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Uli Jon Roth's Sky Guitar


Pott

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Well for this summer project, I went from Soloist, to Tele, to Soloist, to a guitar with the shape of Uli Jon Roth's. Don't worry I'll porsonalize it. It shall be neck through, still with maple neck and center, and Mahogany wings. I may modify the shape slightly by adding another horn/cutaway, but before that I was wondering if there are any plans anywhere, just with basic dimensions so I would be able to draw the shape more accurately.

Oh and I think it'll just have 27 frets, the last ones being slanted. I won't do the whole... 31 or so Mr Roth has... ouch.

Eh I just thought through it more... That silver thing, I could use pickguard material, route the top for a standard toggle 3 way switch, and just do a little wiring channel to the pots which would be at the other end of the pickguard, or rear routed. I like the controls the way they are on his guitar though so I'd probably just place them there. Going to be simpler though. I also have a cool crescent like design for the headstock.

OOOOH and it's going to have a Floyd with a tremolno... Yuuuum... A humbucker at the bridge and a slanted single (to follow the fretboard).

DAMN I wish I knew anything about photoshop so I could try the designs I have in mind :D

Edited by Pott
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is this ur first build?? if so id suggest steering clear of ur own creation unless u have drawn full scale plans and know EXACTLY what you want in regards to hardware etc, and not change from that, might also wanna think bout sticking with that soloist or tele, might be easier to build with better results.

but if u have built before, my only question would be how u plan to accurately cut the slanted fret slots? and what kind of scale length is that? with 31 or so frets, better think it through in a bit more detail

Edited by where's the beef???
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is this ur first build?? if so id suggest steering clear of ur own creation unless u have drawn full scale plans and know EXACTLY what you want in regards to hardware etc, and not change from that, might also wanna think bout sticking with that soloist or tele, might be easier to build with better results.

but if u have built before, my only question would be how u plan to accurately cut the slanted fret slots? and what kind of scale length is that? with 31 or so frets, better think it through in a bit more detail

I strongly disagree with the first bit. Planning/drawing out your first guitar is rewarding, not that hard, and best of all, cheap. Get Melvyn Hiscock's book (Make Your Own Electric Guitar) and read through the design section a few times, and you'll do fine. Just think it all through, and all will go well. Don't try to re-invent the wheel, though; look at what's been done (answer: almost everything you're bound to think up as an 'original idea'), think the implications through, and then go for it.

I believe old Hamer Californians had 27 frets on them, only on the treble side, angled neck pickup. You can't cut 'slanted' fret slots and expect them to be useful for playing on. Unless you're fanning the frets (check Mike Doolin's site for an article on how to do that, linked to from Novax's website), you gotta leave 'em parallel to each other.

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The frets won't be fanned, just the end of the fingerboard will be slanted, like on on Jackson USA Warriors. And I had planned on making a plywood jig before hand, just to be sure. I will do the plans and everything else, for the sake of security (and I'd feel awkward drawing on wood so I'll try and do that the least possible :D )

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I think I finalized the design...

6 strings

Neck thru maple/walnut/maple (for looks)

Mahogany wings

Quilt maple top on the curvy part under the pearloid

Pearloid pickguard (not cut in the middle like on Uli Jon Roth's guitar)

maple fingerboard, slanted at the end for 27 frets on the high e

26.6'' scale

The guitar will be painted in transparent blue so that the quilt shows. I want the quilt for the Maple/Mahogany configuration...

Headstock design to be determined

On the top horn there'll be a 3 way toggle instead of Roth's gem.

On the lower side of the pickguard, there'll be 2 volume controls and a mini toggle split

It'll have a 2 point fulcrum trem, non locking, with a graphite nut, non angled headstock and tremolno (since I'm not sure in what tuning I'll keep it)

Pickups will be a Seymour Duncan Custom at the bridge and a SCR1 coolrails at the neck, slanted along the fingerboard end, in the pickguard

The guitar probably will be a little smaller than Roth's though, his is huge...

If anyone has the guitar as a plan or something for photoshop, I wouldn't mind a mockup... I'd have no idea how to do this myself and I can't find a plan :D I wouldn't want to bother anyone with it though.

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is this ur first build?? if so id suggest steering clear of ur own creation unless u have drawn full scale plans and know EXACTLY what you want in regards to hardware etc, and not change from that, might also wanna think bout sticking with that soloist or tele, might be easier to build with better results.

but if u have built before, my only question would be how u plan to accurately cut the slanted fret slots? and what kind of scale length is that? with 31 or so frets, better think it through in a bit more detail

I strongly disagree with the first bit. Planning/drawing out your first guitar is rewarding, not that hard, and best of all, cheap. Get Melvyn Hiscock's book (Make Your Own Electric Guitar) and read through the design section a few times, and you'll do fine. Just think it all through, and all will go well. Don't try to re-invent the wheel, though; look at what's been done (answer: almost everything you're bound to think up as an 'original idea'), think the implications through, and then go for it.

I believe old Hamer Californians had 27 frets on them, only on the treble side, angled neck pickup. You can't cut 'slanted' fret slots and expect them to be useful for playing on. Unless you're fanning the frets (check Mike Doolin's site for an article on how to do that, linked to from Novax's website), you gotta leave 'em parallel to each other.

Your're right, Cali's have 27 frets with the last three being cut at an angle - i've got 8 or 9 of the buggers !!!

Jem

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