humbuckr Posted March 9, 2006 Report Share Posted March 9, 2006 Let me start by saying I'm grateful to have stumbled into this forum. more guitar know-how than I can fathom. Here's the skinny on why I am designing-building this damn guitar. Any and all feedback welcome. - Carl Background: Played a 71' strat my whole life. Always had Les Paul envy. Bought a epi Les Paul and satisfied my need to growl and sustain a bit but learned to love the subtleties of my strat in the process. So I'm one of those I want one guitar to do A LOT (not interested in a Variax just yet) kind of players. Tone: I'm seeking a guitar with a broad dymamic range with a lot of punch and sustain. growling distorted sound but not overly mid-rangy. capable of strat-like ringing on clean. Woods: Honduran Mahogany back (1 1/4") + Birdseye maple top (1/2") Neck: Mahagony with Ebony fretboard - 25 1"2 scale Warmoth Pro. White Corian nut with mini Sperzel locking tuners. Body: Carve top - blend of tele, PRS and Les Paul. Chambered for weight and that hollow kind of sound that I really can't describe but know when I hear it. Adding F-hole like the tele thin-line. adds some distinction. Bridge: Tonepro with thru body ferrels for sustain... Pickups: my head is swimming on this one as my heritage is off the shelf. Something to fulfill my tone quest. looking at Seymour Duncan options as their site is very informative for a newbie like me. Control Knobs: 1 voume, 1 tone, 1 3 way switch. Wiring: Looking at push/pull single/double coil. Doing this for tone options. Pickup positioning: Probably avoiding the 24th fret position for neck pickup (I've read the debate) and don't want the bridge pickup too close to sound too thin. Color:I love the amber dyed look. there is a beautiful tele by Jean-Francois Cyr on the warmoth site. I'm aiming for that look although using average maple rather than drop dead Koa. $$$ Finish:lots of handwringing on this front. I live in Oregon. Springtime weather is all over the map and I don't have access/desire to build some kind of spray booth with the right fans etc. So I am thinking of going the el naturel water based route and see what I can do with a lot lof sanding, polishing rather than donning a space suit and spraying some nasty nitro or poly clear coats. Amps: One thing I don't usually see on these threads is what these projects will be played through which I believe is HUGE. I had a spiritual experience with a marshall triple super lead once and if I rob a bank successfully I will head in that direction or VHT.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mdw3332 Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 Give it up, it can't be done. It's going to be nice. Marty Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
skatz Posted March 10, 2006 Report Share Posted March 10, 2006 that is going to be one sexy guitar. i xcant wait to see it finished. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tirapop Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I like the idea of a Te-Les-Caster. The shape is good. The f-hole is a little too traditional, for me. I like the more stylized version on Manzers, Ribbeckes, and Monteleones. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I like the idea of a Te-Les-Caster. The shape is good. The f-hole is a little too traditional, for me. I like the more stylized version on Manzers, Ribbeckes, and Monteleones. Those are much different guitars though. I prefer the stylized holes on the second design (more like the Gretsch soundhole design). The placement was weird for me at first, then I started playing around with the pic in photoshop --placed the bass-bout hole in its traditional spot (which looks good too). Then went back to your design...More playful. Makes me think of the moon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I like the idea of a Te-Les-Caster. The shape is good. The f-hole is a little too traditional, for me. I like the more stylized version on Manzers, Ribbeckes, and Monteleones. Thoughts: Lots of D'Angelico and D'Aquisto styling cues there ... not sure who their influences were ... don't see how it ties in to the Lesocaster (unless it's going to be Less-a-caster ). I keep coming back to this: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert Irizarry Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 That's going to be beautiful when complete. I'm actually digging the "f-holes" from your first design though. I like their subtlety. Regardless, this is going to be a good looking guitar. I like the round bottom on this design too - always liked them that way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 Almost forgot about this: Johan Gustavsson Guitars. BigD posted this site about a month ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
loudandproud Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 I like the idea of a Te-Les-Caster. The shape is good. The f-hole is a little too traditional, for me. I like the more stylized version on Manzers, Ribbeckes, and Monteleones. Thoughts: Lots of D'Angelico and D'Aquisto styling cues there ... not sure who their influences were ... don't see how it ties in to the Lesocaster (unless it's going to be Less-a-caster ). I keep coming back to this: its like a gretchocaster Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 its like a gretchocaster It IS the Gretsch-o-caster...well, I know that Fender released a Gretsch-styled tele, but the one I saw was red. Looked hot too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
patman Posted March 11, 2006 Report Share Posted March 11, 2006 (edited) That tele is one of the coolest ive ever seen Edited March 11, 2006 by patman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbuckr Posted March 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbuckr Posted March 13, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 13, 2006 Almost forgot about this: Johan Gustavsson Guitars. BigD posted this site about a month ago. nice catch. my design is very much like these guitars. OK - now you've inspired me to push to push the tel-les-caster design a bit further. Any thoughts about a pick guard/no pick guard? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Any thoughts about a pick guard/no pick guard? A-hem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbuckr Posted March 14, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Any thoughts about a pick guard/no pick guard? A-hem! I realize that i have stuck my foot in my mouth although i'm not sure how. i take it you think everything with strings could use a pickguard? i'm planning on a carve top so i would need some kind of les paul-ish raised pick guard. a hem? I have no clue how to make a pickguard and am trying not to bite off more than i can chew on my first build... any ideas? