Reaper Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 Ok, I'm going to be cutting the body for my project axe in the next week, and I'd like some input. It's a hardtail axe, with direct mounted humbuckers (Fred and Pearly Gates, and that also means no rings and no pickguard), black hardware (gold switch), and would be mahogany with an oil finish. The neck is one of those 22-fret carvin bolt on types. I've been playing around in my head with the following body types, and I've narrowed it down to these (please don't suggest any others): -RG -JS -telecaster -V (a la King V, or possibly the rounded Gibson style) I'm kinda leaning toward the RG or JS, but I'd like to know what you guys think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 well the rg is much simpler than the js because of the rounded top of the js.i made a mahogany rg type body as my first project and it was so easy that i finished the body shaping start to finish in about 4 hours.even my v has been way tougher.plus a bolt on v would be tough because of the lack of room for the neck pocket.check out the neck pocket on the v on this page and you will see what i mean Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roli Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 "please don't suggest any others" SG forever... LOL! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted July 28, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 "please don't suggest any others" SG forever... LOL! I love SGs, but I don't want to build on for a couple of reasons: A) I don't particularly care for natural colored SGs, I prefer the solids. I already have one, and I'd like something different Wes, thanks for the input. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roli Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 I can't recall... did you already post pictures of that SG? I'd like to see da beast if possible. That shape is... um... so damn sexy for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 Rg is probably going to be the easiest to make cause this web site is primarily based on the RG/ JEM shape, so u'll find alot of info specs, blueprints and tutorials for/based on it. And i mean it's a good shape/guitar. However, most RG blueprints are based on the fact that ur using a 24 fret neck since that's how most of them are made. Tele would probably be the next easiest cause of it's simple shape and lack of arm rest and gut cut.. unless u decide to include them. If u have a 22fret neck already on order or something then i think ur best (yet hardest bet) would be the JS) i think most JS's are 21 or 22 frets (i'm sure u could squeeze #22 on there) and the blueprint for it is on http://www.guitarbuild.com/ the only trick will be getting the carved top to look like the original JS, so it's going to be the most work out of the 4 guitar's but it's also my favorite shape. As for the V i've always thought that V's should use a neckthru design for strength due to the lack in support at the sides of the neck pocket, but that's IMO. GL! and let us know what u decide to go with Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jsullysix Posted July 28, 2003 Report Share Posted July 28, 2003 i'd go for the V... but even better than a king V is the original king V (the ones robbin crosby played), also called a double rhoads, as it's the long wing of a rhoads doubled. they're about 2" longer than a standard king v. which is a cool thing if you're tall! sully Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted July 29, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Roli- no, it's just a solid black Epi G400... Derek- that's my one concern, but it doesn't worry me too much, and yes JS's are 22 frets. My only question: how would this shift the neck pickup placement (going from 24 to 22)? I'm kinda leaning toward the RG- I have one and can trace it, and it seems to be quite simple. Jsully- just one prob- I'm 5'6"... hmmm I think V may be out. I'm not terribly excited about the design. I think I've narrowed it down to tele vs. RG... any thoughts on those two? Thanks to you all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Yeah. Drop the Tele and do the RG. There! I never liked 2-HB Teles much, and I don't think the Carvin neck looks very good on a Tele body (I have one of those necks, and I've stuck it on a Tele body...Yecch! The Carvin neck looks much more appropriate on something with more 'zing' to it than a Tele has...A Tele is really an anti-'Zing' shape... Of course, JMO, YMMV... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted July 29, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 Hehe... those are pretty much the reasons why I'm still debating (if the tele had all those things, I'd just go for that). Anyone else have an opinion between those two? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted July 29, 2003 Report Share Posted July 29, 2003 just so you know the rg i made has a 22 fret carvin bolt on neck.just route the neck pocket,put it on,and then measure for the bridge.that accounts for the less number of frets Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
