rick_here Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 I just bought a Les Paul style body from eBay....a "luthier's mistake" (for 20 bucks). Though I already have most of the parts & plans for a Tele-Copy going; and have only "made" a Carvin-Bolt-On Strat Copy (before): Tell me what you Think about my latest brainstorm. The "hitch" (on this ebay LP body) is that the Pup-Routes were slighly off-center. Slightly-enuf to be Major.... So. This body will accept Strat-style necks, though I was unsure (uninformed) of the Scale-Length and other technicalities. However, I have a couple Spare-Necks here and am considering just using this LP-Body, setting-things-up to Fender (25 & a half inch) Specs. In fact, I may use a Tele-Humbucking-Bridge and route it for a Tele-Control-Plate!!! (No control-routings have been done). The pups may well be: a matched-set of Kent Armstrong "P-90's" (single coils/ humbucking size)...that I have sitting around here, resonating nothing. I dunno. Whatta ya think? rick ><> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 8, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 (edited) PS- I realize that this might be: a "Huh????" OK The luthier's errors weren't so "off" that a custom-made p/guard (or pup-rings) wouldn't Compensate-For. So you can see that this is (truly) an Experimental-Build, so to speak. For $20, I can't go wrong. (it's "bonfire" season).... Edited October 10, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PerryL Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 Hey Rick, Sounds like you got a great deal and sounds ripe for a total custom job, looking nothing like anything out there though. I love modifying something I messed up and making it look better that originally planned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 I think you have a chance here to make a nice guitar. LP-tele-strat. ;-) Have you thought of filling the pickup cavities, and rerouting them again (would work if you're going for a solid color on top) Here is great article about the 22 fret vs 24 fret discussion. http://www.edromanguitars.com/tech/22vs24.htm It's all you wanna get out of your guitar. Do you wanna built a Les Paul copy, or do you tweek the design a little. Les Paul eventually broke up with Gibson cause he thought there weren't innovative enough. Enough reasons to improve a les Paul. Go for it. For $20 there is nothing lost. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spirit Posted October 8, 2004 Report Share Posted October 8, 2004 I prefer 24 frets, for a lot of reason, the most important being, the rhythm pickup has to be installed off axis where the 24th fret would normally fall. On a 22 fret neck the pickup sits directly over the 24th fret harmonic node. Simply explained a node is a dead spot or a massive phase cancellation. These nodes occur on the 7th fret, 12th fret, 19th fret and 24th fret. If you place a pickup directly on a node the midrange frequencies will cancel themselves out. Make sure you avoid a guitar that the node falls on the pickup. Unless of course you want a muddy distorted rhythm sound like you would normally experience with a Les Paul or any Les Paul type guitar. Most intelligent people will agree on the fact that a Les Paul has a nice meaty lead tone but chords sound like dung. Taken from the linked article. Unless I'm very much mistaken, harmonics change as soon as you stop playing open strings, and so the "problem" dissappears one you fret a note. And as for the "muddy distorted rhythm sound", it seems that our Ed is using the neck pickup for his chords. Silly boy. In my opinion, I wouldn't say that the linked article was a good "22 vs 24" discussion, just another Ed Roman rant about how everyone is crap, except his guitars i.e. advertising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 (edited) What ever guitar forum you go to; jemsite, lespaulforum....almost everybody *HATES* good old Ed Roman. Funny thing is, that the more I learn about guitars and how they work, the more I realize.....that the stuff I've read on Ed's site seriously cuts wood. And of course he is plugging his own guitars, but it's easy to see through that... Most guitar companies are very conservative, you won't see Gibson come out with 25,5 scale Les Paul. Funny thing is....they have made 'm. As custom test versions. I have read posts of people seeing and playing them, and loving them. Same with Korina bodied LPs. They are a very limited few out there, and originally they had planned them. Unfortunately the shipment of Korina didn't arrive, or importer of wood had some trouble with getting things organized, so Gibson went ahead with Mahogany LP. The great thing with building your own copy is that you're no longer bound to the marketing departments of Gibson, Ibanez, Fender, etc.......you're only bound the limits of your imagination. From my JS-7 built I still have slap of Korina left. And that slap just screams LP to me. Up till now I never considered a LP. I just didn't like the neck.....to thick for me...but then your mind goes wondering......hmmmm Korina body......Ibanez style neck.......hmmmmm.......korina body with korina top, or maple top, or mahogany top.....hmmm......what would work better??? Mahogany neck, or maple neck.....or even Korina neck.....Definitely Ibanez style neck shape......24 frets, 25.5" scale.....and headsape??...RG, SC, or just regular LP???? The Gibson Custom department would laugh at me when proposing