking of something along similar lines, except what I'd want to do is somehow convert a tremblock into a tuner-housing as well, that way I can still have a trem on the guitar. Can't wait to see your solution --do you have any pictures or drawings you can share in the meantime? Oh yeah, I like the design of the guitar too (and WezV, I'd never seen that Burns before, thanks!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trynyty Posted January 30, 2008 Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Wow! That's a headless style guitar that I've never seen before. I had the idea of embedding a Pocket POD into a guitar. It'd give you effects as well as amp sims. Are you making your own neck or do you have an existing neck? What about the headpiece? (edit - I missed the pics of the neck first time around -- still not sure what you will use for a headpiece) (edit - Also, it looks like the neck will have a large part of the heel protruding past your neck join -- could you post a pic of the neck fitted into the body?) Cool project, good luck with it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Cool! I've been thinking of something along similar lines, except what I'd want to do is somehow convert a tremblock into a tuner-housing as well, that way I can still have a trem on the guitar. Can't wait to see your solution --do you have any pictures or drawings you can share in the meantime? Oh yeah, I like the design of the guitar too (and WezV, I'd never seen that Burns before, thanks!) Sorry but I haven´t any good enough drawing of the tuner, but I promise that will begin with the tuners ASAP. I must confess that when I was thinking about the tuners through the body, the idea of using a tremolo and replace the tremblock crosses my mind but I prefer to begin with a more easy implementation (remember that it´s my first guitar). But I think that can works (with very little changes) with the idea of replacing the tremblock ! Perhaps the next one or you can try it ! Regarding the body design, I like it too and didn´t see it in my country and remember that I need a simetrical design in order to be used for me and my lefty child. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 30, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 30, 2008 Wow! That's a headless style guitar that I've never seen before. I had the idea of embedding a Pocket POD into a guitar. It'd give you effects as well as amp sims. Are you making your own neck or do you have an existing neck? What about the headpiece? (edit - I missed the pics of the neck first time around -- still not sure what you will use for a headpiece) (edit - Also, it looks like the neck will have a large part of the heel protruding past your neck join -- could you post a pic of the neck fitted into the body?) Cool project, good luck with it. Thank you Trynyty for your kind words, the idea of the pocket POD is more usefull than a GT2 but I want to make all the electronics, and think that the SansAmp is a good start point for my guitar. I bought the neck the last May 1st from Guitar Fetish, they had only two New Old Stock headless necks and I picked one. I´ll make the headpiece and the tuners soon. I think that I can show a pic of the neck fitted into the body tomorrow. Thanks again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 A little more progress to show : I decided to put metal inserts to use screws for metal instead of wood : http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a.../NeckScrews.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a.../BodyNeck03.jpg http://i264.photobucket.com/albums/ii186/a.../BodyNeck01.jpg Now I have to do the GT2´s compartment, the recessed for the tuner pegs, etc, etc... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 I like that method of screwing the neck to the body. (Mental note to self: bushings in the neck & recessed allen screws.) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Nice pics, but I hope you don't have mounting ring problems on the neck pickup, with it being so close to the edge of the body shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiki Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 hi julian... very these photos! I saw you used that metal pieces to screw the neck (I don't know the name, here in brasil we call "bucha"). it's very goos, when you're making the guitar you have to set the neck many times to check millions of things, and put it off all the time (mainly if you are unexperienced). I was afraid of overscrewing (this word exists?) my tele neck. i was advised to use one of these pieces, if there was any problem... but there was no problem =] have you decided the finishing you'll make? I hope you're thinking in let the wood appear, because that jacarand strip is so beautiful... well, buen trabajo a ti amigo (y perdona si no escribo bien ni el ingles ni el espanol...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 and WezV, I'd never seen that Burns before, thanks! there is a newer version with a less pointy headstock and none of the cool retro vibe from the bridge and pickups like the originals. also has a cutaway which ruins the shape completely, almost shortens and fattens it.. but it is practical i very nearly shelled out for a bass version of the old design in 1996 because it was the cheapest thing in the local shop but i think i splashed out on a teisco instead anyway, always been rather fond of the design and its good to see one being built that promises to be a little more practical whilst still retaining the sleekness of the design... i like it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 Nice pics, but I hope you don't have mounting ring problems on the neck pickup, with it being so close to the edge of the body shape. No problem, the idea is to install the pickups without rings. This is one of the things that I change from the original design. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 hi julian... very these photos! I saw you used that metal pieces to screw the neck (I don't know the name, here in brasil we call "bucha"). it's very goos, when you're making the guitar you have to set the neck many times to check millions of things, and put it off all the time (mainly if you are unexperienced). I was afraid of overscrewing (this word exists?) my tele neck. i was advised to use one of these pieces, if there was any problem... but there was no problem =] have you decided the finishing you'll make? I hope you're thinking in let the wood appear, because that jacarand strip is so beautiful... well, buen trabajo a ti amigo (y perdona si no escribo bien ni el ingles ni el espanol...) I prefer screws for metal and not for wood because my Gibson S1 uses them and think that are more reliable, specially for an unexperienced guy like me. And choose allen ones because they are very easy to obtain near my home and looks good too. About the finish you are right, I prefer to see the wood. Don´t worry about your english or spanish. My english is near to poor and my portuguese don´t exist ! Are you during carnival period ? How are the garotas ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 there is a newer version with a less pointy headstock and none of the cool retro vibe from the bridge and pickups like the originals. also has a cutaway which ruins the shape completely, almost shortens and fattens it.. but it is practical i very nearly shelled out for a bass version of the old design in 1996 because it was the cheapest thing in the local shop but i think i splashed out on a teisco instead anyway, always been rather fond of the design and its good to see one being built that promises to be a little more practical whilst still retaining the sleekness of the design... i like it!! Wez, do you know which were the first to appear ? The Riverhead Unicorn or the Flyte ? Only to know... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted January 31, 2008 Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 i guess the burns came first... it was an original design based on the very new and spaceage concorde.... 1969 (aeroplane) and 1974 (guitar) i think. I reckon the riverheads are from the mid 80's... i actually have the bridge system from a riverhead bass up in my workshop, might be time to break it out and do a bass version Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andronico Posted January 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 31, 2008 i actually have the bridge system from a riverhead bass up in my workshop, might be time to break it out and do a bass version Great ! If you need measurements, remember that Hande is a very friendly guy and he has an Unicorn bass too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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