dpm99 Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 I've been thinking for a while about what I want to do for a body carve and I'm having trouble figuring it out. I've love to be able to do something with a rounded edge like a strat and the depth of a carved top. I can't find a good example of that, and wondered if anyone knew of any. If not, what's your favorite carve pattern? That might be interesting to see too. Thanks, -Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 14, 2008 Report Share Posted August 14, 2008 i used to go for soft bevels or a heavy roundover... now i am playing around with making the bevels a bit more concave and sharper edged for some stuff. i do have a gretschy carve top i am doing slowly at the moment that is having a full carved top (a first for me) and i will probably do a roundover on the edge as well have you looked at the PRS mira.. it almost feels lihe a carved top, meets bevels meets strat kind of thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 15, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 Thanks for your reply, WesV. Yes, I've even played a Mira a few times. I always thought of it more as a flat top guitar, but I suppose it is carved. It looks kind of in between. After looking at a whole lot of pictures today, I realized that this is exactly what I described: Or like the one this guy plays - Anyway, now that I see it I don't think I like it. That means I'll probably doing binding, which isn't the worst idea in the world, I suppose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WezV Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 i would call that a sucked lollipop carve - basically everything rounded into everything.. you could get a much more defined look by working some traditional LP carve into it, or even bevels if you dont want binding then dont do binding!! this is what i mean by soft bevels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 15, 2008 Report Share Posted August 15, 2008 I have an Ibanez Prestige S which looks like it has a carved maple top, whereas in fact it's a very well done veneer....petering out a true carved top around a uniform plane is difficult (although by no means impossible) so perhaps veneering might be a roundabout solution to your problem, as you can carve your instrument however you would like (within reason as veneer only stretches/compresses *so* much on curves) then veneer the front face. This has to be my favourite carve....simple really, but very effective and slender. http://www.prostheta.com/guitars/ibanez_6.jpg Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 16, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 (edited) I can't believe I'm actually posting this picture.... I got bored at work one day and started playing around with Paint. So the picture is awful, I know, but it gives an idea as to what's in my head. WesV, I remember that guitar. I think I want even softer bevels than that, except possibly around the inside of the horns. And you made it look awesome without binding. Prostheta, thanks for your reply. My guitar's gonna be thick though, by design. Nonetheless, I love the way that carve is so seemless. And that burst is pretty amazing. Edited August 16, 2008 by dpm99 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 16, 2008 Report Share Posted August 16, 2008 No worries Dave. My Ibanez is my baby. I'm considering buying more Prestige S models if I can't reproduce the radiusing easily using my rail router setup. The way it looks so seamless is that it's not carved at all (apart from the mahogany core) as the maple is pressed over the shape of the front surface. Simple and effective. That's not to say you can't do so with a maple cap and hide the variations in cap edge and carved edge with binding.... Any reason why you're going for a thick body? My S changed my opinion on the whole weight=tone. It's not a thundering monster by any means, but then again, thickness and weight don't equal that either most of the time :-D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Any reason why you're going for a thick body? My S changed my opinion on the whole weight=tone. It's not a thundering monster by any means, but then again, thickness and weight don't equal that either most of the time :-D Yeah, it's been a design feature from conception. It's huge and heavy, and I'm sure someday I'll look back at that and laugh. Practically speaking, if I made it any thinner I wouldn't be able to put the recessed Floyd in without modifying or switching out the block, and I'm not keen on doing either. It's actually slightly thinner than a Tele now (very slightly), but it's a bigger shape. And once I carve the top and the cavities, it'll be a little lighter. I'm not really concerned about the weight anyhow. Then again, if I got used to a guitar like your Ibanez, it might just spoil me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmrentis Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 (edited) I've been mulling over what you were thinking in your first post about the carved top with rounded edge. You could do a carved top with a recurve and then do a roundover on that sharp edge. It may come out looking pretty cool and would probably feel nice. I think your topographical drawing of the carve would work, just do the recurve on the black portion which would nearly bring the edge back to perpendicular and from there do a round over. I'd probably start with a light round over if you went this route and if you want more move up from there. I think a light round over would suit the concept best, just how my brain sees it. I'm sure these other guys have some good pictures somewhere of a recurve(recarve? can never remember) that could help you with a visual. Sounds like a neat idea, if I understood correctly. And if you preferred binding, you could still do the recurve thing, but just bind the edge instead of the round over. Either way would look nice I think. J Edited August 17, 2008 by jmrentis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted August 17, 2008 Report Share Posted August 17, 2008 Then again, if I got used to a guitar like your Ibanez, it might just spoil me. You say that like there's something wrong with being spoilt! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 my favorite carve to do is definitely this by far. http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r191/st...17/DSCN0528.jpg this is basically the same thing but deeper. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 Carousel, that's like...perfect. It's not exactly what I was describing, but I think I may like it better. I hope you don't mind if I use that a inspiration for my carve. I'd be very interested in hearing some details on how to replicate that kind of work, if you're willing to share. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/showp...amp;postcount=7 Thats a tutorial on that carve I did a while ago, It's not that hard to pull off actually. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dpm99 Posted August 18, 2008 Author Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/forum/showp...amp;postcount=7 Thats a tutorial on that carve I did a while ago, It's not that hard to pull off actually. Awesome. But I'm assuming you left out a step or two. The final pic doesn't look like you have a straight line carve. Did you do anything else to shape those lines? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
carousel182 Posted August 18, 2008 Report Share Posted August 18, 2008 The sanding step gets rid of the straight line. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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