RGGR Posted October 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 Please not be disappointed if progress slows down a bit in coming weeks. I landed new exec. position at fast growing company. Long hours and lots of world travel will leave almost no additional time for building........it's even worse then anticipated. Hope things slow down a bit in Q1 2006. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eddiewarlock Posted October 18, 2005 Report Share Posted October 18, 2005 it´s got south american mahogany wings, santos mahogany/ purpleheart laminated 5 piece neck I have heard other people commenting (jemsite) on not using Mahogany for a 7 string, as muddiness of Mahogany wouldn't go well with the sound of a 7 string. I'm not sure how much merit is in these comments.....it's all what sound your after of course.....but I can imagine a Mahogany extended range instrument being even more effected by this. Using Mahogany neck would also amplifiy this effect. It would be something to watch for.....as your guitar is leaning in one direction. I opted for Maple/Wenge neck through, as in neck through....the neck wood will have more pronounced voice in guitar compaired to a bolt on neck. I figured the Maple/Wenge neck would brighten up the Limba wings a bit. The Quilted maple top will have little effect on the total tone as top is relative thin (1/4"), but still bringing it in right direction. This tone wood theory is part Voodoo, part science. I'm from the school of thought that you always look at whole picture. In the end....all woods in guitar will have effect on tone, together with pups etc. In that respect it's nice to have different guitars made of different combinations. Although realizing the quest for perfect guitar will never be over. With this guitar I tried to combine the best of both world. If I would have done a bolt on 7, I probably would have used a Alder body with Maple/Wenge neck, or total Wenge neck with Maple fretboard. Definitely go for the showing neck-through option. That really gives guitar a very nice look, IMHO. ← The mahogany being muddy is a BS MYTH!! i heard the same when i was building a 5 string bass for a friend, it was a copy of a F series ESP bass, neck thru body, and we used yamaha RBX bass pickups, well, my brother has a Yamaha RBX bass alder body, bolt on maple neck, 5 strings as well, so same pickups as the ESP copy, the F series copy counded way better, had better clarity and a much wider tonal range. Also, I tune my guitars to B, and you saw the warlock i built, all mahogany and ebony, and it just sounds brutal. I commented with this to Neal Moser and he said he agreed with me, tht mahogany isn´t muddy, but compared to maple, it has much more of a complete range and that´s why it is perceived as muddy I don´t go for a JEM or Ibanez RG sound, cuz i hate the way those guitars sound, but they are very good looking guitars Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 While waiting on truss-rod to arrive I'm contemplating two different approaches in relation to headstock. Option 1. Route trussrod channel, drill tuner holes and then stain the maple on the headstock....complete staining and put light clear coat over it. Then cut out the headstock shape and sand shape to perfection. Option 2. Route trussrod channel, drill tuner holes, cut headstock out.....sand to perfection......and then stain the headstock. This would mean finding solution for maple edge area on headstock.....cause I want to keep this clean of stain and show up as nice light contrast to top headstock stain. Rest of neck will be kept un-stained and un painted. So....what would be best approach?? I'm leaning towards option 1, as edge of maple will be kept virgin till last moment. Any opinions??? A better solution out there??? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Option 2, and seal the edges thoroughly before applying any stains. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Option 2, and seal the edges thoroughly before applying any stains. Would this result in better result compaired to option 1. I can imagine the sealed edge in option 2 to be more sharp then option 1, as stain always will penetrate in maple and will show on the edge. Okay....option 2 it will be........leaves me with bitching taping and sealing job. Thanks Mattia!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted October 23, 2005 Report Share Posted October 23, 2005 Well, the main reason is that keeping a stain job perfect and then doing cutting/working/etc. on a piece makes things more complicated than necessary. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted October 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 This has keept me puzzled for a while now. How to keep the neck unfinished (tung oil) and stain and clear coat the body. All hunky-dory except the area where the neck and body meet......how would you go about with this. I don't see myself clear coating over tung oil. Or am I stuck with non-unfinished neck, as I have to clear the neck too, instead of tung-oil. Maybe I first should get to this stage in built before asking difficult questions like these. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Duff Beer Man Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 The onely real thing i can think of is some serious stratigic taping off of the neck, idk other then that man... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goth_fiend Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 thats about all I figured as well, taping off the neck and after the body has been cleared then oiling the neck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jivin Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 I have a feeling Carvin do something like that? Maybe not, but it might be worth a search Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted October 31, 2005 Report Share Posted October 31, 2005 Carvin does it like this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onelastgoodbye Posted November 1, 2005 Report Share Posted November 1, 2005 This one is a bit more elegant, but I still don't like it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
