Project 7_b

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Control cavity has enough extra room for one switch... maybe. I am still on the fence about the plates. I think I am just going to do surface mounted black plastic but I still have time to figure out something.

[avengers63]

Control cavity has enough extra room for one switch... maybe. I am still on the fence about the plates.

I know you don't like anything but a single volume, but you really should have a 3-way switch with 2 pups.

[sam_c]

or maybe a stacked vol pot? I guess with the depth of the body you will be limited to choice of components.

[RestorationAD]

Control cavity has enough extra room for one switch... maybe. I am still on the fence about the plates.

I know you don't like anything but a single volume, but you really should have a 3-way switch with 2 pups.

If I end up selling it there is room for one... that is a step in the right direction. (the RG i build doesn't have room for one).

I haven't had a chance to hear these through the Boogie yet. I used a Diablo spec for them and from what I heard from the headphones last night the B string is going to sound like the hammer of the gods.

Switches... You know I personally have no need for a 3-way on a metal guitar. I just never use the pickups together. I might when noodling around but when I get serious I just don't mess with it.

Review how you play. If you use 2 pickups together a lot of the time you need a 3-way or a flood switch. I personally would rather have a switch that bypasses the volume knob for the bridge pickup. That would be useful and I could run both pickups together.

[WezV]

a rigth angle 3-way switch should still fit

[RestorationAD]

or maybe a stacked vol pot? I guess with the depth of the body you will be limited to choice of components.

No... the stacked won't work. No time to fiddle with the bottom ring. It is about economy of movement. I used to play in a progmetal band and before that I was in a thrash band. In those bands the music was so crazy I never had time to swing a switch or mess with a tone knob.

Too be honest back in the day I used my Parker Fly stereo cable into an Ernie Ball stereo pan pedal and had the electric go to the Mark IV and the acoustic go to my JC120. Also wired my RG Stereo and used the neck pickup on the JC and the bridge on the Mark IV.

The depth is enough for about anything you want to put in. It has 1 1/16".

a rigth angle 3-way switch should still fit

Yeah there is plenty of room for one...

From a company standpoint the 3 way makes sense.

I almost put one in it (and still might) since this is a prototype that customers will play they would be more comfortable with standard controls. This guitar is so when locals come by they can pick it up and see what it is like.

[Akula]

Beautiful guitar. How does it feel to play, that thin? I dont like the headstock, though, the high E stretching over the edge doesnt look right to my eyes, but thats an opinion thing.

[oblaty]

I really like it! But same as Akula, I´m not sure about that high E string...

But you really did a great job so far!

[RestorationAD]

It plays more like my Parker Fly than an RG. I haven't played it enough to know how it is long term (I just put it together last night).

Here is what I know. It is the lightest 7 string I have ever played. Lighter than all my 6 strings except my 2 Parker fly deluxe. Probably weighs the same as my Gibson V.

You can feel the strings vibrating against your body while you play. It feels very comfortable. It has a nice Piano like quality on the low B and E.

I don't think I like the High E string being close to the edge either (it is not as close as it looks in the pictures). However keeping the neck light was important since the body is so thin. Moving forward I think for 7 and 8 string guitars I am going to go back to a 4+3 (4+4) design to get a better straight pull. The 7 on a side make the headstock look too long.

[MuffinPunch]

It plays more like my Parker Fly than an RG. I haven't played it enough to know how it is long term (I just put it together last night).

Here is what I know. It is the lightest 7 string I have ever played. Lighter than all my 6 strings except my 2 Parker fly deluxe. Probably weighs the same as my Gibson V.

You can feel the strings vibrating against your body while you play. It feels very comfortable. It has a nice Piano like quality on the low B and E.

I don't think I like the High E string being close to the edge either (it is not as close as it looks in the pictures). However keeping the neck light was important since the body is so thin. Moving forward I think for 7 and 8 string guitars I am going to go back to a 4+3 (4+4) design to get a better straight pull. The 7 on a side make the headstock look too long.

Awesome build man! Really nice work. Its also nice to see how Pros like yourself go about correcting problems that pop up. Helps me feel, as a noob, that It wasnt necessarily my fault that something didnt go according to plan, and that everything is fixable. I also have to agree with the comments about the HS. I really like the shape, but having the high E hanging so close to the edge is a bit awkward. Another option would be to take the Parker rout with the HS on the bolt on Dragonfly. (though the high E still hangs off)

That way you can retain the aesthetic while getting rid of awkwardness. Just an Idea.

Edited June 29, 2010 by MuffinPunch

[RestorationAD]

It plays more like my Parker Fly than an RG. I haven't played it enough to know how it is long term (I just put it together last night).

