curtisa Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Haven't thought that far ahead yet. The abrasive cord also crossed my mind, but then the price of it skidded up alongside it. On Wonky Frets 1 I just used the needle files and left it unfinished, and it hasn't been an issue, but I guess I could try a little harder this time around. Any alternative ideas? Maybe a piece of 400 grit wet and dry wrapped around the edge of a credit card? At the very least I should add a dab of black enamel paint to the notches to hide the exposed brass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 That guitar looks fantastic... the only thing I don't like is that pickups are not fanned. Besides that, it reminds me to a Daemoness: top notch work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 In that case I'd say a small cheap diamond needle file. I got a set of those years back for a few pounds and I'm still using them here and there. There's a very tall triangular profile which would work out really well for knocking back any sharp corners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Maybe even a bit of string soaked in coarse polishing compound? A cheap alternative to the real thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
komodo Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Hosco makes a set of 10 nut files. Not sure if they are intended for metals, but it should work. They're good quality Japanese tools. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 21, 2015 Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 Also quite expensive to potentially damage on saddles....a cheap set of welding tip cleaners are a better bet in that case. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted December 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 21, 2015 The brief search I did about the subject suggested that nut slotting files, the Mitchell abrasive cord or even tapping the seated string with a hammer were the most common methods. I'd imagine a jeweller's supply store would carry some kind of teeny diamond grit file that'd do the job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 22, 2015 Report Share Posted December 22, 2015 The hammer and strings method is valid. You have them to hand and you can either use clipped pieces or a sacrificial set. Both are cheaper than any of the other options. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sdshirtman Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Man this thing is gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Ta very muchly! I'm feeling nutty: The bleached bone nut looks a little too white and pristine against the vintage cream binding, so one drop of orange dye, four drops of yellow and a bit of roughing up with 600 grit wet & dry gets it looking a bit more like a 'ye olde nutte': As an aside, having strung this beastie up to get started on setting the action, intonation and slotting the nut, I have to say if anyone was previously put off by the Hi Fidelity-ness of EMG pickups should give their 57/66 combo a try. These are much more plump, rounded and straight-up rocky than their familiar 81/85 set that polarises so many people regarding active pickups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 I think a lot of the dissatisfaction surrounding active EMGs is a byproduct of what an active circuit does; reduce output impedance. Passive circuits have conditioned us to the mild treble rolloff from high impedance and cable capacitance. Bandying around the terms "sterile" or "cold" are misleading since passive pickups sound exactly the same when buffered by a basic uncoloured preamp; unloaded and unaffected by the circuit downstream of the pickups. I'm probably wrong since I don't obsess over these points (plenty of more important things to do this over) however the detractors often have little consistency in their arguments. The modern preamp designs EMG have employed seem to respond more like passive pickups and the sound blows old vague arguments out of the water, definitely. I am wondering how much heresy I would be committing by fitting something like say....a Bareknuckle....into an instrument with a unity gain 18v differential preamp? Will is roll off nicely like a passive with the volume control? Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Could be one for a 'Blasphemy' series of articles! I have a pair of Bareknuckle Aftermath 7s in my old Ibanez RG... Next month - a report into the tonal decadence of papier mâché. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 23, 2015 Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 Well, perhaps. I like to know the ground before I stomp my feet. I defer to old school players whose feel for the interaction between a pushed power section and a squishy responsive set of pickups sets the mark you know? Selective touch and judicious use of the volume control....which is a big part of the passive thing.... I use the example of BK simply as a bullshit-free (as far as I am aware of course) pickup maker who knows the ground and makes pickups to a high standard, not a low price. My curiosity is simply whether pickups with character are emasculated by their inclusion in a low impedance circuit (potentially divorcing it from "organic" interaction with the amp) or whether that circuit needs to have some sort of compensation to give it the same lameness as a passive circuit. There. I said it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted December 23, 2015 Author Report Share Posted December 23, 2015 2 hours ago, Prostheta said: ...passive... 2 hours ago, Prostheta said: ...pickups... 2 hours ago, Prostheta said: ...lame... This is how rumours get started... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted December 24, 2015 Report Share Posted December 24, 2015 Argh!! Thing is, that's not my opinion of them either. Goddamnit. I think both have their great points, however I am unsure whether it is possible to have a noiseless cake and eat it whilst rolling the volume back to keep it squishy. Or something. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
djobson101 Posted December 26, 2015 Report Share Posted December 26, 2015 This pair of guitars is looking outrageous. Very nice to peruse through this thread and watch them coming to life! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted December 30, 2015 Report Share Posted December 30, 2015 On 12/24/2015 at 0:38 AM, Prostheta said: Goddamnit. I think both have their great points It is probably best that they do sound different......or there would not be much point to being different. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 A (fiddly to make) alternative to a plain vanilla truss rod cover. A teeny rare earth magnet sunk into the bottom of the trussrod access and an M2.5 screw in the bottom of a wooden plug. Pressing the forward edge of the plug releases the magnet and allows access to the truss rod: One of these days I'll finish these builds. No wonder the last few bits always take the longest... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Ooh - that's cool! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted January 13, 2016 Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 That's brilliant! So that's your plan huh? Knock the big stuff out and then let them sit around for a few months while you think all these cool little details? SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted January 13, 2016 Author Report Share Posted January 13, 2016 I can't help it. I'm easily distracted by...Oooo look, a shiny thing... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 Sometimes that's a good thing. I like to consider the larger issues whilst working on small seemingly-insignificant jobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 wow cool build(s) and I love the truss rod cover idea! I'd be interested in the solution to the ABM saddle problem, I bought their single bridges for a multiscale project I have planned, but didn't notice that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted January 14, 2016 Report Share Posted January 14, 2016 For the sake of an entire new guitar, it's not too difficult to sacrifice a set of stainless steel strings. Pop em on, space the strings using some correctly-thicknessed shims and give the string a pop over the saddle using a plastic-faced fret hammer. That should be enough. I mean, the saddles are brass aren't they? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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