MasterOfTheWind Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 (edited) Adrenaline Please give me some feedback and your honest critique... This is becoming my new hobby and I would really like to learn how to make them even better. I am not a musician but I always liked Metal and particularly the guitar. Before I built this guitar, I knew nothing about guitars. A couple of months ago my brother in law who is a musician, who also built a few guitars had the Explorer guitar. I immediately fell in love with it and decided to build one but more "aggressive", more "Metally"... This is my first build, My brother in law helped me understand the measurements, the electronics, the ergonomics, and off I went to draw it. A few weeks later, Adrenaline was completed ! Body: Basswood Neck : Not sure, he (see above) gave me one that he had laying around. I only modified the head a bit to flow with the body. Scale: 25.5" Pickups: RedActive (active pickups) Electronics: Simple 3 way switch, tone, volume Finish: Auto spray paint - Sparkly black and spray clear coat I never owned a guitar but always wanted to learn how to play one, so I basically built this one for that purpose... I don't really have much experience with woodworking but I do know the basics and consider myself to be very handy with tools and have plenty of them. This has been a wonderful experience. I learned so much about guitars from building it... I had a few musicians play it, they loved it and said it was very comfortable and plays well. One told me: "Its weird, but it works really well" Hope you like it. If not, let me know why not... I also submitted it to the Guitar Of The Month contest for November, hopefully it will get a vote or two. Edited November 18, 2015 by MasterOfTheWind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Hi, welcome to the forum... I like your explorer approach and specially the fact that you've built it without being a guitar player. That sounds impossible to me. Congratulations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 36 minutes ago, psikoT said: Hi, welcome to the forum... I like your explorer approach and specially the fact that you've built it without being a guitar player. That sounds impossible to me. Congratulations! Thank you psikoT ! I also saw some of your builds - they are stunning !!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
curtisa Posted November 18, 2015 Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 Welcome aboard, hope we can see some more of your creations in the future. We like a good build thread around these parts. Feedback and critique? For a first time builder who knows nothing about guitar, it looks pretty impressive to me. Certainly leaps and bounds ahead of many first builds. Only suggestions from me would be cosmetic - the long gap between the bridge and tailpiece and the tilted neck pickup seems a little visually distracting, but if the instrument plays and sounds like it's totally made of awesome, then you've done admirably well for a maiden voyage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 18, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 18, 2015 1 hour ago, curtisa said: Welcome aboard, hope we can see some more of your creations in the future. We like a good build thread around these parts. Feedback and critique? For a first time builder who knows nothing about guitar, it looks pretty impressive to me. Certainly leaps and bounds ahead of many first builds. Only suggestions from me would be cosmetic - the long gap between the bridge and tailpiece and the tilted neck pickup seems a little visually distracting, but if the instrument plays and sounds like it's totally made of awesome, then you've done admirably well for a maiden voyage. curtisa, Thank you for the feedback ! I completely agree with you about the tailpiece, I didn't realize what it would look like when making the holes for it. also the tailpiece would have looked much cooler had I placed it slanted like the end curve of the body. You are also 100% right about the pickup, I had to place it like that due to a design flaw that I didnt notice until it was time to put the pickups. The "step" I made on the top while making the guitar cool, forced me to place the neck pickup this way (: And yes, you most certainly will see more builds... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
killemall8 Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 A lot better than my first guitar, for sure. I think the slanted pickups and headstock dont really match it well. And the maple fretboard and headstock dont go along wtih the color scheme. I think it can be turned into a good overall design with some tweaking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Getting any instrument past the finishing post is an achievement for a builder of any level. That you did it without pre-existing knowledge is pretty astounding, and more or less the entire reason why ProjectGuitar.com exists; to help anybody of any standard build or modify an instrument. Exemplary. I have to add, that finish makes the body look like black sparkle Corian! So....what's next? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Norris Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 For a first build I think you've done a cracking job and produced a very good take on the explorer shape. I'm sure there are a few aesthetic changes you would probably make with hindsight, but that's for your next build . I must crack on with my first build, which is really still in the "heap of wood" stage, but getting there slowly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andyjr1515 Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Hi & welcome from another newcomer I like that VERY much. I agree with the comment that the stop-tail is a bit too far from the bridge (it will affect the break angle of the strings and also will tend to allow the strings there to resonate like a harp - a loop of velcro just behind the bridge will stop that), but I actually like the look of the offset pickup. I love what you have done with the top horn. I've seen somewhere a solid ebony (yes, quite!) bass with a similar feature. Very, very stylish Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 WOW ! What an awesome welcoming community !!! Thank you all ! Really great constructive feedback from everybody. I will definitely make some tweaks based on your suggestions on the next build of this model... I'll call it "Adrenaline Rush". Also thank you for all the positive feedback, I wasn't sure how this "wild" design would be perceived by musicians... I feel much better about it now. As for the next project, it is 99% finished, still figuring out what to do with the knobs and the switch but i'll give you a sneak peak. I called it Dopamine. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Allow me to add my welcome to these as well. You know, my first guitar has a very similar story as yours. I had never played......in fact not many would call what I do now actually playing. And I wanted my first design to be "more" than anything else I had ever seen. From an artistic point of view I like the way this design balances and flows and I like the multi-levels. Having this one....and now I see most of another under your belt, I expect you have a better appreciation of "form and function" and can easily see the tweak that would let you put your neck pickup where you want it whilst preserve your design. That is a very fine first effort, and that sneak peek of the second is quite tasty as well. I love what I can see of the finish. It makes me think of dragon skin. Obviously you've already felt the first grip builder's addiction that we've all succumbed to. What lessons did you learn from your first that you applied to your second? That never ends by the way. We all still have "holy crap! why didn't I ever think of that before" moments on nearly every new build. I'm glad to see you are using your own creativity for your build designs. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) 1 hour ago, ScottR said: Allow me to add my welcome to these as well. You know, my first guitar has a very similar story as yours. I had never played......in fact not many would call what I do now actually playing. And I wanted my first design to be "more" than anything else I had ever seen. From an artistic point of view I like the way this design balances and flows and I like the multi-levels. Having this one....and now I see most of another under your belt, I expect you have a better appreciation of "form and function" and can easily see the tweak that would let you put your neck pickup where you want it whilst preserve your design. That is a very fine first effort, and that sneak peek of the second is quite tasty as well. I love what I can see of the finish. It makes me think of dragon skin. Obviously you've already felt the first grip builder's addiction that we've all succumbed to. What lessons did you learn from your first that you applied to your second? That never ends by the way. We all still have "holy crap! why didn't I ever think of that before" moments on nearly every new build. I'm glad to see you are using your own creativity for your build designs. SR ScottR, You are absolutely right, I am addicted... The things I learned so far are: 1. Measure 7 time, cut once. 2. Plan and draw all hardware and cuts. 3. Almost any mess up on wood can be fixed (depending on what the finish will be) 4. It is better to take the time and do it right than mess something up and then fix it. 5. Router bits can remove skin and flesh really fast. (especially on a table with the bit completely exposed) 6. When skin is removed at 30,000 RPM (15,000x2 blades) no pain is felt. 7. With good quality wood, almost anything can be made. 8. Prior to finishing, inspect the work by touch and not just visually. 9. Different woods require different techniques and tools... Hopefully this will also help newbies like me (: Please post a pic of your first build. Would love to see it. Edited November 19, 2015 by MasterOfTheWind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 That's an impressive list of points learned, you mention very good points......and HOLY CRAP! hopefully no stitches were required. I did my first build before I ever heard of this place, but eventually I posted some shots of it completed, so here's a link: SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 It might be advisable to either lower the speed of your router so you can feel the pain message or increase the speed of your reactions. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 19, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 (edited) 37 minutes ago, Prostheta said: It might be advisable to either lower the speed of your router so you can feel the pain message or increase the speed of your reactions. LOL. I learned how to respect the Router, be extra careful with it and avoid getting my hands near the blades. Scott, that guitar is a beauty !!! Especially the details and the curves... Luckily no stitches were needed and it didn't get to the bone. I really, really got lucky. But here is what a router can do in a matter of milliseconds... (not for the faint of heart) Edited November 19, 2015 by MasterOfTheWind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ScottR Posted November 19, 2015 Report Share Posted November 19, 2015 Routers are evil wicked creatures that demand respect. Pretty useful too. Like you I learned a lot building that one. It's always fun to go back and look at the first one. It helps put what you do later into perspective. SR Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 If our awards system still worked, you'd get an instantaneous badge for that injury! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 OMG that finger... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Prostheta Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 I know it's all well and good that we can laugh about such things in hindsight since we know whose fault accidents generally are, but I do have to reinforce that safety is absolutely paramount when it comes to such things. As players ourselves, losing a finger or even a little sensation and mobility is unacceptable. Unlike most things where one learns from one's mistakes, losing a finger is not something you can really take a useful lesson from and move beyond it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
psikoT Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 1 hour ago, Prostheta said: Unlike most things where one learns from one's mistakes, losing a finger is not something you can really take a useful lesson from and move beyond it. Only if it's not yours... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 20, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 (edited) I like to say: "What doesn't kill you, makes you stronger" but in this case it made me smarter, not stronger. Almost 2 months after the injury, it is still recovering, although the wound has closed long time ago, there is still discomfort when using it to apply force and when trying to fully bend that joint. And yes for musicians that could have worse consequences, as I mentioned I built the Adrenaline to learn to play. I did start and took my first lesson. The injury happened 2 days before my second lesson and I haven't been able to practice since... Edited November 20, 2015 by MasterOfTheWind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ProjectGuitar.com Posted November 20, 2015 Report Share Posted November 20, 2015 Hopefully it heals fully with no permanent issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Thank you !!! I don't expect any permanent damage, probably gonna have a little bit of discomfort for a while, at least it hasn't stopped me from building...lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kmensik Posted November 21, 2015 Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 Hi. If your first one was decent, the second must be better. Judging from the photo, which is a good photo itself, with Dopamine you made a giant leap. Show us! (my first is this one http://kmensik.rajce.idnes.cz/DIY_GTR/) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MasterOfTheWind Posted November 21, 2015 Author Report Share Posted November 21, 2015 (edited) 1 hour ago, kmensik said: Hi. If your first one was decent, the second must be better. Judging from the photo, which is a good photo itself, with Dopamine you made a giant leap. Show us! (my first is this one http://kmensik.rajce.idnes.cz/DIY_GTR/) Kmensik, That a great build !!! the link is ridiculously slow to lean, but a great guitar. Here is DOPAMINE... (just finished it) http://www.projectguitar.com/forums/topic/48349-my-2nd-build-dopamine/ Edited November 21, 2015 by MasterOfTheWind Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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