unclej Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 i've been wanting to do this for quite a while and just got her finished. started with a solid piece of walnut, left a four inch strip of solid wood down to the middle and then chambered up to about a quarter of an inch from the edges. added a zebrawood top using a french curve instead of the usual f-hole. the control plate and the pickup surrounds are walnut. i decided on a string through and to be honest the zebrawood insert in the back was used to cover up a bit of a blunder in getting the ferrule holes right the first time. someone posted a thread about adding an auxiliary table to a surface planer in order to make veneer and it worked perfectly. i used it to make the head stock veneer and the caps for the control knobs. she's finished with my home made oil finish and minwax paste wax for hardwood floors. the neck pup is a 1980 gibson t-bucker and the bridge pup is an overwound dimarzio of questionable parentage. i was worrid about the single coil overpowering the paf but i got lucky. you can switch between the two with very little difference in volume. pretty standard wiring..three way switch with volume and tone. i had an idea of what i wanted this guitar to sound like and quite honestly got much more than i had planned on. this baby is all bottom and mid range. you'd be hard pressed to get a country twang out of it. it's got one of the biggest, ballsiest sounds of any guitar that i've built. absolutely perfect for jazz and old slow mississippi delta mud stompin' blues. it's actually got quite a bit of sustain for a hollow body..i'm crediting the walnut. and it sounds great through just about any distortion pedal even though that's not what it was designed for. i'd be tempted to keep it but actually the first guy to play it bought it. guess i can't complain about that. he'll use it more than i would have anyway. feedback is welcome as long as it's good.. here's a link to the rest of the pics if you're interested: http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1499780 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeiscosRock Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 That thing looks amazing! I especially like that Tele influence with the control plate But that 'f-hole' looks a bit like.. something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse666 Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 I really like your pickup choice... I never thought that a H/S would look so good... and yes the f-hole does look like a certain gamete..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thewrathofraf Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 im a pointy guitar metal guy, but i think that thing looks awesome. great workl man!! -RAF Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 hey, it's a french curve..and of course i never thought it looked like anything else until you two pervs brought it up..well, i have been looking for a name for it. thanks for the compliments guys. i've just been playing it some more and i'm having a hard time thinking about giving it up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 For anyone on the forum that ever reads my post they're know I'm obsessed with f-holes, and I LOVE this one. The placement was quite genious, you don't see it u p there in those upper horn regions too often. Way to be original! Love it! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 Psst ... GOTM ... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 28, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 For anyone on the forum that ever reads my post they're know I'm obsessed with f-holes, and I LOVE this one. The placement was quite genious, you don't see it u p there in those upper horn regions too often. Way to be original! Love it! Chris ← i'm not smart enough to know whether hole placement effects tone or not. i just put that one there because it looked right..i did intend for it to have more open area than the standard f-hole and i'd like to think that it had something to do with the sound this thing puts out. when my business partner gets back into town monday i may get him to cut me a little demo of it..i'd really like for you guys to hear the sound. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
verhoevenc Posted October 28, 2005 Report Share Posted October 28, 2005 yes, f-hole placement and size has a lot to do with the sound it puts out...... on archtop acoustics. On this one... not so much lol. But sure does look nice! Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eclipse666 Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Psst ... GOTM ... ← Yes, despite the f-hole resembling a haploid cell I would highly consider giving this a vote.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ooten2 Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 The zebrawood and walnut go great together. Excellent! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovekraft Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Get yer minds out of the gutter - any country boy can tell you that's a tadpole! Pretty sweet! I really like the scalloped two-tone headstock and the neck joint. I'll bet that's fun to play. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 here's a link to the rest of the pics if you're interested: http://img.villagephotos.com/p/2004-10/867653/P1010003.jpg Did I miss something? I only see one pic there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marzocchi705 Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 i only see the one pic too, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 don't know what happened to that link..it was for the whole album when i first posted. try this one http://www.villagephotos.com/pubbrowse.asp?folder_id=1499780 thanks lovekraft..i should have known i could count on you to take the high road. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Myka Guitars Posted October 29, 2005 Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Looks cool! I love the wood combo and the work is very clean. I bet the sustain is due to that 4" center block. I especially like the headstock. The detail is very cool. What a great overall design! ~David Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 29, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 29, 2005 Looks cool! I love the wood combo and the work is very clean. I bet the sustain is due to that 4" center block. I especially like the headstock. The detail is very cool. What a great overall design! ~David ← thanks david..the design of course is a modified tele..i've always like them but never cared for the lower horn..this design with the beveled heel gives you great access to the upper frets. it's a design i'll definitely use again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TeiscosRock Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 You should patent the design of that f-hole.. it'll be a cellular sensation that'll sweep the nation. All jokes aside, though, that's DEFINATELY one of the coolest guitars I have ever seen. Its got a great retro look, but the modern look that I love so much about certain guitars.. I love the accent that the control plate and pickup rings give. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unusual71 Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 (edited) beautiful design. IMO the bridge just doesnt suit it at all, kinda ruins the look for me. but with a more suiting bridge i would honestly say thats one of the nicest guitars. the wood matches it well. i also think the head stock is a little wide. all in all really nice guitar, congrats, and enjoy also, i might build a semiholo in the future. probably for project 4 (currently only on #2:( but im gettin there) and want to do a unique hole, similar to that one, but obviously not a copy Edited October 30, 2005 by unusual71 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thegarehanman Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 That top is gorgeous. Excellent job man, a class act. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 That is beautiful. Very creative and yet almost simple. I love it. See my avatar. it is solid Zebrawood - bet it weighs more than yours! Great work. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 All jokes aside, though, that's DEFINATELY one of the coolest guitars I have ever seen. Its got a great retro look, but the modern look that I love so much about certain guitars.. I love the accent that the control plate and pickup rings give. thank you! what a nice thing to say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted October 30, 2005 Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 thanks marty..i'm with you..i love the simplicity of it and yes, since mine is semi-hollow i'm guessing yours does weigh more. i had noticed your av before..what kind of tone do you get out of it? unclej, it sounded pretty good as I recall, I sold it to a friend about a year ago. I think it had Duncan '59s in it and was a bit heavier sounding than a traditional Tele. My newest is a Swamp ash straight up Tele with vintage 54 pups. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unclej Posted October 30, 2005 Author Report Share Posted October 30, 2005 . My newest is a Swamp ash straight up Tele with vintage 54 pups. sweet! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CudBucket Posted November 1, 2005 Report Share Posted November 1, 2005 Beautiful guitar. Great job. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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