avengers63 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 However many people would of said the same about the Explorer until a certain James Hetfield started playing a natural wood coloured Ken Lawrence explorer. That virtually nobody cared before that happened makes it idol worship. Ooh... someone popular uses it. Suddenly I like it too! If you remember in the 80's, not many people wanted a single HB Strat until Eddie van Halen used one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 It's tough to judge a lot of ideas from the 80's. For all of the great musical and instrument advances that came out of the 80's there were some pretty bad ideas too, and they made their way onto guitars. One word "DAY-GLO". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 It's tough to judge a lot of ideas from the 80's. For all of the great musical and instrument advances that came out of the 80's there were some pretty bad ideas too, and they made their way onto guitars. One word "DAY-GLO". Man, give me a brightly colored BC Rich Gunslinger, some jeans with big holes cut into the legs so the zebra spandex can show through, and a HUGE mullet and I'd be in heaven. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Allways a new surprise. Now how many guitars are you building this month? 9, maybe 10 if you count the Mahogany body I glued up just last night. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 20, 2009 Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 Allways a new surprise. Now how many guitars are you building this month? 9, maybe 10 if you count the Mahogany body I glued up just last night. You have the same problem I have - what do I do while the glue is drying on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 20, 2009 I actually don't have any problems, I just enjoy building guitars. There's no hurry, no timeframe, no process I have to follow, no customer to please, it's just enjoyment of the art of building guitars, and I love doing it. You are still going thru your experimental learning phase where you have to try everything at least once. I used to be where you're at and know what you're going thru, I went thru that phase too. But you and I are truly at two completely different places 'when the glue's drying'. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 Allways a new surprise. Now how many guitars are you building this month? 9, maybe 10 if you count the Mahogany body I glued up just last night. I guess the weather is cooperating for you as I am still waiting for Colorado to dry out so I can finish just 4. Crossing my fingers. Is that African mahagony? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 Actually just the opposite. I can build bodies around the weather, but it has rained seemingly almost every day for the past three months here on the East Coast. So I can still get bodies built and prepped, but there is NO finishing going on, as I shoot outdoors. If it keeps up, maybe I won't get any done this year, but they'll all be at the same starting position for finishing when the weather does cooperate. It's been a rather depressing Spring weatherwise, that's for sure. Nope, not African, Honduran. Most of the wood I have I've had for many years, I haven't spent a dime on anything guitar-oriented for probably three years...which is a good thing since I bought the house, disposable income is at a minimum lately, so I'm very fortunate I had what I had to work with. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodenspoke Posted June 21, 2009 Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 Actually just the opposite. I can build bodies around the weather, but it has rained seemingly almost every day for the past three months here on the East Coast. So I can still get bodies built and prepped, but there is NO finishing going on, as I shoot outdoors. If it keeps up, maybe I won't get any done this year, but they'll all be at the same starting position for finishing when the weather does cooperate. It's been a rather depressing Spring weatherwise, that's for sure. Nope, not African, Honduran. Most of the wood I have I've had for many years, I haven't spent a dime on anything guitar-oriented for probably three years...which is a good thing since I bought the house, disposable income is at a minimum lately, so I'm very fortunate I had what I had to work with. Same problem finishing stage moisture. You gotta love the northeast in the summer since I lived there for most of my life. Woodworking especially outdoors is problematic in the summer, LOL. Once the rain stops it will just be a sticky mess for the rest of the summer most likely. There is always the fall. At least I am guaranteed better weather here in the next month (or sooner), the air has started to dry just not my basement shop. I can no longer afford some woods, African mahogany is my choice now as it is cheap and for the most part looks as good as Honduras. I did see a huge $2,000 Honduras slab at my local supplier and had to bite my lip as I passed it by. A bit heavy to move as well. There are many inexpensive woods I am moving to, Bubinga being one of them. With a bit of pile searching good pieces can be had for cheap. I am not a fan of this V design but I am waiting to see the finished product. Your builds are always interesting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 21, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 21, 2009 I like African Mahogany, it's just that when I WAS buying a lot of wood, my supplier had Honduran. Actually, my personal favorite guitar, the one that sits out and gets played almost all the time is the Trail Boss Tele, which indeed has an African core w/ Maple caps front and back. That guitar was like the perfect Gibson meets Fender design, it's tone traverses all the way from sweet sweet Ronnie Earl cleans to Warren Haynes dirty blues, I just love love love that guitar, and the African core plays a big part of the (meaty) sound, as most of the other Teles use Alder and even tho they can get super-saturated hi-gain due to the use of the EMG pre-amp controls, they just don't quite have the chunky 'meat on the bones' that Trail Boss does with the Mahogany sandwich. I DID incorporate an interesting technique on this one that the pics so far don't yet show, the pics posted next week will show it. Nothing huge, but fun all the same. