Frankenstrat. I couldn't not.

[Prostheta]

No doubt. I'd love to see what a bit of space would do for your work.

[Prostheta]

A few cashflow problems, but we're moving on bit by bit. I bought a new M6 die and got to making the truss rod. First, the anchor....

Truss rod cut to exact length as calculated (445mm in this instance) and tapped just enough for the anchor to fit on. Thread cleaned with acetone, same with the anchor.

 

To secure the anchor permanently, I wicked CA into the threads and began to peen the exposed end of the rod slowly using dozens of small random taps over the surface. The gradually deforms the steel and mushrooms the end, compressing the remaining threads and making sure this will never turn in the slot.

 

It looks a little scabby from the CA glue, but it's good.

 

Finished anchor. This is going nowhere. Except for in the neck, which is a good thing. Beyond that, nowhere. Maybe back into space one day if you're really counting.

[Prostheta]

Well hello. Fancy seeing you here. Whilst we're in one place, let's have a minor update.

 

This is straight off the CNC. Truss rod and fillet glued. DNA added to the headstock after I cut my knuckle along one of the sharp edges. Not the usual DNA (denatured alcohol) but the real stuff this time.

I've attached the DXF file I've been using to work from. It might be a little different to what I sent into the wood thanks to tweaking here and there at the CNC console. Essentially this is the flat 2D information. The yellow border defines the workpiece extents, purple lines for drilling. The inlay placement, frets, nut and headstock transition were reference only. Instead of roughing the headstock as a flat plane with a cylindrical section at one end, I decided to use my preferred method of using a spindle sander to face the headstock and add in the transition once the fingerboard is in place.

This DXF does not contain the truss rod routing strategy, which was essentially three steps; first being the adjuster hole via a helical immersion move with the spindle set something like 92 degrees on the A axis. Next was the barrel nut with pretty much the same maneuver at a couple of degrees off vertical. The rod slot was a point to point arc with a radius something like 15m.

 

Next job is to flatten off that surface prior to glueing up the fingerboard which I have yet to complete. I'll be testing strategies for milling fret slots, so this will take a few test pieces before I commit to the birdsarse Maple.

frankie_neck.dxf

[Muzz]

The painting process on a Frankenstein is great fun, I painted up a premade body a few years back for a friend, so satisfying pulling the tape off and seeing the design appear.

[Prostheta]

No gloss for me. This is going full relic, however it needs to survive for a while as a VH1 Frankie!

[Prostheta]

Gah, ballache time. I was testing the new 0,5mm cutters for fret slotting and dropped a bollock on the nut slot. My DXF import from Rhino to WoodWOP for the Homag baked in discrete values for the fret slot depths with respect to the Z base. Cue me copypasta'ing a variable name into the "depth" for each fret slot, click-paste-doubleclick-click-paste with mouse moves between operations. Accidentally caught my nose on the finishing line by pasting the variable name into "distance offset" instead of depth for the slot either side of the nut. Cue the CNC driving a slot 22mm out from the nut in the middle of the first fret instead of 22mm up from Z=0. I might be able to rout out the rectangle of Maple between fret slots and glue in a replacement rectangle from a neck offcut, however the grain direction isn't a complete match and neither is the wood tone.

I pulled the trigger on a Birdseye board pre-slotted from LMII so I only need to machine in the compound radius. In the meantime I'll attempt the repair on this board, and if I end up with two boards then, damn. Whatever would I do with two?

[Prostheta]

That time of the year again when I make some sort of progress post!

I replaced the fingerboard and radiused it to a good 16". The fret markers are Jarrah, as I don't have any Katalox on hand. Rosewood would have been an option, however Jarrah seems to have a look that does the trick for me. A minor detail, but hey. I didn't have a 1/4" plug cutter (*cries in Metric*) to make the fret markers, so I invoked irony yet again and used the CNC to cut them. The dots at 12th were drilled 23mm apart, which I have idea as to correctness or not. Who cares. Hide glue was used since CA can make a terrible mess in Maple, same as PVAc. It should also have a more appropriate colour should there be any glue line visible.

