Mattia Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Sweet job! I love it, the whole thing came out awesome! I had a question about the wiring, though. I've heard a lot of people say that not having a capacitor/tone knob plays with the sound a bit. What do you think, is that the case? Also, how would one go about wiring EMGs without a tone knob? It's a little late for my explorer project, but I NEVER use the knob, I just didn't want to have to dissect or change anything around as far as wires go, any more than I already had to. Just cut away the cap/ground wire going to the tone, and wire up the volume as normal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fookgub Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 look at the polish on the body compared to the pic of the rear with the cavity cover...notice the cavity cover is much glossier?i used nothing but dry micromesh on it...polishing compounds on the body...from here on out all i will be using is micromesh Dry as in no water? Is that how they recommend using it? I must say I'm quite impressed. I think I'll give micromesh a try. What grit did you go up to? How much paper did you end up using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jnewman Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 (edited) Micromesh is available up to 12000 grit, and they say you can use it wet or dry, then wash the gunk out when you're done and use it again. It's significantly more expensive than sandpaper but lasts a lot longer and gets a whole lot finer. Edited February 27, 2007 by jnewman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 27, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 what he said ^^^ i only used one small square per grit...it lasts freakin forever Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
marksound Posted February 27, 2007 Report Share Posted February 27, 2007 Good work Wes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 okay...so the straight scoop on the kahler 7300..i have two of them...black and chrome..i swapped them out on this guitar to demo them. first off...the black one sucks.don't ask me why because i don't know...it rattled,didn't feel all that good,the barwas sticky...i think maybe these bridges don't have the QC that they should. so i will go on about the chrome one...it is MUCH better.there are pros and cons vs the floyd. pros. 1) the kahler is easily adjustable in every concievable direction..it can be adjusted in every way with the strings on and tuned to pitch... all you do is lift the string off and to the side of the saddle,adjust,and slip the string back. 2)stability...OH.MY.GAWD. you never even realize how unstable a floyd is until you play one of these things...they are in a word awesome. 3)tone...way superior to a floyd...sounds like a t.o.m. on steroids. cons 1)less pitch variance.... yes it's true...they do have limited movement as they are...i think you could modify it so it swings further in both directions if you wanted... all it would take is to disassemble it and grind the block down...i think slayer must have them modded for that...mine is set so that it dives a limited amount and pulls back to an insane degree 2)this is HUGE!!!pay attention...YOU CAN NOT USE BIGGER STRINGS THAN 42S..thats right...i tried to put a heavier set in(10-54)and it would not go into the ball clip...i normally play 9-42 so it's okay....but if you want to use heavier strings they will not fit...and the diecast(yes,that's right...i said diecast) potmetal ball clips WILL snap off if you try to widen it a bit...you could possibly file the gap a bit wider...but DO NOT pry on them...i now have a ruined bridge that i need to buy parts for... okay...all that aside...i really,really like this bridge(the chrome on) alot...and i have no idea,but i think the 2300 is most likely made with better quality metal...in fact..the kahler site says the 2300 is made of forged steel...no diecast..and i think the clips are probably wider as well so... i think i will just spend the extra $ in the future and get a 2300...but the 7300 is a decent alternative. so...bubinga as a tone wood...use it...there is nothing to not like about it...hands down the best natural tone i have heard...much like a very dense piece of mahogany. all in all i am very happy with this guitar...finally i built a guitar that i can see myself still playing 10 years from now Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord-of-the-strings Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Wes you are indeed themann. Sick axe man. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 i'll tell you somethig else...i seriously worry about those 7 and 8 string kahler hybrids...i was looking at the pictures of them and it looks as if the ball clips are the same size as the ones on the 7300...and if so there is no way in hell any thick ass strings are going to fit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 oh...also...thanks everybody for the kind words...i have been kind of waiting for the dreamcrushers to roll through and tell me all about how they would have done this or that differently...but it's nice that it hasn't happened. there are some flaws in this guitar(all in the finish..a couple of pinholes and such)...but i really feel like it is a very nice instrument.i am proud of myself,because it is a tremendous leap from my others....and i honestly feel like it is a better instrument than any of my bought guitars,including my usa jackson... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 I've heard a lot of people say that not having a capacitor/tone knob plays with the sound a bit. What do you think, is that the case? i'm sorry,i missed this before. i wire mty guitars as hot as i can,and since i never use the tone knob on a metal guitar,i do away with it.the effect is that the sound is a bit hotter,with more attack(highs are a bit more up front) i don't know why,but every time i rewire a guitar(or wire up a new one)it ends up hotter than factory...if i had to guess i would say the factory solder jobs are really poor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Setch Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 The 'leap' guitar is a great feeling - where all your ducks line up, and you suddenly realsie - damn, this isa *really* nice guitar. For me it was no.3, the DC with tortoise binding, it was just head and shoulders better than the ones that went before, apart from some minor finishing and binding niggles. Congrats Wes - looks like a very cool guit-box Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VanKirk Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 I want to play that guitar! I could swear that bridge is the same an old Peavey Impact I used to have. I liked that bridge and I remember that it was a Kahler....I miss that guitar. Shoulda never gave it to my ex-GF I've been tryin to find some info but all I've found was the link to an ebay auction. Nice job! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mattia Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 The 'leap' guitar is a great feeling - where all your ducks line up, and you suddenly realsie - damn, this isa *really* nice guitar. For me it was no.3, the DC with tortoise binding, it was just head and shoulders better than the ones that went before, apart from some minor finishing and binding niggles. Congrats Wes - looks like a very cool guit-box Took me a little longer than that, with the Big Red PRS Thing (which was, actually, the third guitar of that type that I'd ever finished). Although looking back on the one before that, seeing it again for the first time in a long time, I was pleasantly impressed with it...your mind tends to remember all the tiny little niggles that nobody but you sees...it's the curse of the builder! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 seeing it again for the first time in a long time, I was pleasantly impressed with it...your mind tends to remember all the tiny little niggles that nobody but you sees...it's the curse of the builder! I hate that feeling, but i have it with every single guitar i have built I have never had one particular leap guitar, maybe my 2nd, 4th, 10th, 14th, 18th and 25th. I keep thinking i am quite good at this then, after every few guitars i build, one comes along that surprises me and i notice how much i have improved. Mind you, as soon as they are gone from my life i worry about how they are behaving and wonder if they were actually as good as i thought they were. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menaceg Posted February 28, 2007 Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 Hey Westhemann What type of finnish did you use? I have a bubinga top i need to finish. Did you add a tint to the finish? what was the process from the filler to the final buffing. Cos man that axe is killer. Cheers Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted February 28, 2007 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2007 menaceq...i used ca glue to fill the pores...then i added a coat of clear and level sanded it to 220....then i mixed up another 100 cc batch of clear and added some translucent cherry universal dye to it...shot that 100 cc's...mixed up another 100 ccs of clear with yellow translucent dye,shot that...then did it again with the cherry...then i shot my final coats of clear(no dye) between every 100 cc batxch i level sanded with 220...then after the final coat i level sanded with 600,then sanded to 1200(working through the grits),then i polished with buffing compounds usig a foam pad in a drill.incedentally you can get foam drill pads at autozone for about $3 a piece next time though it will all be micromesh... oh...the finish was sherwin williams sher-wood water white conversion varnish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted March 1, 2007 Report Share Posted March 1, 2007 ... Thats me being speechless. Awesome axe...very nice work mate. ... Me being speechless again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
menaceg Posted March 3, 2007 Report Share Posted March 3, 2007 menaceq...i used ca glue to fill the pores...then i added a coat of clear and level sanded it to 220....then i mixed up another 100 cc batch of clear and added some translucent cherry universal dye to it...shot that 100 cc's...mixed up another 100 ccs of clear with yellow translucent dye,shot that...then did it again with the cherry...then i shot my final coats of clear(no dye) between every 100 cc batxch i level sanded with 220...then after the final coat i level sanded with 600,then sanded to 1200(working through the grits),then i polished with buffing compounds usig a foam pad in a drill.incedentally you can get foam drill pads at autozone for about $3 a piece next time though it will all be micromesh... oh...the finish was sherwin williams sher-wood water white conversion varnish Thanks wes Rock on man Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vinny Posted March 7, 2007 Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 Wes, this one is going into GOTM..........right? Beautiful job. Because of your build, Im not doing a brush on clear as planned, but will be spraying a 2 part like you did. Thanks for posting this for all of us. -Vinny Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 7, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2007 not going into gotm... there are(as i said) a few finishing flaws,and one other snafu(which i recovered from a long time ago)and i would not feel right about putting it to gotm rest assured next time i enter gotm the guitar i enter will be perfect or so close as to not matter.but not to worry...nothing at all wrong with the way this guitar looks or plays...i actually quite love it.it plays like butter and the tone is superb.i made some mods to the kahler and it is really a kick ass instrument. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFW Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 What exactly did you do to the Kahler? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GregP Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 That guitar is freakin' sweet. Man that thing looks killer. Q that may have already been answered: if the black Khaler is a POS, did you ultimately leave the chrome one installed? How did it look? Are you switching it over, or sticking with the black one? Exchanging the black one? If you've already answered this, I missed it. Greg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
metalwarrior Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 Also, if you did keep the chrome, did you replace the rest of the hardware with chrome? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted March 11, 2007 Author Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 i left the chrome one on for now.as soon as possible i want o put on a 2300 in black. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Robert_the_damned Posted March 11, 2007 Report Share Posted March 11, 2007 I can't remember if I've already commented on what a sick gutiar this is oh well if I haven't I have now! 1)less pitch variance.... yes it's true...they do have limited movement as they are...i think you could modify it so it swings further in both directions if you wanted... all it would take is to disassemble it and grind the block down...i think slayer must have them modded for that...mine is set so that it dives a limited amount and pulls back to an insane degree Might it be a differance between 2300's and 7300's? though I doubt it as nearlly all the parts are exactly identical. Maybe they have had them modded If I ever meet Kerry King on the street I'll ask him. 2)this is HUGE!!!pay attention...YOU CAN NOT USE BIGGER STRINGS THAN 42S..thats right...i tried to put a heavier set in(10-54)and it would not go into the ball clip...i normally play 9-42 so it's okay....but if you want to use heavier strings they will not fit...and the diecast(yes,that's right...i said diecast) potmetal ball clips WILL snap off if you try to widen it a bit...you could possibly file the gap a bit wider...but DO NOT pry on them...i now have a ruined bridge that i need to buy parts for... Ah darn it! Looks like I have some metal to file (I'd only be going up to 52's or 54's so that's only about a quarter of a milimeter to remove). That's a bit anoying. I also share your doubts that they'be used differant clips on the 7 and 8 string versions...maybe they've used the bass trem clips but probably not. all in all i am very happy with this guitar...finally i built a guitar that i can see myself still playing 10 years from now unless you make something even better inbetween time, which I think you most defenatly will. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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