helge Posted November 1, 2005 Report Share Posted November 1, 2005 since i don't like the ibanez way at all, i would do it, like toddler68 did. here's the pic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 2, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 2, 2005 Hmmmmmmmm.........this needs some more consideration. At first glance the taped off versions don't appeal that much to me. We'll see...first need to order stain and truss-rod at lmii.com. More later.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 (edited) Today with the leaves falling around me I found some time to sanded the top wing back to thickness. Top lock nut arrived in the mail....... When browsing the Ibanez website tonight I discovered Ibanez has re-designed the back of their RGT guitars. Very interesting. Not sure I like it yet......The body contour seems to run all the way up the lower horn. I like the part where the contour seems to run deeper into the body lower and upper horn. Have to pick one up in local music store to see how it looks in person. This neck/body area is definitely a very interesting area. Edited November 6, 2005 by RGGR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
feylya Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Dude, you're killing me here. I want to see this guitar finished Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 6, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 Dude, you're killing me here. I want to see this guitar finished Yeah, yeah, yeah.......I'm planning to finish this guitar somewhere next year. Work and travel is currently taking up most my free time. Yeah, I know I'm slow builder. Hate me for it. Yesterday by accident I discovered a laser cutting company relative close to me. Will contact them tomorrow and see if they can cut some templates for me. If so...then my JS-7 will take priority again. Everytime I look at her, she shouts at me.......finish me, please finish me....please.....please.... There is only so much a guy can take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Mariah Posted November 6, 2005 Report Share Posted November 6, 2005 What Jackson does with the oiled necks is to have a clear delineation line between color coat and oil finish (like the Carvin), but the clear coat continues past that line by about 1/4". It looks and feels pretty good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Made some saw dust today. I sanded the back of the neck blank (body area) closer to spec. With body wings almost done....I can slowly start concentrating on the neck blank. I had to take 4-5mm off....and doing it by hand took a while. Final part will be done after wings are glued onto neck blank. When trussrod arrives in the mail I can route the TR channel and take headstock shape out. Can't wait to make it look like proper Ibanez. When I cleaned everything up I took wet rag and wetted top Quilt a bit. Together with TR, water soluble aniline dyes (lmii.com) will be arriving and on scrap quilt I will do some test runs. This is what we are after.......like friggin nuclear bomb went off. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 Wow that nuked quilt looks awesome!!!!, if you find a way of doing that id REALLY like to know... great looking axe by the way!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 if you find a way of doing that id REALLY like to know...← David Myka has posted his process pics in this forum and on his website here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 MAN that looks great!! this is going to be one deadly guitar One Qustion why did you cut out the wings before they where glued on to the neck blank? !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGGR Posted November 13, 2005 Author Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 One Qustion why did you cut out the wings before they where glued on to the neck blank? This is my first neck-through guitar and I figured leaving the wings off till latest time possible would be easier. Reasons for this being.... 1. Neck blank on neck through is already big sucker.....and having to carve the neck with the wings attached didn't seem a very smart operation in my book. Upper neck access is better this way, and less chance to ding/dent up the body/neck. 2. The Limba wings have a Quilt top, but this Quilt top is not glued on top/over the neck blank. It almost a guitar made out of 3 seperate pieces. So adding this up....I figured this was best way going forward. Again...this is my first neck through....so I accept gladly a more smart way. Up till now I have not looked at guitar as one giant build. I have approached guitar as many small side projects. Going forward I will route trussrod channel, carve headstock......rough shape the neck.....The last fret on 27" fingerboard will determine position of body in relation to neck. Last fret on fingerboard will line up with deepest part lower horn cut-away. With this position established, I will glue on the wings......and start working on body/neck transition area. I'm just taking it one step at a time. But running damp rag over body really puts a smile on my face. It's sooooo cool building something this gorgeous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gun Posted November 13, 2005 Report Share Posted November 13, 2005 The top looks great man!!! But in the end, what method did you use to bend the maple? I get lost in all the posts Gian Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
!!METAL MATT!! Posted November 14, 2005 Report Share Posted November 14, 2005 Well I think what your doing will work fine I was just thinking it would make it A pain in the but to clamp up every one has there own way of doing things This thing is going to be nuts! !!METAL MATT!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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