Supported Neck Project: Rx-7

[AceRimmer]

Hi guys, been a reader of these forums for awhile and been playing with the idea of building a guitar for ages,

all your guitars are very inspiring. The topic about the G-707's neck inspired me to have ago myself at a guitar with a supported neck,

This is the design i've got so far, great quality work done in Paint hm? lol

please let me know what you think so i can get this project started. I already have the wood waiting to be shaped.

The black squares are slide switches like what the red special had, i'm not totaly sure i like the placement on those or not so imput would be great.

Also the strachplate i'm not 100% on so i've got 3 differant ideas for you, one with no stratch plate.

This one here is my fav:

And the heres the others.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4523/guitar14dto0.png

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/5427/guitar14crt3.png

be honest but fair lol

EDIT: no idea on inlay yet so any ideas would be great

Edited July 22, 2006 by AceRimmer

[WezV]

You need to abandon paint and use something that will let you draw the guitar full size and accuratly, maybe a piece of paper and a pencil i use lining paper for walls to draw my plans on because it comes on big rolls and is easy to get.

I like the general idea for the guitar but it wont look like that because the proportions are not correct. heres how i start to plan my guitars:

1. draw a centre line, usually about 40" long.

2. mark the nut location about 7-8" from one end of the line to allow for headstock.

3. From the nut location measure your scale length to see where the bridge will be (25.5" = fender, 25" = PRS, 24.75" = Gibson (general guide only))

4. Decide how may frets you want and find the measurement from the nut to the end of the fretboard (you can measure another guitar for a general guide or use a program like wFret for accuracy)

5. Decide on the width of the neck at the nut and mark that on (around 42mm is a good start)

6. Decide on the width of the neck at the end of fretboard and mark that on (around 56mm is a good start)

7. Join up the edges of the fretboard

8. If you have the bridge or pickups you can draw them on now, if not allow room for them.

At this stage you should at least have the fretboard and bridge position accuratly drawn, you can then go crazy on drawing the shape of the body and headstock

The main reason i posted this is because your fretboard has no taper from nut to bridge and there seems to be too much room between the fretboard and bridge. You will find that your design may look completely different when you have these drawn accuratly. Your design has a lot of parallel lines that wont be there in a real guitar, like the headstock shape and neck support that follow both edges of the fretboard.

I think this guitar could work well and i like your initial ideas.

[Supernova9]

Hi guys, been a reader of these forums for awhile and been playing with the idea of building a guitar for ages,

all your guitars are very inspiring. The topic about the G-707's neck inspired me to have ago myself at a guitar with a supported neck,

This is the design i've got so far, great quality work done in Paint hm? lol

please let me know what you think so i can get this project started. I already have the wood waiting to be shaped.

The black squares are slide switches like what the red special had, i'm not totaly sure i like the placement on those or not so imput would be great.

Also the strachplate i'm not 100% on so i've got 3 differant ideas for you, one with no stratch plate.

This one here is my fav:

And the heres the others.

http://img53.imageshack.us/img53/4523/guitar14dto0.png

http://img388.imageshack.us/img388/5427/guitar14crt3.png

be honest but fair lol

Well, for those slide switches - remember you've got to have a wiring channel away from them - how's that going to work so close to the edge? And that's not even counting the question of what on earth 6 slide switches are going to do for 3 pickups?!?

Also, what actual benefit is a supported neck going to give you in return for being that much harder to construct?

Don't try and run before you can walk.

[AceRimmer]

Hi, thanks for the advice guys.

Yeah dont worry paint was never going to be the medium i'd use for the final design, i just like to doodle in it to get ideas.

6 slide switches were used in the red special as i already said, 2 per pickup, there not a MUST HAVE feature, i'm more then happy to replace them for a better/easyer switches also there placement is not final i was orginaly gona put them near the knobs and have less of them, i just love the look of slide switches.

As to benefits, if you read the G-707 topic, some people say it can help with the tone, weither you agree or not, thats not the reason i'm doing it, it just looks damn cool to me lol

It wont be much harder to construct, the whole support will be a glue on, not an solid piece of the body, of course it will look that way though after its sanded/painted so you wont see a lip/line.

EDIT: forgot to say, what should i make the support out of? same wood as the body or neck? or maybe a lighter wood so the neck is'nt too heavy.

Edited July 22, 2006 by AceRimmer

[ihocky2]

I like the look and the idea. My first suggestion though would be to get a pencil and paper or try and get some kind of affordable CAD software. The reason I say that, is the pickups are really far apart for a 3 HB setup and they are pretty far from the bridge and neck. Once you get the critical dimensions you'll find that most of you body angles will change and you may not have the same disired look. But I think that will actually help the look, since I think it looks too thin because of it being elongated so much. Once you get actual dimensions and a closer idea of the shape I think it will turn out nicely.