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Here is my new DABRNAT (Drak Approved Boat Ramp Neck Access Technology ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 A few more, I like it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juze Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Me likes it 2! : ) But that top looks that it would give splinters But that's the guitar I'd like to have. Want to see more progress! -Juze aka Ghroath Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 And a few more...I really like the new design in every way, it's the Shark V I ALWAYS wanted! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Isn't it great to build a guitar that is better than the original... man I love that. Take your favorite guitar and remove all hte things you don't like about it. My favorite part of this hobby... Nice work Drak. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thank You very much. Yup, you nailed it exactly. I was never in this for money or applause, I just wanted to build the best guitars for myself that manufacturers would never build for economic reasons or lack of common sense, or charge you ridiculous amounts of money for. My favorite part of this hobby as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Geo Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I love the geometry of that body from the back! It looks like a ship from Star Wars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 Thanks! BTW, if you look closely at the pen marks for the boat ramp and then the last pics, you'll see a difference. After cutting out the first design, I thought it wasn't quite deep or sharp or long enough to give me the most access, so I did another one slightly deeper/sharper/longer than the first outline shows for better access. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 I was halfway through asking myself "why didn't he bevel the back too?" when I scrolled down and saw the pictures haha Not too sure about the DRABMAT idea. I stole the Alexi fret access cutout and it works like a dream. I'm just one of those guys who doesn't like frets over the body I guess. How are you affixing the cavity cover, metal brackets? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 That's a very good point, and actually I had considered doing a cutout like that to it at some point. I still can really, and had mulled the idea over of doing both as a 'combination' approach, but I wasn't sure doing a cutout like that would affect the look in a negative way that I didn't care for, but in the end, the playability factor should come first. Now that you brought it up, I might have another look at it and maybe incorporate both together. We'll see. Thanks for the thoughts . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ihocky2 Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 With the narrower profile and the closeups some of those pictures make that neck pocket look like it is for 9 strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xanthus Posted June 24, 2009 Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 No prob, Drak! Do you have any other pictures of doing the neck heel like this? I'm curious to see what it's going to look like under paint or oil. And yes, the back does resemble the shuttle Tyderium Makes me happy. In fact, thinking about it again, this build is definitely about the long, elegant lines. Maybe a upper fret cutout would mess with the appeal. And it would take away some of that top......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drak Posted June 24, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 24, 2009 No prob, Drak! Do you have any other pictures of doing the neck heel like this? I'm curious to see what it's going to look like under paint or oil. Nope, this was a first, I didn't even give 'The Devils Right Hand' this treatment, which was the first V to get the new improved design. I'm wondering if it's worth stripping the finish off and doing it to that one too. I think it's a great idea and probably should be done. I believe if you're going to build, dammit, you build the best damn lip-smackin' boot-scootin' barn stormin' ass-fartin' groin-grindin' pimp-poundin' weed-smokin' guitar you can. I think you are dead on the right track and I'm glad you brought it up. If there was ever a guitar that you should have full access to every fret, especially the upper frets, it's an '80's stylee Floyded V for chrissakes. A V with limited upper fret access is like taking a hooker out for pizza and a movie. In fact, thinking about it again, this build is definitely about the long, elegant lines. Maybe a upper fret cutout would mess with the appeal. And it would take away some of that top......... Actually, since it's very streamlined to begin with, it would not take up that much, I think I am going to figure out a way to do the Alexi/BoatRamp cutout on BOTH of them. 'Just Average-ville' is not a town I prefer to live in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MzI Posted June 25, 2009 Report Share Posted June 25, 2009 Looking at all the V's from different companies, the 59 Gibson body style still has the best upper fret access out of all of them and its such a simple design. The all Access Boat ramp does fit more into the V your building though, very Jackson like. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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