The F-ii

[Fraser]

Hi,

all, wanted to share my second build with you. I wasn't happy with the outcome of my first full build, so I built a new one and have been playing it for a while now.

Here it is all finished:

There are 100 in progress photos showing the piecing together, Optic Fibre installation etc

Shape: Slightly downsized RG/ Jem Shape

Construction: Neck Through

Neck: 7 piece laminate - maple/wenge/maple/wenge/maple/wenge/maple. Asymetric profile.

Nut: Earvana

Body Wings: swamp ash with inlaid wenge.

Fingerboard: Ebony with Jem style Vine inlay

Frets: Jumbo Stainless

Bridge: Recessed Tonepros Tune-o-Matic with Graphtech Piezo Saddles

Pickups: Bridge - Dimarzio ToneZone , Middle - GFS Neovin7, Neck - GFS Neovin7 and Dimarzio Fast Track 2

Electronics: Graphtech Acousti-Phonic Preamp, Graphtech Hexpander

Machine Heads: Planet waves Trim Lock

Controls:

- 5 way Megaswitch

- Mag Volume with push/push selector for coil split /neck pickup select

- Acoustic Volume with Push/Push selector for Mid/Dark

- Midi/Synth Volume with Push/Push selector for Lights on/off.

- Toggle for Magnetic / Piezo / Both

- Toggle for Midi up/down

- Toggle for Pickup / Midi / Both

Re-used most of the hardware but changed some of the timber and the body thickness, added a little lions claw at the Bridge, and added a pickguard.

The Lights change colour with the 5 position pickup selection. Bridge - Red, Bridge/Middle - Orange, Middle - Green, Middle/Neck - Aqua, Neck - Blue.

Obviously has such a huge variety of tones. Funnily enough, my favorite is the Bridge TZ split.

Fraser.

[IbanezDudeCK]

That's pretty cool. Did you wire the 2 neck pickups together or something to create a mega-pickup or something? The only thing you didn't put in was a Fernandes Sustainer. I like the looks of the wenge strips that you did. How long/expensive was the whole inlay w/fiberoptics process? I've kinda wanted a guitar with the big light up dot inlays but it looks like too much work for a little 'visual improvement'.

[haydenralli]

if there's four pickups he probably just wired them separately and made all four play at the same time on one of the positions, its fairly simple with a 5 way switch, i doubt its a kurt kobian set up seeing tho this guy has blade rail which are basically humbuckers and if you have a look he has splitters, so he technically has 6 pickups .but it sure is pretty!!! i bet it would sound like the love child of a fender/gibson while being raised by an ibanez. it's hybrid heaven .

[Fraser]

Dude,

The neck pickups work with the coil split push/push switch on the volume control.

If the knob is down, you get full bridge humbucker or the neck fast track.

If the knob is in the up position, you get the split bridge pickup or the neck single coil.

Only one neck pickup is on at a time. Never had the desire to combine them. The fast track has a mountain of output.

The OF for me wasn't just about bling, its functional. I switch pickups alot so having a visual colourful indicator really helps in the dark!

I took me a couple of weeks (an hour here or there) to rout the fingerboard and glue in the OF.

Spent a lot of time in design getting the routing patern to match up with the inlay.

Desiging the circut for the colour changing took a little bit of experimentation

Cost: Circuit was cheap, the LED was the most expensive part. The OF wasn't cheap because it is proper OF. Probably $100 in materials.

As for effort, i'm not doing them on my next couple of builds, I have some other things planned

[IbanezDudeCK]

Interesting. I like that single coil/humbucker idea with the dual neck pickups. Like a metal HSH and a classic strat in one. I can see why you'd need some colors to help you with all that pickup stuff. I almost always stick to the bridge (I also just use 2 channel amps- I have one for metal, one for other stuff. I guess I like my tone and don't want to change it) so I probably wouldn't need anything as fancy as that. That's also why I'm thinking of putting a Sustainer in one of my extra guitars- I don't use the neck position. It definitely looks like you enjoy having millions of tones from your guitar and that huge Line 6 Vetta. Do you know if there's a way to simplify the lighting system to just stay one color and have a on/off switch to conserve battery?

Also, can't wait to see the next few. I wonder what crazy ideas you have for those, a fretboard that has scrolling LED light messages maybe?

[Fraser]

The Midi Volume is also a push/push pot . Down - no lights. up - lights on! That saves battery.

[haydenralli]

nice dude, pretty complicated though!!!!! were did you get the wiring diagram for it? or were you just inventive.you spilt the blade rail neck also right? if you have to use a battery for the l.e.d you might as well use a active wiring kit for one of the pickups, i think they sell emg sell them to endorse alexi's passive set up?.

[Fraser]

Hayden,

thanks, it was a bit complicated I guess. I don't split the rails. The 'split' sound selects the single coil. I designed the wiring myself.

The battery for the led also powers the Graphtech gear. I did look at putting in an active Humbucker in the bridge a shadow SH EQ5, maybe on another one....

To be honest I've never played actives much. one day....

[ae3]

Is that a tiger claw behined the bridge?

[CainMD]

i'd love to see a video of this thing in action. Also, good work!

[Fraser]

Is that a tiger claw behined the bridge?

Yup.