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 I realize that i have stuck my foot in my mouth although i'm not sure how. i take it you think everything with strings could use a pickguard? i'm planning on a carve top so i would need some kind of les paul-ish raised pick guard. a hem? I have no clue how to make a pickguard and am trying not to bite off more than i can chew on my first build... any ideas? Heh heh...no, not every guitar needs one. I suppose. Maybe. Hmm...well, I can't think of too many, but I'm sure they exist Actually, the project I'm working on right now will only have a clear pickguard, assuming I don't screw up the pickup cavity (but I'm not holding my breath there). Most of the projects you see in PGF seem to 'forget' the pickguard --all these guys with their flashy flamed maple (ho-hum). But it's really a matter of personal taste --if you don't WANT a pickguard, then you don't NEED one. But if you want one, then there are plenty of alternatives --easy enough to pick up a Les Paul style guard, for example. Those raised guards are my favorites, by the way. All kinds of cool possibilities. And making/reshaping pickguards isn't that hard. It's only plastic, and if you screw up the first couple of tries, it's no big deal. The nice part about pickguards is you don't have to make it right away, and you can always change it later on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sumphead Posted March 14, 2006 Report Share Posted March 14, 2006 Theif! Well-ok-not-really. Unintentional, yet somehow quick midreading quitar designer! I am in the planning stages of my first build, this is actually at the top of my list less the f-hole though you make it sound interesting enough to consider it. Psuedo thread hijack inserted here - I have only been playing for about 6 months and I have become obsessed with guitars and building. While I am a stressed out air traffic controller by day I own a small acrylic fabrication company on the side. I have specialized in custom aquariums for a long time and well, it just isn't worth it anymore. Needless-to-say I play with acrylic A LOT. And I am looking for ways to integrate some of these skills into my new passion. Soooo, of course the acrylic comes in hany with building strong templates it also comes with tools. Basically the same as any good cabinet/woodworking shop. -End hijack MickGaurd brings up a great possibility in clear pickguards. A les paul style in a hard cell cast clear acrylic would rock! More inportantly cell cast acrylic (not the extruded crap you can buy from Lowes or HD) is HARD and does not scratch nearly as easily as the softer stuff and even if it does can be buffed out on minutes. Using an actual pickgaurd as a template or a template itself could be done in minutes. HTH, R Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbuckr Posted March 15, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 I've taken a swag at some new f-hole designs. This one simply tweaks the standard f-hole with a bit of a modern edge to it. This version places the f-holes where my crescents used to be: Feedback welcome -- cj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Supernova9 Posted March 15, 2006 Report Share Posted March 15, 2006 (edited) I've taken a swag at some new f-hole designs. This one simply tweaks the standard f-hole with a bit of a modern edge to it. Feedback welcome -- cj I think they need to be repositioned or reshaped. They just don't flow with the curves of the body in my eyes (specially the one on the lower bout). The thing that's great about standard f-holes is the way they move with the curve of the body. The first f-holes you designed on your site (the ones that are more like slits in the wood) are much more sleek, elegant, and frankly look better to my eye. Just my $0.02 though, other than that I really like your design. Edited March 15, 2006 by Supernova9 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
xtjdx Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I like the plain crescent f-holes a lot more too. Since this design is more of a modern classic, I don't think that classic styled f-holes would fit well with it. But the crescents just make it flow better and appear much more pleasing to the eye in my opinion. I'm excited to see this take shape. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I've taken a swag at some new f-hole designs. Those look more like E-holes. There's an "A-hole" joke in there somewhere, but it's too damn early. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokeros Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I would really encourage using modern style holes and create your own style to suit the guitar more imo... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
javacody Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Cool body shape! Have you considered a single coil in the center to get closer to the single coil strat sound? Would you mind if I borrowed this shape to do a LP Jr type guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
humbuckr Posted March 16, 2006 Author Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 I've taken a swag at some new f-hole designs. Those look more like E-holes. There's an "A-hole" joke in there somewhere, but it's too damn early. LOL. My wife would tell you that its not too early to figure out where A-Hole is in this project I had a brainstorm as I was driving down I-5 last night so I tweaked on the F-Hole a bit and came up with something that I don't think I've ever come across. have a look: Cool body shape! Have you considered a single coil in the center to get closer to the single coil strat sound? No I haven't but I was thinking of wiring the pickups in parallel so I could get a single or double coil option with a push/pull knob. would the single coil in the middle do a lot better job at the strat sound iyho. Would you mind if I borrowed this shape to do a LP Jr type guitar? No problem I have a vector version of the guitar. I've used a very cool program called inkscape to do the drawing. I actually work right next to the guy who leads this open source project. the program uses an open vector file format call svg (scalable vector graphics). check out inkscape.org it rocks for designing guitars. Also, I've met an inkscape developer who was created very accurate vector versions of most every guitar you can think of. I will ask him if he wouldn't mind sharing them on this forum. -- cj Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mikhailgtrski Posted March 16, 2006 Report Share Posted March 16, 2006 Novel idea, but I don't think it works. Plus it'd be a real pain to make all those cutouts. I think the modern crescent or slit idea is best for this one. What part of I-5? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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