[Prostheta]

I'm waiting on an order for a few parts; a reliced Gotoh trad Strat style trem, SD SH-1B, etc. Even though the routing pattern for a Strat trem is widely available, I always prefer to have hardware in my hands to get a sense that the values are confirmed by the physical item. It makes for smoother sailing and is best practice anyway really.

I suppose that I better do some digging on the shape of the poorly-cut pickguard that Ed made/modded. 

[Muzz]

Great to see you are getting a bit of Aussie timber into this build, you may get the urge to enjoy a nice Victoria Bitter after sanding those Jarrah dots, Also going for the best hardware with Gotoh, but why not go for the locking vibrato? 

[Prostheta]

Well, I figured that I'm either going to build this to VH1 specs and then subsequently do the upwards modifications, or build one and then the other. This is mostly dependent on how I like the tone of the (heavy) Ash, and whether I want to move across to a pre-built Swamp Ash body for the Floyd RWB. There's a lot of tonal differences in the first six albums (obviously Frankie was only a small part of the instruments used) so getting a feel for the brighter snappier woods and where I want to go with my final player is something I can only find out when we're across the finish line (no joke intended). For one, I'm unsure whether to go for paint in the thin stripes of the VH1 which closes off the road to the full RWB paintjob or go for semi-permanent tape lines.

The Jarrah was a gift from a friend, so I'm going to do a bit of a reveal for him as and when. He'll appreciate that.

Actually, tonight we're trying a bunch of Belgian beers from Alvinne brewery. Just shared a Cuvée Sophie with my wife, which was nice even though I don't care much for Oak-aged beers. The Phi Sloeberry is aged in Oak as well, however that sounds exciting....

https://www.alvinne.com/EN/beers.html

[Drak]

Pete Thorn has been obsessing over the VH tone lately, he's got a few YT's you might find interesting if you haven't already seen them.

Here's one that just came out, very VH guitar related.

23 Different Pickups

 

[Muzz]

6 hours ago, Prostheta said:

Well, I figured that I'm either going to build this to VH1 specs and then subsequently do the upwards modifications, or build one and then the other. This is mostly dependent on how I like the tone of the (heavy) Ash, and whether I want to move across to a pre-built Swamp Ash body for the Floyd RWB. There's a lot of tonal differences in the first six albums (obviously Frankie was only a small part of the instruments used) so getting a feel for the brighter snappier woods and where I want to go with my final player is something I can only find out when we're across the finish line (no joke intended). For one, I'm unsure whether to go for paint in the thin stripes of the VH1 which closes off the road to the full RWB paintjob or go for semi-permanent tape lines.

The Jarrah was a gift from a friend, so I'm going to do a bit of a reveal for him as and when. He'll appreciate that.

Actually, tonight we're trying a bunch of Belgian beers from Alvinne brewery. Just shared a Cuvée Sophie with my wife, which was nice even though I don't care much for Oak-aged beers. The Phi Sloeberry is aged in Oak as well, however that sounds exciting....

https://www.alvinne.com/EN/beers.html

Looking forward to seeing how this, or maybe these two guitars progress, really cool to incorporate the gift from your friend into the guitar. Now I feel like having a Flemish Sour Ale, I don't know if my local bottle o will have any, I might have to wait a while  

2 hours ago, Drak said:

Pete Thorn has been obsessing over the VH tone lately, he's got a few YT's you might find interesting if you haven't already seen them.

Here's one that just came out, very VH guitar related.

23 Different Pickups

 

Watching the vid now with a mug of Rooibos tea, look at that beautiful Ibanez Destroyer 

[mistermikev]

I imagine eddie himself is giving you the heavenly nod... or he's thinking about suing you - either would be a compliment in the highest.  nice work.