Here is what I know. It is the lightest 7 string I have ever played. Lighter than all my 6 strings except my 2 Parker fly deluxe. Probably weighs the same as my Gibson V.

You can feel the strings vibrating against your body while you play. It feels very comfortable. It has a nice Piano like quality on the low B and E.

I don't think I like the High E string being close to the edge either (it is not as close as it looks in the pictures). However keeping the neck light was important since the body is so thin. Moving forward I think for 7 and 8 string guitars I am going to go back to a 4+3 (4+4) design to get a better straight pull. The 7 on a side make the headstock look too long.

Awesome build man! Really nice work. Its also nice to see how Pros like yourself go about correcting problems that pop up. Helps me feel, as a noob, that It wasnt necessarily my fault that something didnt go according to plan, and that everything is fixable. I also have to agree with the comments about the HS. I really like the shape, but having the high E hanging so close to the edge is a bit awkward. Another option would be to take the Parker rout with the HS on the bolt on Dragonfly. (though the high E still hangs off)

That way you can retain the aesthetic while getting rid of awkwardness. Just an Idea.

Ok I am a little confused... what exactly does everyone not like?

Is it the fact that there are exposed strings or is it the slight angle on the high E.

I think I can fix the slight angle on the high E. What looks like a large disparity in the pictures is really less than a 1/16" move of the tuner to fix.

The design was intended to be what it is (A parker like headstock). While it was a stylistic decision it also serves 2 purposes. It is distinct and light weight.

The headstock works very well aesthetically on a 6 string. This is a Prototype and well sometimes what looks good on paper doesn't look good in real life. I have 2 parker flys that are great guitars but they have there shortcomings. Parker's vision is futuristic-ally brilliant but not always comfortable nor practical. I am working on getting some of the Parker theories and my own into something that is usable and have fun at the same time.

[MuffinPunch]

Truthfully, I dont mind the angle on the strings. I actually like the way the strings Splay out after the nut on a Jackson HS. The only part that is slightly off-putting to me is the way the High e hovers over the area where there is no HS. Thats one thing that always put me off about the Pareker Fly as well. Not a huge issue, just a little nitpicky thing. I feel I can be that specific since the guitar as a whole is outstanding! But I really do love the shape of the headstock, seems to work slightly better on 6 string variations from what we've seen thus far however. i was simply attempting to point out an alternative to scrapping the 7 in-line in favor of a 4+3 on all future 7 string designs. I do recognize that it partially defeats the purpose of making the HS smaller and lighter. Theres always going to be a trade off when it comes to aesthetic appeal versus comfort and practicality. To this day I have yet to play a guitar whose body contour is more comfortable than a Fender Stratocaster, but that is at the cost of an exciting design.

[RestorationAD]

OK... that helps. Thanks for clarifying!

The Parker headstock is a like it or hate it thing. I like them lots (of people) don't. I understand that it is polarizing and have several other headstock designs... I also have some ideas about saving a little weight on them.

(Funny enough I personally don't like playing carved tops... but a lot of guys like them. And I think the the Parker dragonfly is ugly... )

[RestorationAD]

Ok full night of jamming on this thing... here is what I know.

These are all subject to change...

John you are right... I may not like the smell or the look but

-- Sapele. It is nice. Not African Mahogany nice but nice. The absolute darkest sounding cheap wood. My new prototype wood. I have to figure out a finish for it. I am thinking a bit of amber tint in the sanding sealer... I have to run some tests on the zebra top as it does not dye well. I think I will have to spray a burst on it.

I can't imagine why I ever build thick heavy guitars. This thing is alive.

Zebrawood as a neck wood ... Success for now. Not sure about long term stability yet. However I like the feel... the whole thing vibrates while you are playing it. Completely different feel than flame maple.

Wenge as a fretboard. Frets pressed in like a dream. Feels nice under the fingers. Sounds good. as WezV pointed out it might wear a bit uneven.

The Diablo humbuckers turned out right. It is hard to put down... I love the sound of this thing. Those of you who think EMGs are the answer for 7 strings I might prove you wrong.

I really want to give this thing some color but it screams to be oil finished. I feel the neck must be oiled...

[avengers63]

John you are right... I may not like the smell or the look but

-- Sapele. It is nice. Not African Mahogany nice but nice. The absolute darkest sounding cheap wood. My new prototype wood. I have to figure out a finish for it. I am thinking a bit of amber tint in the sanding sealer... I have to run some tests on the zebra top as it does not dye well. I think I will have to spray a burst on it.

I thought the EXACT same thing. I used it for the body of the Avenger prototype. It was unbelievably dark, almost muddy. Way darker than mahogany. It's one of those woods like maple that really needs something to help balance it out. Maybe it could be used to balance a brighter body like the maple cap does for the dark mahogany on the LP, just in reverse. Peel back the harshness of maple, or give ash some hefty balls.