stuff like this (or ask me to hand over some serious ca$h and keep it quiet.) Isn't that the great thing of building guitars, you can make this wild ideas reality. And if everything just turns sour.......you can always burn the guitar....in the fire place, open a bottle of wine......and enjoy the flames. ;-) Edited October 9, 2004 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Uncle Os Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 Oy! A reference to Ed Roman. :roll: I think it's a great idea! Go for it! But, uh... I wouldn't take any information from Ed with anything more than a grain of salt. MLAR, Cor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 9, 2004 Report Share Posted October 9, 2004 Isn't that the great thing of building guitars, you can make this wild ideas reality. And if everything just turns sour.......you can always burn the guitar....in the fire place, open a bottle of wine......and enjoy the flames. ;-) Amen to that! If you want a spectacular if your ever going to burn your guitar, saturate the wood in gasoline before finishing it.. BOOM! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 ...."Lest-O-Pauler" pic: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 and the neck I just got (ordered): So what I have thus far is: --a Basswood LP-style body that's off-center-routed ($20) --an LP-scaled neck (24 & 3/4")...in "near mint condition" ($75) Thus, the problem of scale-length is solved. Or no need to "scale-it" for Fender or to have to use a Fender neck. And, yes, I would/will fill the pup-routes (if necessary). And the Trem-Route---it's gonna get filled (regardless). Q: How should I plug it? With one huge formed plug? Or (certainly not)...with some kind of putty/wood filler? (I don't think so).... As far as the Oblonged-End goes (down where the controls will be) I could shape it to have a Mustang-ish "oblong", no? [No offense to any "purists", mind you], rick ><> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 PS If I understood the seller's description---and have "eyeballed" the body pic right---the neck (heel), pup-routes and trem-route are "in line" with one another. They're just off-center to the body itself. Of course, this is less than ideal. I'm assuming that if I install the bridge & pups "square"...that I shouldn't have any negligable problems. As far as pup-rings go; I can easily make some (believe it or not) using: "wall-mount plates" which are normally used for an electrical outlet. Using this option, I can make em metal, plastic or wood and size them accordingly. An untried "mod", mind you.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 (edited) And as things go...I just "won" this for $38.05 on eBay (including shipping): (It's alder/ 1 & 3/4 thick, currently at 8 lbs.) So we're talkin' a regular ol' Les Paul Copy now, I reckon. But with this body...I could experiment. ('Have an extra Strat-type tremolo & that Tele-neck). Hmmmm....for some reason I don't wanna make anything "exactly like" what anyone else has. And since this stuff's been so inexpensive, I dunno...it's ("dream on").... Edited October 10, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 10, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 10, 2004 (edited) RGGR- Have you thought of filling the pickup cavities, and rerouting them again (would work if you're going for a solid color on top) Um, yeah. That is/would be on the Basswood one. But just from the pic I think you can see what I "have." I imagine I'll have to actually get & *spec* it to see what can be done. If the neck pocket is perfectly aligned to the pup-routes I'll leave it that way (I guess? What do you think?). And may need to sand/trim down the lower left part of the body to make it "symetrical." Yep. I'm going solid-color. Prolly with Dupli-Color (color undecided) and with Dupi-Color (automotive) Clear Coat. I'm really new at all this, except in "theory" and reading lots. Anywayz.....(any other feedback/ ideas)? Edited October 10, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shakyhands Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Les - O - Caster......sounds like a spam out fishing ! Sorry, the devil made me say that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Q: How should I plug it? With one huge formed plug? Or (certainly not)...with some kind of putty/wood filler? (I don't think so).... So check the thread othe guy building the Van Halen Kramer. He used some kinda epoxy to fill one of the pick-up routes. See you bought other LP type body on evil-bay, and was talking about putting a Strat style bridge in??? Isn't this how the other body is routed to begin with???????? And if I ever screw-up a body, I know whom I'm gonna off-load it to. ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 shakyhands- Les - O - Caster......sounds like a spam out fishing ! Ummmkay..... Sorry, the devil made me say that. Do you really think he's that creative? In any any event; these various & sundry guitar parts could wind up being a Thing called (something like) a: "TeLesT-O-Paula-Caster"....(go figure). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 (edited) RGGR- So check the thread othe guy building the Van Halen Kramer. He used some kinda epoxy to fill one of the pick-up routes. Thanx, I've *noted* that. I bet that epoxy stuff they use to put on "bar tops" (used to be called "Envirotex") would work. I made a (wall) plaque with that stuff in 1974 and it's still hard as nails. Just one coat too; it's really thick & dries that way....Hmmmm. See you bought other LP type body on evil-bay, and was talking about putting a Strat style bridge in??? Isn't this how the other body is routed to begin with? Yeah, the other body has the trem-route just as you see it. Iow, the back doesn't have the route for the springs & claw. So I'm just brainstorming about possibilities. I'm still a tad cautious about how the routing goes "against the body grain." And if I should install a trem...if it would have any effect on basically "anything." (How come I'll prolly just plug it & go hard tail). For some reason it just seems like the right thing to do. I'd still kinda like to put a Tele plate in it thoh. The newer/ not-routed body will prolly be (more or less) an LP Copy; rear-routed, 2 vols. & 2 tones. I'm just in a "dreaming" stage, I guess (???). 3 single coils?, Strat-ish pickguard?, 4-way switch (& that spare trem???). Decisions, decisions..... And if I ever screw-up a body, I know whom I'm gonna off-load it to. Guitar Wall Clocks/ my next hobby. Thanx, folks. Edited October 11, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 RGGR- I've searched (& searched) but can't find anything under: "Van Halen Kramer." Got a Link? (or otherwise the thread's name/location?).....Plz, Thanx! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nor Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 Widen those routs a bit to the bass side and make it a 7-string LP. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 nor- Now there's another "angle" on things...... I'm assuming yer referring to the "first" (already partially routed) body, pic'd above. But 'thing is; the neck (heel) route & the rest of the routes (pups & partial-trem) are all "exactly in-line." They're just "oblonged" to the body itself. So if I wanted to go wider for a 7-string, it would be "equally wider" on either side. (I hafta match the heel & pups, etc.). Who knows? One of these project-guitars (whichever "one" we're talkin about???) just may wind-up as a 12-String? No? Warmoth has necks for that, I think. Thanx for yer input! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 (edited) RGGR- I've searched (& searched) but can't find anything under: "Van Halen Kramer." Got a Link? (or otherwise the thread's name/location?).....Plz, Thanx! http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=8589 EDIT - FYI the thread was in the In Progress and Finished Work section, back a few pages Edited October 12, 2004 by bowser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 12, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 bowser- @ 56K & what-with those "frames"....it was still worth the wait (& the left & right scrollings). Now all's I gotta do is find this stuff. That would be; "if" this would be The Option I Choose (???). So. Keep up the Good Work! PS- Does this stuff fix "roof leaks?" (not rilly, just funnin') but I bet it would...... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 12, 2004 Report Share Posted October 12, 2004 (edited) I'm just in a "dreaming" stage, I guess (???). 3 single coils?, Strat-ish pickguard?, 4-way switch (& that spare trem???). Decisions, decisions..... Isn' that the most fun stage. And then you dig in, and discover you f*cked up by routing it the wrong way. ;-) If you use only the epoxy on the guitar I think you could have a hard time re-routing the pup cavities again. I would use combo of epoxy and almost fitting wood plugs. Even better option could be to route an even bigger area out and put in a total new wood midden section. This way you get frsh new neck pocket, new pickup area.......having only the fill the backside of this f*cked up trem route with epoxy. Just a thought. Edited October 12, 2004 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 RGGR- (makes me wonder about starting a new thread called): My Most Worstest (Ever) Mistake I once glued-on an acoustic bridge perfecly straight, only backwards (and have since made some significant progress on the drinking-problem I had/ Kept-on running out of beer)!!! Till just now only one other person "knew" about this In-Yo-Face-Goof. They say, "Confession's good for the soul." Well, in any event, Gotcha as far as filling up the whole (existing) pup-routes; I shouldn't and/or need'nt. "Partially" epoxying/wood filling doesn't seem like an option either; the (existing) Neck Heel wouldn't line-up.... The intrigue of a "bigger route-out" is, ummm, intriguing. Were you talking a "body thru top" so to speak? That's what I'm thinkin. A slab of a contrasting-color, good tone wood & then clear-coat it....right? A kind of "middle, really thick veneer".... Mahogany or walnut would look sweet with that Basswood shade.... I could always "build" that 1st Guitar Wall Clock with it, if my Frij should suddenly get invaded by beer...... Thanx, Pilgrim, for being a Real-Wilbury! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rick_here Posted October 15, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 15, 2004 (edited) RGGR (or anyone else who's been following all-this)- As yer basic Newbie (here at PG)...I keep hearing Ppl say, "Tutorials! Tutorials! TUTORIALS!!!" So, ummm, I checked em out. Under "Body Repair" I found this: Trem to Hard-Tail Conversion That's how I'll plug that Trem-Route in LP-type Body # 1 (above).... Edited October 15, 2004 by rick_here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.