My Concept Guitar

[Ford]

So, I've literally been researching guitar building for a year, and feel like I have a decent grasp on things. Heres a pic of what I think I'll be doing.

Here's what I got in my head:

Maple Neck / Pao Fero Fret Board

Not 100% sure if I can do the inlays

Mohogany Body / Flamed Maple Top

Bold On Neck, with the tennon extending under the Neck PUP

String Through

24 Fret

Strat Pup in Neck, Some kind of HB in the Bridge, havent decided yet

5 way switch, volume knob. I'll use the controll plates, but I wont mount anything in them, I think they look cool

5 Way switch:

AB (humbucker) C (single coil)

1: C

2: B and C in parallel (strat-ish sound)

3: A and C in series (Brian May-ish sound? I dunno, its a stretch)

4: A (maybe AB with a cap in series a la DGB studio)

5: AB

I want to do a bevelaged edge like on a SG, but I'm not sure if that will work too good on the Jag body.

I'll stain it darker, and put that pinstripe coming off of the bridge, which is the only differance from the pic, I'll use one of those Hipshot hardtail bridges.

I'm still not sure if I want to build the neck and try fretting it, I've looked around though, and cant find anyone who sells necks though the way I want one.

Dunno, what do you all think?

[68 lost souls]

Sorry but when you say a bolt on neck extending through the neck pup cavity Im assuming you mean set neck because I dont quite understand the bolt on neck idea?

[Ford]

Picture a regular bolt on, regular bolt pattern, but with another inch or so of wood sticking out for the Neck PUP to sit on. Its nothing I have my heart set on. Whats it called, direct coupling I think?

[asm]

that looks pretty sharp. i like the body wood alot. i would go with a matchign headstock wood however to make the colors flow a little better. i like the inlay pattern, a good bit but not over done and complicated.

never seen a TOM setup on that body, looks pretty nice.

i think it might look better though if you took off the bottom right control section (with the 3 switches). and incorporated it somewhere else. i like how the control panels mesh in with the pickguard. NICE!

[camsna]

AHHH. An Ed Roman thing! Hehehehe. Direct coupling does sound good, but it could be tricky on a 1st guitar. It's not all Ed clamis it is. It sounds good on his guitars because he combines direct coupling with his 'set/through' neck. But shoot! If you feel confident that you can do it, do it! It could be way cool. The butt probably needs to be wider than the fretboard as the p'up gets mounted to it.

[jefm]

Well you probably could have the neck long enough then put it on and route it for the PU.....but I think bolt ons are too thin to accomodate the height....at least not with any bonuses for strength....a set neck would be better....a bolt on would be a pain to take off like that too....it'd have to be wider than the PU or you'd have to take the pu off.....actually you'd have to desolder the pickup for the former which is a pain as well....

anyway...a pain....

can't you direct couple it just by screwing them into the body??? why the neck???

[Ford]

Yeah, its easy to get carried away for the first guitar. I did read about the Direct Coupling on Ed Romans site, but I must admit, I was partially inspired by Brian Mays guitar, which used direct coupling as well. I was a little concerned about how difficult it could be to construct, but wouldnt it be as simple as making your template and neck a little longer?

Diagrams not to scale.

jefm,

You may be right, the bolt on may be too thin for this, in which case, yes, I would just bolt it to the body. I dont think I'd need to desolder anything... The idea behind bolting it to the neck is so that the pup is influenced more bye the vibrations in the neck's wood.

Its not so much that the mounting screws are planted in the neck wood, so much as the pickup itslef is pressed against the end of the tennon. The screws will be mounted in the body

Its not that I think it will have a giant effect on the tone, but rather, its a small step towards achiving something specific.

asm,

Thanks. Being a Fender Jaguar copy I'd just assume leave the controll plates where they are. The silly thing is that I'm not planning on putting any switches in those plates.

[Maiden69]

Here you go, this is te type of joint you want to do? It's being done a lot, you can get the high fret access without compromissing the structrure of the neck joint.

[G_urr_A]

What I'd do with the control plates is to remove the switches you don't need (unless you're buying the control plates premade, then just leave the switches there), and completely skip the lower right one, or move it into the lower right of the pickguard, so that it is a *part of* the pickguard (like the other metal plates), instead of being a separate piece *on* the pickguard.

About the soldering problem when mounting the neck pickup in a way that makes you remove it when removing the neck, just put some connectors on the cables. Like the connectors you'd find in a computer or something.

I like the design, and the wood choice. So now I'm just waiting for a pictorial of the building process.

[Ford]

Ok, so I was curious to see what that thing would look like with all given suggestions so far:

While I wasnt keen on dropping the plate in the lower right, I must admit, it does look a lot cleaner (and it would save me some money too!) I may go ahead and leave it off. I made the headstock match the body, and I'm pretty sure I dont like that as much. It wouldnt be too hard to get a veneer and stain it like the body, but I kind like the way it look ligher, especially on fender guitars. I also switched the 5 way switch out for a rotary switch, I think that looks cleaner too, but I'd still rather have the switch, I dunno...

Maiden69,

Yeah, that looks like what I was going for. I was debating an AANJ too, but that may be pushing my luck. Thank you for that link!

