Paul Marossy Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 I had a thread on this in the Inlays/Finishing section, but I thought I would share this here instead since it's probably where it really belongs at this point. Basically I bought a Strat body off of ebay, stripped it down, put a fabric top over it and did a few other things. You can check it out here: http://www.diyguitarist.com/Guitars/SuperStrat.htm I just have to finish up the neck and I'll be ready to be able to actually play this thing. So far, about 4 weeks have passed since I got the body. Let me know what you think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monkey69962000 Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 congrates on the almost completed project. I have a question. The sustainer, is it like an E-bow or fernandes sustainer, or does it only sustain for a moment or two before it either feedsback to the amp or dies? I might want to do it if its like the fernandes so i want to know what yours does. Since its not complete i can wait for an answer till it is, but if you know now, i would like to know. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted November 28, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Actually, I abandoned the idea of using that sustainer circuit of Ansil's because there are too many conflicting reports about its performance and reliability. I do have an idea to do something similar to Ansil's idea, but I am going to try a little different approach. I am considering buying a real sustainter pickup system and installing it in one of my guitars instead. Started on finishing the neck this morning. By this evening, it should have strings on it... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CudBucket Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Looks excellent! I need to try one of those finishes sometime. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyle Cavanaugh Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Looks awesome! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted November 29, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 (edited) Thanks guys. I should be finished with the neck by Mon/Tues and then I can string it up. I can hardly wait! EDIT: BTW, I forgot to mention that a good place to get that usual black foam rubber stuff that normally lines the trem cavity on the top of body on most commercial guitars is at... Walmart. It's available as a self-adhesive backed sheet and it costs less than $1 for a 8.5"x11" sheet and is available in several different colors. It's in the craft section, where the fabric and stuff is. You just cut it to size and stick it on. Works beautifully. I also finished up the neck this morning. Just have to adjust the truss rod and attach it to the body. Then I can string it up, adjust the intonation and all the good stuff that I hate to do... Edited November 29, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted November 30, 2004 Author Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 (edited) Well, I finished it last night. It has great sustain and a nice round tone and plays well. The guitar is pretty heavy, it nearly feels like a Les Paul! I finished the neck with tung oil. I am just waiting for my Fender decal to put on the headstock and then I can call it good. I have only one buzzing fret to address still. The preamp provides a noticeable boost, too. Overall, I am pleased with the results of my first effort. (Sorry for the low-fi pic) Edited November 30, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jammy Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 It looks great. Well done! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ikke_998 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 wow looks nice!! I mostly don't like fabric tops but this one really looks nice (must be the burst ) why is it so heavy? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 I like it! How did you prevent a noticeable edge from showing where the fabric ends?] What did you use for the clear? Also, have you considered going with a sustainiac sustainer? Everyone seems to know about Fernandes but few seem to know about sustainiac. I have a sustainiac model C (the physical vibration type) and absolutely love it. I just ordered a magnetic type (similar to the fernandes) and am looking forward to seeing how it does. The thing I like about sustainiac is that they provide tons of technical info on their products. I wasn't able to find much of anything on the ferndandes site - any idea where they keep their installation info and pics of the unit, diagrams, ...? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 wow looks nice!! I mostly don't like fabric tops but this one really looks nice (must be the burst) why is it so heavy? Thanks. I dunno why it's so heavy, except that it's gotta be the body and the Fender log neck. It's certainly not a ton of sanding sealer because I only used 3 to 4 ounces total of the stuff on this project. The weight seems to help it have good sustain for a Floyd Rose equipped guitar. I like it! How did you prevent a noticeable edge from showing where the fabric ends?] What did you use for the clear? Also, have you considered going with a sustainiac sustainer? Everyone seems to know about Fernandes but few seem to know about sustainiac. I have a sustainiac model C (the physical vibration type) and absolutely love it. I just ordered a magnetic type (similar to the fernandes) and am looking forward to seeing how it