krazyderek Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 My only question: how would this shift the neck pickup placement (going from 24 to 22)? well, u should probably keep the bridge in the standard position, and just move the neck to account for the fact that it wasn't designed for an RG. In terms of the neck pickup, u don't really have to move it at all, but most guitars with 21 or 22 frets have the HB's spaced 4 inches apart (center to center) or if ur going to make a template off the RG u already own, then just leave then neck pickup where it is (less work). What ur going to have to do is find out there the bridge is supposed to be place/ where u want it, and from that, find the scale line for the brige, (i think it's 1/4" behind the whole for the floyd post?) lay ur neck on the body blank, then from that line take out ur long ruler and measure 25½" to the nut, once u have it placed correctly just mark a little line at the end of the neck that's 90 degrees to the center line of the guitar, that's going to be the bottom of ur neck pocket.. and when ur doing all ur routing, just move the template for the neck pocket up to this line, (make sure u keep it nice and square) and rout away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
the third eye Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 RG RG RG!!!!!! i'd do an RG with something crazy like a strange shaped monkeygrip or sumthin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reaper Posted July 30, 2003 Author Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 My only question: how would this shift the neck pickup placement (going from 24 to 22)? well, u should probably keep the bridge in the standard position, and just move the neck to account for the fact that it wasn't designed for an RG. In terms of the neck pickup, u don't really have to move it at all, but most guitars with 21 or 22 frets have the HB's spaced 4 inches apart (center to center) or if ur going to make a template off the RG u already own, then just leave then neck pickup where it is (less work). What ur going to have to do is find out there the bridge is supposed to be place/ where u want it, and from that, find the scale line for the brige, (i think it's 1/4" behind the whole for the floyd post?) lay ur neck on the body blank, then from that line take out ur long ruler and measure 25½" to the nut, once u have it placed correctly just mark a little line at the end of the neck that's 90 degrees to the center line of the guitar, that's going to be the bottom of ur neck pocket.. and when ur doing all ur routing, just move the template for the neck pocket up to this line, (make sure u keep it nice and square) and rout away. ok, thanks, but Wes explained all of that bridge positioning stuff to me in another thread (and I understand it completely). I'll probably just take the positioning off the current RG. Since I had one weak vote for telecaster a while back, and nothing else on that, and a couple stronger votes for RG, I think I'm gonna go with the RG. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GEdwardJones Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 My$0.02 I'll (badly) quote my buddy Chris Steed on the V v RG debate "Start with something curvy. It's easier to correct a curve thru sanding if you screw up. If you mess up a straight line it's pretty much just messed up. As far as pickup position goes. Guitars with 21 -22 frets usually have the first coil of the pickup in a position where the 24th fret would normally be. guitars with 24 frets usually have it at the 26th fret. There *IS* a big difference, harmonically, in these two positions. Personally I prefer the 24th fret position (but I also prefer 24 fret necks, ahh, paradoxes) and visually I *HATE* big gaps between the neck and the neck pickup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bowser Posted July 30, 2003 Report Share Posted July 30, 2003 one thing you don't want to forget though is if you place the bridge where it normally is on an RG, and adjust the neck position to compensate - with the real good access an RG has, to the 24th fret even, your neck will only be going to where the 22nd is and it might look kinda wierd, its hard to explain, but its like the cutaways will be too big compared to where the neck is at. And Also, I'm pretty sure that if your RG has an AANJ then the neck goes in farther than your carvin neck will, the RG neck doesnt just have a big fretboard overhang. look at these pics off jemsite, this is what the caption says: In each of the pictures above, the Original neck is on top and the All Access Neck on the bottom. The fretboard lengths are the same in both, but the necks vary in where they attach to the body. Notice that the original neck's base was shorter, with the fretboard extending out to fit the body. The original body had less routing, whereas the new All Access Neck requires deeper body routing up to the neck pickup. On the All Access Neck, the additional neck wood is needed to allow it to be bolted closer to the bridge. The Heel Joint on the Original necks are at the 16th fret and the neck thickens at the 12th fret. The Heel Joint on the All-Access-Neck is at the 17.5th fret and the neck thickens at the 16h fret. You cannot retrofit an original neck into an all access body. You could however, retrofit an all access neck into an original style body with heavy modifications of the body first. sry if this is a little confusing, I confused myself when i was typing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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