StormLeader Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 Wow, that's probaly the most amazing guitar that I've seen yet, the maple on top just looks killer! The guitar just... Flows I guess, the shape is amazing, the binding on the FB fits very well also! -Stormy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SD83 Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 WOW! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shredforbread33 Posted February 23, 2009 Report Share Posted February 23, 2009 That looks great! The shape is sweet. I would love to own a guitar like that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AprilEthereal777 Posted February 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 Hey folks thanks a heap for the positive comments. To answer a few of the queries raised....... Factory150, the strings are a D'Addario set of 10's to 46's with lot of odd ones in between! Interesting to read your thoughts about the chambering topic Pete, thanks for contributing! And yes I agree, at the very least, weight reduction. Cheers Andronico, glad you like it! My wife also was opposed to the control cavity cover being antique white........I like it as I think it compliments the binding and overall adds to a bit of a 'vintage' feel to it........I also didn't want to take the eye away from the Brazilian Walnut, but...........truss rod also was an easy fix for now........I agree with you though, time for a fiddly wooden truss rod to be churned out! Thanks again everyone, I am very proud of this build (about my 13th or so) and will be genuinely saddened to see it go if it sells. I even feel a tad encouraged to have a crack at GOTM ......first time for everything, nothin' to lose etc etc Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unrealize Posted February 24, 2009 Report Share Posted February 24, 2009 But please change the trussroad cover and the control cover for covers made using wood, just my 2 cents... I totally second that. It would look so much better. It looks awesome now, but with better covers it would look superduperawesomefantastic! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RGman Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Awesome axe Jon ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadmike Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 oh wow its like a layer of rippled silk on that body! really nice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ae3 Posted February 25, 2009 Report Share Posted February 25, 2009 Where in Melbourne was this woodworking show????!!!!!!! That's a really nice top, and a great guitar. You're doin the Aussie's proud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AprilEthereal777 Posted February 26, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 Nice to hear from you RG and thanks for the comment Thank you again to all re the truss rod and control cavity comments.......popular vote has won the day and I will change them....truss rod cover is easy, I'll use a nice little piece of QLD Maple......I don't have any Walnut that I want to cut up small for a control cavity cover though???......I have a perfect peice of Mad Rosewood which would compliment the fret board but you can't see the fret board from the back so.....what about Tasmanian Myrtle which would match the centre strip in the neck......or my preference, shiny black plastic? AE3 thanks a heap mate and to all Melbournians/Victorians stay safe tomorrow! We can't wait for this awful summer to end!!!!! Sick of living under the constant threat of bushfire/wildfire. QLD Maple is a stunning timber and I was so lucky with this top. You never really know how good a book match is going to come up until it's done and this one is one of 3 "freaks" I pulled out of a 2.9m long, 40mm thick, 400mm wide slab........tonally, it has been proven to stack up very nicely with Maton and Cole Clark acoustics/electrics so I am a big fan! A very good mate of mine, and fellow member of this forum, Oz Tradie, reckons this bookmatched top looks like a er, large ladies derriere with a g string , anyone see anthing else? Thanks again to all who have shared their comments and feedback, I'm stoked! ......now, off to play it Jon Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirge for november Posted February 26, 2009 Report Share Posted February 26, 2009 (edited) To balance things a bit I never like the look of wood PU rings/covers. Looks absolutely wonderfull as it is! Cheers Willem *edit* I see we both got our name from the same place! Edited February 26, 2009 by Dirge for november Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AprilEthereal777 Posted February 27, 2009 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 To balance things a bit I never like the look of wood PU rings/covers. Looks absolutely wonderfull as it is! Cheers Willem *edit* I see we both got our name from the same place! Haha...friends of Blackwater Park unite! Thanks for the comments Willem, the cream cc cover idea was to compliment the binding, but I am going off it a bit....hmmmm....any one else, black plastic, wood???? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz tradie Posted February 27, 2009 Report Share Posted February 27, 2009 I hope you realise the implications of building a 12 string instrument and the damage you impart on the ozone layer. Stringwise, it's exactly twice the amount of damage done than a typical 6 string build. You unfeeling bastard !!!!! An aesthetically more technical looking 'Ethereal guitars' build with some excellent design cues. The vintage feel works for me with this. I remember when you first mentioned building a 12 string electric build and the need of providing a tonal palette that produces precise cleans without sounding brittle , yet also come into it's own once things got a little more dirty. Not an easy task to accomplish. Pick up combination would be crucial. The process of how to form the toneflow chambering , and provide airflow throughout was another impressive element to come out of this build. And regardless of whether the carvetop figure reminded me of a fat ladies derriere or a pig's