zyonsdream Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 (edited) http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...it/100_3334.jpg Okay, So I found this sad piece of padauk abandoned in the corner of my shop and then I found this fretboard that I forgot about in another corner of my shop. Before I knew it, I ended up making a 25.5” Padauk neck with a bocote fretboard. I really didn’t have a project in mind for this so I’m a bit lost right now. What I need is a good color to match the body. At first I thought Zebrawood because Zebra and padauk look good together but then I thought otherwise because bocote and zebra have very similar color tones. so it might wash out the colors on the fretboard. So, I'm currently pondering three ideas? Use Padauk with zebrawood stringers Use padauk with Ebony stringers Use Limba with ebony stringers Any suggestions on a wood choice that would look nice with my choice of neck woods? Edited November 13, 2007 by zyonsdream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 All those woods you mentioned are -very- dense and -very- heavy woods, which may have a negative effect on the final tone (and weight) ...of the guitar. I would go for a nice bookmatched Paduak top over a body wood that has some MEAT in the tone dept., like Mahogony, which would grain match with Paduak quite well overall. Paduak can have some nice grain structure but not so intense that it competes with the beauty of the fingerboard. Be careful not to make the body too busy, it will compete with, not compliment, your fingerboard. Even chamber it maybe, unless chambering would result in a top heavy guitar due to the weight of the neck. Absolutely beautiful neck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 All those woods you mentioned are -very- dense and -very- heavy woods, which may have a negative effect on the final tone (and weight) ...of the guitar. I would go for a nice bookmatched Paduak top over a body wood that has some MEAT in the tone dept., like Mahogony, which would grain match with Paduak quite well overall. Paduak can have some nice grain structure but not so intense that it competes with the beauty of the fingerboard. Be careful not to make the body too busy, it will compete with, not compliment, your fingerboard. Even chamber it maybe, unless chambering would result in a top heavy guitar due to the weight of the neck. Absolutely beautiful neck! Thanks for the complements on the neck, I appreciate it. I understand what you mean about making the guitar too busy. I really want the fret board to be the focal point for the eye so my goal is not to splatter the piece with 20 different color tones! Using a Padauk top with a mahogany back might be a nice solution and would likely balance the weight of the neck nicely. Having a “warmer” wood like mahogany might take some of the snap out of that padauk. Even a limba back would be nice but I absolutely hate seeing limba covered up with a top. It’s too nice a wood for that! Thanks for your suggestions, keep em’ coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Quarter Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 I too like the Paduak top idea. Add some bocote accents like knobs etc to tie it all together. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 I agree about the mahogany body wood.But I would paint body and neck gloss black,and Bind the fretboard with black as well,leaving the fretboard to stand alone....I think that would look great. I once built a cherry neck with a bocote fingerboard on a maple body,and though the tone was sweet,it was bright as a windchime,hence virtually unlistenable...it hurt my ears it was so sharp.. Incedentally...be sure you seat the frets right the first time...bocote tears out like crazy when pulling frets. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 I agree about the mahogany body wood.But I would paint body and neck gloss black,and Bind the fretboard with black as well,leaving the fretboard to stand alone....I think that would look great. I once built a cherry neck with a bocote fingerboard on a maple body,and though the tone was sweet,it was bright as a windchime,hence virtually unlistenable...it hurt my ears it was so sharp.. Incedentally...be sure you seat the frets right the first time...bocote tears out like crazy when pulling frets. Wha…huh… paint? What? Paint, exotic wood? Well, I decided to go with White Limba for the back and Padauk for the top. I’ll also run some Indian rosewood stringers because I like how rosewood looks in contrast to Padauk. It should make for a simple yet elegant color contrast. BTW, I went with Limba over mahogany because I need Limba for another project so I figured it would do for this project. Now I just need to decide how I want to finish it and what freaking shape I want to do with it. My first thought is Dr. Ducks and a slim line semi-hollow tele shape. I know. Boring! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 Telecasters are never boring, except to new guitar builders who always want to recreate the world with their new and original designs (yes, me included once upon a time) :D. Having said that, I think a more modern sleek body design would suit that killer headstock better. Just me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GermanFafian Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 What about using a non-obtrusive straight mahogany body? It would give you a nice sound and would not fight for attention with the fretboard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 I'm still not sold on the body shape and I might go with something new (try to recreate the world) type thing but it's still up in the air. I really like the idea of letting the wood speak to me and tell me what it wants to be. So far all of the wood used was abandoned or forgotten so it’s sort of my guitar from the land of misfit toys. I thought using straight mahogany or limba would make the neck stand out as being odd with the redness of Padauk and since I don’t want to hardcoat the body I wouldn’t be able to get a nice red tint to the wood. I think the choice of using a Padauk top will work out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 5, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 (edited) Okay, to change the topic a bit I have three body choices (I don't feel like a new desing right now) Telecaster Warlock Destroyer Thoughts? Edited November 5, 2007 by zyonsdream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GermanFafian Posted November 5, 2007 Report Share Posted November 5, 2007 With that head I would go for the Warlock design Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 I made a few decisions and acted on them before I could change my mind. I really like it better when I have a firm game plan instead of this “wing it” mentality that I have with this build! I went with a Padauk top, white limba back and Bolivian rosewood stringers. I think that these wood choices really put the focus on that Bocote board. I’m going to hard coat the body and neck with polyester (minus the board) Two humbuckers Kahler Hybrid bridge Jumbo frets Most likely black hardware. 1 volume, 2 tone Simple but elegant… and easy to sell. LOL! http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j287/ZDG...it/100_3421.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inisheer Posted November 14, 2007 Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Awesome! That is one nice looking guitar. You are right that the focus is on the bocote, but everything else looks cool too. I've never cared for teles much and hoped you wouldn't pick that design, but I must admit that I really like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted November 14, 2007 Author Report Share Posted November 14, 2007 Thanks for the complements! I usually end up keeping the guitars that aren’t commissioned builds and I already have a nice Tele shaped guitar in my collection so I figured it would be easier to list this one for sale. If I had made a warlock out of this it would surely stay with me because I absolutely love Warlocks. I don’t have a problem letting my herd grow but for some reason my wife does Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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