westhemann Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Some of you may remember this guitar.I loved it at the time,but it ended up close to 10 pounds,which was too heavy,so it hung on the wall for years So there were some other things that bothered me besides the weight...I didn't like the way the neck color obscured all of the wood I used in that 9 piece laminate neck and the flamed fretboard,I should have angled the neck to get a better angle to the bridge(at the time I didn't know Kahler saddles were supposed to be set high),and the back plate kept falling off because the magnets i used were too small So I have been sort of secretly working on this one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 So...I fixed all of those issues.It now weighs 6 pounds.I recessed the Kahler so I could set the saddles higher.Hardware is now chrome because I think it goes better with the maple fretboard. Pickups are GFS power rails and they sound really great.Of course,this guitar has always been a tone monster regardless of pups because of the bubinga.Notice the channel to reach the bridge set screw This is a wipe on finish.Minwax wipe on poly to be exact.2 coats cleaned with #00 steel wool to make a natural matte look.2 coats is not much to be sure,but bubinga is so dense and stable I think it will never be an issue The back.I put in more magnets for the cover plate.Only time will tell if I need more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Last time I heard plenty of opinions about the "bulky heel" and the tilted tuners.Well,the heel doesn't even start until the 19th fret and is shaped to match a hand,so I just ignored that as ignorance from the new culture of "It has to look like an AANJ"...truth is the access is better than my japanese ESP neck through or any of the other expensive guitars I own or used to own,including two Jackson USA neck through superstrats and a BC Rich Neck through KK Warlock.... I am very happy with how it turned out this time.feels good and plays well,though I will need to set it up again after it sits for a few days Now you can easily see the laminate work I did on this one I have bubinga venner on the back of the headstock as well as the front.This is because the first time around i tried to rear mount the locking nut and hit my truss rod access hole.I glued in dowels of maple and did the cover up as a "feature" And that's it...done and done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Truth be told, I like the looks of this much better than the original. That bubinga is hot- that neck is hot--I love the neck join. The only thing I'm not a fan of is the headstock shape, and that's just a matter of personal taste. And we all know there is no accounting for taste. You did a good job of visually balancing the holes or ports or whatever you decide to call those. (Peepholes)? That would be easy to mess up. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Thanks.i think it looks really cool. I drew lines and made a million measurements before drilling the holes.I had holesaws of three sizes,so I pictured it in my head,then went about making it look right.All holes are 3/8" away from the closest edge and the nearest hole,except for the one at the tip,which is slightly farther away from the closest hole,because to be perfect I would have needed the holesaw on that one to be like 1/8" bigger around...but it looks right,so I am good with it.Sanding the lines out of the inside of those holes was an effort I assure you... Yeah headstocks are tough.I wanted 3+3,but didn't want it to be an exact copy of anything.It resembles the BC Rick Batwing headstock more than anything I think.I didn't want to do the banana headstock because the string pull on the high E string sucks on those. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 (edited) Sanding the lines out of the inside of those holes was an effort I assure you... Yeah, I'm, familiar with that particular frustration. It's hard enough to get inside and get pressure, there is no good position to hold the guitar in for longer than a few strokes, and you have to be careful not to change the shape of the hole or round off the edges. How many times did you ask yourself whose effin idea was it to put so many holes in this thing? It was worth it though, it looks great. SR Edited August 29, 2012 by ScottR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RestorationAD Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I liked it before. I think I like it now. Not sure about the holes but it is an explorer and that makes it killer. I would say it is probably way more comfortable now. I know I had weight issues with my D5 model <- Destroyer style (that is why production is on hold). Even when using lighter woods when the body is that big it is hard to get them light without chambering. <rant> I have had the heal discussions with people as well... and I always want to say "Until you pick the guitar up _shut up!" This whole AANJ movement is crap... my necks join the body so late in the game that a 10 year olds hands are big enough to reach the 24th fret. On the newer guitars I shape the heal to fit the hand while playing the 24th fret. </rant> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr Natural Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 I like it. I liked it before- but I think I like it natural now- and the neck is killer. 2 questions- do you notice a difference in sound as compared to before? 2nd - and forgive me if you already explained this in previous thread- but is that headstock the "sinister goat" style? I see the ears, or horns- in it. I immediately thought of your twins build and the sinister goat logo when I saw this headstock. I may have missed that before and captain obvious just smacked me across the face. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
westhemann Posted August 29, 2012 Author Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 The headstock is a version of a design came up with a few years back...the original has two more points between the big points,but it didn't look right with an explorer style so I modified it.The goat logo came later and was meant to compliment the headstock as an inlay,then the brand of the Sinister Goat thing is brand new and was designed to shadow the shape of the this headstock,but to fit on my other headstocks as well.Whether it goes well with all of them is up for debate,but I hope so. But yeah,on this style headstock the thin part of the goat face brand goes in between the top two tuners and the beard of the goat rests in the middle of the top four tuners.I have not put it on this one because I don't really want it on here.i may change my mind later It's just one of those things that kind of happened over time. No difference in sound that I can tell...maybe a bit more resonant,but it still sounds like the guitar it was before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dean Posted August 29, 2012 Report Share Posted August 29, 2012 Wes, I like the new version.Hiding all those woods would be a shame,and it looks cool ,too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
plinky Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 It screams Bumblefoot. I love it! http://www.bumblefoot.com/gear/guitar04.htm Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bob123 Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 That looks really cool man! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pauliemc Posted August 30, 2012 Report Share Posted August 30, 2012 Cool. me likey I made an explorer years back that weighed 12 lbs. I chambered the crap out of it & put on a maple top. I should have just drilled some big fook off holes in it. this looks groovey man. Although my screwed up little mind wants to paint the body yellow & inlay Jerry (the mouse from Tom & Jerry) running up the fret board. Now I think of it, screw it, You have inspired me, Im building the cheese explorer. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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