arse really didn't matter, the point of me saying it more so was brought about due to the fact I've not seen figure quite like this in any Queensland maple billet, nor anything else. It's totally unique. I doubt I'll see one quite like it again, and considering every timber billet is different in it's own way , that's what makes it so great. No need for serial numbers when every guitar's top has its own unique signature. I hopefully get the honour of hearing and seeing this one in a week or so and I'm reallly looking forward to listening to how this build performs. I'd be happy to post my thoughts afterwards. Jon, if she sounds anywhere as good as she looks then you'd no doubt miss it once someone snaps her up. Cheers, Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AprilEthereal777 Posted March 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Thanks for the comments Stu, greatly appreciated. Yup we'll be catching up soon to put the Toneflow through it's paces. Haven't changed the covers yet folks, been onto other builds and playing the finished ones Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbrown Posted March 4, 2009 Report Share Posted March 4, 2009 Very, Very nice there Ethereal. I must say that this is a special guitar. Nice combination with the timbers and looks a stunner. Well done. Any more in the pipeline? Cheers, Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peterbrown Posted March 5, 2009 Report Share Posted March 5, 2009 And regardless of whether the carvetop figure reminded me of a fat ladies derriere or a pig's arse really didn't matter I am just curious how Stu knows what a fat ladies derriere looks like? Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AprilEthereal777 Posted March 6, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 6, 2009 Hey Peter, Thanks mate, I rocked around to Oz Tradie's last night and we put the Toneflow through it's paces, (and felt the earthquake in his workshop along with most of Melbourne !!!!!....I don't think the 12 caused it ) Reckon the 12 came through with flying colours but I'll let Oz use his words in that regard. Re other projects, yup! At the moment I have the following builds on the go: 1) 2 x Custom Les Paul 24 fret 24.75" scale builds, both will be painted black with the better one having a highly figured flamed Tas Oak top that I want to do some kind of black sunburst transparent effect on......couple of metal rockers 2) A strat inspired build with the same body shape as the Toneflow.....HSS pup config, 25.5" scale, hardtail bridge, denim blue finish on a flamed us maple top, african rosewood body, us walnut with a maple stripe neck...... 3) A wicked twin horned bass beast with a brazilian walnut body, blackheart sassafrass top, madagascan rosewood fb, 34" scale, PJ pups combo, gold wilkinson bridge and tuners Cheers for the interest Peter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oz tradie Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 There's an anticipation that creeps in when a new build's guitar case is slowly opened up to reveal what beholds. Having heard very few 12 string electrics previously I wasn't too sure exactly what to expect, although very well versed with 12 string acoustics and their beautiful 3 dimensional qualities, I couldn't wait. So out came the 'toneflow' out of the case from Jon's hand to mine and the first two thoughts that struck me were, (#1) 'wow, look how big the headstock and tuners are !!'. (#2) 'This thing ain't that heavy yet it's balancing beautifully.......how?'. I was in full realisation that even though the headstock by neccessity had to be big enough to accommodate 12 tuners, this would make difficulties in balancing out the weight distribution so it wouldn't be neck heavy. Well the body isn't as heavy as I expected it needed to be, but it also balanced beautifully. Wow!! She just ain't that heavy at all. Granted the weight sits a little more forward than you'd get on a standard 6 stringer but it's not your standard style build. Firstly we played acoustically while amps warmed up, and this is always I like to test builds first. If it's got resonance and volume unplugged then you know things are sitting in all the right places for the pickups to do their thing. My comments to Jon were in regards to even bothering to amp up with this one considering the volume unplugged. It's loud. This thing sings like you've got an accompaniment playing back up. 12 string tuning for this one was standard EBGDAE with GDAE strings in octaved pairs and E and B doubled up at the same pitch. A clean amp setting produced some of the most amazing crystal, yet full tones I've heard. Octaved pairs really sound brilliant and left me wondering why there are so few 12 strings out there. Obvious comparisons were to Led Zep's back catalog, and one band in particular, Opeth came to mind. 'Coil' off the album Watershed is how I remember the sound to be. If you know it then that describes it best. No droning notes at all, from open chording to way up the top end , which is a testament to Jon and his build techniques. Needless to say impressive. Now punching a bit of gain into the amp (MESA 5:50 2x12's) produced a little bit less of the twelve string sound yet more of a subtle effect which was pleasing considering I was expecting high gain and all 12 strings to produce a wall of mush, and this was not the case at all. Clarity between notes was the overall big surprise and a good one at that. We even got in a bit of metal chuggin' to try her out too. Is there nothing this thing can't do? In conclusion I'd like to thank Jon for making the long journey with the 'toneflow' over to my workshop for a working over, and have to say that regardless of whether the toneflow chambering actually has any effect on sound, this guitar just sounds practically out of this world. If anything it's got me thinking of producing a few workshop build 12 stringers in the future. And if that's what you call Jon's guitar build one to aspire to, then to me, that says it all. Cheers, Stu Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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