[Prostheta]

I'd actually been waiting for Pete's video for a week since he teased it! Absolute gold. I particularly liked the Pariah Pasadena set, which I might stump for should I go full RWB Frankie. Not sure whether to give myself the option of an active neck pickup with a push/pull pot, but hey, that's getting ahead of myself. Gotta screw this one up first.

[Prostheta]

Call off the clamp police, there's a new lawmaker in town.

 

Conventional wisdom would have me using a radiused wooden sanding beam as a caul for this, and I would agree. Unfortunately, my 16" aluminium beam would collapse or deform in this use. My short Stewmac block doesn't cut it. Titebond Original used for this, as 2 and 3 are too plastic and liable to creep. Considered hide glue, however this would almost guarantee a dark glue line by comparison with the Maple.

[Drak]

I have always had the weirdest mental issue w/ Metal and Maple necks.

I typically will only use them for a blues or country oriented guitar, and usually a Tele.

Which is completely ridiculous, and I know it.

I have come close on occasion tho, I was building a Timmons thing with a Floyd about a year ago.

And I got the 'OK" from the Inner Voice to use a Maple neck for that, haha!

But, well, that's more harmonic-fusion-instrumental, now, isn't it?

Looks great, loving it.

[Prostheta]

Thanks Drak, taking it one step at a time.

Yeah, I get the Maple on Maple thing. It screams vintage Fender, however I like to reset my thinking by reminding myself that Music Man brought Fender's double Maple idea kicking and screaming into the 20th century.

It's never been my combination of choice. I like a softer response to the attack-y fast response of Maple, so I'm wondering how pairing a PAF (well, SD 59 which is A5 and not A2/3/4) with a 250-300k pot brings down that chainsaw-of-icepicks to something warm but fast. It'll be a learning experience, and hell, that's where the game is....

[Drak]

If I was actually 'doing and Eddie', I know where I'd start.

Based on what I said above about the Custom Custom and what I heard out of it, and it being A2...

I'd pop a UOA5 in any of the Duncan Customs (they're just different magnets) it and start there.

That would be my Eddie 'starter program' w/o a doubt.

I mean, I wasn't even looking for 'that sound' and it just popped out of the guitar.

And a UOA5 is kinda like an A2 'with a little bit more', not so spongy, a little firmer.

 

When I finished my car stereo ground-up w/ new sub rebuild last year and finally got the amp tuned...

The first tune I slapped in at window shaking full tilt was Mean Street.

I f-ing love that song.

Carry On!

[Prostheta]

I was considering an SH-11 Custom Custom as well, however I know how it works in my #1 and the attack is a little darker and rounded. Part of that will be the instrument it's in. Changing to an A5 PAF design gives me room to compare and contrast, and like the original it'll be a work in progress....or in EVH's style a rolling continuous car crash onwards and upwards? My understanding is that a Duncan Custom is the same as the Custom Custom, just with an A2 rather than A5 magnet. That might not be absolutely true, however being a mass-manufactured pickup it would make sense. Add SD's marketing wankateer work between those differences and you have a diversified range, right?

Therë́s a number of things I'd like to try out with this one, the pickup being the first step of the game. Not sure if I would go for the saddle swap yet, and certainly unsure whether the block in the vintage Fender trem ever got swapped out like the one in the Floyd(s) or not. As soon as the guitar starts to get a feel which works for me, I'll get an idea of the direction it needs to go, whether that be pickup, hardware, etc.

I'm also breaking from any sort of slavish tradition here and going for a 22-fret extension style neck. None of this Tele heel in a Strat pocket or straight 21 fret stuff. I gather Frankie had the occasional 22-fret neck in at various times, so who's to say what a "distilled version" would be? The big target for me is the looks and fundamental properties of Frankie. Ash, Maple, humbucker, paint and relicing. Unlike the original I want to pay attention to the instrument as a great player, rather than the high-E-hanging-on-by-a-thread beater lifer. Sometimes the terrible condition and virtual unplayability of EVH's number one guitars make me wonder whether that pressure to produce great music from substandard-playing instruments made him all the better for it.

