Our Souls inc. Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 It's been a coons age since I finished anything, but one got done today. This was a simple strat build but I talked to Brett at guitar logistics - Aka Rad from this forum - and he recommended his latest high-output pup for this build to get the tone I was hoping to acheive. After talking to him, I decided to utilize his "minimalist" approach on this build. I went with a single pup, single volume pot and not much else. I managed to use the output jack cavity to fit the volume pot in thus negating the need for a cavity cover. Since it was inspired by him and sports one of his pups, I dubbed this one the Rad-o-caster . Here are the specs: Maple back with a one-peice spalted Elm top Maple neck with a wheel truss nut Rosewood FB 24 medium frets 25.5" scale length Hard-tail Floyd Rose style bridge for fine tuning abilities. Guitar Logistics humbucker 500k volume pot two neck screws. low gloss clear on the front , gloss finish on the back. Hand polished and buffed. As usual for me, no templates were used in the making of this guitar. On with the pics: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Feel free to criticize or ask questions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brian d Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 How are you finding the stability/strength with 2 neck screws? Anything else there helping hold the neck in (other than great fit?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntinDoug Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Man...Love the truck!..The guitars nice too. Interesting Floyd mount. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I can't believe you screwed down the top part of a Floyd to use as a hard-tail. Sorry buddy, but that's just ghetto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 then again its kind of smart he now has fine tuning on a hardtail :-P good work man 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted June 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 I can't believe you screwed down the top part of a Floyd to use as a hard-tail. Sorry buddy, but that's just ghetto. I got a pass, it's cool. JK, but this is only like the 8th time I've done this. Sorry you just noticed. I like the simplicity of the install myself. As for two screws, its showing no signs of weakness ,it'sjust a bit ugly. I'll probably add a third just for aesthetics. It was more of a test to see if two would do. I thought about only one, but felt a little nervous. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Great guitar, I love breaking the rules so the screwed on floyd is the duck's nuts (Aussie slang for cool) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HuntinDoug Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Sorry buddy, but that's just ghetto. Don't discount "Ghetto": Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Ghetto works for this one... nice work considering there were no templates used. I like the idea of bolting a Floyd right to the wood. Having all that metal in direct contact with the wood... and then the strings are locked, no huge routed hole, no noisy springs, I would say there is some Tone Voodoo to be achieved there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Note that I didn't day it was bad, just ghetto. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted June 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Thanks for the nice words. I am happy with it, but made my share of boo-boo's during the build. Rad- real glad you like it. The neck isn't all multi-lam'd out, but I like the tone of a flatsawn maple neck. I blame my early guitars. John, i found this. http://www.ibanez.com/ElectricGuitars/Series-mtm << that dude liked my idea so much he stole it and Ibanez let him. I'll do up a video clip of the rad-o at work. Its a very bassy guitar. Detuned a bit anyway but it does have a J-lo like bottom end. Very large and round but somehow quite fitting and pleasant, with enough going on up top that it's not too lop-sided.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pestvic Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 hahaha no way its a model now? or been? crazy rad. I wonder now, with what restoration said, does this help sustain and such? It must do something if ibanez made a model with it :-P Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Overall, it's not a bad idea at all. Like RAD said, it's a big flat metal plate with a LOT of contact surface for vibration transfer. Add the familiar look and fine tuners and Floyd Rose should have a real winner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Overall, it's not a bad idea at all. Like RAD said, it's a big flat metal plate with a LOT of contact surface for vibration transfer. Add the familiar look and fine tuners and Floyd Rose should have a real winner. Yeah so if you ordered some replacement floyd saddles and build a new brass baseplate you could have one badd arse (sorry leo quan) fine tuning bridge. Anyone who uses this idea must build 2 and send me one. Now where is that beater floyd I have <starts digging in parts boxes> Cheers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 