RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 So you can see how I left the heal area to carve. Not my favorite thing but it is completely necessary on the D506. And shaped. The recess on the horn allows better access to the 24th fret. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Installing the nut Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Time for test fits on the hardware. Also haven't placed the strap locks yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Ended up recessing the Kahler. I have no idea why I put a kahler on my guitar... I just never use tremolos. Everything is installed and set up now. Time to take it apart and get ready for finishing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 7, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 7, 2011 And now for something completely different. Black sand back and Orange destroyer... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinky Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 This thread is long... I don't care. I love your build threads. Make 'em as long as you want. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 8, 2011 Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I have no idea why I put a kahler on my guitar Because they are cool? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 8, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 8, 2011 I have no idea why I put a kahler on my guitar Because they are cool? The main thing I dislike about Kahlers or any floating trem is when you bend a string with an open string ringing you can hear the pitch drop. Makes for a dissonant mess. Other than that they are cool. I actually like the wilkinson over all of them. This Kahler has a lock so I might lock it... however I recessed the trem so you have to pull it out to lock it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 The main thing I dislike about Kahlers or any floating trem is when you bend a string with an open string ringing you can hear the pitch drop. Yup...but they are not really for acoustic fun,so it's easy to work around... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crazygtr Posted August 9, 2011 Report Share Posted August 9, 2011 This thread is long... No Sir, it is not, it is very detailed an informative and I thank you for that. Jose. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 This is probably my favorite neck join/heal carve I've seen you do. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to love the the top when you're done. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 10, 2011 Report Share Posted August 10, 2011 By the way,Maiden did a small recess behind the set screw so he could turn it while it was still attached...you could also run a shallow "scoop" away from the entire back of the trem to make it look like a feature Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 This is probably my favorite neck join/heal carve I've seen you do. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to love the the top when you're done. SR I have something similar on the 8 string (sir not appearing in this film) it is a pita to do. All access is overrated. Heck I so rarely need to play all those high notes... This will be the first color top I have done in a while. I just felt that it wasn't stunning enough on its own and it needed something. Lets hope it turns out good. I am not as good at color as Drak. By the way,Maiden did a small recess behind the set screw so he could turn it while it was still attached...you could also run a shallow "scoop" away from the entire back of the trem to make it look like a feature Yeah I thought about that but I hand routed the recess so tight you have to pull to get the base free. I am proud of it and since I am keeping it I might just lock it and leave it. (Of course I have the upcoming SEGAS show and everything has a price) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 The original 2300 did not have a set screw.You could just leave the screw out completely.That is what I do...you could use it as your "Van Halen" guitar... You just can't play Van Halen,Slayer,or a handful of others accurately without a good trem. I have my Explorer for everything fixed bridge,and quite a few trem equipped guitars,but my KXK V has an original floyd and feels similar enough to the Explorer so as not to kill me when I play it. Truthfully I would like to make two identical guitars with different bridges so i could switch between them with no real difference in feel at all.Kahler has the same height as a TOM,so that would be ideal(without a recess) I bought templates for the 67 Gibson V,so that may be the next project for me...quite a while in the future,though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 This is probably my favorite neck join/heal carve I've seen you do. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to love the the top when you're done. SR I have something similar on the 8 string (sir not appearing in this film) it is a pita to do. All access is overrated. Heck I so rarely need to play all those high notes... This will be the first color top I have done in a while. I just felt that it wasn't stunning enough on its own and it needed something. Lets hope it turns out good. I am not as good at color as Drak. I disagree about the pita part. It really should be no more difficult than the carves you do on the top and you can get every bit as fast with repetition. I agree that all access is overrated...there are way too many Fender and Gibson players for that to not be true. However, as you once told me, attention to detail and the ability to execute those details is the difference between a backyard builder and a high end luthier. Access aside, a smooth contoured neck join looks much better than an assembly line heel. And it feels a ton better whether it ever gets used or not. You are working on building a brand. This type of join should cost you no more than a couple extra hours--if that, and all by itself will set you apart from 80%-90% of the other custom builders out there. There are more than enough of us out here that can build perfectly playable custom guitars. Your headstock is part of your brand. It does not make your guitars any more playable than Gibson's open book. But it certainly looks cooler and makes your guitars more attractive and desirable. Don't miss an opportunity to set yourself apart and add value to your work (if you don't add a whole lot to the cost, it makes your stuff even more desirable). And really, I'd say your shallow carves on your super thin tops are a lot less forgiving than contouring a neck join would be. There's no reason for it to take a long time or be a pita; hell it's probably my favorite thing to do. .....Rant over. That perhaps may have been better suited to a PM, but I think it's good advice in general to all aspiring builders. If you don't make what you build unique or better than what's on the market, you might as well buy your next guitar. Lord knows it would be cheaper. (In most senses of the word). RAD's builds are a great example of individualism and improvement on what's available. As far as not being as good as Drak is at color....who the hell is. His stuff makes a great target to shoot at though. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 The original 2300 did not have a set screw.You could just leave the screw out completely.That is what I do...you could use it as your "Van Halen" guitar... You just can't play Van Halen,Slayer,or a handful of others accurately without a good trem. I have my Explorer for everything fixed bridge,and quite a few trem equipped guitars,but my KXK V has an original floyd and feels similar enough to the Explorer so as not to kill me when I play it. Truthfully I would like to make two identical guitars with different bridges so i could switch between them with no real difference in feel at all.Kahler has the same height as a TOM,so that would be ideal(without a recess) I bought templates for the 67 Gibson V,so that may be the next project for me...quite a while in the future,though. I kinda like the 2 identical guitars thing. Hmmmm... never been able to build 2 identical guitars. Nor has anyone else for that matter. I own a 1994 gun metal gray Parker Fly deluxe fix bridge. I also own a 1995 gun metal gray Parker Fly deluxe with a trem. They sound completely different. But I get what you are pointing out to me. Sounds like a plan. New Destroyer fix bridge next year! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 11, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 This is probably my favorite neck join/heal carve I've seen you do. I'm also pretty sure I'm going to love the the top when you're done. SR I have something similar on the 8 string (sir not appearing in this film) it is a pita to do. All access is overrated. Heck I so rarely need to play all those high notes... This will be the first color top I have done in a while. I just felt that it wasn't stunning enough on its own and it needed something. Lets hope it turns out good. I am not as good at color as Drak. I disagree about the pita part. It really should be no more difficult than the carves you do on the top and you can get every bit as fast with repetition. I agree that all access is overrated...there are way too many Fender and Gibson players for that to not be true. However, as you once told me, attention to detail and the ability to execute those details is the difference between a backyard builder and a high end luthier. Access aside, a smooth contoured neck join looks much better than an assembly line heel. And it feels a ton better whether it ever gets used or not. You are working on building a brand. This type of join should cost you no more than a couple extra hours--if that, and all by itself will set you apart from 80%-90% of the other custom builders out there. There are more than enough of us out here that can build perfectly playable custom guitars. Your headstock is part of your brand. It does not make your guitars any more playable than Gibson's open book. But it certainly looks cooler and makes your guitars more attractive and desirable. Don't miss an opportunity to set yourself apart and add value to your work (if you don't add a whole lot to the cost, it makes your stuff even more desirable). And really, I'd say your shallow carves on your super thin tops are a lot less forgiving than contouring a neck join would be. There's no reason for it to take a long time or be a pita; hell it's probably my favorite thing to do. .....Rant over. That perhaps may have been better suited to a PM, but I think it's good advice in general to all aspiring builders. If you don't make what you build unique or better than what's on the market, you might as well buy your next guitar. Lord knows it would be cheaper. (In most senses of the word). RAD's builds are a great example of individualism and improvement on what's available. As far as not being as good as Drak is at color....who the hell is. His stuff makes a great target to shoot at though. SR Rant away! You know I would. As for what you said. I got it. I said they are a pain. I am working on doing them all the time. I just hate poking the horns with the point of a sharp rasp... little holes piss me off. I am working on the technique though. I have an idea what I want them to look like I just need to develop a technique to do it the same every time. It is not the first time I didn't want to do something and someone told me I should. The reason I carve my tops is because my friend (owns Diablo) told me that is what he wanted and I should do it on everything. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 11, 2011 Report Share Posted August 11, 2011 I just hate poking the horns with the point of a sharp rasp... little holes piss me off Grind away the part that pokes holes in the horns. You don't need that part. Sort of like smoothing one edge of a triangle file to dress fret ends with. Or get a drum rasp bit for your drill. The reason I carve my tops is because my friend (owns Diablo) told me that is what he wanted and I should do it on everything. He knew what he was talking about. 3 or 4 weeks ago I was out watching a band and the guitarist was playing a nice old Jackson (if there is such a thing). It was blue. But the way the lights reflected off that slab face just shouted: Cheap! Plain! Boring! to me. I love the way a tele sounds....but I'd much rather look at.....hold.....play one like that last one you made. Drak's flat faced masterpieces are a whole different animal. His finishes are so over the top good that they don't need carves or other individualistic treatments to set them apart. (owns Diablo) Really? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 12, 2011 Author Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 I just hate poking the horns with the point of a sharp rasp... little holes piss me off Grind away the part that pokes holes in the horns. You don't need that part. Sort of like smoothing one edge of a triangle file to dress fret ends with. Or get a drum rasp bit for your drill. Are you Fing MAD!!! I payed an arm and a leg for those Dragon rasps... hell no it is not the tools fault but the tool using them. I am going to make a template to help machine the initial carve or something. I saw Simo do something with like that. I think a large cove bit with a bearing and a template and I should be able to come up with something. Leaving only a very small area to work with the rasp and still retain a machined look. (owns Diablo) Really? SR Yeah Diablo was his guitar... He wanted a simple black shredder strat. He got this instead. I am not very good at following directions... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 Doh! I think I remember that guitar. I was thinking you were saying he owned the name....as in your Diablo humbuckers. And I was not considering dragon rasps. Just fold some canvas over the inside of your horns or use a coarse drum attachment for your drill. I know you don't consider this an option, but it only takes me 2 or 3 hours to carve and rough sand with palm gouges--those spoon shaped things you consider dangerous. Carry on, I'm looking forward to the final product on this. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Juntunen Guitars Posted August 12, 2011 Report Share Posted August 12, 2011 This thread is long... No Sir, it is not, it is very detailed an informative and I thank you for that. Jose. Nothing beats Muzz's "Pointy Stick" build last year. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted September 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 Guitar is done. I am cleaning out the camera...So these are the shots after I finished buffing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted September 30, 2011 Author Report Share Posted September 30, 2011 Headstock shot and this is were I oiled the neck after everything was done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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