Truss Rod Preferences For Wizard Neck

[Matt]

Well Im about to embark on a third project ....A Jem

well not only do i need peoples opinions on what truss rods would be best for a jem but also and input on my idea would be greaty appreciated.

All black jem

-Birdseye maple neck with scarf-joint

(what finishes would look cool, but i want it to be super smooth and not tacky that some laquer feels like)

-Alder/ash body

-Hand wound Evo PU's with coil taps

-PRS 513 style wiring

-Maybe an active high/low booster/cutter

-black body with a cool flip-flop silver paint scheme of lots of faces

-Maybe a homemade sustainer, (the little gem type)

-Home made Floyd Rose bridge, Lo-pro style made using military aircraft grade hardened stainless steel!!! - a real B**ch to cut!!!

I might be able to make some titanium saddles as well for the FR but I'll have to see.

Oh and dont expect anything to soon as I have Exams and No money so it should be done middle summer after I've finished building one for a mate.

Cheers

Matt

[thedoctor]

I am surprised noone jumped in on this so here is my trussrod take. I perfer the single-acting double-rod because it is smaller, puts pressure on the neck fairly evenly and doesn't need to be fastened in. Rattle issues are there but a little sillycone takes care of most of it. As far as the rest goes, can't help because I don't even know what a JEM is.

[Matt]

Basically a jem, is a pointier version of a strat, if you know steve vai then you should know what i mean. The neck im building is around 17-19mm at the 1st fret and 20-21mm at the 12th. I just want to know how deep thin i can leave the back without threat of the TR breaking through.

cheers

Matt

[thedoctor]

OK. That is why I like the single-acting double-rod. The groove is only 1/4" wide and 3/8" deep. Only a single tension rod could be smaller and they tend to be fragile. Did I mention, IMHO?

[Matt]

Ok well im not quite sure which type you mean by a single acting double thingamyboby. So where can I get one of these super-duper TR's from then?

Cheers

Matt

[Mr.Churchyard]

-Birdseye maple neck with scarf-joint

(what finishes would look cool, but i want it to be super smooth and not tacky that some laquer feels like)

-Alder/ash body

-Hand wound Evo PU's with coil taps

-PRS 513 style wiring

-Maybe an active high/low booster/cutter

-black body with a cool flip-flop silver paint scheme of lots of faces

-Maybe a homemade sustainer, (the little gem type)

-Home made Floyd Rose bridge, Lo-pro style made using military aircraft grade hardened stainless steel!!! - a real B**ch to cut!!!

I might be able to make some titanium saddles as well for the FR but I'll have to see.

Oh and dont expect anything to soon as I have Exams and No money so it should be done middle summer after I've finished building one for a mate.

Cheers

Matt

←

What fretboard wood are you gonna use? If it's an all-black jem, I would suggest ebony... Are you joking about not only making hand wound Evolution-style pickups (where did you get the specifications, by the way?), but also making a lo-pro trem by hand (also - where did you get the instructions?)? And the sustainer, ok I see... and the 513-style wiring... mah... Good luck! For the trussrod a double action is obviously cool, but with those skinny jem necks I would use a single-action one...

[Matt]

Yea im serious!!

I'll either go for an ebony fretboard or ill veneer the headstock and body with quilted maple and dye it black with a dyed quilted maple fretboard. Im thinking of getting some silver wire and white or silvery looking abelone for a cool looking vine inlay or something

The neck I have nearly finished and is made out of birdseye maple.

I have cut out a blank for the bridge plate out of 6mm aircraft-grade hardened stainless steel.

I cant remember where i got the scematics from but try typing it into google, There are loads of wiring schematics on the website as well.

-the evo uses something like 5400 turns of 43 and 42 guage wire, but I'll have to check that. winding them by hand (scatter winding) should improve their sound quality by loads!!

Also It might not be all black if I see something that looks cool in the mean-time

then ill contemplate that.

Where can i get those Truss rods from? Im slightly unsure about what types do what. (single acting???).

I understand the PRS wiring but as im not too experienced, then ill probably get lost in the forest of wires!! the sustainer looks pretty simple and it was my input that put it under PSW's thread in the first place, so I better give it a go myself eh?

Anyway all imput is greatly appreciated

Matt

cheers

Matt

[Sambo]

If he's hand winidng his pickups, 513 wiring shouldn't be too hard, seeing as all the 513 pickups are is bobbins with 2 separate sets of wires around them (only one is used in light humbucking, and both in series in single coil and heavy humbucking modes). Sounds like a good project Where's the hardened steel from btw? that'd be interesting to see! If u want some flip paint, look for a seller called efc55 on ebay. has sprays u can spray over any base colour

[Matt]

I got the stainless at my school from a technition who used to work for Westlands (the place that makes the Apache longbow, lynx, merlin in England). I will hardenen it some more when I have finished the main bits either heating it or dipping it in oil to get it really hard.

your quite right tho, when I wind the coils, ill loop a bit out over part of the end of the bobbin to 'Tap'.