does. The thing I like about sustainiac is that they provide tons of technical info on their products. I wasn't able to find much of anything on the ferndandes site - any idea where they keep their installation info and pics of the unit, diagrams, ...? For the edges, I just did several coats of sanding sealer right where the edges of the fabric meet the body. Then I sanded it down. The sunburst covered up most of the small imperfections that were still barely perceptible. It's amazing how putting paint on something brings out the slighest imperection! The clear coat is polyurethane from a spray can. I have thought about just getting a real Fernandes sustainer system. Do they make them in white? I would like to equip at least one of my guitars with one of those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 that were still barely perceptible. It's amazing how putting paint on something brings out the slighest imperection! The clear coat is polyurethane from a spray can. Hi, Excellent work! I have a couple of questions: For the decal, are you applying that over the finish? Will you be applying finish on top of the decal? And for the clear coat-- how many coats did you put on? What kind of sanding/buffing process did you do? I'd like to see some close ups of this one, if you have them? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 (edited) For the decal, are you applying that over the finish? Will you be applying finish on top of the decal? And for the clear coat-- how many coats did you put on? What kind of sanding/buffing process did you do? I'd like to see some close ups of this one, if you have them? I will apply the decal on the finish, and then clearcoat that with something. Probably the same stuff I used to finish the neck. Clear coat for the neck or the body? On the body, it's just two coats of polyurethane from a spray can. I wet sanded the first coat with 600 grit sanding film. Then I applied the second coat and just buffed that by hand. On the neck, it's just two coats of tung oil varnish. I sanded the neck after the first coat with the same sandpaper that I used on the body. The second coat was lightly sanded and then hand buffed. It's pretty much a satin finish with a slight sheen. Sorry, don't have any closeups at this point. I'll see if I can take a few tonight. EDIT: Did you see my webpage on it? There is a pic of the body up a little bit closer there. Edited December 1, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Nice One PM I hope you've discovered my "Sustainer Thread" in the electronics section. I'd love to get your thoughts on it if you have the patience to wade through all 23-4 pages of it...I'm detirmined to get the thing going. I'm pretty sure that they come in white (Steve Vai has one) but you might get more support from Sustainiac, I don't know. The model C is attached to the guitar and physically vibrates it from the neck. I have some ideas to do something similar from within the body. Apparently it's quite a different experience with the guitar feeling alive in your hands! I don't like the extra attachments and wires that's all. psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daveq Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Just to clear up the sustainiac issue: They sell both types - the physical unit that vibrates the neck and a product similar to the fernandes unit where it replaces a pickup. It seems as though most people assume that Fernandes is the only sustainer available, that's why I was asking. The model C does have a cable that runs to the floor but it isn't the slightest bit noticeable for someone like me who just plays in the basement most of the time. It's really ideal for recording. Another bonus is that is adds no noise to the signal since it's completely isolated from the guitar's circuitry (no wires inside the control cavity and nothing near the pickups). Lastly, no batteries to deal with on the model C. For builders, the cable can be dealt with by providing a channel through the neck for the wires. I have talked with someone at Maniac Music about this and they have said that they have had luthiers do this for some of their customers. Thanks for the info on hiding the edges! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 Clear coat for the neck or the body? On the body, it's just two coats of polyurethane from a spray can. I wet sanded the first coat with 600 grit sanding film. Then I applied the second coat and just buffed that by hand. Yeah, I meant the body...I'm getting ready to paint and finish mine in a few days and I'm trying to figure out what I'll need to do... And yeah, I've been all through your site, really impressive stuff... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 1, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 psw - Yeah, I did see that thread on your sustainer, and I read through the whole massive thread. I was one of the last posters on that thread, remember? idch - Cool. I'm glad that you like my website. I just kind of intuitively went about finishing the body based on experience with painting stompbox enclosures and stuff. daveq- Who else makes sustainer pickups besides Fernandes?