Sami Ghouri Posted March 1, 2009 Report Share Posted March 1, 2009 Hey all! So having a very limited amount of time, tools, money and equipment; i decided i wanna go for the following items on the double neck V i'm making (ala jackson/kxk) i wanna make, and i wanna know if what i'm thinking of makes sense: Lower side: - An Ibanez RG350EX neck - Either the EdgeIII trem that came with the guitar or just a standard fixed bridge. - The same INF pickups i got with the guitar (unless i get money later on to get better pickups) - the same tuners that came with the neck Upper side: HERE"S where the fun and questions are! i was thinking of selling a guitar or two from my collection and fund this project. I'm thinking of buying an RG321 and basically snatch out the neck, and convert it to a 12 string neck just like that double neck jackson (or IIRC the dean mustaine double neck V). here are my questions: 1- Can i convert the neck by drilling the headstock to hold the ball ends of the second set? 2- would slotting the same nut for another set of strings do? 3- how would i go about the bridge? can i just get any TOM, recess it, and make extra notches on the saddles to hold the new strings? 4- am i high for coming up with all the crap above? 5- any extra info/warnings/issues/ideas? thanks a load! Sami Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckdoublenecks Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 (edited) Hey all! So having a very limited amount of time, tools, money and equipment; i decided i wanna go for the following items on the double neck V i'm making (ala jackson/kxk) i wanna make, and i wanna know if what i'm thinking of makes sense: Lower side: - An Ibanez RG350EX neck - Either the EdgeIII trem that came with the guitar or just a standard fixed bridge. - The same INF pickups i got with the guitar (unless i get money later on to get better pickups) - the same tuners that came with the neck Upper side: HERE"S where the fun and questions are! i was thinking of selling a guitar or two from my collection and fund this project. I'm thinking of buying an RG321 and basically snatch out the neck, and convert it to a 12 string neck just like that double neck jackson (or IIRC the dean mustaine double neck V). here are my questions: 1- Can i convert the neck by drilling the headstock to hold the ball ends of the second set? 2- would slotting the same nut for another set of strings do? 3- how would i go about the bridge? can i just get any TOM, recess it, and make extra notches on the saddles to hold the new strings? 4- am i high for coming up with all the crap above? 5- any extra info/warnings/issues/ideas? thanks a load! Sami Hey Sami, I admire your spunk for wanting to build/convert a doubleneck for yourself. I do that for a living. First off, unless you're willing to put in a lot and effort or suffer great dissappointment, consider just buying a conversion or custom unit. Check out www.ckdoublenecks.com . You can, of course, use the existing necks, tuners, etc. and all the supplies you need, such as nuts, tuners, bridges, etc. are readily available from firms such as Stewart McDonald - www.stewmack.com. You will not be pleased with the approach you are indicating. Double your music - double your fun Edited March 2, 2009 by ckdoublenecks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I own a (cheap) 12 string, and I have to say - while a double slotted TOM does work, I've never been satisfied with it. I'd prefer a bridge where I could intonate each of the twelve strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 alright thanks a lot guys. I guess i'll pass then (not because it's hard but because it seems to be disappointing even if it worked out) and i'm still not sure whether loading a 2cm thick ibanez neck with 12 strings would be a good idea to begin with. ckdoublenecks ur stuff looks awesome! Wish i had the skill and time to do that stuff. I do most of my wood working at home and momzy doesn't get very happy about it sometimes so i'm pretty limited and can't make necks myself I spend an hour working on a guitar adn 2 hours cleaning up the place. Anyway, I still want a double neck, but now it sounds less exciting as the 12 string idea doesn't seem very promising. Any cool ideas that can be done with 2 very similar 6 string necks? Anything is welcome! even if it requires a good amount of work. I'm basically trying to push the bar for myself a slight notch up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 How do you expect to push the bar with no tools and no shop? Realistically speaking for *most* people, a double neck is double the effort, double the cost, and double the disappointment. Sounds harsh, but seriously, a double means you have twice as many things that can go wrong, and twice as much money invested. Unless you're an accomplished builder with a decent amount of experience it just seems like a bad idea. I was in Dubai in 1996. Interesting place. Got a really nice suit tailor made there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kpcrash Posted March 2, 2009 Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 I am just now getting ready to do a double-neck (bass+6 string). It will be guitar #20 and maybe - just maybe I'm ready for the challenge. The fact that I haven't done it earlier is only because I was too c.s. - so have a go Sami, will be interesting to see how it comes along. