perhellion Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 "The strings are a little over an 1/8th inch from the body. On my 3 pickup Les paul, I have them closer than that" How do you do that on a Les Paul? The strings are usually much farther from the body than that. I guess you could reset the neck, recess the hardware, etc., but it seems pretty involved. I think the Les Paul would be more comfortable with the strings closer to the body, so I'd like to know how you did it -- maybe some pics? I also wondered why you made the body that thin (other than, "I wanted it that thin"). Just wondering if thin had any sonic/playability advantages. Overall, I really like it. One tiny negative -- pretty lacewood only on the back? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
american_jesus Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 "American Jesus- That's ok. I just prefer simplicity. When my friends hand me a guitar with 43 knobs, and are like "Dude, this is so awesome", it makes me think if I should be playing guitar, or just twisting the knobs. If that made any sense, thanks for voicing your opinion." i love simplicity...dont get me wrong. those 400 button machines are annoying as anything to play...but when something is overly simplified i think it takes away from the whole picture. as i said before, that just looks like a couple pieces of wood...i'd rather have something with the TOM/stop piece and a couple pickups and knobs on there. i understand it's your guitar, and it's done how you want, and i'm sure it's everything you wanted it to be, but it's just not my cup o tea... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bkief1 Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 mushy, As I am a high school teacher (Biology & Physical Science), I hope you would consider entering your Nebula into some type of science fair in your area. I believe you have a winner here. May I suggest you solicit some help from people like your teachers in understanding the physics and math behind what you have done, but your best bet may be a call to where you purchased the pickup from, Mr. Bill Lawrence himself. Bill is a good friend of mine, and is a world-class pickup designer who is extremely knowledgeable in physics & math. I know he would love to share some of his knowledge with you. I'd also look at the type of wood you used, and maybe hypothesize how different woods would react to what you have done. Again, I know Bill would be of immense value in this area. Nice job, bkief1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicksguitar Posted October 11, 2004 Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 Holy cow man. That's really something. You should be really proud of that axe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 11, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 11, 2004 (edited) "The strings are a little over an 1/8th inch from the body. On my 3 pickup Les paul, I have them closer than that" How do you do that on a Les Paul? The strings are usually much farther from the body than that. I guess you could reset the neck, recess the hardware, etc., but it seems pretty involved. I think the Les Paul would be more comfortable with the strings closer to the body, so I'd like to know how you did it -- maybe some pics? I also wondered why you made the body that thin (other than, "I wanted it that thin"). Just wondering if thin had any sonic/playability advantages. Overall, I really like it. One tiny negative -- pretty lacewood only on the back? Whoops, I miss-typed. I meant that the strings on my Les Paul are less than 1/8" from the pickups. Sorry for the misunderstanding. I like thinner guitars because they are easier to play (lighter, less bulky), and I just didn't feel any need for a 1 3/4" guitar with 2" at the neck pocket. The lacewood came as a second to the spruce I already had (I made a router error). I liked the lacewood better than the spruce, but it produces a guitar that is a little too dark for me. Plus, I already had cut the maple, and didn't want to waste $75. I absolutely love the lacewood, but I think it serves its purpose well on the back. bkief1- I think I understand the electrical concepts presented (check out my pickup design( http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.php?showtopic=11465 )). The guitar I installed the aforementioned pickup on won 5th place in a science fair at my school (the judges were suspicious of parental involvemnt). There's always more to learn. Thanks for all the feedback, guys! Edited February 2, 2005 by mushy the shroom Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxslipknot Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 OH MY GOD I LOST MY PICKUPS.......HAHAHAHAHAAHAHA, JUST BUGGIN Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
maxxslipknot Posted October 13, 2004 Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 i think u should get rid of that bridge and get a tune-o-matic if it doesnt fit, set it in too, then it would be real nice Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 13, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 13, 2004 Yeah, I just don't need a tune-o-matic. The action and intonation are near perfect already, so I don't need the instant adjustment option. If I need to adjust anything, I can file down a string slot to a point to adjust the intonation (I have 1/8 inch of freedon here), or sand down or add shims to the saddle to adjust the action. Just my preference :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ansil Posted October 14, 2004 Report Share Posted October 14, 2004 sweet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Ah, thanks all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Very nice project, the guitar has a good braught together feel to it in terms of the design it's self. Although perhaps my eye's are just a bit sharper, i did notice one or two points that you could work on for your next project; There where a couple of area's that where filled in with epoxy or some compound, around the butt of the guitar on either side of the tendon, and again on the bass and treb side of the neck joint. The string ferrules don't seem to be centered on the tendon and neither does the alignment of the neck if you look at some of the rear views. You might have wanted to use the washer's included with most tuners, it would have helped prevent any cracks to the headstock veneer. And the veneer it's self should have been replaced unless you meant to undersize it ? Or you might have only had enough wood for one headstock veneer? Oh, just noticed as well, the back does look very clean but there's no control cavity access, it's going to be interesting to try and clean your pot when the time comes. But for a first guitar, it doesn't look to bad, just some pointers for the fine details next time. I'm assuming the first 2 are mostly due to the tools you had to use, so next time just try and be a bit more carefull and plan