Drak Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 I'm kinda caught in a limbo-land with woods lately... I'll get some outrageous wood, then I have a hard time wondering: 1) If I should cut it up and make it go as far as possible, get as many killer tops out of it as possible... 2) Or use the same wood for the top AND back, (and, where applicable, sides too)and make each guitar just completely over-the-top dead-killer, generally using that whole piece up for one stunning guitar with top-notch wood showing on as many faces as possible. What do you think about each approach? Spread that killer top wood out over 2 or 3 guitars, or make each guitar a drop-dead monster of figured wood. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goat Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 Make one and give me the rest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 Depends on what you want really. I've done both. I just got a $20 Flame board with some killer flame, I could have gotten 1 good top out of it but I decided to spread it out and make 3 necks instead. Conversely I had a pretty decent Flame Billet that I could have gotten a couple tops out of and I decided to make a Solid Flame 7 string body. I guess it depends on my mood more than anything. As long as I'm building something I'm happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snork Posted December 6, 2003 Report Share Posted December 6, 2003 make a top definately. And make a back. keep theh wood together. their family remeber. it'll sound better. the forces of nature oare behind me on this one! the other one will miss its momy other wise! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johntbyrne Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Your choice of course by my opinion is that there is good wood out there if you look around so make each guitar unique. Thus, one guitar and make it killer and design the guitar with "that" wood in mind. I don't know, using similar wood on several guitars sounds too much like a factory to me and less unique. But unique is what turns me on so..... Just my 2 cents which as usual isn't worth much. Cheers John Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex Luthier Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 Do you sell your guitars? I am in a similar situation. I bought a billet on nicely flamed maple, and had it cut into an arch-top blank, and a laminate top, which I used on the guitar I've entered in The Guitar of The Month contest. Personally, I figure I could make more money by getting the arch-top blank re-resawed into two drop tops. I could sell each guitar for, maybe, $1000CDN, but if I made the arch-top, I doubt I could sell it for $2000CDN, maybe $1500CDN. Especially if you used the ENTIRE piece on one guitar, I, personally, could probablyonly sell something like that for, say $1500, maybe, but if I machined the piece into, say four drop tops, I'd sell each guit for around $1000. It would be fun to make a super cool guit, I but personally I'd rather spread the wood out over a number of instruments, maybe sell them in different music stores, and get my name out there and build a reputation. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnnyG Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 if i were making the guitar for myself then i would make each guitar as sweet as possible course the other thing to do would be to do a set. eg do 3 guitars all with the same style top/finish etc but do one as a tele, one as a strat and one as an LP. a mini series if you will lol. would look pretty sweet Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted December 7, 2003 Author Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 No, I don't sell 'em. Couldn't bear the thought! I FREAKIN' LOVE ALL MY AXES!!!! If I saw one of my axes hanging in a store, I would have to buy it back, that's the way I look at it. ...and that's what's driving me into this decision, as soon I will be overrun with guits. ...Hey, life could be worse... It's hard to see highly figured wood that you know you could spread out over several guitars wasted on just one, but I think that's the road I'm heading down, just make each one showing fat-daddy figure all-around. This approach also is cool 'cause you can pre-plan the control cavity cover and cut it out beforehand, so the cover seamlessly blends right in, which I've done a few times too, I really like that approach. It's harder when it comes to finishing, but the end result is very much worth it. It's also cool on TOM guitars because if you pre-cut the cover, the entire back is as highly figured as the front, with only the control cover being an issue, and if pre-cut, then the whole piece of wood is basically left intact. I haven't pre-cut a tremolo cover out yet, but I guess that's the next thing coming. It's like this...if the back is all cut up from control covers and tremolo covers and rear body-bouts, there's very little left to look at sometimes, so that's a waste of good wood. But if you pre-cut all your covers, then it's worth it, since you are retaining most of the wood...guess I just made a decision... I think Scott wrapped it up quite succinctly... As long as I'm building something I'm happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scott Rosenberger Posted December 7, 2003 Report Share Posted December 7, 2003 's like this...if the back is all cut up from control covers and tremolo covers and rear body-bouts, there's very little left to look at sometimes, so that's a waste of good wood. Why not resaw a 1/4 to 3/8" piece and make one BIG Backplate to cover all the cavities?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
daddy ray Posted December 12, 2003 Report Share Posted December 12, 2003 I'm kinda caught in a limbo-land with woods lately... I'll get some outrageous wood, then I have a hard time wondering: 1) If I should cut it up and make it go as far as possible, get as many killer tops out of it as possible... 2) Or use the same wood for the top AND back, (and, where applicable, sides too)and make each guitar just completely over-the-top dead-killer, generally using that whole piece up for one stunning guitar with top-notch wood showing on as many faces as possible. What do you think about each approach? Spread that killer top wood out over 2 or 3 guitars, or make each guitar a drop-dead monster of figured wood. Your thoughts? alas, life for the artist is fraught with difficult to impossable decisions, yes? sometimes it just boils down to where yer head's at when it comes time to do it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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