KnightroExpress Posted June 22, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 22, 2017 On to the neck set and heel blend process: This guitar is down to the final sanding stages, so I'll hop back on this next week once the Exploder has been shipped to its new home. I've got one more to add , but for now, thanks for looking! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 This one was quick... how long is the entire process? The Exploder is probably the coolest redesign I've seen ever... congratulations. There's something I'm wondering lately... what's the purpose of a multiscale? Sorry for stupid question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdogg Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 What are your thoughts on guitars made entirely of Padauk? Crimson says it's very similar to Mahogany but Warmoth says it's very similar to Maple... those are 2 exact opposite ends of the spectrum... so somebody's lying here... LOL... I suppose this question is only really relevant if you buy into the whole wood affects tone by any measurable amount argument.... which I'm not even sure I buy in on.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 @psikoT Thank you! I've never been an Explorer guy, but I'm actually really happy with the Exploder. The padauk Pulsar took about 2 weeks to get to this point, on hold 'til I ship the Exploder. @Prostheta- thanks for posting that! @Jdogg- I don't really buy into the 'tonewood' thing for electric guitars. It's not that don't I think there's some sort of effect from using different woods, but between your pickups and the rest of your signal chain (with who knows how many reconfigurable parameters), you've got endless options to dial out things you don't like or punch up things you do. However, I do look for woods with strength, stability, and the ability to resonate in a musical fashion. Padauk is ridiculously resonant, you can knock on it and get a very clear and loud 'bonggg' (technical term) that carries for a long time. For me that translates to a guitar that'll feel lively in your hands, which is a key part of feeling connected to the instrument. To compare padauk to other woods, it's harder than maple and similarly stiff, but cuts smoothly and fairly easily. Working with it is quite nice, aside from the buckets of neon orange dust. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jdogg Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Thanks for your thoughts on the Padauk / tonewood. I used it for a neck on my 2nd build and found it to be everything you've mentioned above and intensely stable to boot. the color however is my favorite part.... even after it oxidizes.... love it.... ah, danmit... now I wanna do another Padauk build.... I blame you! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 "Similar to Mahogany". Okay. Well it's not the stupidest thing he's said. I have to play both sides of the fence on the tonewood thing. Firstly, I don't think there is such a thing. It falsely inflates certain woods with a nebulous reputation which is rarely realisable on a non-acoustic instrument. On the other hand, some woods affect the instrument and how the strings strapped over them vibrate. It's a system even if you're using magnetic pickups. A rubber neck would sound different to a steel neck. Wood is just a narrow band of characteristics in between those two. 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 23, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 3 hours ago, Prostheta said: On the other hand, some woods affect the instrument and how the strings strapped over them vibrate Exactly! I'm sure we've all picked up a guitar that feels dead in your hands, it's not the experience I want when (poorly) playing music. My aim is to maximize the opportunity for connection and promote some sort of emotional synergy between player and instrument. Bonus points if it looks good too! ....I'm taking art and business classes concurrently, can you tell? 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 23, 2017 Report Share Posted June 23, 2017 Synergy. Please remove that word from all future conversations. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Haha, that one was just for the obnoxious factor. So, on to the last thing. I've had some requests for a somewhat normal superstrat, so I'll give it a whirl. Black limba body blank and ziricote top: Wenge and maple neck blank: Routing the body core to shape: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 So now I've gotta get the top on there. This ziricote is fairly thin and I want to make sure the centerline stays where it should, so I'm making a new top clamping rig for this guitar. Enter a melamine cabinet door (thanks grandpa): The 1/4" holes are in the middle of the pickup routs and match corresponding holes I've drilled in the body core and top. I'll use short sections of steel rod as pins to keep everything aligned. Now I make a sandwich- bottom caul, body core, top, top caul. Easy! Simply add glue, clamp, wait, and presto! Nice clean joint all around. Some glamour shots of the body and chosen fretboard: 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Back to the neck! Rough cut the scarf joint and run it through the compound scarf-o-matic: Temporary clamp, drill alignment pins, real clamp with glue: Unclamp, de-pin, adhere face veneer, do a bit of routing and drilling: 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post KnightroExpress Posted June 24, 2017 Author Popular Post Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Aaaand back to the body Pickups and neck pocket routed: 1/4" radius for the back: Binding channel (forgot to take pics during the actual binding process): Once binding is done, break out the medieval rasp and companion scrapers: Ok, this one is fully caught up now, minus a few photographically uninteresting stages of sanding. The fretboard was sent off to be blind slotted via CNC, I should have it in hand by the middle of this coming week. Thanks for taking a look! 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 24, 2017 Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 yup. it takes me 6-8 months to get to this stage normally. lol and here you have the whole process in a nutshell. plus the current "hip" woods - black limba body, b&w ebony fingerboard, ziricote top ... I wanted to make myself a dark top-light body + light fingerboard-dark neck guitar - and here it is. plus multiscale this really is a "tick-all-the-boxes" instrument so these hipshot bridges are a custom order from them? I didn't see them on their website last time I checked .. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 24, 2017 Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 Hipshot are in the process of revamping their website and online storefront. They simply do not want to add in more information and products to the existing site, when it will become redundant work very soon. I understand that they want to pour focus into the new site. If you need anything specific, let me know. The multiscale bridges are available in 11°, 18°, 21° and 26° saddle angles, 6-7-8 string versions in chrome, gold and black. I have black and a chrome 11° 6ers on the way for the channel builds. Since deriving a multiscale design from the bridge angle upwards is a slightly different method to other way of designing an instrument, I intend on doing a live streamed CAD session on YouTube. It'll be scheduled on agreement with Patrons in terms of time and date so the most of us are available to chat during the session itself. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 24, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2017 We're done here. Exploder MS8 26.5-28" multiscale 8 string Figured black limba body Katalox neck with carbon reinforcement Ebony fretboard with super jumbo stainless wire Instrumental Electromagnetics SFTY3-8 pickup set Hipshot hardware, nickel plated Odie's Oil finish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 25, 2017 Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 Exceptional as always, Andrew. Clean, controlled and 100% done by the numbers. Failure just isn't an option when you do things this well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted June 25, 2017 Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 No words... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pan_kara Posted June 25, 2017 Report Share Posted June 25, 2017 On 6/24/2017 at 10:13 AM, Prostheta said: Hipshot are in the process of revamping their website and online storefront. They simply do not want to add in more information and products to the existing site, when it will become redundant work very soon. I understand that they want to pour focus into the new site. If you need anything specific, let me know. The multiscale bridges are available in 11°, 18°, 21° and 26° saddle angles, 6-7-8 string versions in chrome, gold and black. I have black and a chrome 11° 6ers on the way for the channel builds. Since deriving a multiscale design from the bridge angle upwards is a slightly different method to other way of designing an instrument, I intend on doing a live streamed CAD session on YouTube. It'll be scheduled on agreement with Patrons in terms of time and date so the most of us are available to chat during the session itself. thanks for the info. I might need one of these (or more ) but I'm not sure whether my next batch of builds will feature a multiscale, we'll see. Right now I have to finish the current four builds so realistically speaking in Fall I might be planning out the next series. (I mean of course I have 7 or so other builds laid out, some already have hardware purchased already.. ) 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted June 26, 2017 Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 That exploder is a beast. My "not your momma's strat" build used a black limba body and a ziricote top like that. It makes a fine looking guitar. The jury is still out for me on that fretboard. It is either going to be cool as hell .... or really busy. I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts on how it sounds, when you get to that stage (next week at this pace). Brett and I had similar thoughts on ziricote tops. SR 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 @Prostheta Ah, you're too kind, Carl! It means a lot, given that your work is the definition of 'clean and controlled' @psikoT Thank you! (hopefully haha) @pan_kara The Hipshot multi bridges are very nicely made, I'd love to see one featured in one of your builds! @ScottR Thanks Scott! The limba/ziricote guitar is going to be in a bunch of promo material for a fairly well-known band, so a bit of flash won't be unwelcome. I think it'll look good, but I can always cut up something more subtle if it ends up being clashy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eubie Posted June 26, 2017 Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 On 6/23/2017 at 8:55 PM, KnightroExpress said: You do beautiful work in general, and I really like where this guitar is going. I'm not sure how I feel about the "interrupted binding" that you've done here, and that I've seen on one or two other builds recently. Seems like it's hitting trend mode lately, and I'm not saying I don't like it... just not sure yet. One thought I had recently was that it might look interesting to put a layer of wood between your base and top that matches your binding (or bind with the same wood) - in this case, something light (maple?). Then when you do the forearm carve, have the binding blend in to the revealed stripe so that it looks like the binding runs around the perimeter of the body, and then through the forearm carve. I don't suspect that would be easy to execute, but in my head, it looks amazing! Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted June 26, 2017 Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 Well, if you weren't already aware of this @eubie Music Man use liquid binding that is injected into a CNC-routed channel in the blank. The body is then routed out from that, binding and all. It wouldn't be too impractical to do wicked crazy binding effects via this sort of method. Of course, it would be for Andrew since he doesn't use CNC (other than the laser). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eubie Posted June 26, 2017 Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 59 minutes ago, Prostheta said: liquid binding that is injected into a CNC-routed channel in the blank. That sounds really interesting - but gives me mixed vibes. I watched the factory tour video where they show/describe that process, and it looks a little too mass-produced-perfection for my taste. On the other hand, if you got creative with it, you might be able to do some really interesting things. Ugh - I just realized I don't like guitars that are built perfectly using technology and automation. At least it's because I'm old, and not because I'm a hipster. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightroExpress Posted June 26, 2017 Author Report Share Posted June 26, 2017 Finally went out and took pics of my other recent multi-8! Voyager MS8 26.5-28" multiscale 8 string Padauk body with wenge top Wenge neck with padauk accent lam Ebony fretboard, 20" radius Jescar 47095SS fretwire Bare Knuckle Nailbomb set with ceramic bridge 5-way rotary switch (bridge series, outer coils parallel, outer coils series, inner coils parallel, neck series) Hipshot hardware 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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