Anyway. It's a public holiday today (hyvää juhannusta/have a great midsummer!) so no firing up the table router to trim the fingerboard. Damn, I've got to sort myself out a brass nut now. I might make one myself, however I'm certain it'll butcher my fret files by brassing the teeth out.

Rant over.

[Prostheta]

....except for mentioning that living with this evolving Frankie will either make me stick with the one in VH-1 form, or drive me towards a light Swamp Ash body for a second build. The weight is punishing enough right now, so it's good that I don't gig any more. Still, a lighter guitar hurts itself less when you drop it

[komodo]

Duncan Custom is ceramic.

Custom Custom is A2.

The Custom 5 is A5 (doubt that its UO).

Custom 8 uses an A8. (Alternative 8 uses A8 and is 17k)

All are 14k.

Magnets are so inexpensive that having a whole set on hand to try out is doable. I've always wanted to try an A3.

[komodo]

Now you guys have me on another goose chase as I was looking for A3 mags to try. I knew that Alnicos were 'graded' regarding their strength of magnetic pull going from A2-A8 or 9, but I did not know that A3 is actually the weakest but only in bar form. In rods, they are stronger than A2. Curious.

I've also got a theory to test. I've never been happy with most neck pups because they still sound kind of boomy. Certainly not great for high gain prog metal solos or palm muted chunks. After I built the metal tele and threw in the Duncan Black Winter in the neck on a whim, I was struck with how much I liked it though it was not really output balanced with the bridge. Maybe the high pull of the ceramic, is keeping the boominess in check, where in the bridge, something like an A2 or maybe A4 would allow for the low end to come out more with more mids. Not sure how much the magnet pull alters the string, it may be there was just much more output bringing the highs out.

I see a bunch of pup swapping in my future.

[Drak]

16 hours ago, komodo said:

I see a bunch of pup swapping in my future.

I do it here and there but I don't make a religion out of it. If I'm really having trouble sorting something out, sometimes a swap makes the difference, it's happened a couple of times. About the neck, there is a pretty easy fix for that, maybe you already know it. To put a cap in series w/ the neck pickup hot lead, it eliminates the bass/bottom/boominess. I think usually a .001uF is where most people start, you can Google it 'neck pickup bass cut cap'. You can slide it either way depending on what you hear. That's way faster and easier to do than magnet swapping and I think more effective.

[Prostheta]

I'm probably very blue-eyed when it comes to pickups as I've stuck within a relatively small range of tonalities both in the wound bits and the woods. Since my #1 is loaded with a Custom Custom in the bridge, my ear automatically judges anything else against that. The slower, more smooth response of the Mahogany body and Rosewood board will be dialling back the faster snappiness of the Maple/Bubinga neck. Put together, that makes my ear think that a Custom Custom is warmer and smoother than it can be in other circumstances. I'm betting Ash/Maple would kick the CC up a notch or eleven, but for the moment I'm going to provide myself a solid reference point with this '59, albeit with an A5 magnet.

As for neck pickups, boominess has never been an issue for me so I can't add much to that. The pickup in my #1 is an A5 SD '59 (small range of tones, eh?) and it balances really nicely in that circumstance. I modified my circuit so that the tone pot only affect the neck pickup which is great for kicking back forth between strong bridge rhythm tone and smooth sexy tone-rolled-off neck sounds. You'd think that boominess would result, but I've never tripped over this hurdle personally. I'd agree with what Drak says about a bass bypass cap. If you draw out your circuit then there's a few potential options for placement as well which can bring that cap in differently. For example, in some switching situatiuons depending on what your circuit provides you. Not that different to what I do with my tone pot/cap and the neck pickup.

[komodo]

6 hours ago, Drak said:

Google it 'neck pickup bass cut cap'. 

Lol, you learn something new every day. Thanks!
I'm not sure how I avoided that this whole time, as it's exactly like using a tweeter protection cap in my car system. Electrics do not come easily to me.