Black Walnut & Mahogany Stratocaster

[J_48_Johnson]

I've been working on my fourth guitar and I have a question for you all. Here's a picture of the body I made, but the arm contour where the mahogany shows up, I'm not sure if I like it or not. Take a look...

Edited May 12, 2010 by J_48_Johnson

[willliam_q]

Personally it's not my taste, although a black burst might look alright, you might have to stain the mahogany though, maybe go for a tobacco burst type of thing...if thats possible.

[justbecos]

I've been working on my fourth guitar and I have a question for you all. Here's a picture of the body I made, but the arm contour where the mahogany shows up, I'm not sure if I like it or not. Take a look...

I kind of like it.

If you are not trying to make a direct strat copy you could try and make it bigger feature and curve the arm contour round to the waist and down to the bottom of the guitar so the transition from the walnut to mahogany is a sweeping curve instead of the straight line.

[guitarnut]

Of the 3 options, I would go with the black as a burst.

Something else that might be a bit out there but would be unique and maintain the beauty of the walnut top would be to tape a line around the guitar at the glue line of the top/back then come up and over the top at the arm contour, laying a clean line of black instead of a fade. so the entire arm contour and back would be black. Then oil the top and finish the black to a polished gloss. Could be cool.

Nah, go with the burst.

Peace,

Mark

[avengers63]

A black burst will look the most "on purpose" when it's all said & done.

[WezV]

i say leave it - i like the natural look and i dont think i would like a walnut centered black burst without more colour in there

its a raw and functional look

[IPA or death]

I think anything you do to try and hide it will only draw attention to it. I would leave it as is and pretend that was the plan all along, just to show the back wood in this multi-wood body. It will look fine with a finish on it I believe.

[boundsteelblues]

That looks like a knot and a crack towards the bottom off the bridge pickup. What is it?

[Reinhold]

You could always make a contrasting wood control plate (or pickguard) and make it a theme design choice.

[ae3]

You could carve the top and leave a boarder of mahogany all around the edge.

[pukko]

Here's a quick mockup to show what a black burst would look like. My photoshop skills aren't too great but you get the idea... The first is with clear walnut (I guess the walnut would darken with a clear coat on top though...), the second is with some orange on the walnut and the third with some bright red.

[J_48_Johnson]

..."That looks like a knot and a crack towards the bottom off the bridge pickup. What is it?"

It's just the grain and the angle of how the picture was taken. There are two very small tight knots there, but they are not a problem at all, and there are no cracks.

***

Pukko, thank you very much for running the picture through photoshop. Of the three, I like the first one the best, but I think I'll leave it alone because it looks better than all of the "burst" options you've posted.

[guitarnut]

I've been working on my fourth guitar and I have a question for you all. Here's a picture of the body I made, but the arm contour where the mahogany shows up, I'm not sure if I like it or not. Take a look...

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news but something looks off to me.

Looking at the photo you posted, You may have a bigger issue. The neck pocket doesn't look long enough and the PU routes seem to be crowed to eachother and too close to the pocket.

Here's a Strat, loosely corrected for perspective, and laid over your photo. You can see that the neck goes further into the body and the PUs are spread out more toward the butt of the guitar.

You might want to verify the spacing before you do too much more on this one. I guess you could make it work since you haven't placed the bridge yet, but you would need to cut a custom pickguard.

Peace,

Mark

[Akula]

Guitarnut, perhaps its a different scale length?

I personally like it as is, without the burst. But a burst would definately look cool as well.

[guitarnut]

Guitarnut, perhaps its a different scale length?

Perhaps. I hadn't considered that.

Peace,

Mark

[pauliemc]

Here's a Strat, loosely corrected for perspective, and laid over your photo. You can see that the neck goes further into the body and the PUs are spread out more toward the butt of the guitar.

You might want to verify the spacing before you do too much more on this one. I guess you could make it work since you haven't placed the bridge yet, but you would need to cut a custom pickguard.

Peace,

Mark

Im afraid Guitarnut is right. The pickup & neck routes are very crowded & wont work.

This is easily fixed with a Boat route. Just route out the area for the pickups again, in the correct place. you will end up with a big route that you will need to cover with a pickguard. But just dont use a white guard or people will say you copied the Pretender Scrapocaster I did last year http://projectguitar.ibforums.com/index.ph...ender&st=30

As for the elbow carve. Id leave it. makes a nice contrast to the walnut.