for these areas, have the neck nice and centered on the tendon. And maybe think about the utility of certain parts of the guitar down the road (ie, control pot) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 Ouch Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 did you mean tenon?i think he left the washers off because the headstock is too thick looks like gorrilla glue rather than epoxy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 (edited) did you mean tenon?i think he left the washers off because the headstock is too thick looks like gorrilla glue rather than epoxy spelling... yup, tenon, if the headstock was to thick, then make it thinner with a scrapper or a sanding block, tedious, but worth it in the end. Actually i see a router in one of his pics, you could build a little jig to thin down the top of the headstock aswell. Ouch ouch what? did you hurt yourself reading my post? It was simply some contructive criticism so that his next guitar can turn out even better then that one, which i say again, is very nice. Edited October 17, 2004 by krazyderek Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 looks like gorrilla glue rather than epoxy That's maple wood filler. I made an error cutting the neck pocket out of the maple, but given the tools I had, I could have done no better. The neck is, in fact centered on the tenon. The pictures are from an obscure angle, so it appears different. The ferrules are a little off, but they're on the back, so I don't mind too much. As for the headstock, I didn't use washers because the holes I drilled in the veneer were just big enough for the shaft of the tuner ferrule. It also provides a less complex look.The head did a fine job as a washer, but the crack occured because I wasn't careful installing it. The veneer is a little warped, so there is a space between it and the neck. This makes an illusion that it is mishaped. ouch what? did you hurt yourself reading my post? It was simply some contructive criticism so that his next guitar can turn out even better then that one, which i say again, is very nice. Yeah, I am very thankful for a critical eye. I take no offense at your constructive criticism, but I did already notice everything you pointed out. Thanks, everyone for your comments! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pex657 Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 That is pretty amazing. One question for you. How do the pickups work? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AlGeeEater Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 (edited) Ouch ouch what? did you hurt yourself reading my post? It was simply some contructive criticism so that his next guitar can turn out even better then that one, which i say again, is very nice. Nope. I said ouch because i missed them... And because everyone else did, or they didnt post about it... Edited October 17, 2004 by AlGeeEater Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 That is pretty amazing. One question for you. How do the pickups work? First of all, there is only one pickup (it's in the bridge position). It is embedded about 1/8" beneath the wood, and about 1/4" from the strings. Suprisingly, it gets amazing tone. If you want to know how pickups work in general, I can explain. A conventional pickup consists of (basically), a magnet with wire coiled around it. Humbuckers have two magnets and coils, wound in opposite directions. The two leads of the wire coil exit to form a circuit with a pickup selector switch, volume knob, tone knob, etc. When a conductive material moves or vibrates through a magnetic field, it alters it in such a way thay electricity can be harnessed (this is the concept of a generator). The electricity is harnessed with the string moving through the magnetic field, and the coil harnesses the electicity. The electricity flows at a certain frequency which determines the pitch. Someone else can probably give you a better explanation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pex657 Posted October 17, 2004 Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 i know how pickups work, just wondered how yours did if they are covered. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 17, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2004 OK, cool. The wood doesn't impede the magnetic field, so the only consequence is the distance between the pickup and strings. With a hot pickup, this is resolved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt76 Posted October 18, 2004 Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 Hi mushy the shroom First, congratulations for you Project , very simple and elegant, i like very much, and is a good inspiration to design and works. The second, i have a doubt about the Maple, is Eastern or Western Maple? And the other doubt is the finish, i see that is Danish oil (i think to neck) and Satin laquer (to body?), is polyurethane or nitro? Thanks Bro. See you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 18, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2004 The maple is western from www.curlymaple.com. As for the finish: -Sanded wood with 400 grit dry Raised the grain with water -400 dry 4 coats of Watco Clear Danish Oil -400 dry 2 coats of StewMac Colortone Nitrocellulose Sanding Sealer -400 dry 2 coats of StewMac Colortone Nitrocellulose Satin Lacquer -400 wet 2 coats of StewMac Colortone Nitrocellulose Satin Lacquer -400 dry 2 coars of StewMac Colortone Nitrocellulose Satin Lacquer That's pretty much it. It yielded a very nice, and easy finish that (most of all) resists fingerprints and smudges. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
erikbojerik Posted October 19, 2004 Report Share Posted October 19, 2004 Mushy, I don't know how I missed this...it is the first time I've seen your axe, and I must say I absolutely love it! To me, the simplicity and the soft lines of the body shape really work well together. And for your first build too, outstanding! I've always wondered how an embedded pickup would sound, now you've answered the question. Well done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mushy the shroom Posted October 21, 2004 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2004 Thanks, Erik. I was originally going to have a subtle carved top (no "rebate"), but I was worried about ruining the maple. If I can muster more dough, I may do it on my next. GOTM voting starts in 2 days! I really like Ryan's Bass. I love headless designs, (I own a Steinberger), and the tuning systems are far superior to normal tuners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zephyr7 Posted January 31, 2005 Report Share Posted January 31, 2005 What?? You are 14??! That guitar looks like it was built by a luthier with 14-year experience! I guess now it's safe to say you are born to make guitars. So again.. What?? You are 14??! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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