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MuffinPunch

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Posts posted by MuffinPunch

  1. It plays more like my Parker Fly than an RG. I haven't played it enough to know how it is long term (I just put it together last night).

    Here is what I know. It is the lightest 7 string I have ever played. Lighter than all my 6 strings except my 2 Parker fly deluxe. Probably weighs the same as my Gibson V.

    You can feel the strings vibrating against your body while you play. It feels very comfortable. It has a nice Piano like quality on the low B and E.

    I don't think I like the High E string being close to the edge either (it is not as close as it looks in the pictures). However keeping the neck light was important since the body is so thin. Moving forward I think for 7 and 8 string guitars I am going to go back to a 4+3 (4+4) design to get a better straight pull. The 7 on a side make the headstock look too long.

    Awesome build man! Really nice work. Its also nice to see how Pros like yourself go about correcting problems that pop up. Helps me feel, as a noob, that It wasnt necessarily my fault that something didnt go according to plan, and that everything is fixable. I also have to agree with the comments about the HS. I really like the shape, but having the high E hanging so close to the edge is a bit awkward. Another option would be to take the Parker rout with the HS on the bolt on Dragonfly. (though the high E still hangs off)

    ParkerHS.jpg

    That way you can retain the aesthetic while getting rid of awkwardness. Just an Idea.

  2. This was never meant to be sold. It is just a prototype. My bet is that it occurred because of a combination of the factors you all have mentioned. There was no sign of issues on the blank itself, aside from the obvious knots, prior to this. (Not that I would really know what to look for... :D ) Unfortunately I wasnt there to monitor The cutting process either. I submitted my digital file and my material with explicit instructions in case I wasn't, by I didnt foresee something like this. I think Ill go with the medium CA approach. I hate sanding epoxy!

  3. Got the body cut today. I didnt realize Alder was so temperamental under the mill... Or maybe I just got a bad piece.

    100_5170.jpg

    100_5172.jpg

    100_5173.jpg

    I had some serious splitting occur at the butt end of the body. I was so careful to make sure the cutter avoided all the gnarly knots in the wood, but there was no way of knowing this was hiding in there. Is this something that can be corrected with grain filler, or will it require more work than that? The body will be painted opaque, so Im not worried about it showing through the finish or anything. Just want to get it smooth as glass before I cast it in the mould.

  4. There was another guy building one of these about this time last year but the thread kind of died.

    On the xiphos i built (the green one of first page) I roughed it using a flap disc on an angle grinder and the sanded..On my V before that, I used a rasp for all of it. Rasp is better in my opinion

    I guess It was you I was talking about KP. :D You gotta finish up that thread man! Evidently you have the progress pics, at least show us the final result! What did you end up using for the bridge?

  5. Hahah. Those aren't my puppies. They are pretty sweet though.

    I'm in Charles County in Southern Maryland. I'm only 17 though, so I probably won't go to that convention. Maybe one day, man.

    I love xiphoses (xiphes? xiphi?) too Muffin. I also loved your tabar zin guitar. When is that getting started up again? It was one of the first builds I saw on this site.

    Thanks, Tabar kind of lost momentum when all of my image links got broken. All I really have to do with is attach the fret board, fret it, and finish it. Its been sitting in my office collecting dust for a couple of months now. Soon as I get some extra time ill jump on it. Ill probably end up starting a new thread for it when I do. I've been focusing on the seven string projects lately since im getting college credit for building those.

  6. Looking good! You may have already gone over this somewhere in the thread, but your neck heels are quite a bit deeper than a traditional tele, aren't they? Im getting ready to start shaping my Strat necks (oops, San Dimas necks) and from what Ive understood, the heel depth is pretty close to the same thickness of the neck with a slight taper up to the head, about 3/4". Nothing wrong with doing it differently, just wanna make sure Im understanding it correctly. Aren't Strat and Tele necks pretty similar in shape?

  7. The EMG quick connects are RC servo connectors. Check Tower Hobbies.

    Thanks for that. It would seem that easy, but the passive pickups require a 5 pin connector, which I was unable to find on the Tower Hobbies site. Fortunately I found the EMG wires themselves at donsmusiccity.com for about what I would be paying for the RC servo connectors. They also sell prewired EMG pot sets for about 10 bucks, so Im pretty well covered.

  8. So, Im building two custom 7 string guitars simultaneously and I came across some passive EMG 7s for dirt cheap ($100 for 2 sets brand new). They were surplus from a local luthier shop but unfortunately he had purchased them all in bulk and none of the wiring was included. I understand that the general wiring will be done like any other passive pickup, but the pickups themselves are connected to the rest of the electronics via 5 pin quick-connect plugs at the bottom of each pup, which is what I am missing. Does anyone know where I can get this wire from, or how I could construct this wire myself using off the shelf components from an electronics store? The second option would be ideal as I will have to create an "extension chord" from the pickup wires to the control cavity also. Im no electronics geek and to be honest, this will be my first guitar wiring experience (though I do have some experience soldering wires in pedals and circuit boards, etc.) EMG sell their wiring kits for $40 a pop, but these are specifically for active pups and use all that new fancy "solderless" BS. Any help here is greatly appreciated.

  9. Looks like nobody wants to keep helping me through this....

    You guys probably just don't want to waste time on a thread that looks like it's going nowhere. I understand.

    Well I did some research and it looks like I'm going with the urethane. And I've scrapped the white idea, I'm just going to go for a stain with a black burst.

    I'm going to try and post a rough drawing of the design tomorrow.

    I still have a bunch of questions that need some answers. If someone out there would like to give me some advice it would be greatly appreciated.

    I just want to be 100% sure that all is going to go smoothly.