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 actually i do have the tools i need to make bodies (router, various saws and other hand tools), and i have access to a full wood workshop at the uni i graduated from (just need to skip work to go there due to timings so i prefer doing most of the work at home). And i've built a guitar before. But I'm by no means an experienced builder and hence I don't want to invest so much in it just yet What i meant by pushing up is basically trying to make the best out of what i can do. Since i can only make bodies (for the lack of experience, tools and time -i work for 9 hrs + 4 hrs spent on roads- to make necks) i thoguht the only thing i can do which can give me much more experience and is much more fun to do than simply building another body for one of the necks i have would be making a body for a double neck guitar. Don't know if that made so much sense but hey, i'm still a n00b Btw, dubai is NOTHING like it used to be in 1996! it was a desert back then! I mean when i came here in 2001 there was almost nothing, now it's at least 5 times the size and population of the 90's. But it's quite annoying how there are HOOOOGE malls all over the place.. there's a mall between every two malls! and they even built the largest mall in the world! compensation issues much?I dunno. it's great for the Beverly Hills shopaholics but for a person who prefers a quieter life with more character to it, not so much i guess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted March 2, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 2, 2009 kpcrash: thanks bro, i think i might try the bass/guitar thing, seems less troublesome than converting a neck as i'm not that experienced and won't handle the disappointment of screwing a new neck up. Or maybe just go ahead with my single neck design and get it done first and then maybe move to double necks later.... dunno, i was just thinking it's pretty much the same as doing a single neck just double the work! since i'm only gonna be making a body which i can always discard and keep the parts for seperate guitars you know. I'll think about it for a while, thanks for all the help and suggestions guys! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
postal Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hey Sami, Dubai sounds NUTS now! No wonder you spend so much time on the roads. I live fairly close to a mall that was/is? tied for 5th largest in the US... and it's still "just a mall". I'm not trying to be a buzz kill or anything, but doubles are very touchy for the reasons I gave in my first post. I'm considering starting a double myself, but I'm poor- I have 2 guitars waiting for paint. Been waiting for over a year... cant afford to have em painted. Have 3 more guitars and 2 basses under construction... Dont have money for parts/pick ups to finish them, or the money for the paint.... Starting to get worried about necks warping without a finish on them..... Got a LOT of time, and still have some wood left, so I consider starting the doubleneck... but at double the truss rods, triple the tuners for a 6/12 string, double the pickups and pots.... etc.... My double would be sitting for a couple yrs waiting for paint and pickups.... before I finally see if I got it just right.... The point I was making, is that a lot can go wrong in a build. A double is basically 2 builds that share a common oversize body, so it's twice the work and twice the money and twice the risk of something going wrong. I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of it by any means. I think any serious guitar collection needs at least one double..... I just want to press the point that you need to be sure of yourself and your skills and the cost of the build before attempting. If you know yourself and your skills, and think the project through, and feel confident that you can achieve a positive outcome, then go for it. If you have any doubts, it's a sign that you're not ready yet. Regards, Postal! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hey man, Thanks. I didn't think the post was touchy actually. I appreciate the honest opinion. I will most probably postpone this project until I make another single neck. For many reasons, one is the doubt factor that you have mentioned (which i have) and i don't wanna end up with a half @ssed doubleneck coz that's just rediculous. The other is the cost, which will be quite a deal for me right now with all the crap happening to the world financially. Thanks for all the help guys, much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j. pierce Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 What kind of music do you play? I've always contemplated the idea of a double neck with two six string necks in different tunings - either open tunings for slide work, or really weird alt tunings for the odd stuff. Of course, I grew up listening to Sonic Youth nonstop, and tuning my guitars to whatever felt about right for whatever strings I had, and didn't sound completely awful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sami Ghouri Posted March 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 yeah i was thinking one neck with open tunings and one with a standard of some sort. I mostly play modern metal. But recently i've been listening to a lot of different stuff (modern jazz is definitely one) and i'm trying to experiment. I'm not a malmsteen or anything, actually maybe i'm more interested in making and modding guitars than actually playing them haha (which won't sound weird at all to many builders here ) anyway, it all seems to have haulted for now as i'm really finding difficulties locating wood sources. The only build i did before had an f'in PINE body due to the lack of choice (it was either ply or pine) so until i find proper wood somwerhe in this desert, modding is the only thing i'm gonna do, i'm not gonna invest so much time, effort and money on another pine body. Btw, anyone knows an online store where i can find body blanks big enough for