I don't know if its possible but I want a flip paint that will go from black to white/silver but Im not sure if thats possible. plus If its a USA seller I wont be able to get it cos.

Im trying to find a cool simple vine type inlay at the mo:)

Matt

[Mr.Churchyard]

Now I understand your sign

Btw, the difference between a single-action and a double-action is that a double-action one can be used to counter both up-bow and back-bow of the neck.

Edited May 17, 2005 by Mr.Churchyard

[Matt]

Ah, well its the single action for me then.

well Ive just been milling the base-plate for the FR. Bl**dy-hard stuff, top quality! Unfortunately I've been limited to an hour a week in the workshop.

so Im not sure if I'll get it finished

But I shall perservere .

[Sambo]

The PRS wiring sounds like a defo if you're winding your own pickups. You got this website with the specs for the pickup windings on it? would be much appreciated. Thinks i might have a go, but seeing as i'm very very specific on what pickups i'll use it might be a bit hard! ha!

Never seen black to silver flip. Seen black to green/purple, that's nice. But email the bloke at www.auto-paint.co.uk; he's very very helpful.

Plus, making pu's would be cheaper than 75 quid a go in britain! i mean, would any american dream of paying nearly $150 for a duncan or dimarzio? (don't think so!)

[toddler68]

I think I'd go with a double action rod. LMI and some others sell them. Only needs a 3/8 inch deep slot. You could also plane the fretboard thinner -like to 3/16 or so to give you a little more neck thickness to work with. I've got a wizard on my Saber and it looks like what they did.

[Maiden69]

If he's hand winidng his pickups, 513 wiring shouldn't be too hard, seeing as all the 513 pickups are is bobbins with 2 separate sets of wires around them (only one is used in light humbucking, and both in series in single coil and heavy humbucking modes). Sounds like a good project Where's the hardened steel from btw? that'd be interesting to see! If u want some flip paint, look for a seller called efc55 on ebay. has sprays u can spray over any base colour

←

Sambo, the PRS 513vwiring is not that simple, from what I read and I saw on my friend 513, there are far more than 4 wires comming out of every humbucker pair. And the believe me, it looks rather complicated.

Here is a pic of the PRS book.

[Sambo]

have a close look. there's 9 or 10 wires out of each humbucker (i have that magazine ), and 5 out of the single. there's an earth and 4 wires per coil. hence 2 sets of wires per coils, if you read the interview PRS clearly states 'in clear humbucking mode, you get 5 sounds, but with a lot less wire'. hence they just cut out some of the coils.

[Sambo]

Oh yeah, and another way too see, look at the bottom of the humbucker and the circuit board. 4 lines going off to each 'coil' (or should i say pair of coils ).

I'll post a diagram of what i mean later.

[Maiden69]

I know what you mean, I ticker a bit with my friends 513. I just think that there is a lot more than just to wire them up, the circuit board had some mini resistors and the 2nd switch well, was pretty confusing just by looking at it.

I thought about the idea of trying to make one diagram, using 5 DiMarzio YJM or HS3, which are stacked humbuckers, but I gave up, since I will never use it.

[Sambo]

oh yeah, i agree, the wiring is bloody complicated, but the idea of the pickups themselves is very simple. I'm working on a wiring scheme for just two humbuckers (ie a switch for going from 'heavy humbucking to light humbucking and to one of the single coils) at the moment. Not too bothered about the middle single. Just clutters up space

[Mr.Churchyard]

Maiden, could you upload that pic in a better resolution?

[Maiden69]

I tried last time but since I use photobucket, thats the highest resolution so far. I did e-mailed it to somebody here, PM me your e-mail and I will send you a pic from my house today.

[jer7440]

Sounds like a sweet project Matt. I would be interested to see any info you have on building that Floyd. Also any progress you've made.

[Mr.Churchyard]

I tried last time but since I use photobucket, thats the highest resolution so far.  I did e-mailed it to somebody here, PM me your e-mail and I will send you a pic from my house today.

←

What's the point of mailing me a picture of your home?

EDIT: HAHA, cool misreading of mine

Edited May 18, 2005 by Mr.Churchyard

[fryovanni]

I like the LMI truss rods with flat bar against the back of the fretboard. They are a little more expensive, but have a lower profile and are really well made. Sounds like you have a great project going. Best of luck to you!

Peace,Rich

[Matt]

Right well I'll try and post some pics of the progress of the neck at the weekend, and maybe some of the baseplate for the FR. i think I might start a new thread in the project section tho

I want to keep the sound close to the original Jem, but Has anyone got any ideas of a really nice sounding wood similar in weight and tone to alder or ash?

What about oak or cherry (just for interest)?

Matt

[Sambo]

Oak would weigh a tonne! Why not try walnut? its easily available (plus if you can get some english walnut it sounds better than american stuff :P) not many people use it and it sounds very nice

Otherwise cherry is good, but if you want a Jem sounding guitar, then alder or basswood is your man. Basswood's lightest i think?