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 (edited) Here is a few close-ups of the body as requested. The sunburst looks lighter or darker depending on how the light hits it. Edited December 2, 2004 by Paul Marossy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Sorry Paul...it was 4am when I posted that...I should get more sleep! Let me make it up to you by providing you a link: Sustainiac Sustainer Web Site Fernandes originally used the sustainer but the two are now separate and have developed further in slightly different ways. Floyd Rose also dabbled in it as did Kramer but they are long since gone. The originator was Micheal Brooks who put his together because he couldn't get an ebow for a project in time and it's on this that Sustainiac used as a stepping off point. Brooks' Infinite Guitar is most famously played by U2's The Edge on the studio version of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for". Sorry to hijack...shameless self promotion!...great guitar, is that metal flake? psw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Brooks' Infinite Guitar is most famously played by U2's The Edge on the studio version of "I still haven't found what I'm looking for". I heard that was an ebow. In any case, the infinite sustain thing can be very cool for a guitar. It opens up a lot of doors. Sorry to hijack...shameless self promotion!...great guitar, is that metal flake? That's OK, it's sort of related since I was originally going to use Ansil's sustainer circuit, but decided against it because of too many conflicting reports of its performance. Yes, that is a metal flake paint. You can't see it in the pictures, but the whole body has a little bit of sparkle from the overspray. It makes for a nice effect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 hey man congrats! it looks great. gonna sell it or add it to the collection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 hey man congrats! it looks great. gonna sell it or add it to the collection? NO WAY! It's going to become part of my collection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Ansil's Sustainer is really misunderstood. You know how they sometimes call a compressor a sustainer because it keeps the volume up till the note dies away? It's a bit like that but using feedback, at least from my experiments. It doesn't have the means to drive the string per se but drives the pickups. It picks up the signal of itself, just like a pickup can pick up a radio or even a voice. It's an interesting but fickle effect (hard to tame) that I don't think is what your after at all! Brooks was the engineer on that (I believe), and other U2 albums and works extensively with Peter Gabriel and world artists at his studio, hence the connection. It does sound like an ebow though as it appears to be all single notes. A magnetic sustainer is technically able to sustain chords but with all systems to date, one note will win out over the other in short order. The main advantage is that you don't have to alter your technique as you do when holding an ebow. The guitar is definitely a keeper...stick it in GOTM...pete Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul Marossy Posted December 2, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Ansil's Sustainer is really misunderstood. You know how they sometimes call a compressor a sustainer because it keeps the volume up till the note dies away? It's a bit like that but using feedback, at least from my experiments. It doesn't have the means to drive the string per se but drives the pickups. It picks up the signal of itself, just like a pickup can pick up a radio or even a voice. It's an interesting but fickle effect (hard to tame) that I don't think is what your after at all! Yeah, I agree with you on the sustainer thing. Do you know how the Fernandes or Sutainiac pickups actually work? Maybe this was explained in your monster thread and I missed it, but it seems to me like you could create a circuit that would essentially use something that acts like a magnet and cause it to have a cyclical polarity reversal in order to physically excite the strings. Is this the basic concept or am I way off? stick it in GOTM Gee, really?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Yes, really....at least it will give visitors to the site more exposure to your work and open more people to the possibilities. The monster thread is very confusing I know...like a sustainer it goes on and on...I think it's batteries need replacing just now but it will return! I mean't to condense it into a new summary thread, but you know. Not to distract from you fine guitar... Your right, kind of. Basically the "driver" is a low impedance pickup in construction, working in reverse. A driving amplifier, getting it's signal from the bridge pickup, is sent through this "driver". Essentially the driver works like a speaker coil and the string acts like a speaker cone. Oh, but if only it was that simple! You can't have the driver too close to the pickup or you get this uncontrolled microphonic feedback or total signal cancellation. That's why you can't select pickups in sustainer mode, it's got to be the bridge pickup and the driver often replaces the neck pickup so you can completely loose or at least comprimise this as well. The placement of the driver in terms of the strings vibration modes (it's harmonics, etc), phase differences and other esoteric stuff seek to scupper attempts to make the perfect sustainer. It uses a fair amount of battery power too. That's what the monster thread is about...trying to take it that little bit further. But otherwise it is that simple! It has amazing potential even in it's current evolution and would be highly recomended...I just wish I had one! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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