Cost - in the same ballpark as mahogany. $7-$10/bf, depending on who you get it from.

Looks - what's not to like? Quartersawn it ALWAYS has a ribbon stripe and a warm mahogany-like glow to it with orange undertones. Flatsawn it's rings way more pronounced with dark chocolate streaks. I think it looks great regardless of how it's cut.

Finish - Personally, I hate the looks of the back of this neck, but you spent way too much time and effort into gluing up 13 plys to paint it. I agree with the oil. For the body, I REALLY don't like the reveal in the bevels, and you don't like the looks of sapele, so a black burst around the edges, just barely into the zricote, along with a black back is probably the way to go. You could keep the theme and black burst the back/sides of the headstock as well.

If you wanted to try the ebonizing technique I've shown here a couple of times, sapele reacts VERY well to it. It gets just jet black with only the barest hint of brown peeking out through the deepest of the grain.

Edited June 30, 2010 by avengers63

[WezV]

Wenge as a fretboard. Frets pressed in like a dream. Feels nice under the fingers. Sounds good. as WezV pointed out it might wear a bit uneven.

i do think you will have at least 15 years before you need to worry about the wear - but you will notice the grey streaks get more brown in the high play areas. its all good though, just natural playing wear

i would stick with an oil finish for this... but i think thats because i have played a few blackmachines. doug gives them hardly any finish at all and its definately part of the appeal and would suit the woods you have used here

[RestorationAD]

Wenge as a fretboard. Frets pressed in like a dream. Feels nice under the fingers. Sounds good. as WezV pointed out it might wear a bit uneven.

i do think you will have at least 15 years before you need to worry about the wear - but you will notice the grey streaks get more brown in the high play areas. its all good though, just natural playing wear

i would stick with an oil finish for this... but i think thats because i have played a few blackmachines. doug gives them hardly any finish at all and its definately part of the appeal and would suit the woods you have used here

Thanks again Wez.

Oil is my feeling as well. The Sapele will look really nice with an amber tint.

John -

Don't worry about the neck it will come alive with a nice coat of oil, you probably still won't like it but it will look much better. Moving forward most of these will have flame maple necks but I always wanted to try a full zebra neck so why not on a prototype.

I am getting Sapele for $5.95 a BF in town... And you are very right about needing something to balance it out... I almost always use some sort of brighter top wood so it is perfect. Thanks for helping me see the light.

Finally -

The Zebra top is not a AAAA piece and I was thinking of doing a orange/yellow burst on top. I will give it some practice runs and see how it looks before making a final decision.

[PTU 7's.]

Awesome work done there, pal. I really like the grain on the wood. So clean

[Johnny Foreigner]

this is an incredible build. i've always been an aesthetic fan of the Parker guitars, and I looooove the thinness of this.

I've found this build very inspirational. just added a super-thin build to my future build list.

[RestorationAD]

this is an incredible build. i've always been an aesthetic fan of the Parker guitars, and I looooove the thinness of this.

I've found this build very inspirational. just added a super-thin build to my future build list.

Glad you like it.

Caveats for super thin.

Plan your cavities. Control and Pickup routes must be pre-planned. Plan on direct mounting your pickups or modifying the screws on pickup rings.

Use the right woods. The neck has to be light. The body needs to be heavier than the neck to balance. The pieces of zebra I used for the neck weighed less than the maple alternative. The Sapele is heavy for a mahogany so it was a perfect choice for the body wood.

You have to play it. It is so different than a regular guitar. I have been switching between the SG (which is as heavy as a LP and 1.75" thick) and the 7_B and it is night and day. There is something to be said about a 7 that weighs less than any other guitar in the room (the parkers are hanging in the stairwell). I hate to take it apart to finish it.

[RestorationAD]

Color tests. Basically Yellow, Amber, Orange work ok on Zebra wood. Everything else looks bad.

[RestorationAD]

Target Coatings grain filler with a good bit of Transtint Black. This did not go as planned on the first go. I got distracted by domestic chores and it dried on before I could squeege it off. Bad things. It took the better part of a day to sand it off AND it removed a lot of the filler in the process.

[RestorationAD]

On the second go I got smart. This time I brushed it on and wiped it off cross grain a few minutes later. This left a nasty black film but at least it wasn't a coating like the last time. As I was sanding it out with 320 the paper was loading really bad. So I remember reading somewhere that you could sand 400 grit with mineral spirits as a lubricant. So into the mineral spirits I went and behold the perfect results. I was so overjoyed at what I got out of it I went ahead and hit it with 600 grit. After all this is cleaned and dried it will be time for Danish Oil.

[RestorationAD]