Nic James Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Ok this is only my second guitar so I'm still new at this but here goes. For this guitar I'm thinkin really thin and really light (I hope). This presents some serious problems with strength that I was hopin you guys could help me with. I was planning on doing a neck-thru headless guitar but I've got some questions about the neck. I want to make it about as thin as an Ibanez wizard neck if that helps but I'm also going to scallop the fretboard. I have a piece of mahogany for the neck which I plan to laminate to get the thickness I want. What kind of neck strengthening would you guys suggest (I was thinking one truss rod and a carbon fiber bar on either side but I'm open to suggestions). I obiously don't want the neck to warp and with carbon fiber rods supporting it the bow shouldn't be a problem but I am concerned about it twisting. I also want to know how you everyone feels about steel frets since that was what I was planning on using. Finally I was planning on securing the strings to the end of the neck using an ibanez locking nut and just clamping them down, think this'll work? This is the plan I have drawn up so far. It's in pencil so it's kinda hard to see. Feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to answer them quickly, I'm sure I missed some things I'm supposed to be studying for the ACT. Thanks, peace boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
foil1more Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 (edited) I think using carbon fiber in the neck should be fine. Just remember not to go so thin that you find the truss rod. I don't think a locking nut will be enough to hold the strings. I may be wrong but all of the headless guitars and basses I've seen have had a metal thing on the end of the neck to hold the ball end of the string. And if you're going to go thin on the body, remember that you need room for the electronics. Edited October 17, 2008 by foil1more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psw Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I forget the name...but there is an ultra thin guitar "balck..." something or other... Anyway...I suspect that looks a bit like a ricky bass...might have some problems also...the upper horn might be a little fragile to take a strap for instance and looks a little too thin. The neck also...with scollping and a very thin profile there will be very little fretboard left at all...so potetially, those carbom rods and truss rod might pop it right off the guitar!!! What is the reasoning for theses design parameters...why so thin and light? There are lots of ways to go light without thin, and lots of ways of contouring a guitar back and front in order to give the appearance and feel of thin...still leaving enough meat where it is required... On the locking nut idea...probably not the best way of doing it...is this some kind of headless thing? In that case, I don't think the body really suits. I'd be concerned about the tuning at the body end too...I don't see any provisions for tuning on the body at all? pete PS...ACT? Down here, that is where all the politicians go... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Batfink Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Blackmachine Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
joshvegas Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 (edited) is there not also a supr thin vigier or something? althoug possibly its just super thin at the edges... Edited October 17, 2008 by joshvegas Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mickguard Posted October 17, 2008 Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 I have a Hofner Verythin, excellent lightweight guitar. And it's...uh...very thin... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nic James Posted October 17, 2008 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2008 Alright guys first off thanks for the imput and wow that blackmachine is one sick guitar, I'd never even heard of it. Now I wanna clear a few things up. For tuning at the body end I was planning on using the gearless Steinberger tuners from stewmac I'd put past the Tune-O-Matic I got. Also I did a little bit of testing with my brothers Ibanez. It has the same kind of locking nut I was thinking of using and so i tightened it down, let the tension off between the nut and the tuners and then played it some and left it aroung for a few days. It didn't seem to to detune any but my concern is that if the strings were cut off after the nut the larger ones may unravell if that makes any sense. For the top horn it occured to me that it might be a bit weak and so I was planning on using the excess rod (probobally about 5 inches) to strengthen it since I am planning on adding about a quarter inch of maple on the top of the "body wings" so it would be simple to put in under that. As for the fingerboard problem, I was worried about that also since I'v heard about problems with scalloped fingerboards. So do you guys think that Exoxy would be better for securing a fingerboard, has anyone worked with it before. I also plan on contouring it alot so "really thin" may have been an exaguration if I can make it look thin and keep weight down. My main goal with this guitar was to make a really playable neck, kinda like a parker fly neck but scalloped. Also is it better to have the carbon rods right next the neck or not (I was thinking about half an inch away on either side might be good but I'm no expert). P.S. Up here in the state the ACT is a standardized test that high school kids take to help colleges make acceptance decisions and I have to take mine in a week. See ya, rock on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anderekel Posted October 18, 2008 Report Share Posted October 18, 2008 No help on the guitar, but just thought I'd put in that the ACT's aren't that bad. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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