    Relax man... Your last post was barely 4 hours before this one. Not everyone here sits in front of their computer 24 hours a day. I honestly dont know the answer to your question or Id be happy to help you out. Like in all things, patience is a virtue in guitar building, especially finishing, if you want the advice of these fine people you're going to have to wait a little bit. Otherwise, do it the way you want and pray it comes out well in the end. On top of that, it may pay off to actually start building the guitar before you make decisions regarding the finish. Seeing your guitar in physical form could change your plans very quickly. Good luck!

  10. Yeah, this got sat in the sidelines for ages for several reasons. I wasn't happy with the original colour coat from contamination and small dings I hadn't previously noticed showing in the white. On top of that - after reshooting colour - the clear I chose was completely inadequate. Strip, sand, refill, reshoot colour and clear properly.

    I chose a laser printer waterslide decal for the headstock of an "ESP-derived" design. Enough of a nod in the right direction given the instruments ESP design heritage, and enough to show that it isn't actually an ESP ;-)

    exp10.jpg

    The low resolution of this image doesn't show the deliberate halftone patterning in the background as well as it truly is however!

    Love the graphic. Im looking to do a similar HS graphic for my Maiden USA Jackson copies, but Im having trouble deciding how to go about it. I thought doing the "Jackson" waterslide graphic as an abalone inlay would distinguish it enough, but now Im not sure... I guess well see. Great work on this one man!

  11. I LOVE that Red V on your project boards for your school, I think it's a really unique take on it. :D

    -Stormy

    Thanks, at some point I would like to make one like that. Ive never been a big fan of playing Vs, they just feel a bit awkward to me. For some reason all of my guitar design come out very goth... Im not at all gothic, but I guess im just drawn to that aesthetic.

  12. Muffinpunch, your mockups are amazing....

    And like Prostheta said, some acrylic guitars are really let down because no effort is made to hide all the electronics etc. which ruins the 'clean' look of the acylic.

    Maybe if the guitar wasn't 100% see-through acrylic it would be easier to hide everything, or maybe you could turn the electronics into a show piece somehow but now I'm just thinking out loud...

    Thanks. I agree with both of you. Im hoping the graphic engraving will draw some of the focus away from the innards. I also plan to "frost" the engraving and inside of the control cavity if not the entire back of the guitar.

    I hope to get all my wood laminated up this week, so Ill have the body blank ready for the CNC by next weekend, and I can start shaping the neck(s) by hand.

  13. Spent some time today on the CAD file. I decided to go with a 1 1/4" deep core and a 1/2" back to the body. Even though the body wont be bearing any of the load from the string tension, 1/4" was just too skinny. This way Ill at least have enough space to countersink the bolts in the back.

    FIrst in clear

    HCbodyclr.jpg

    Then in black

    HCbodyblk.jpg

    I didnt model the graphic into the model because Im going to "etch" that part out with the sandblaster. These were done in SolidWorks. My first time using the software, bit of a learning curve for me, but these will suffice. Itll be trickier building the core... Should have this on the mill by next week hopefully!!!

  14. Im about to begin construction on 4 guitars, and I need help with the fingerboards. Two of these boards are for a school project, so obviously I dont have a huge budget. I would just get them from StewMac, but unfortunately they dont sell them in the width I need. Im looking for 2 boards,one ebony one rock maple, slotted for 24 frets with a 25.5" scale, 7 string width with 16" radii. I also need 2 boards, again one ebony, one rock maple, slotted for 22 frets with a 25.5" scale, 6 string width with 12"-16" compound radii. StewMac does sell these, but I figure their prices are slightly inflated due to overhead costs or whatnot. I was hoping to find the Ebony boards for about $35 each and the maple ones for close to $15 if possible. Please PM me if you can help me out. Thanks!

  15. If your looking for a Fret-board I would suggest posting in the Buy section of the forum, You could probably get one for your 7-String as well.

    -Stormy

    Ive inquired of some of the guys on here who make custom fretboards, but the prices seem to be a little steep for me unfortunately. StewMac sells Maple ones with a compound radius for $16, and Ebony ones for $45. Seems like a pretty good deal compared to what custom ones go for.

  16. I got the wood for this and my San Dimas project finally!

    The lumber pile

    100_5129.jpg

    Alder body plank

    100_5130.jpg

    walnut and maple neck lams

    100_5134.jpg

    I decided to go with a 7 piece laminated core 1.5" deep (thick) to go with my 7 string configuration. I also think I will make them both a 26.5" scale rather than the 25.5" I originally had chosen. Im debating whether or not its would be necessary to add carbon neck reinforcements due to the added tension of the extra string and longer scale. Any insight? Things should really start progressing very quickly now. I ordered the rest of my shaping tools, truss rods, nuts, and fret wire today. I dont really have time to slot my own fretboards unfortunately so Im in the market for one maple, one ebony 7 string 26.5" scale fetboards if any of you know where I can get them done for a reasonable price. I know there are guys on here that make a living that way, so hopefully someone can step up to the plate and help me out here! More pics to come!

  17. Finally bought the wood for this and my seven string project.

    Raw lumber from the yard including the stuff for my other project.

    100_5129.jpg

    The alder plank.

    100_5130.jpg

    The maple neck blanks

    100_5135.jpg

    the alder is a bit knotty, but I should be able to work around those spots fairly easily. Things will progress very quickly at first, but I dont think ill be finishing this for a while after I get the basics done. I also bought my shaping tools, fret wire and truss rods. Im looking into the fretboards. Im going use a compound radius, but Im not really up to trying to tackle that on my own so Ill probably end up ordering them from StewMac and adding the inlay dots myself.

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