Dan Salter Posted May 20, 2006 Report Share Posted May 20, 2006 (edited) Hi guys...this is my first build submission here but after seeing GODINS wenge guitar posted and seeing some similarities i thought id post some pics of the wenge capped les paul i built last year! The guitar is all les paul standard spec except for the wenge cap and slightly thinner body to reduce weight of the heavy wenge cap ...so basically mahogany neck, maranti ( mahogany family) body and carved wenge cap ( all done by hand)..me and godin must think alike as he chose the same metal pick up surrounds as me, switch and even ebony fingerboard...my only change to the trad les paul set up ( i own a few gibsons) was reversing of the vol and tone control parallelagram shape so the volume sits closer to the playing area for volume swells ( i have small hands) although saying this on future les paul builds i will revert back as i dont like change too much . Pick ups are currently bareknuckle "black dogs" although these are to be changed as the black dog is a mid range boosted pick up...and until i built it i didnt realise quite how mid range wenge is so i will be changing them soon to give me more treble ( for another bareknuckle model as they rock !)....they are tapped on the pull pots ( tone controls) and because of the mid range i find myself playing with both humbuckers tapped to sound more like single coils/trebly which wasnt my plan Hope you like the pics if i can work out how to insert them ? Headstock wenge veneer is a bit rushed needs more sanding and oiling whole guitar is oiled by the way no lacquer. Edited May 21, 2006 by Dan Salter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 20, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 20, 2006 (edited) http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/w6.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/w1.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/w01.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/bil...le/PIC_0007.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/bil...le/PIC_0004.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/bil...le/PIC_0001.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/127.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/129.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/075.jpg http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f303/billbuckle/069.jpg Edited May 24, 2006 by Dan Salter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thirdstone Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Very nice Dan I like the understated look. Beautiful wood especially the flame on the maranti. The neck join looks great it kinda makes gibsons neck join look way overcomplicated. What oil did you use for the finish? You have been to my post so you know I am doing an oil finish but lately I have had a change of heart as the danish oil did not provide enough wear protection to the stain I am applying. I have rubbed it all back and will redo the stain then use a tung oil based finish thats designed for floors so it should be tough enough. Any issues with the finish you used?? Another question ; What neck angle did you end up using? Kev Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ben Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Looks really nice! Wenge is a great looking wood Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Thanks...yes im not a fan of BLING on guitars...this would look sickly / too much with gold hardwear for example. Although i am a fan of zemaitis guitars with all the pearl and metalwork..but somehow they are still cool and tasteful The oil finish is fine for me as i have no stain or colour anywhere just natural woods...i didnt even think about that point when i posted on your thread, i guess to protect the sunburst you will need a tougher finish. the oil used was danish oil. as for the neck angle ill be honest i cant remember off the top of my head as i built it a year back but its based on plans for a les paul standard and feels the same as all my gibsons so whatever they have is what i have on this. I built the whole guitar from 3 lumps of wood in 5 days straight on a course i did....im currently trying to set up my own workshop so i can start building again Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 *love* the neck join - the way the body shape bass bout curves back down and around to make almost a perfect circular shape, with the neck tenon echo-ing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Sorbera Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 (edited) Looks farmaliar but I just can't place it.. Nice job! Is this your first guitar? How does the wenge sound as a cap? Is the weight unbarable? I know my guitar weighs a ton, around 11 pounds EDIT: Like I said earlier, very nice. But your in violation of the picture posting rules. Only one image per post, the rest get linked, and 640x640 is the widest any picture can be. Edited May 21, 2006 by Godin SD Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 oh really? didnt know ok ill try to fix it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 oh really? didnt know ok ill try to fix it As long as you're using photobucket, you can post thumbnails instead (check off the photos you want to use, go to the bottom of the page and chose 'generate html etc' --that will give you links to past directly). As for the oil finish...you've pretty much confirmed my decision to go with oil from now on. Looks great--did you wax it too? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted May 21, 2006 Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 Niiiice. I'm more and more tempted to do a carved-top Wenge guitar (I've used it as a cap before, and in neck lams), since it's so pretty, quite cheap, readily available, and I shall soon have a bandsaw to cut it with (mwah hah hah). Minor correction: Meranti (aka Phillipine Mahogany) is not in the same family as the mahoganies. The true mahoganies (Swetenia spp) and the African varieties (Khaya spp, Entandrophragma spp - Sipo and Sapele - and even Cedrela) are in the same family, the Meliaciae. Just FYI. Pretty different working properties (splittier than the 'mahoganies'). That's a particularly nice piece, though, as I've not really come across any that I'd bother building with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 21, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 21, 2006 *love* the neck join - the way the body shape bass bout curves back down and around to make almost a perfect circular shape, with the neck tenon echo-ing it. Thanks...its very comfortable but i have to hold my hands up...this part was marks way ( the guy that ran the course) i probably would have just done the normal gibson style join had he not given me this option but now i shall always do something similar, maybe even more sleeker Looks farmaliar but I just can't place it.. Nice job! Is this your first guitar? How does the wenge sound as a cap? Is the weight unbarable? I know my guitar weighs a ton, around 11 pounds EDIT: Like I said earlier, very nice. But your in violation of the picture posting rules. Only one image per post, the rest get linked, and 640x640 is the widest any picture can be. Hi mate ...yes very familiar..great minds think alike. im a big fan of chrome or satin pick up surrounds ( not gold though) ...ok firstly YES it is my first build...i built it in 5 days on a course !...the wenge cap sounds good but as you will know its a very mid range wood ( hence why used on a lot of basses) so pick up choice is the key which i got a bit wrong...i chose bareknuckle black dogs as im a massive zep fan and figured these are based on a pagey sound...which they are but are a very mid range pick up...that and the wood makes the whole thing playable but too middy for me so they will be changed for a brighter pick up. I havent weighed it and dont have scales but yes its heavy...i should think pretty much as heavy as my les paul standard even though it has a thinner body...( i quite like heavy guitars never understood all this...ultra light this and that and light wood etc) i like to feel them round my neck...but can understand some people prefer not to have a hunch back by the time they are 35 ;-) oh really? didnt know ok ill try to fix it As long as you're using photobucket, you can post thumbnails instead (check off the photos you want to use, go to the bottom of the page and chose 'generate html etc' --that will give you links to past directly). As for the oil finish...you've pretty much confirmed my decision to go with oil from now on. Looks great--did you wax it too? I have kind of fixed the photo thing if i get time ill try and change them to thumbnails... Oil rocks....of course the argument is that it also lets the wood breathe and sing giving better tone...i just love the lovely smell when you open the case ;-) No wax....just a bit of lemon oil on the fingerboard and danish oil on the rest of the guitar Niiiice. I'm more and more tempted to do a carved-top Wenge guitar (I've used it as a cap before, and in neck lams), since it's so pretty, quite cheap, readily available, and I shall soon have a bandsaw to cut it with (mwah hah hah). Minor correction: Meranti (aka Phillipine Mahogany) is not in the same family as the mahoganies. The true mahoganies (Swetenia spp) and the African varieties (Khaya spp, Entandrophragma spp - Sipo and Sapele - and even Cedrela) are in the same family, the Meliaciae. Just FYI. Pretty different working properties (splittier than the 'mahoganies'). That's a particularly nice piece, though, as I've not really come across any that I'd bother building with. Wenge is lovely...when i was doing the carve i was told its very very hard to work but having never done a carve before i knew no different and found it a breeze to be honest...ill probably be shocked when i next carve something easier....a point i should make is wenge is highly toxic so a mask / respirator should be worn when working it. To be honest i was going for a look more than anything...i wanted a rosewood les paul ( like the famous rosewood tele that george harrison had made and allegedly a rosewood start was built for hendrix but got lost) or at least a rosewood cap...this wasnt possible so wenge was the next dark grain wood i could find...i just wanted a real dark wood cap to contrast the chrome hardware...i think i nailed it. Until someone proves me wrong i havent ever seen a wenge capped les paul...i like to be different. Someone said to me the guitarist from golden earring had a similar guitar built but ive yet to see pics of it? and cool...thanks for the headsup about meranti...im just going on what i was told...mahogany family...which you have corrected ...to be honest it seems pretty similar in look and weight so im cool with it...and i was lucky to find a nice flame in mine ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ledzendrix1128 Posted May 22, 2006 Report Share Posted May 22, 2006 GORGEOUS Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 ah .....you mean the pic of me carving right? ...your too kind ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
S.Dodding Posted May 23, 2006 Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 (edited) Great looking guitar, I like it! YES it is my first build...i built it in 5 days on a course ! This wouldn't be the Baileys course would it? Edited May 23, 2006 by S.Dodding Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dan Salter Posted May 23, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 23, 2006 Great looking guitar, I like it! YES it is my first build...i built it in 5 days on a course ! This wouldn't be the Baileys course would it? Might be ;-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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