[J_48_Johnson]

Man! You guys are good! I'm not using a standard Fender scale length. Wow, all of that from the picture. Nice guys, I'm impressed! I'm using a Gibson scale length. And as far as the pickup placement, check this out... http://www.till.com/articles/PickupResponseDemo/

You have to mess around with it for a while but it is WAY handy! You guys will love me for posting that I'm telling you. (I hope I'm the first to post it but I've never seen it here).

As far as the knot/crack below the bridge area, I snapped a picture from two diferent directions to show you what I meant about the knots being tight and no problem...

[J_48_Johnson]

I worked on the neck today. I got it out of the clamps and flush cut the fretboard to the neck, sanded a 12" radius into the fretboard, and installed the front abalone dots.

For what it's worth... Ebony dust is NASTY. I don't know the toxology (sp) of it, but it is nasty. There really isn't a smell to it, if there is it's slight, but the dust itself, even just sanding with 150 grit is fine and it plugs up your nose. I need to take my mask over when I work on it more.

Sanding to 12" radius

Abalone dots installed and black epoxy put in the holes and on the dots

[WezV]

Man! You guys are good! I'm not using a standard Fender scale length. Wow, all of that from the picture. Nice guys, I'm impressed! I'm using a Gibson scale length. And as far as the pickup placement, check this out... http://www.till.com/articles/PickupResponseDemo/

You have to mess around with it for a while but it is WAY handy! You guys will love me for posting that I'm telling you. (I hope I'm the first to post it but I've never seen it here).

sorry, it appeared a few times recently in pickup position discussions always usefull though, although i have never used it to actually place a pickup

[guitarnut]

Man! You guys are good! I'm not using a standard Fender scale length. Wow, all of that from the picture. Nice guys, I'm impressed! I'm using a Gibson scale length.

I would consider the advice offered by pauliemc of rerouting and pushing everything back on the body...the neck pocket still looks .50" to .75" too short to me. A shorter scale doesn't mean you have to shrink the neck heel. I would think you'd want to shift the scale toward the butt of the guitar instead of extending it out to the neck and making it more difficult to play by having to reach your right hand further across the body. Maybe that's just me though.

Good luck on the build.

Peace,

Mark

[pauliemc]

Gibson scale strat eh ? Done a few of them over the years. usually make for a cool build.

BUT. Id still move your pickups, bridge & neck back into the body. you need a good solid mounting for a bolt on heel & yours looks a little short.

I understand your approach, shortening your scale lenght means the bridge & nut get closer - so you moved everything closer to the nut.

But good build practice would dictate that you move the other way. A solid/ridgid structure is the basis for a good guitar with sustain, good playability & superior tone.

Id look at your neck pocket. push it back 10mm into the body. Then figure out your nut location in relation to your neck pocket, & from there relocate your pickups & bridge.

Im beggin you man, trust me here, You wont regret it

[J_48_Johnson]

Since I am going to front mount the pickups without a pickguard, cutting/routing the neck pocket and moving everything down is not an option. The neck pocket will be where it is. I did shorten up the pocket a bit but I did it so my short fingers could get to the upper register. I was going to lay the walnut back inside the lower horn like a PRS, but once I cut the arm relief, I didn't do the route at the lower horn.

Pauliemc, what you said has me scared now. I hope that everything works out here... Stay tuned.

Edited May 13, 2010 by J_48_Johnson

[pauliemc]

Since I am going to front mount the pickups without a pickguard, cutting/routing the neck pocket and moving everything down is not an option. The neck pocket will be where it is. I did shorten up the pocket a bit but I did it so my short fingers could get to the upper register. I was going to lay the walnut back inside the lower horn like a PRS, but once I cut the arm relief, I didn't do the route at the lower horn.

Pauliemc, what you said has me scared now. I hope that everything works out here... Stay tuned.

Just out of curiosity, What are the dimensions of your neck pocket ?

[J_48_Johnson]

Today I sanded that mess down and bend some fretwire in my handy dandy $4.00 bender

Edited May 15, 2010 by J_48_Johnson

[J_48_Johnson]

Carved out the neck today. I used the trusty old spoke shave. I rough sanded it in as well, down to 400 and it turned out pretty nice I have to admit!