a King V? my new design has approximately the same dimensions, but all the blanks i've seen so far (SM, Warmoth) are enough for a strat only, maybe an LP but that's about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckdoublenecks Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 yeah i was thinking one neck with open tunings and one with a standard of some sort. I mostly play modern metal. But recently i've been listening to a lot of different stuff (modern jazz is definitely one) and i'm trying to experiment. I'm not a malmsteen or anything, actually maybe i'm more interested in making and modding guitars than actually playing them haha (which won't sound weird at all to many builders here ) anyway, it all seems to have haulted for now as i'm really finding difficulties locating wood sources. The only build i did before had an f'in PINE body due to the lack of choice (it was either ply or pine) so until i find proper wood somwerhe in this desert, modding is the only thing i'm gonna do, i'm not gonna invest so much time, effort and money on another pine body. Btw, anyone knows an online store where i can find body blanks big enough for a King V? my new design has approximately the same dimensions, but all the blanks i've seen so far (SM, Warmoth) are enough for a strat only, maybe an LP but that's about it. Sami: If you are interested in building a painted unit, then why not just buy a blank ash or poplar blank for under $75.00 from one of the suppliers such as Gilmers online and contouring it yourself. You can use sections from the cutoffs and glue them on as the wings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckdoublenecks Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 Hey Sami, Dubai sounds NUTS now! No wonder you spend so much time on the roads. I live fairly close to a mall that was/is? tied for 5th largest in the US... and it's still "just a mall". I'm not trying to be a buzz kill or anything, but doubles are very touchy for the reasons I gave in my first post. I'm considering starting a double myself, but I'm poor- I have 2 guitars waiting for paint. Been waiting for over a year... cant afford to have em painted. Have 3 more guitars and 2 basses under construction... Dont have money for parts/pick ups to finish them, or the money for the paint.... Starting to get worried about necks warping without a finish on them..... Got a LOT of time, and still have some wood left, so I consider starting the doubleneck... but at double the truss rods, triple the tuners for a 6/12 string, double the pickups and pots.... etc.... My double would be sitting for a couple yrs waiting for paint and pickups.... before I finally see if I got it just right.... The point I was making, is that a lot can go wrong in a build. A double is basically 2 builds that share a common oversize body, so it's twice the work and twice the money and twice the risk of something going wrong. I'm certainly not trying to talk you out of it by any means. I think any serious guitar collection needs at least one double..... I just want to press the point that you need to be sure of yourself and your skills and the cost of the build before attempting. If you know yourself and your skills, and think the project through, and feel confident that you can achieve a positive outcome, then go for it. If you have any doubts, it's a sign that you're not ready yet. Regards, Postal! Postal: You're right in much of what you say but making a doubleneck conversion from 2 other units doesn't have to be that expensive. It can be done with less than $100.00 with the proper planning providing you can do all the work yourself. Also doublenecks don't have to be the huge oversized units that most are used to seeing. Take a look at my display units at www.ckdoublenecks.com . The Duoblus is 14 inches across and weighs about the same as just the Peavey bass that the bass neck came from. The Melodius is semi-hollow and is 16 1/2 inches across. The most important issue, to me, is to come away with a unit that is easy to play and sounds great. It doesn't hurt if it looks great also. If you're not willing to take the time to set up the unit: nut, string height, bridge, pickups & intonation then why do it at all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 A double neck can be anywhere between two extremes. It can be a 12 string guitar on one neck and an 8 string bass on the other. Or it can be a 24-3/4" scale on one with a TOM and vintage humbuckers on one, and a 25-1/5" scale on the other with Tele single coils. Not a extreme difference, but two different sounds in one guitar. The sky is the limit. I have seen plenty that are identical except one neck is a Floyd Rose and the other a TOM. It does at least allow the trem work when needed with the stability of a string-thru the rest of the time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ckdoublenecks Posted March 3, 2009 Report Share Posted March 3, 2009 A double neck can be anywhere between two extremes. It can be a 12 string guitar on one neck and an 8 string bass on the other. Or it can be a 24-3/4" scale on one with a TOM and vintage humbuckers on one, and a 25-1/5" scale on the other with Tele single coils. Not a extreme difference, but two different sounds in one guitar. The sky is the limit. I have seen plenty that are identical except one neck is a Floyd Rose and the other a TOM. It does at least allow the trem work when needed with the stability of a string-thru the rest of the time. You're right - two different sounds in one guitar from moderate to extreme if dual output jacks ( dual amps) are incorporated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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