hahaha no way its a model now? or been? crazy rad. I wonder now, with what restoration said, does this help sustain and such? It must do something if ibanez made a model with it :-P So the post mounted floyd in my mind is no better than a TOM or a wrap tailpiece. I forgot about adjusting the individual string heights. One problem with Floyd Rose trems is they are fixed radius... I think stock they are 14" then you have to buy shims and different height saddles to get them right. Thanks for the nice words. I am happy with it, but made my share of boo-boo's during the build. Rad- real glad you like it. The neck isn't all multi-lam'd out, but I like the tone of a flatsawn maple neck. I blame my early guitars. I am with you I have a flatsawn maple neck you would have to pry from my cold dead hands... I multi-lam to make best use of the riftsawn wood stock I get these days. When I get good quartersawn or flatsawn boards I make solid necks out of them. Wait till you see my winter projects... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Then again, Kahler has had a terrific flat-mount bridge for a long time, but nobody seems to care. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 Then again, Kahler has had a terrific flat-mount bridge for a long time, but nobody seems to care. I can get them but what I am interested in is the string lock.... kahler still relies on the ball ends. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zyonsdream Posted June 29, 2012 Report Share Posted June 29, 2012 (edited) I'd undo anything that Mick Thompson copied... I'm sure if you ask him, he came up with this idea while he was still in the womb and patented it before age two. Geesh, that guy is a plague on custom built guitars in general. Thanks for the nice words. I am happy with it, but made my share of boo-boo's during the build. Rad- real glad you like it. The neck isn't all multi-lam'd out, but I like the tone of a flatsawn maple neck. I blame my early guitars. John, i found this. http://www.ibanez.co...tars/Series-mtm << that dude liked my idea so much he stole it and Ibanez let him. I'll do up a video clip of the rad-o at work. Its a very bassy guitar. Detuned a bit anyway but it does have a J-lo like bottom end. Very large and round but somehow quite fitting and pleasant, with enough going on up top that it's not too lop-sided.. Edited June 29, 2012 by zyonsdream Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
avengers63 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 What's so special about string lock vs. ball ends? I've never had a floyd, and don't intend to, so I have no basis for comparison. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 So the Ibanez model is pre- lawsuit? Floyds are great, so is the Ibanez edge trem, but snipping the ends off the strings and pinching them with those tiny blocks in the trem is fiddly $#1! , I love the way they keep the guitar in tune for a whole set, they sound pretty spectacular when a string breaks too Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Our Souls inc. Posted June 30, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 Howdy Muzz ! I don't snip the ends, I thread them in from the tuner posts down to the bridge. [insert evil villian laugh here ] As far as contact surface, there's really no more than your average hard-tail. The fine tuners being the only advantage . As for string height- that took some careful planning ! My version is literally a FR with the block removed, not like Mr. 'Knots version, where you can adjust the height. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted June 30, 2012 Report Share Posted June 30, 2012 I'd undo anything that Mick Thompson copied... I'm sure if you ask him, he came up with this idea while he was still in the womb and patented it before age two. Geesh, that guy is a plague on custom built guitars in general. Thanks for the nice words. I am happy with it, but made my share of boo-boo's during the build. Rad- real glad you like it. The neck isn't all multi-lam'd out, but I like the tone of a flatsawn maple neck. I blame my early guitars. John, i found this. http://www.ibanez.co...tars/Series-mtm << that dude liked my idea so much he stole it and Ibanez let him. I'll do up a video clip of the rad-o at work. Its a very bassy guitar. Detuned a bit anyway but it does have a J-lo like bottom end. Very large and round but somehow quite fitting and pleasant, with enough going on up top that it's not too lop-sided.. Satch was the first to do this... over a decade ago lol. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muzz Posted July 1, 2012 Report Share Posted July 1, 2012 Heya OSi, Oh yeah, now I can see the ends at the headstock, I like the headstock shape too, that looks cool. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted July 5, 2012 Report Share Posted July 5, 2012 Nice one Mike! (I'm still getting caught up). I do wish you'd use a template when you're going with direct mounted pups, but otherwise this is very sweet looking indeed. And....stellar photography. Have I been blind or have your shots always been this good? SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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