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Pariahrob's build log


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Well that was less stressful than expected!

Neck is on, body done, stained and oiled. Hardware is going on!

The colour I'm calling jack&coke. It's made from mixes of brown, amber and cherry stains. Applied with cloth. 

Next up wiring! Here it is in its future home. 

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rum and coke is very fitting name for that color. Great job. I am glad you mentioned final set up wasn't done as I thought at first you had this set up for slide with that first pic- (the low E action is a little high ;)).

I am looking forward to the next build- I have been on the hunt for "just the right piece" of spalted maple myself- just haven't wanted to pay the prices I have found (yikes)

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Lol. Yeah. Action was definitely very high. All sorted now though, along the intonation etc.

It's always hard finding the balance between cost and value. I often struggle with wanting lots of figure but knowing it'll sound as good without. I usually succumb though and live with the added expense. 

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So true SR. I use jazz 3s mostly and they tend to go into camp mode a lot. Must get some neon!

 

Right then. So the next build is underway. This time it's a superstrat with the following spec:

Tulipwood and spalted maple body. 

Maple/wenge/maple neck. 

10 degree reverse headstock with ebony veneer  

Ziricote fingerboard with jumbo frets. 25.5" scale  

Black hardware. 

Hipshot string through bridge. 

Locking tuners and graphite nut. 

Single volume. 

Bill Lawrence 500xl pickup. 

 

Thats the overview view and work is well underway. Body is mostly roughed out with a big tummy cut and a shallow forearm contour. Needs some tidying but getting there. Love the maple top. Looks kind of skull like to me. 

 

I jave questions. I can't decide it it should be a set neck or bolt on. Thoughts?

also somebody suggested it would suit a monkey grip like the Jems have. 

I love wenge but wow does it hate tools. It's really easy to work but dulls an edge the moment it sees it!

IMG_3310.JPG

IMG_3324.JPG

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I don't know about spalted wood, however shellac still tends to be more of a surface finish than a penetrative one on "normal" woods. I would imagine it would form more of a shell (no wordplay intended) than a true infusion which low surface tension stabilisers do. How thick was the wood that your friend treated? If it were back/sides then that's more the sort of thickness that might be possible. Not a solid top.

In general though, it's only the softer whiter bleached areas that are the most problematic. You do have a lot on there by all account, and the zoning might indicate some unstable punky areas nearer to the arm contours and edges.

If it's not too late or impractical for you to do so, I would urge second consideration on getting some water-thin CA or other proprietary wood hardener. I've never heard of shellac being used in this context, and my experience with it indicates that it might be less than ideal. Any ideas on the sort of shellac cut your friend was using? Lighter cuts might feasibly be more penetrative, with it being more alcohol as opposed to solids. I'll be interested to see how this develops.

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Thanks for the thoughts guys. It was a spirit based application which was very thin. I have piecebif scrap that he tested and that now feels very solid. 

Mum more than happy to apply some ca if it's needed but I think he was right. All feels super stable but I'm yet to route any cavities. That will be the telltale moment. 

Fingers crossed!

 

ps. I'm still undecided about the monkey grip. Argh!

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I decided to continue testing on offcuts from my top blank. The thinned shellac seems to have penetrated a fair way but after routing a test pickup cavity ibthink it could do with the ca too. Routers aren't kind and the added stability can only be good. 

 

Lesson on learned. I think the shellac method would work perfectly for drop tops but this is way thicker. 

 

Onwards!

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So I applied some very thin ca, based on tests on offcuts and I think that's a better solution. 

Alm good now and the body is ready, other than some small refinements. 

Started marking out hardware but question for you all. 

I was going to go for a single bl500xl in the bridge position but I have a lovely p90 that I'm debating for the neck. Still not sure which way to go. 

Thoughts?

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4 hours ago, Pariahrob said:

I was going to go for a single bl500xl in the bridge position but I have a lovely p90 that I'm debating for the neck. Still not sure which way to go. 

Thoughts?

A P-90 in the neck is pretty much my favorite guitar tone.

SR

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