G_uu_ra,

For that neck pickup, couldnt I just leave enough slack in the wires from the pickup to the switch so that I can just pull it out of the way? I'm not 100% clear on why the pickup has to be completely detached from the body for me to be able to slide my neck out.

[Ford]

I dunno...

That matched headstock is growing on me... the more I look at it...

Tell you what, if this one goes well, and if I still leave near people who have tools ( ) I want to do a second Jaguar. A nice flamed Koa top on a semi hollow Mohagony body...

<Homer> mmmm... Koa on Mohagony.... </Homer>

[Maiden69]

Maiden69,

Yeah, that looks like what I was going for. I was debating an AANJ too, but that may be pushing my luck. Thank you for that link!

On that guitar in particular, I would go with the AANJ with ferrules, or I would do somenthing like I did on my Strat copy, I think that the way the neck sits on the body there is enough material to hold the neck without the PRS type joint.

Here is mine.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v195/Maiden69/DSC00861.jpg

I love this because my hands are small and it enables me to get to the higher frets with no problem.

If you will get the upper horn lower then a PRS type would be better. I see if I can pull a rendering in PS and let you see.

[Ford]

Maiden69,

Yeah, I have a Telecaster and the heel drives me nuts. That Jag body has less of a cout out, so I think I will go ahead and do the AANJ. After seeing your pic (nice BTW) I'm sure there will be enough wood there. Warmoth I know sells those reduced neckplates and I was planning on getting one regardless, but what other than access would be the benefet of going the ferrules rout? I've heard the neck plate adds a level of structual integrity.

[Maiden69]

Yeap, I planed on getting one of those too, but in the one you see and the other "limp" RR copy I'm working on, I cut the original one to fit. It feels great. You won't regret it.

[Thoughtless 7]

That looks pretty sweet.

What type of pick-ups are you putting in? If you've already said this, sorry for making you repeat yourself.

[Ford]

Thanks Thoughtless!

Actually I hadnt said yet. I was kinda hoping to get a few reccomendations. I know I want a good strat pickup for the neck, and a hot-yet-vintagey humbucker in the neck. I tend to use Seymore Duncan, however I'd like to see what other people might reccomend, you never know!

[Maiden69]

Ford, here you go, this guy just posted on the inprogress area, and this is the type of joint I was talking for yours, this is a link to his site SITE

[Curtis P]

For pickups, it depends on the music you listen to and play

I am using Seymour duncan 59's in my RR V

I got Washburn single coils in my washburn strat

I have kent armstrong's hums in my dad's lefty guitar

the lefty guitar really kicks for soft rock and blue grass stuff (thats what my dad used to play) my wasburn is an all around decent guitar, and the RR V that I built, well, its got no strings on it, so its a little hard to tell yet

Now, if you want metal sound, go with EMG's!! supposbly, they are a really really great sounding pickups

Curtis

[AlGeeEater]

Now, if you want metal sound, go with EMG's!! supposbly, they are a really really great sounding pickups

Thats totally true. I would go with them in the bridge and one of the EMG's strat replacments in the neck

www.emginc.com ...if ur intrested

[skibum5545]

EMG's are good for more than just metal, y'know! Dave Gilmour uses/d the SA set (see Comfortably Numb solo), and I've heard great things about the Tele set (just listen to the site's sound samples!) I really like their tone, although some find it kind of harsh and sterile.

[Ford]

Maiden69,

Ah! I see! You're talking about rounding out the heel with countersunk ferrulles. Do you think that will be more beneficial than an all out AANJ like this one? Thats what I was thinking.

Puckup commentators,

I play a lot of different stuff: blues, blues-rock, funk, modern rock, jazz. For the most part, I wanted this guitar to be my "rock guitar," so I wanted relatively hot pups, though, I still have those heavy funk/blues/jazz influences, so I want to still keep it relatively vintage and mid-sy.

Currently I'm thinking:

Neck : Seymour Duncan Alnico Pro II Strat Neck Pup

Bridge: Seymour Duncan Custom Custom Humbucker

Though there were a few other neck pup's I was looking too.

Thanks!

[Thoughtless 7]

I'm liking the bridge choice, but for the neck couldn't you fit a 59' or a Jazz? I can't remember if they come as a pick-up or just a humbucker...

[Ford]

The 59 comes in a single coil as well as a HB, the Jazz is a HB only. I listened to the samples on the Seymour Duncan website...

Compated to the Alnico II, the 59's clean sounds more "muffled," and its dirty has some harsh overtones that I didnt like.

The Jazz pickup, though a very nice suggestion of which I may use in another guitar, wasnt the sound I was looking for on this insturment.

Thanks though!

[Maiden69]

I like the AANJ but with the ferrules and rounded, just like the shape I did on my strat but withthe ferrules and rounded, I think that the blue top guitar on the GOTM thread got it like I like, letme check...here browse down to the neck pick, but Iwould have brought it down a bit like the AANJ.

[PerryL]

I'm gonna put a blade style pickup in the neck postion and have a mini toggle to throw if I wanna get that vintage single coil sound, then a Steve's Special at the bridge postion about 2 inches from the bridge to get that warm-ish sound that comes from that sweet spot right there. Mine is quite similar to yours:P and I've routed it universal so I can add any style pickups I want either now or in the future should I change me mind.